A truck accident is a destructive, dangerous, and traumatic experience. Right after a truck accident, most people will be either injured very badly or not be quite sure of how they should handle the situation. Victims of truck accidents may also know that they want to sue another party for negligence right away but may not be sure how to go about doing that.
Your first priority after a truck accident is to make sure that you get adequate medical care and are safe. After that, it is good practice to try and get as much evidence as you can immediately after the accident happens. Finally, speak to a lawyer as soon as possible so that you do not miss your window to file a lawsuit.
For a free review of your case, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s Maryland truck accident lawyers at (410) 694-7291.
What to Do Immediately After a Truck Accident in Maryland
There are important steps to take right after a truck accident happens that can be very helpful to your case. However, our Baltimore truck accident lawyers know that, depending on the aftermath of the accident, you may not be able to do all of these steps. That is ok. If you are able to do at least some of these things, it can help improve your case in a truck accident lawsuit.
Get Medical Attention
The most important thing to do right after a truck accident is to get professional medical care for your injuries. If you are seriously injured, you are generally going to be taken to a hospital for whatever treatment you need. However, if your injuries are not so serious as to require emergency evacuation to a medical facility, EMTs and other first responders may assess or treat you on the spot. You may also receive initial on-site treatment and then be taken to a hospital in an emergency vehicle.
Obviously, if you are taken to a hospital for further medical treatment, you will not be able to hang around and do the rest of these steps. That being said, if you are able to stay near the scene of the accident, you should try and do these next steps.
Collect As Much Information as Possible
If you are able to stay near the accident, your next goal should be to try and get as much information as you can about the accident. Take numerous photos and videos of the accident and the surrounding area. Interview any witnesses who are nearby and make a note of what they say. It may also be a good idea to write down some personal notes or recollections while the accident is still fresh in your mind. No detail is too small or unimportant.
Finally, you should obtain the name, insurance information, and license plate number of any vehicles involved in the accident, even if they are not the truck. These individuals could testify in your lawsuit or be potential defendants.
Speak to Police Officers
You should also make an effort to speak to any police officers who have responded to the accident. Give your recollection of the accident to the best of your ability. You may also want to file a police report afterward if you believe that the accident was caused by a driver doing something illegal.
One of the reasons it is important to speak to a police officer is because it is very likely that other individuals involved in the accident are giving their side of the story to the police. If you do not say anything, you are letting other parties control the narrative, and they may even try and sue you.
What to Do Soon After a Truck Accident in Maryland
There is much more that you need to do after the immediate aftermath of a truck accident in Maryland. Some of these steps are new things that you need to do on the road to a truck accident lawsuit, but others are extensions of tasks you may have already started or were not able to begin right after the truck accident happened.
Get Medical Attention
Yes, this is a repeat of what has been said earlier, but in the rare event that you are involved in a truck accident and relatively unscathed, you should still get medical attention as soon as possible after the accident. This is because many injuries may not become apparent until days or even weeks after an accident. Adrenaline and shock can hide injuries after an accident. This can be true even of serious injuries like damage to internal organs. Therefore, you should see a medical professional, even if you do not think you are injured.
Retain Legal Counsel
It is very important that you get in touch with a lawyer as soon as possible after a truck accident. There are several reasons for this. First, you only have a limited amount of time to file a truck accident lawsuit in Maryland because of a law called the statute of limitations. Per Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 5-101, plaintiffs have three years from when they get injured to file a personal injury lawsuit. Three years may seem like a lot of time, but the reality is that with physical recovery from injuries as well as other life events, this is a very short timetable.
Another reason to get in touch with our lawyers as soon as possible is that it lets us start helping you with your case earlier. More prep time can potentially lead to a stronger, more comprehensive argument in court.
Talk to Our Maryland Truck Accident Lawyers
Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s Ellicott City, MD truck accident lawyers are ready to help you with your case when you call us at (410) 694-7291.