What to do if you've been in an accident with an 18 wheeler
What to do if you've been in an accident with an 18 wheeler
1. Get medical attention immediately even if you don't feel pain. Many injuries creep up days, weeks or even months later. Go the the ER immediately after the accident. Get X rays and let the medical staff make sure there are no hidden injuries. After the ER you should see a chiropractor at least a couple times to make sure nothing creeps in later.
2. Get a good truck accident lawyer. There are plenty of lawyers out there, but not all have experience with tractor trailer accidents. Dont' just pick the first one you find. Talk to a couple and choose a lwyer you feel comfortable with on a professional and personal level. This process can take a year or more, so you should find a lawyer that not only has the experience ecessary, but one you get a log with personally.
Why do you need a lawyer?
The fact is that tractor trailer accidents are complicated. Tractor trailers and their drivers are protected by commercial insurance policies that are worth roughly 50 times more than a standard passenger vehicle policy. The insurance carriers that provide these policies employ ruthless insurance adjusters who will do everything they can to deny your claim. These adjusters will be working with the trucking company's own team of defense attorneys and accident recreation experts to build a case against you. Furthermore, there are a number of legal loopholes that can allow insurance adjusters to deny your claim. Tractor trailers are covered by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration, which creates legal overlap between federal and state laws. In other words, the laws surrounding these cases are extremely complex.