When To Hire An Attorney For A Truck Accident
Posted in Truck Accidents on December 14, 2020
The last thing that anybody expects is that they will be involved in an accident with a large commercial truck in Tennessee. However, large trucks are a heavy presence on our highways, and they provide vital services to our economy.
These vehicles include semi-trucks, construction vehicles, municipal waste trucks, package delivery trucks, and more. However, commercial trucks are much larger and weigh more than traditional passenger cars on the roadway.
When a truck collides with a traditional passenger vehicle, serious injuries can occur. If you or a loved one have been involved in a truck crash, you need to consider seeking assistance from an attorney as soon as possible.
Your first priority after a truck crash occurs in Tennessee
The number one thing that you need to be concerned with immediately following a truck crash is your safety and the safety of any passengers in your vehicle. You need to seek medical care as soon as possible to ensure that you and your loved ones are adequately evaluated by a doctor. Often, the signs and symptoms of many truck accident injuries do not appear until hours or days after the incident.
After the initial chaos of the truck accident is over, and you have sought medical care, you need to consider picking up your phone and searching for a good Tennessee truck accident lawyer.
Why do you need an attorney right away after a Tennessee truck crash?
Accidents involving commercial trucks in Tennessee are going to be much more challenging than accidents involving traditional passenger vehicles. You will be dealing with more parties in these situations, including the truck driver’s employer, well-funded insurance carriers, and possibly even legal teams right away.
This can put you in a precarious position, going up against adversaries who have the resources to deny liability.
When you involve a Tennessee truck accident lawyer very soon after the incident occurs, you will have an advocate that brings resources and legal expertise to your side.
Your attorney will be able to get to work gathering and preserving evidence as soon as possible, including:
- Any photographs taken at the scene of the crash
- The reports taken by police officers
- Any video surveillance from nearby buildings or traffic cams
- The truck’s “black box” data recorder
- Safety records of the truck driver and truck company
- State and federal inspection records for the truck involved
- Statements from any eyewitnesses to the crash
An attorney will handle communication with all parties
You want to say as little as possible to insurance carriers or other legal teams involved in the case. Even if you were not responsible for the incident, insurance claims adjusters are trained to ask questions in ways to get you to slip up and admit liability.
A Tennessee truck accident lawyer will be responsible for handling communication with all other parties on your behalf. They will ensure that you do not say or do anything that will jeopardize any eventual settlement you are owed.
Additionally, your attorney will handle negotiations with insurance carriers and other lawyers in an effort to reach a settlement before your case has to go to trial. However, you want to make sure to have an attorney who is not afraid to take your case all the way to trial if necessary to ensure that you are treated fairly.