Find a South Dakota Truck Accident Attorney That Will Fight to Get You Paid.

If you have ever been involved in an auto accident, you probably understand that it can take quite a toll on your life. From being injured and losing your car, to losing time off of work and the amount of paperwork and calls that come with it, a car accident can upend your life. While every accident is different and may require different things from you, there are a few things that are typically always needed:

1. Call 911. The very first thing that you should do if you have been involved in an 18-wheeler accident is to call emergency services. Even if you do not feel hurt, it is important to be checked out by emergency medical technicians. Adrenaline and shock are able to hide pain and symptoms of injuries until later, so you may not realize how injured you actually are. An EMT will be able to let you know if you need to go immediately by ambulance to the emergency room, or if a visit to your primary care physician should suffice. In either case, it is important to make sure that you hold on to any documentation regarding medical bills and diagnosis related to the accident. Your personal injury lawyer and your insurance company will need these.
2. Collect evidence. It is very important to make sure that you document as much as possible the scene of the accident and the series of events that led to the accident. You can take pictures of the cars and the surroundings and videos of traffic and witness statements. It will be vital to collect the police report once it is ready and trading insurance information with the other driver will be necessary. If you have had an accident with a commercial vehicle, take a picture of the logo and the vehicle identification number if there is one.
3. Call your insurance company. When you call your insurance company, make sure you have your policy number, the other driver’s insurance information and the evidence you collected on hand. The insurance company will want your version of events and will probably have you walk through what happened multiple times. Then, they will contact the other insurance company themselves, you usually will not be responsible for this. Once they have the evidence you collected and they are able to go through both versions of events, they will let you know what their judgment is.

If you are unsatisfied with the quality of the investigation or you feel the verdict is unfair, you can hire a truck accident lawyer to fight for your accident claim. If you feel you do need to go this route, LegalFinders is here to help you! LegalFinders can help truck accident victims connect with personal injury lawyers in their area, leaving the days of stressfully searching and comparing law firms far behind!

Big Truck accidents resulted in two fatalities and 123 crash injuries in 2020. It is important that motorists learn to share the roads with big rigs and understanding what can cause an accident is a great place to start. The following are some of the more common causes of 18-wheeler accidents:

• Blind spot problems
• Failure to yield
• Not maintaining a safe following distance
• Not maintaining a safe speed
• Driver fatigue

Trucking companies do their part to make sure that they are only allowing alert and competent drivers on the road, such as requiring sleep breaks and CDLs. Understanding that big rigs must make very wide turns and that they have very large blind spots can help smaller vehicles navigate around them safely.

Emergency rooms see all types of injuries that are a result of a large truck accident, from mild injuries to more serious injuries and even death. Any type of vehicle collision is going to have a negative impact on your body, even if it is just causing soreness. The human body is not really made to withstand that type of impact. After an accident your body can mask serious injuries, this is why it is so important to get checked out after being in an auto accident. The following injuries are the most commonly seen injuries in large truck accidents:

• Scrapes and cuts
• Bruises
• Broken bones
• Concussions
• Internal bleeding
• Organ damages
• Spinal Cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Comas
• Wrongful Death

The only real way to have peace of mind after a car accident is to get checked out by a doctor. Save any of the bills that are generated due to the semi-truck accident. Any of the documentation regarding a diagnosis and doctor’s notes for work or school can also be very helpful for your future truck accident case if you choose to take legal action.