Car Accident With 18 Wheeler: What Do If You Were Hit By A Semi Truck

It was another day, you were cruising down the road listening to your favorite song (or podcast)… and out of nowhere, you were hit by a semi-truck.

When there is a car accident with an 18 wheeler, unfortunately, the car usually loses. If you were in an accident, I hope you are doing ok and safe.

I want to share with you a few things you should do following the truck accident. Some will be on the scene of the crash, and some can be done off-site but should be done asap.

5 Things You Should Do After A Car Accident With An 18 Wheeler

1) Get Medical Attention 

The average 18 wheeler weighs 80,000 pounds vs the average car weighs around 3,600 pounds. That is over a 22 times weight difference.

That is a lot of potential for damages to be caused to you and your car. If you can, call 911 immediately to get an ambulance on the way. 

Even if you feel fine, still get a medical valuation. It is possible you could be in shock and your adrenaline rushing, that you feel you don’t have any injuries. It is better to be safe than sorry later.

2) Call The Police

If you already called 911, the police should be on their way, and if not, call them. Having a cop on the scene can help direct traffic, work to keep every involved calm, but also write a police report of who was at fault. Make sure you get a copy of the police report, it could come in handy. 

3) Exchange Insurance Information And Get Evidence

Make sure to get a copy of the driver’s insurance information, the company they drive for, license plate number for the truck and trailer.

It is also a good idea to take pictures of all the damage to the vehicles, the surrounding area, including how and where the vehicles are positioned on the road. The more pictures you have,  they could come in handy if you file a lawsuit. 

4) Contact Your Insurance Company

Call your insurance company and let them know you were in a wreck and you can provide them the info of the other driver as well.

Be sure not to give any record statements and sign any documents for a settlement or admitting fault. 

5) Talk To A Truck Accident Lawyer

You might be thinking, I don’t want to pay for a lawyer, I’ll let my insurance company handle it.

Actually, most truck accident lawyers offer free consultations, so you can let them know about your case and they can give you insights that could be a good path forward for you. 

If you decide to work with the lawyer, they usually take a set fee of what the settlement is that they get you. 

Conclusion

I hope this article was able to provide you some insight during your stressful time of dealing with the semi-truck accident. As tough as it is going to be, make sure you get these things done, they can really help you out down the road if you decide to file a lawsuit.

If you weren’t at fault, and miss work, end up with medical bills, and a damaged car; it would be wise to speak to a few attorneys for the free consultation and see if you have a good case to get compensation.