People who are involved in trucking accidents often suffer horrendous injuries or a loss of life. If you are unlucky enough to be hurt in a Georgia big rig crash, you may be badly injured, dazed or confused. However, it’s important to take steps to safeguard yourself if you are able to do so.
Tractor-trailers can weigh more than 70,000 pounds in Georgia. Their stopping distances are longer. The force of the impact in these wrecks is usually more powerful. Often a Georgia big rig crash may end in a fiery scene as in the multiple-truck accident near Newnan last December that left three injured. The victims of trucking crashes in Georgia often suffer serious head and neck injuries and broken arms and legs. They may suffer internal damage. Statistically, drivers and passengers in smaller vehicles are more likely to sustain critical injuries.
What To Do After a Georgia Big Rig Crash – Five Steps
1 Get Immediate Medical Attention
Getting immediate medical attention is the most important thing you can do after a truck crash. Even if your injuries do not appear to be serious, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. In some cases, the symptoms of an injury do not appear at the outset of a crash. You will need medical records of your injuries to file a claim. It’s important not to delay because lawyers for a trucking company may seek to downplay your injuries.
What to do after a Georgia big rig crash
2 Contact the Police
The first call you should make from an accident scene is 911. A police officer will compile a report and an ambulance will be dispatched for injured victims. The police officer will document what happened. A report can prove crucial in a subsequent accident lawsuit and help establish which party was to blame.
3 Don’t Say Too Much
Don’t talk about the accident to the truck driver. Any apology or admission of blame may be used against you in a subsequent case. When you are talking to the investigating officer, restrict your account to the facts of the accident as you saw them. Don’t make any admissions of liability.
4 Obtain Important Information from the Trucker
If you are not too seriously injured and are able to do so, obtain important information from the trucker including a name and address, a telephone number, a driver’s license number, the state it was issued in, the driver’s insurance details, the license plate number and the trucking company.
5 Don’t Get Straight on the Phone to the Insurance Company
Trucking companies have powerful insurance companies that are aware of the size of the potential payouts in these cases. It makes sense to seek a consultation with a Georgia trucking accident injury lawyer before you talk to an insurance company.
Attorney Michael West helps people who are injured in serious trucking accidents in Georgia. The aftermath of a trucking wreck can be horrendous for the victims. Don’t take on the insurance company alone. Call the Law Office of Michael West at (404) 913-1529.