What to Do After a Truck Accident in Nebraska
Accidents that involve commercial trucks can cause serious property damage and potential injuries. Since trucking companies, drivers, and insurers can all be involved, these cases are usually more complex than standard car accidents. Knowing what steps to take immediately after a crash can protect both your health and your ability to pursue proper compensation under Nebraska law.
Ensure Safety and Call Emergency Services
Your first priority after any type of accident should be safety. If it’s possible, move to a safe location that’s away from traffic and check yourself for injuries. Truck accidents can cause severe damage, so it’s important to call 911 right away.
Emergency responders can provide the right medical care and create an official accident report. This police report can really help to document information related to the scene of the crime that can be revisited later.
Seek Medical Attention Immediately
Even if your injuries seem minor, you should still seek medical attention as soon as possible. Some injuries aren’t necessarily noticeable directly after an accident and can be internal rather than external.
First and foremost, immediate medical treatment protects your health, but it also helps to create more documentation surrounding the accident that can link your injuries to it. Insurance companies commonly look for gaps in medical care to try and prove that the accident did not cause injury.
Document the Scene and Gather Information to File a Report
If you are physically able to, gather as much information from the scene as you can. Taking photos and videos helps showcase the environment, especially if they include the damage to the vehicle(s), road conditions, and any visible injuries.
You should be sure to collect the truck driver’s information such as their name, contact information, and insurance details. Since trucking companies usually begin investigating the crash themselves, preserving this evidence early cane be very valuable.
If the crash isn’t investigated by law enforcement, Nebraska state law requires that a crash report must be submitted within 10 days following the accident.
How Truck Drivers Should React
Truck drivers involved in these accidents can also suffer drastic injuries and they could have legal rights depending on the circumstances. If you were operating the commercial vehicle and were injured in the crash, you could be entitled to benefits through workers’ compensation if the accident occurred while you were performing work duties.
In some situations, you could also have a claim against another driver that caused the accident or contributed to the collision in some way. Since trucking accidents usually involve multiple people/insurance policies, it’s important for all drivers to document the incident, report it to their employer, and seek medical care. Reviewing regulations issued by the FMCSA and speaking with an experienced attorney can also help clarify what legal options are available.
Be Careful When Speaking with Insurance Companies
Right after a truck accident, you could be contacted by insurance adjusters that represent the trucking company or its insurer. They might seem helpful, but they’re ultimately trying to help limit the trucking company’s financial exposure.
It’s important to be extra cautious when speaking about the accident or providing any recorded statements or information. Try and avoid discussing fault or talking lightly about your injuries. Statements that are made early on in the process can be used later to try and invalidate or lessen the credibility of your claim.
Preserve Important Evidence
Evidence that exists in trucking cases can disappear very fast. Things like driver logs, electronic data from the truck, or any maintenance records are all important in trying to figure out what happened. In certain situations, these records can be lost if action isn’t taken quickly.
This is why preserving evidence early on is crucial. Being on top of it can help protect key information from being lost.
Legal Guidance
You shouldn’t have to go through a truck accident alone. Shasteen, Morris, & Ockander is a team of experienced personal injury attorneys that are here to help. Contact them for your consultation as soon as possible.
