What To Do After A Truck Accident In Taylorsville, UT?

An alarming number of truck accidents result in significant injuries and damages. A truck’s inertia alone is intimidating. However, when in motion, the driver and other related parties have a responsibility to be especially careful. If you suffer an injury in a truck collision, you can take steps to protect your rights to compensation.

What Steps Can You Take To Protect Your Rights After a Truck Accident?

If your accident results in severe injuries requiring emergency medical attention, there is little you can do in the immediate aftermath. However, if you have the physical ability, you should follow these steps to protect your right to compensation:

• Call for law enforcement. You can call 911 to have police dispatched to the accident scene. They will gather important information for the police report, including statements from witnesses, opinions concerning fault, statements from all parties involved, contact information, and a scene sketch. This is evidence your attorney could use during their investigation.
• Limit your conversations. Avoid talking to anyone apart from the police. Sometimes the adrenaline from a collision can make you feel like talking, but it is best to avoid saying anything or risk potentially saying something detrimental to your claim. This applies to your social media presence as well. When you file a claim or lawsuit, the insurance company will investigate the case, including researching social media activity after the accident to find evidence of guilt.
• Gather available evidence. While you are on the scene is the best time to start collecting evidence. You can take photographs of the vehicles, including images of the damage and the license plates. If there is a company name on the side of the truck, be sure it is visible in your pictures. Also, include any injuries you can see on your body.
• Seek a medical evaluation. A medical assessment after a truck accident is pertinent to your health and case. Adrenaline interrupts pain receptors in your body. As a result, you can have serious internal injuries that remain undetected for several days. Additionally, the defense team could use a delay in medical attention to create doubt about the origin of your injuries. 

Finally, you should consider speaking to a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. These cases can become highly complex, especially when determining and proving liability. An attorney will help you build your claim as quickly as possible and ensure you do not miss any vital deadlines.

Who Could Be Liable for a Truck Accident?

Liability in a truck accident can be tricky. The most apparent responsible party would be the person driving the truck. However, there are multiple parties with the potential for liability. Consider how each one could be negligent in a truck accident.

The Truck Driver and Trucking Company

A truck driver is singularly at fault under specific circumstances:

• When they are an independent driver who owns the truck and fails to keep it properly maintained
• When they work for a trucking company but operate the vehicle outside of the scope of their job
• When they violated the rules of the company and the laws of the road

Trucking companies are responsible for ensuring their drivers are adequately trained and properly equipped. The company could be liable if it failed to keep up with required maintenance checks or encouraged drivers to violate safety standards, which they sometimes do to ensure faster delivery.

A Third-Party Company

If the trucking company outsourced maintenance to another company, that third-party maintenance company would be liable for damages if the cause of the accident was an issue they were meant to handle. For example, if the mechanic failed to conduct a regular inspection and missed a tire issue, they could be responsible if the tire blew out and caused the accident.

If the accident were the result of a loading issue, the party that loaded the truck would be responsible. The loading process for commercial trucks is heavily regulated for safety. Overloading or improperly securing a load could cause a severe accident, and the party that loaded the truck would be responsible.

A Manufacturer

If any part of the truck malfunctions, causing an accident, the manufacturer could be responsible. For example, if an issue with the braking system forces the driver to lose control of the truck, you could potentially file a product liability case against the manufacturer for the damages the accident caused. However, these cases can become complex. For example, suppose the manufacturer issued a recall for the problem with the brakes, but the truck’s owner never submitted the truck to fix the issue, then the truck owner would be responsible.

People commonly have questions about liability in truck accident cases. An attorney can help you understand the most appropriate legal route for your case. You may even have multiple cases for the same accident or numerous defendants for the same lawsuit.

Why Should You Schedule a Consultation With a Truck Accident Lawyer Today?

If you suffered an injury or lost a loved one in a truck accident, you can attest to the devastating consequences of this type of accident. If the severity of your injuries meets the serious injury threshold in Utah, you have the opportunity to bypass the no-fault insurance claim system and file a personal injury lawsuit, holding the at-fault party in your case responsible. However, without the help of a truck accident lawyer, you may struggle to build your case and accurately value your claim. Therefore, before you file a lawsuit on your own, consider the benefits of having legal representation.

Benefits of Legal Representation

Some advantages of allowing a truck accident lawyer to act as your legal representation include:

• Experience. Auto accidents make up most personal injury cases, and truck accident lawyers deal with the laws that govern these cases daily.
• Burden relief. The last thing you need while healing is to file mounds of paperwork, collect evidence, and argue with insurance companies. As your representation, your attorney handles all aspects of the case as if they are you, giving you time to focus on your health and family.
• Personal understanding. Truck accident attorneys see the personal effects of these cases every. As a result, they offer a sense of security and emotional support when you have questions about your case.
• Access to experts. Truck accident cases can become challenging, given the complexity of liability. Your attorney will investigate the accident and access experts when necessary to ensure you have sufficient evidence to support your claim.
• Higher settlement. Given an attorney’s knowledge and experience negotiating with insurance companies and their ability to gather evidence supporting your damages claim, your chances of receiving a higher settlement are significantly better than handling your case alone.
• Protection. The purpose of legal representation is to have an expert who will protect your rights throughout the process.

Our team of truck accident lawyers at Fielding Law understands the physical, mental, and financial toll a severe auto accident can take on you and your family. When you allow us to take on your case, you can trust that our focus is on ensuring the responsible party from your accident pays for the damages they caused. You have nothing to lose by speaking with us. Contact a truck accident lawyer at Fielding Law today or fill out an online case evaluation form. At the very least, we can offer you risk-free peace of mind.