If you or somebody you love has been injured or sustained property damage in a Palo Alto truck accident, there are various steps you can take immediately following the incident to help recover maximum compensation for your losses.
Call 911. You need to call 911 immediately following any truck accident in California. The police need to know what happened so they can come to the scene and fill out an accident report. Additionally, calling 911 ensures that the fire department and EMS personnel are also notified about the incident.
Seek medical care. You need to assess every party around you for injuries after a Palo Alto truck accident. Even if you do not feel much pain immediately following a crash, you need to seek medical care as soon as possible. The signs and symptoms of some truck accident injuries do not appear until hours or even days after an accident occurs. These hidden injuries can lead to devastating long-term consequences. Seek medical care so a doctor can conduct a complete evaluation. Not only does this ensure your well-being, but it also establishes a link between the crash and your injuries.
Gather evidence. You need to gather as much evidence as possible after a truck crash in Palo Alto. If you have your cell phone on you, use it to take photographs of everything you see, including vehicle damage, injuries, skid marks, debris, traffic and weather conditions, the name of the truck, and more. Additionally, if there were any eyewitnesses who saw what happened, get their names and contact information as quickly as possible so they can be contacted by insurance carriers and your personal injury attorney.
Report to your insurance carrier. You have a limited amount of time to file these claims with your insurance carrier. In general, you must file any accident report within a day or two after the crash occurs. Failing to do so could result in your claim facing a delay or even a denial. You do not have to go into much detail when you make your report, but the insurance carrier does need to know the incident occurred.
Contact an attorney. You need to let a Palo Alto truck accident attorney get involved as soon as possible. An attorney can use their resources to immediately begin gathering the evidence necessary to prove viability.