As your local truck accident lawyer, our team at Maida Law understands the instant chaos and fear that you probably feel after a serious crash in Houston. Once the sudden impact has passed and the sounds of skids and shattering glass have subsided, you may be surrounded by wreckage – making your next move not just confusing, but highly critical. When it comes to serious truck accidents in Houston, your claim can be impacted significantly by how you react during the first 15 minutes after an accident. Many highly trained, experienced legal teams protect 18-wheeler companies and expert at capitalizing on your confusion during the moments following an accident. If you want to learn how to protect your rights, your health, and your case’s outcome, be sure to avoid these five catastrophic mistakes.
1. Refuse Medical Care And Weaken Your Truck Accident Lawyer’s Strategy
In the seconds following a serious truck accident, your body may be flooded with adrenaline, which can wreck your clarity and cause all common sense to fly out the window. Adrenaline surges when your body experiences a shocking event, helping give your body the rush of energy to get out of dangerous spots if need be. Some call it the “run from the tiger” effect. Because of this, adrenaline can oftentimes severely mask any injuries or pain your body might be experiencing in order to help you survive. Everybody reacts to this surge of adrenaline differently – while some may feel hyper-focused and calm, others might feel a sense of confusion and chaos. Regardless of how your body reacts, it is essential to never refuse medical care on the scene, even if you feel fine in the moment.
If you refuse care from EMTs or wait several days to see a doctor, even for minor pain, the trucking company’s legal team may try to argue that there was a “gap in treatment”. This would mean that your injuries either weren’t severe or were caused by something other than the wreck, which opens the door for insurance companies to argue that they were caused by anything other than the truck accident. This can cause a crippling effect on your truck accident lawyer’s strategy and make it far more difficult to claim maximum payouts for your injuries. At Maida Law Firm, we recommend treating every accident with care from the jump – regardless of how minor your injuries might appear in the minutes following the impact.
Be sure to receive a thorough check from EMS on the scene. If they do not transport you from the scene, visit a Houston emergency room the same day to receive proper documentation.
2. How Failing to Document The Scene Affects Your Lawyer’s Approach
Aside from just the medical documentation, the physical evidence of an accident scene in Houston is just as essential to your truck accident lawyer and their strategy. The truth is that in a dynamic city like Houston, dozens of accidents occur daily, and once crews sweep aside the glass, traffic blurs skid marks, and movement resumes, you lose the vast majority of your physical evidence. Because of this, it is vital to document all visual aspects of the truck accident thoroughly. This evidence can be the biggest factor in proving gross negligence in your truck accident case, something that trucking companies will be fighting to cover up the moment an accident occurs.
Your Maida Law truck accident attorney can use these key documentation items to fight for your case and for maximum compensation:
- Photos and videos of the damage to both vehicles
- Photos of the skid marks on the road
- License plates
- The commercial truck’s USDOT number
- Witness contact information
- The Houston Police Department’s crash report and the ID number of the officers
By collecting this information on the scene, you can set your truck accident lawyer up for optimal success by making it more difficult for semi-truck companies to cover up liability and cases of neglect.
3. Never Apologize, Admit Fault, or Chat with Adjusters – That’s Your Lawyer’s Job
Many Houston drivers have been raised on Southern hospitality, and while minding your please and thank yous is a key aspect of Houston culture, it can quickly undermine your truck accident lawyer’s case. While instinct might pull you to apologize on the scene, this major legal trap creates a serious comparative negligence claim in court. This tiny phrase can drastically reduce your compensation by taking the blame away from the truck driver. Because of this, making sure not to speak to the insurance adjuster on the scene is a primary key to protecting your truck accident lawyer’s strategy before it even starts. That’s because in Texas courts, saying “I’m sorry” admits guilt, and courts punish that admission severely.
4. Avoid Accepting Quick Sign Checks Without a Truck Accident Lawyer’s Advice
Insurance companies will undoubtedly try to offer quick fixes to get you to settle before developing a strong strategy for your truck accident claim. While this might be tempting, especially when medical bills start knocking on your door, it is almost never worth it. Because of this, be sure to avoid signing any legally binding settlements before your team or personal injury lawyers at Maida Law have a thorough look at all documents. It is essential to understand that these claims are almost always low-ball offers that don’t accurately reflect your suffering and injuries.
5. Look Through The Lens Of a Lawyer: It’s Never A Simple Fender Bender
The biggest and most common mistake that Houston drivers make when it comes to truck accidents is writing it off as a simple fender bender. You might see an 18-wheeler rear-end as just a larger fender bender, but the commercial trucking industry enforces set safety standards. These standards complicate liability and increase potential payouts considerably. At Maida Law, we help prove liability for truck accidents by investigating black box data, looking at visual clues, and tirelessly fighting against the professional defense teams employed by commercial trucking companies. Remember, this is much more complicated than a common, private accident, so it is imperative that you leave the communication to the professionals.
Don’t Wait: Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer Today
You’ve made it through the collision, but knowing what to do in the moments following is just the start of your legal battle. By learning these five common mistakes and avoiding them on the scene, you can set your truck accident lawyers up for success, ensuring you receive the justice and payout that you deserve for your trouble. At Maida Law, we understand that accidents are oftentimes the most frightening experience that many drivers have to go through., Because of this, we fight hard for our clients in order to help them stand up against the powerful teams of trucking company attorneys. Don’t risk your future. Contact Maida Law today for a free case evaluation with a professional truck accident lawyer.