A passenger vehicle that collides with a semi-truck can crumple. The lives of those who occupy the car can turn upside down instantly. If you are one of these victims, the shock and pain from the crash can overwhelm you. However, now you should also deal with monetary distress. No one can undo what you have gone through. But RSH Legal – Iowa Personal Injury Lawyers can ensure you get maximum compensation for your losses. After a collision with a semi-truck, here’s what you should do:
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
After a collision with a commercial truck, see a doctor right away, even if you believe you are unhurt. Some kinds of severe injuries, like traumatic brain injuries, do not present immediate symptoms. But these injuries can quickly become even more serious or deadly when not treated right away. So, never delay your treatment, as medical records can also serve as evidence.
Collect Evidence
Your truck accident claim is useless if you cannot support it with evidence. You must determine what or who caused the crash. Truck accidents can occur due to malfunctioning brakes, intoxicated truckers, blind spot accidents, distracted driving, falling debris, tire blowouts, and overloaded cargo. To collect evidence, you should consider filing a lawsuit. This way, your attorney can use the discovery process to demand evidence from the other parties. If the defendant does not cooperate, you can ask the court to issue an order. For instance, your attorney can get access to the black box data of the truck to prove the speed at which the vehicle was traveling when the crash took place.
Prove the Negligence of the Trucker
To prove liability in a truck accident, you must determine who caused it. If the accident may have happened because of a truck regulation violation, negligence can be established.
Extensive regulations govern the trucking industry, covering almost all aspects of a journey from start to finish. A skilled attorney is aware of these regulations and how to prove a violation.
After your attorney establishes negligence, they can prove that the negligence of the truck driver caused the crash. For instance, cell phone records can be used to prove the trucker was using their cell phone at the time of the crash. Also, eyewitness testimony can be used to show the trucker was dozing off at a truck stop nearby. This can suggest the truck driver may have fallen asleep while driving the truck.
