Truck accidents are highly catastrophic in nature. The impacts are so severe that these accidents leave the victims too flabbergasted to follow the necessary steps. Several injuries and fatalities result from these accidents.
Taking the right steps after the accident is crucial to establish a case. It is essential to ensure personal safety and protect your rights as a crash victim. Owing to the massive size and weight of 18-wheelers, the injuries are severe. Such injuries do not only come with an expensive medical bill but can also make you unable to return to work.
The good news is, a compensation for these losses can be recovered in a personal injury lawsuit following the truck accident. However, to give this lawsuit a solid foundation, you would require the right evidence. These will provide you a valid ground for a claim.
The first step is to have a complete idea about the important reports that you would require to help your case. In this article, we are going to take a look at these records in details. Let’s find out.
Crash Report
A crash report is compiled by a law enforcement officer who inspects the site of the accident and documents the scene. In the event of a crash that has resulted in the injury or death of a person or has caused a damage to the property of a person amounting to more than a certain specified limit, an investigating officer writes down the facts of the crash.
A crash report is basically a narrative indicating what the officer believes has happened at the accident site based on the data collected and the information collected from the witnesses.
Primarily, this crash report records some basic information which includes the identities of the vehicles and their drivers involved in the accident, the information of witnesses, the insurance information of the owners of the vehicles etc. In addition to these, the crash report also includes information on whether any or both the parties have been transported by emergency services for their treatment and where they have been taken.
A copy of this valuable report can be obtained from the higher authorities. It plays a very important role in building the case. That being said, there are certain steps that you need to take in order to obtain this report.
Police Report
In the event of an accident, a police investigation takes place at the site. The purpose of this investigation is to determine which party was at fault for the accident and whether or not any citations need to be given.
For this, a police officer fills out an accident report that includes various details regarding the crash. Some of these details include whether or not the vehicles were traveling within the speed limit during the crash, whether or not the drivers were wearing their seatbelts or whether they were adhering to the traffic rules. This report may also include the observations of the police officer compiling it as to what may have happened during the accident.
A complete police report is a crucial record of the accident that is imperative to prove liability for the accident. The police officer is quite likely to assess the crash scene, provide assistance and talk to all victims while filing the report. It is important to state the facts correctly. If any incorrect statement is recorded in the police report, it may jeopardize your claim.
The next step is to obtain this report to establish your case in court. For this, you can note down the badge number of the police officer in charge of compiling the report and the police department where s/he works. Also, it is wise to ask when this report will be available to you.
Insurance Company Report
If you have suffered serious injuries in the accident or your vehicle has sustained damages, you should consider informing your insurance provider about the incident. That being said, with the right evidence, you are quite likely to recover the compensation of the damages incurred. However, it is still important to notify your insurance provider about the accident.
If you live in Houston and have been a victim of a truck accident, there are a number of Houston 18-wheeler accident lawyers that you can take your pick from to build your case.