Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Protecting your interests after a collision with a big rig or tractor trailer involves documenting your injuries and the details of your accident. Documentation can help you if there is an insurance dispute or if you are sued. Good documentation can also help you if negligence played a role in your accident and you need to prove that. To properly document your injuries and collision after a tractor trailer crash in Hollywood or your community, you will want to:
1) Have a friend or family member help.
In many traffic accidents involving a commercial truck, the injuries are very serious and anyone who is injured may be rushed to the hospital. If you have been in this type of serious accident, you may lose consciousness or be in severe pain. Having a friend or family member at the hospital can help. A trust friend or family member can ask questions on your behalf, take notes about your condition, and can start the documentation process.
2) Take photos when you can and where you can.
Where possible, take your own photos of the accident scene, the truck involved, your injuries, and your damaged car as soon as possible after the collision. Even photos taken with your camera phone can help you capture any potential causes of an accident. Be sure to especially take extra photos of anything that may have contributed to the crash. For example, if there were malfunctioning traffic lights at a Hollywood intersection where your accident occurred, be sure to take photos of that.
3) Keep a journal or notebook of your injuries and expenses – but keep it private.
Keep a running list of symptoms, expenses, injuries, appointments, and everything else related to your case. No detail is too small to record and no receipt is too insignificant to keep. This information can help you or an attorney agitate for fair compensation for you. While you will want to keep as much information as possible, however, be wary about sharing it. Sharing even a photo of your injuries or everyday activities on social media can affect your case.
4) Get copies of records.
Get a copy of the police records or your medical records if you can. Keep copies of any submitted documents or papers related to your insurance claim or any settlement that you have been offered. All of these can help you if you decide to pursue compensation.
5) Contact a personal injury attorney right away.
An attorney can help you document your injuries and your case. An attorney can also work with investigators and other experts to gather information and documents that may not be available to you. For example, your attorney may subpoena the truck company in order to get truck driver logs and other documents that may be relevant for your case. Since these documents can become lost or destroyed, it is a good idea to contact a personal injury immediately following your injury so that the attorney can take steps to preserve this type of evidence.
Do you need to speak to an attorney after being injured in a traffic collision? Contact Flaxman Law Group now for a free case review.