Steps to Take After a Truck Crash in Pennsylvania

With over 500,000 truck crashes taking place each year, you must understand how to protect your rights. Given the sheer size and mass of a commercial truck, you are more likely to suffer significant injuries in a collision. Damages will often involve exorbitant medical bills, lost wages, and vehicle repairs. This is nothing when compared to the emotional losses that many injured parties endure.

At Fanelli, Evans, & Patel, we want you to know what steps you need to take to protect your rights following a truck crash. In this blog, our truck accident attorneys provide a step-by-step guide to the actions to take following a truck crash in Pennsylvania.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately

If you or any one of your passengers has sustained injuries, your first call should be to 911. The 911 dispatcher will send emergency medical personnel to assess injuries and transport individuals to the hospital. Seeking medical attention will document your injuries, strengthening your insurance claim. Even if your injuries only seem minor, seek medical care at least within the first 72 hours of your accident. If you choose not to seek medical attention, there may be delays in processing your claim, or your claim could potentially be denied.

Contact the Police

Although the Commonwealth only requires auto accidents resulting in injuries, fatalities, or property damage that exceeds $1,000 to be reported to the police, you should report a truck crash regardless. Law enforcement will typically investigate commercial truck crashes, so notify a police officer so they can arrive on the scene.

The police officer will take down your information, ask you to provide a brief statement, and interview eyewitnesses. The officer will also take pictures of the accident scene, including vehicle debris, skid marks, and damage to guardrails or other property. The police department will supply you with a case number, which will allow you to access a copy of the police report. This will be available to you 15 days after your accident and must be submitted along with your claim.

Gather Evidence and Documentation

If possible, take photos of your injuries, the final resting positions of any involved vehicles, vehicle debris, and any identifiable landmarks. This information can be helpful to a truck accident lawyer, helping them understand what happened. If you were involved in an accident with a commercial truck, your attorney will take the necessary steps to request data from the truck’s electronic logging device (ELD). The legal process requires your attorney to send a spoliation letter to the trucking company to ensure that ELD information is preserved.

Having ELD information is essential in any commercial truck accident case. ELDs replaced paper logs that truck drivers used to record their driving hours. An ELD records data whenever the truck is on, including the speed at the time of the accident and the duration of the truck’s motion. If the truck driver violated the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations, an ELD will reveal it. HOS regulations are established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which oversees commercial truck drivers.

If a truck driver violates HOS regulations, it may indicate that the accident was primarily caused by the driver’s error, most likely due to fatigue.

Speak With a Truck Accident Attorney

As soon as feasible after your collision, you should reach out to a Reading truck accident lawyer. A truck accident attorney will assess your situation and determine the strength of your claim. This will involve examining evidence to evaluate the best approach to demonstrating the truck driver’s negligence. If the truck driver did violate FMCSA regulations, you will want an attorney to provide the appropriate documentation to highlight which laws were violated.

In addition to proving liability, you will want to provide proof of damages. If you have suffered injuries, you must maintain records of all medical visits and organize your medical bills. These, along with evidence of lost wages, must be provided to the insurance company. While this may seem overwhelming, a truck accident lawyer will guide you each step of the way.

Reach Out to Our Reading Truck Accident Lawyers Today

If you or someone you love has recently been affected by a truck accident, Fanelli, Evans, & Patel would like to assist you in recovering adequate compensation. Given the mass of a commercial truck, your injuries and your damages may be substantial.

That is why our legal team is committed to fighting for truck accident victims, helping to secure many individuals’ six-figure settlements and even greater amounts. If you are interested in learning your legal options, do not hesitate to contact our Reading truck accident attorneys online or by calling (484) 869-2113 today.