Truck Accident Lawyer Trenton, NJ

Motorists who have been struck by a commercial truck driver need the experience of a skilled truck accident attorney.  The lawyers at Davis & Brusca understand that you may have sustained agonizing injuries and related medical costs, and that you may have been put into substantial debt. Many people don’t realize that they may be entitled to receive compensation from the truck driver or trucking company for the harms and losses caused by the crash. If the truck driver was at-fault, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation for your injuries.  The results are often only maximized by filing a lawsuit.  Where this is true, you will likely need the help of an experienced injury firm like Davis & Brusca.

In an effort to help you, we have summarized below how one should generally respond when they or a loved one is ever hit by a commercial truck driver:

Stay Calm, Call 9-1-1

In the immediate aftermath of a commercial truck accident, it is highly recommended that you call 9-1-1 right away. Try to remain calm.  Assess how you feel while you wait for police and a medical team to arrive. Do you feel ANYTHING abnormal?  If so, don’t discount it.  Bear in mind that what may seem to be “minor” pain when you’re at the scene, may be caused by a serious injury which is being masked by the endorphins produced by your body as a result of the crash event.  Commercial trucks often weigh approximately twenty (20) times more than the average passenger vehicle.  Being hit by one of these beasts can be incredibly scary, and can easily cause life-threatening injuries.  Don’t take chances.  Seek immediate medical evaluation and treatment.

Understand How Your Body Works

Our bodies respond to traumatic events by going into “fight or flight” mode.  Crash events trigger this response.  Our body will flood the system with adrenaline and other hormones as part of an automatic effort to prepare the body to fight or flee the threatening situation that has unfolded.  You cannot control this.  Your brain automatically triggers it.  However, these hormones may make it more challenging to determine the severity and range of injuries until a later time, once our body has had time to return to a calmer state. As such, it is better to report any physical symptoms and to get checked out promptly.

Exchange Information & Gather Evidence

If you feel well enough to talk with the truck driver, get their information while you wait for the police and ambulance to arrive.  Take pictures of the crash scene if you are able.  Obviously, if you are seriously hurt, do not worry about exchanging information with the driver.  Those details will be gathered by the officer once they arrive.  Those details will be recorded in the accident report, which you or your lawyer can use to reference later on. But, if you are well enough and able to gather some basic details, consider getting the following from the truck & its driver:

• First and last name
• Driver’s license number
• Current address
• Insurance carrier and policy number
• Truck license plate
• Trucking company name
• The companies details from the side of the truck (USDOT number, etc.)
• Take a picture of the sides of the truck’s cab, as well as any writing on the trailer (as there may be multiple companies involved in the operation of a single truck)

Obtain Legal Assistance

While you are certainly not obligated to speak with an attorney, seeking the assistance of  an attorney can help and can take a tremendous weight off of your shoulders.  Trying to balance the demands of your injury, the pressures of dealing with the various insurance companies, seeking treatment, all while trying to figure out what should be done to protect your legal claim (up to and including filing a lawsuit), is simply too much for most people to do alone.  The lawyers at Davis & Brusca, LLC are proud to be a truck accident lawyer Trenton, NJ relies on to help those injured by the negligence of commercial trucks.  Call us today and put our experience to work for you.

Thank you to our friends and contributors at Davis & Brusca, LLC for their insight into truck accident claims.