A trucking accident can be very intense and overwhelming. You and your loved ones could be dealing with severe injuries and a totaled car. There’s hardly enough space to even consider what to do next.
While the stress of dealing with an accident is unavoidable, our fierce team of truck accident attorneys at Gilbert Law have some guidance we can share if you’re in the Pacific Northwest.
5 things to do after a truck accident in Washington
If you’ve been in a trucking accident in the Pacific Northwest, you should make sure to take the following actions:
- Call 911
- Get the truck driver’s information
- Take pictures of the accident and get contact information from witnesses
- Seek medical attention
- Contact a Pacific Northwest trucking accident attorney
Whether you’re in Washington, Oregon, Montana, or Wyoming, following these steps is your best course of action – especially when it comes to a trucking accident.
There’s more to come if you’ve been in a truck accident
Handling a commercial truck accident case is like opening a can of worms – and you’re going to want an experienced attorney on your side to help you navigate what comes next.
If you know what’s coming and you have a fierce team on your side, you can get justice.
Here’s what you can expect from the process after an accident:
- Seeing a doctor → Your health is important. Make sure you see a doctor, no matter how small the injury. Depending on your injury and your condition, you can expect to be in physical therapy for several months or at least have a handful of doctor visits until you are cleared to go back to work. If you don’t go to the doctor, you could lose compensation for a medical issue that shows up a bit later. Don’t try to be a hero – take care of yourself and your family.
- Calls from the trucking company → You might receive calls from the trucking company or their insurer, and they might offer you a low settlement. Don’t accept. It’s too soon to assess the extent of the injuries or damages you suffered. If you do, you could miss out on filing a claim for injuries you didn’t realize were more long-term. They might also ask you details about the accident. You don’t have to share anything with them at all. Never admit fault or say sorry – it could be used against you even if you weren’t at fault at all.
- Bills coming in the mail → You can expect to receive bills over the next few months, like for car repairs or hospital visits or surgeries. Make sure to keep copies of everything. If you have health insurance, your insurance company will most likely handle most of the costs. Paying the bills as they come doesn’t mean you’ll lose out on compensation. When you file a claim, all the records you kept will be used as evidence of economic damages. Just because you or your insurance paid a bill doesn’t mean you don’t deserve compensation for it.
- Filing a claim → With the right team of attorneys, gathering evidence and knowing who to sue shouldn’t be a burden for you. Sometimes truck drivers are breaking the rules, but sometimes their employer pushes them to exhaustion. Looking over the facts of your case means we can fight for the compensation you deserve and for justice against the company who endangered the road.
While you’re only up against a person and their insurance in a car accident, in a trucking accident you are also facing a commercial business.
But you don’t have to face the aftermath alone.
Contact our experienced attorneys–we will fight tooth and nail
At Gilbert Law, the form of the justice our clients will receive is the only debatable issue. Whether it be financial compensation for an injured or aggrieved client, change to a company’s policies and practices, or changes in the law; we won’t stop until we have squeezed every ounce of justice out of that courtroom. Contact us today to get started.
Disclaimer: The blog published by the Gilbert Law Firm marketing team for informational purposes only and is not considered legal advice or a substitute for legal advice. There is no attorney-client relationship between the reader and the blog publisher. Readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel on any specific legal questions concerning a specific situation.
