You were stopped in traffic when you were suddenly hit from behind by a semi-truck. If rear-ended by a semi-truck, you need to know what to do to protect your rights and gather sufficient evidence to support your personal injury claim.
Semi-trucks are much larger and heavier than the traditional passenger cars, so the impact can be devastating. Semi-truck accidents can cause serious injuries, sometimes injuries that lead to life-long disabilities. Here are a few tips for victims of semi-truck rear-end crashes.
Always call the police. An accident report must be completed. If you have suffered serious injuries, call for an ambulance. If you are lucky enough to just suffer minor injuries, you will need to get medical care as soon as the police complete the accident report.
Usually, the driver who rear-ends the other vehicle is at fault, but there are rare situations where the driver of the front vehicle might have some liability. The officer will investigate the crash and determine preliminary liability.
Proving Negligence After Being Rear-Ended by a Semi-Truck
To have a successful personal injury claim, you must prove that the other driver acted negligently. There are four elements of negligence that must be proven. In this situation, you must prove that the driver had a duty or responsibility to act in a certain manner.
A driver has a duty to exercise care and protect others from harm by adhering to traffic laws on the road. Next, you must show that care was breached. In this case, it was breached by following too closely or failing to get stopped in time.
Third, you must prove that breach of duty caused an accident, which in this case following too closely caused the semi-truck to rear-end your car. Then fourth, you will need to show that accident caused your damages. If that rear-end crash had not occurred, you wouldn’t have suffered those damages.
Maintain Documentation to Support Your Claim
You will need to keep all documentation and records to support your claim and show what damage you suffered because of being rear-ended by a semi-truck. Keep a copy of the accident report. You will need to keep copies of medical records and medical bills.
Also, you need to maintain documentation to show your missed work and lost wages. Get a written repair estimate for fixing your vehicle and keep that as well. There are various damages that could result from such an accident, such as medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, future loss of earnings, future medical expenses, permanent scarring and disfigurement, long-term disabilities, loss of consortium, mental trauma, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Consult With a Personal Injury Lawyer If Rear-Ended by a Semi-Truck
If you have been rear-ended by a semi-truck, you should consult with a personal injury attorney. Accident injury claims are complicated, so you need an experienced attorney representing you and collecting evidence to support your claim. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form today, so you can get your claim on the right track.
