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Immediate Steps to Take After an Accident
A truck accident can be one of the most serious and overwhelming events a driver can experience. Collisions involving commercial vehicles often lead to severe injuries, major property damage, and complicated insurance and legal issues. Knowing what to do in the moments and days after a crash can protect your health, your rights, and your ability to recover compensation.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Alabama, follow these steps to the best of your ability:
- Stay Calm and Get to Safety: Your first priority after a truck accident should always be safety. Move to a safe area away from traffic if possible, and check yourself and others for injuries.
- Notify Law Enforcement: Under Alabama law, drivers involved in an accident resulting in injury, death, or property damage must immediately report the crash to law enforcement. Police will create an official accident report, which can help your attorney understand the details of the accident and who was at fault.
- Exchange Information With Others at the Scene: While waiting for officers to arrive, exchange contact and insurance information with the truck driver, other motorists involved, and witnesses. If it’s safe to do so, gather additional evidence such as:
- Photos or videos of vehicle damage, road conditions, and injuries
- The truck’s license plate, company name, and DOT number
- Seek Medical Care: Prompt medical evaluation not only protects your health but also establishes a record linking your injuries to the crash—this can be critical to your truck accident claim.
- Document the Accident: Ask how to obtain a copy of the police report, and keep all receipts and medical records related to your injuries.
- Notify Your Insurance Company: Most insurance policies require prompt notice of any accident. Provide factual details—time, place, and parties involved—but avoid making statements about fault until you’ve spoken with a lawyer. Keep copies of all correspondence with insurers for your records.
- Contact an Experienced Truck Accident Attorney: Trucking companies and their insurers often move quickly to protect their interests. A skilled Alabama truck accident attorney can handle communications, gather evidence (including black box data), and ensure compliance with all deadlines.
The team at Long & Long Injury Attorneys has over 200 years of combined legal experience. We’ve seen hundreds of cases just like yours and we know what it takes to win. Contact us to get a free case review with a member of our team.
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How to Notify Your Insurance Provider
Most auto policies require you to notify your provider as soon as possible after an accident. Provide only essential details, such as date/time, location, vehicles/people involved, police agency/report number, and known injuries. Avoid embellishments, assumptions, and admitting fault in any way.
When you hire an attorney at Long & Long, we can manage communications with the insurance company on your behalf. We’ll handle settlement negotiations and work hard to reach a fair agreement. If the insurance company does not cooperate, we may need to take your case to trial. But don’t worry! We’ve tried and won many cases and have skilled litigators on our team who can make a strong argument for you in court.
Time Limit to File a Claim
There is a time limit known as the statute of limitations, which restricts the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit. The statute of limitations for personal injury in Alabama is typically 2 years from the date of the accident. This timeframe also applies to wrongful death cases. Deadlines can be shorter for claims against government entities, and other exceptions can apply.
If you’re not sure how long you have to file a lawsuit, call Long & Long. Our attorneys can confirm the correct deadline for your case. Reach out to us today to get a free case review with a member of our team.
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An Attorney Can Make the Process Easy
Long & Long Injury Attorneys can take the stress of a lawsuit off of you so you can focus on recovering from your injuries. You’ve been through enough and our team will fight to hold the responsible party accountable. All it takes is 1 call, and we’ll take it from there. If you’ve been injured in Mobile, Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Foley, Daphne, Fairhope, Robertsdale, Loxley, Spanish Fort, Bay Minette, Malbis, or the surrounding areas, contact us today to learn your legal options and how we can help.