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When you get into a trucking accident in Illinois, it can be scary. However, if you have an experienced trucking accident lawyer Belleville Illinois, you will have someone on your side to protect you and your rights. Carlson Bier will give you peace of mind and help get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us at 312-622-2900.
You may be worried about your own wellbeing or the wellbeing of others involved. But there are steps you can take to protect yourself legally after any type of accident occurs on the road.
Don’t move the car or truck
Never move the car or truck. The first thing to do after a trucking accident is to stay calm and wait for police to arrive on the scene. Even if you think it’s safe, don’t move your vehicle until you’re sure that doing so won’t cause any further damage or injury (or put yourself in more danger).
In most cases, this means waiting for law enforcement officers from both Illinois State Police and local police departments to come investigate and if necessary, clear away debris from around your vehicle so that they can get access to inspect it safely.
It’s important to take this precaution so that investigators can get a clear picture of the accident scene. If you are not seriously injured and are able to, you should take photos to submit to your insurance company and to your trucking accident lawyer Belleville Illinois.
Call 911 immediately
If you or someone else is injured, if the accident is blocking traffic, if it is serious, or if you are unsure of what to do, call 911. Officers (and if needed, an ambulance) will be dispatched to the scene to assist with all people and vehicles involved. They may also get a tow truck to clear the vehicles from the roadway.
Your insurance company and your trucking accident lawyer Belleville Illinois will likely want a police report. The report will help them determine who is at fault and what damages you can recover.
Exchange information with the other driver(s)
Provide your name and phone number to the other driver involved. Providing your information is important for a few reasons. First, it can be helpful if there are any questions about what happened in the accident later on. Second, if someone else was injured in this trucking accident, their attorneys will want to reach out after their medical treatment is complete, so that they can start filing a personal injury claim against whoever caused them harm.
After you have assessed the situation and determined that you are not injured, it is important to gather as much information about the other driver, vehicle and location of the accident. This information may be helpful in filing a claim with your insurance company or if you decide to hire a trucking accident lawyer Belleville Illinoit to pursue legal action against another party.
The following is a list of items that should be obtained:
- The name, address and phone number of all drivers involved in an accident (including yourself).
- Insurance information for each driver including their policy number and agent’s name (if applicable). If they do not have insurance make sure they give you their names so that if something happens later down the road then at least those records will remain intact.
- License plate numbers for both parties’ vehicles involved in the accident along with license plate state/country sticker detail if available.
Do not admit fault to anyone at the scene of the accident.
When you are involved in an accident, it is tempting to admit fault. But don’t do it! Even if you think the other driver acted recklessly, there’s no reason to make things worse by saying something like “I’m sorry.”
It’s also important not to admit fault when talking with police officers or other insurance agents who may show up at the scene of your trucking accident. And finally, don’t admit fault while being treated by paramedics or doctors.
Contact a trucking accident lawyer Belleville Illinois to protect your rights
After any trucking accident in Illinois, you should do your best to follow these instructions so that you can protect yourself legally in case you are sued by another party for damages later on. Call 911, don’t move the vehicles, gather as much information as possible, and don’t admit fault.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to deal with a trucking accident in Illinois. But if you do find yourself in this situation, it’s important that you know how best to protect yourself legally. To help with this process, our trucking accident lawyer Belleville Illinois can help. At Carlson Bier, we have handled numerous personal injury cases related to accidents and have gotten our clients the compensation they deserved. We will fight to do the same for you.
