If you have been involved in an accident with a large truck or 18-wheeler, you may be left reeling and overwhelmed in the immediate aftermath. Hopefully, you will never be in this situation, but in case you are, one of the thousands of Texas drivers involved in a big-rig or large truck collision each year, the steps below will provide an overview of Texas trucking accident cases.
Steps to Take:
- Check in with yourself. Semi-trucks can weigh up to five times the weight of an average car, and a collision with one can be devastating. Take a moment to check in with yourself, do a body scan to see if you feel pain in any parts of your body and if you are trapped or injured.
- Check in with other passengers. Attempt to determine if anyone is injured, unconscious, or unable to move.
- Leave the car if you are able and assist others in doing the same. Particularly if there has been serious damage to the engine and/or if you can smell gas and oil leaking, it is important to leave the car as it is a possible fire hazard. Be cautious in leaving the car, and do not attempt to move others who seem seriously injured or like they may have neck or spinal cord injuries–wait for the paramedics to assist them.
- Call the police as soon as you are able. When you speak to the 911 operator, be sure to estimate to the best of your ability how many people total are at the scene and may be injured; this will allow the operator to send enough ambulances to care for everyone who needs it. Even if there are no clear injuries or the accident seems relatively minor, it is still important to call the police as it will generate a police report, which gives you automatic documentation of the collision.
- Document and gather evidence if safe to do so. If you are not injured and it is safe to move around, it is important to get some photographs of the scene, including the license plates of all vehicles involved, and the damage done. If there were any witnesses to the accident, you can ask them to give you their name and contact information, which you can also pass on to the police and your insurance company.
- Go to the doctor. It is important to get a medical evaluation immediately after an accident, even if you are not experiencing any pain or symptoms, for two reasons. First, you may have internal injuries that you are not aware of, and, second, because the longer you wait after the accident to see a doctor, the harder it will be to prove that the accident caused any diagnosed injuries (as opposed to some other event that transpired in the meantime).
Hiring a Lawyer
If you or a loved one have been injured or even killed in a Texas trucking accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, expenses, pain, and suffering. Contact Midland 18 wheeler accident lawyer today to schedule a free consultation. You can even complete a free case evaluation online. There is no fee unless we win.