What to Do After a Hit and Run Accident with a Truck
After the initial shock of being in a wreck with a commercial vehicle, you may be filled with rage when you see them drive away instead of calling for help. In fact, if your car is still operational, your first instinct may be to chase the truck driver down and get their information. This is a huge mistake!
First of all, you’d be fleeing the scene of a wreck. That’s still a crime, even if you’re chasing the truck. Second, in your angry, emotional state, you may not drive safely, which can lead to another accident. Third, you may not realize if you have serious injuries. These could be made worse by driving after the commercial vehicle.
Instead, check yourself for any serious injuries. If you are seriously injured, try not to move, especially if your neck or head is injured. Check on everyone else in your vehicle as well for major injuries. Then, call 9-1-1 and be sure to request an ambulance. Even if you don’t think you have serious injuries, you should still be evaluated by a medical professional as soon as possible.
Make sure you take as many photos as you can of the scene of the hit and run. This includes damage to your car, weather and road conditions, nearby traffic control devices like lights and stop signs and anything else that may seem important. It’s always better to have too many photos than too few.
When the police arrive, they will ask you to give a statement. Be sure to give an accurate description of the truck that was in the collision, and let them inspect your vehicle. Giving an accurate description of what happened and letting the police inspect the damage of your vehicle will give them a better idea of what kind of damage to look for on the other vehicle. Plus, that police report will help determine who is at fault, even though the other driver fleeing the scene will likely be taken as an admission of guilt.
Unfortunately, you will also need to call your insurance provider to report the hit and run accident. Don’t give more information than you need to. In fact, you should only tell them where and when the accident happened, your policy information, and nothing else. They will be recording the call to try to show that you were somehow at fault for the accident. So don’t give them the ammo to do so!
If they keep asking probing questions, simply tell them you need to speak with your lawyer — which is exactly what you should do. Give us a call to discuss all of your legal options after a hit and run accident with a lawyer, and to figure out how to better deal with the insurance company.
