400 Collins Rd NE, MS 154-100 Cedar Rapids, IA 52498
You just had the scariest crash of your life. You are alive. You are shaken up. You don’t know what to do next. Truck accidents happen fairly often, and if you are on the road for work, you need to have an idea of the proper procedures after your accident has happened. This will keep you prepared even under serious circumstances.
Don’t go anywhere. Stay by your vehicle and call the police . They can help you get a ride and will ask you to fill out information about the accident. Police reports assist with potential investigations if there is a problem between your truck and another vehicle. The reports usually don’t take too much time to fill out and are a legal requirement in certain instances.
If you don’t sign one, it can put you in an awkward position. You will not only look guilty of an actual crime but may be considered “on the run” if the accident was on you. Writing a police report can help you establish your side of the story, regardless if you were at fault. After you fill the police report out, law enforcement should be able to give you a lift to a nearby town.
You may feel perfectly fine after a major crash. However, you should ignore what your body is telling you and seek medical assistance immediately. Truck accidents can cause a variety of serious injuries , and you need to make sure they are properly taken care of. Sometimes, the worst indicator of your health after an accident is a lack of pain.
As a truck driver, you should have full-time medical benefits. Find a doctor near you who will take your insurance and be able to analyze any potential injuries. They can then give you the necessary treatment for your injuries and diagnose any potential problems you may be unaware of. Taking care of yourself should be your job after an intense accident. It may turn out that you were perfectly fine, but checking this out beforehand is essential.
One of the first things you should do (as with any accident) is to contact your company’s auto insurance. If you and the vehicle you had an altercation with both contact each other’s insurance, they can strike a deal as to what is covered. Getting this bill to your insurance provider is important if you want to guarantee you won’t be forced to pay for it alone.
In the worst-case scenario, you may be stuck fitting the bill if you don’t contact the insurance company. Worse yet, your company may be stuck paying, and you could be out of a job. If you want to avoid the complications that come by not sharing accident information with the insurance company (and you likely do) make sure to contact them immediately.
By doing these three things after a major truck accident, you can guarantee everything will be taken care of. The police have their information on the legal front, the insurance companies can take care of the financial damage, and the doctors can heal you on the medical side.
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