Commercial truckers bear a significant responsibility to protect the other people on the road. While most truck drivers take their jobs seriously, there are a few bad ones that place everyone's safety in jeopardy. A truck driver may decide to flee the scene of an accident for many reasons, such as being afraid of DUI charge or of taking responsibility for their actions that caused serious injuries. However, none of those reasons is an appropriate excuse to break the law. Once you realize that you are the victim of a hit-and-run accident by a commercial truck, you need to take these steps to begin the process of holding the driver responsible for their actions.
Get As Much Information As You Can
The sheer size of a commercial truck often means that anyone in the other vehicle will sustain serious injuries that may make it hard to remember what happened. However, even the smallest details may help to locate the responsible party. Try to remember if the truck was a specific color or had a logo on the trailer. In some cases, your trucking accident injury attorney may also gather information by doings things such as requesting video footage from the traffic light cameras that can help to catch the culprit.
File a Report with the Local Law Enforcement Agency
Hit-and-runs are against the law, and anyone who drives a commercial truck is also required to follow the guidelines put into place for drivers of oversized vehicles. Make sure to file and follow up on the report with the local law enforcement agency to document the events that led up to and occurred after the accident. In many cases, you will need this report to file a claim with your medical and auto insurance companies, and it can also be important if your case goes to court.
Document the Damages and Associated Costs
When a commercial truck collides with a passenger vehicle, the damage to your property and body is likely to be significant. However, it gets hard trying to keep up with every bill or receipt that lands in your hands after a repair or medical appointment. Try scanning important information into your computer. While you can also start a paper file, creating digital copies helps you to keep everything in one place. This method also makes it easy to send off an important document to your trucking injury attorney as they work on your case.
You've definitely got a long road ahead of you, and it never helps when the responsible party tries to run. While it will take a lot more effort to resolve a hit-and-run case than one where the driver stayed at the scene, being proactive will help you reach a resolution that helps you overcome the consequences of someone else's negligence.
