Most Important Things to do After a Truck Accident

A truck accident leaves behind wreckage, broken glass, and jagged metal. Fortunately, these are all things that can be swept up and taken away. Unfortunately, this is not

Although all truck accident cases are unique, there are nonetheless common concerns we hear from our clients. “I did not ask this to happen!”, is perhaps the most common statement that truck accident victims make when they discover the complex issues that must be dealt with after a truck accident.

While Nobody Asks It Doesn’t Take Long for a Truck Accident Victim to Realize That

Immediately after a semi truck accident, time is needed to heal and recover, time to figure out how the truck accident and injuries will affect the future, and time to navigate the lengthy and often times difficult claims or litigation process. Unfortunately, time is not always a luxury for truck accident victims. Because of the various issues involved, we encourage our clients, and any truck accident victim, to prioritize their needs.

Although there can be a seemingly endless number of concerns and questions the develop after a truck accident, it is possible to categorize the immediate steps that must be taken.

First, any Immediate Medical Needs Should be Taken Care of

Sometimes clients believe that they should talk to an attorney before they talk to a doctor. When medical care is necessary, this could be a costly mistake. Instead, our truck accident lawyers recommend seeking some level of medical care early on when it is necessary and only after a victim has been examined, or treated, to contact an attorney. One obvious reason why this is important is in the event there is any medical concerns it is worth handling those first and foremost before addressing any legal issues. However, it is also important to understand that the longer the time goes before a truck accident victim receives medical attention, the more likely it is for the insurance company to argue that there was never an injury, that the injury was not that bad, or that the injury was caused by something else. When it is necessary, quick medical care can help establish the cause of a truck accident injury as well as the need for future care.

When it comes to paying for medical care the general approach is that if there is health insurance available, it is wise to use it. With few exceptions, using health insurance will help the truck accident victim down the road by maximizing the recovery, while also avoiding any risk that the excessive bills will end up on the victim’s coffee table. Of course, there are some nuances to this issue and discussing the payment of medical expenses with an attorney is always a wise move. However, if that is not an option our general recommendation is to use any available health insurance when possible.

Avoid Talking to Insurance Adjusters

Often times immediately after an accident the insurance companies become aware of the claim and do their best to contact everyone involved. Although there are some admittedly conscientious and concerned insurance adjusters out there, it is also possible that some insurance representatives contact accident victims early on and attempt to record their statements in order to build a case against them. Especially if there is extensive injuries that require any significant amount of medical care there is absolutely no benefit or a truck accident victim to talk with an insurance company. This is especially true if the insurance company begins asking questions about how the accident occurred or what types of injuries are involved. At this point, our recommendation is to totally adjuster that although the statement may be given sometime down the road, now is not the time.

Contact and Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer

By this point, hopefully be immediate medical needs have been taking care of and there has been no statements made to the insurance company. In reality, this is a good time to begin looking for an attorney. We encourage our clients to call around, talk to various New Mexico truck accident lawyers, and find someone whom they are comfortable with. It is not at all uncommon for us to have a candid conversation with client and tell them simply if we believe we can help them. If we cannot, we will let them know.

Once an attorney has been contacted who appears to be compassionate, knowledgeable, understandable, and acceptable, a client can begin the hiring process. That being said, we have assembled various questions and recommendations to focus on when hiring the best lawyer for a truck accident case.

Focus on Recovering From the Injuries

Generally speaking, after a client hires us we share with them what they can expect of us and what our expectations are of them. Most often, we tell our clients that we expect for them to focus on getting better. This means that they should work with their doctors and have in mind the ultimate goal of recovering and moving on with their life. We attempt to help the client by getting rid of the stress and headaches that go along with the truck accident case so that they can do what is most necessary for themselves and their family, heal.

We also tell our clients that we are happy to have them involved in whatever level they want with their case. If they request weekly updates we encourage them to call whenever they would like to speak with one of our attorneys regarding their case. If on the other hand our clients wish to be left alone we tell them that will continue to handle their case zealously and aggressively letting them know of major issues that develop in decisions that need to be made but will not harass or annoy them with regular phone calls.