A friend of mine recently showed me what he thought was a really good checklist for truck accident victims. I don’t know why, but this prompted me to look around. I ended up finding dozens of lists across the internet. They’re all basically the same and they all suffer from the same flaw; they assume you’ll be able to act after a commercial truck accident.
If the crash is minor, you can follow a checklist. What if you’re seriously injured or have a loved one who dies in the crash? Those lists don’t help much then. What’s more, most of the items on the list advise people to do things an attorney should do. Let’s talk about why truck accident checklists don’t work in the aftermath of a serious crash. After that, I’ll unveil the world’s shortest checklist for those involved in a serious truck accident.
What Do Most Truck Accident Checklists Get Wrong?
As I mentioned before, the problem with most truck accident checklists is they assume the victim can act after the crash. Many of them include advice that only applies to minor crashes like, “call 911,” “take as many pictures of the scene as you can,” “don’t discuss fault,” “collect the names of all witnesses,” etc. All of that advice isn’t bad for people in a minor crash. At the same time, it simply doesn’t apply to the worst crashes.
What Good Is a List after a Truck Accident?
You might think, “Mike, if you’re in a catastrophic or fatal crash, a check list won’t help anyway.” That’s true, but it ignores how people use checklists. Allow me to explain. In the real world, does anyone really carry a truck accident checklist in their wallet, purse, or glove box? Of course, not. Instead, people do a quick Google search or ask an AI what to do after a crash. Whether you’re in a minor crash and searching for yourself, or you’re looking because your loved one was in a serious crash and needs your help, you need reliable information. If you’re in the first group, these checklists have some utility; if you’re in the second group, they’re pretty much useless.
So if you’re truck accident checklist only works if your situation isn’t that bad, how good is that list? From where I sit, these lists are akin to a parachute that only works if you’re jumping off a one story house and fails to open if you have to jump out of a plane. In the first situation, you probably would have been okay without it. In the second, it fails you when you need it most.
The World’s Shortest Serious Truck Accident Checklist
Item #1: Find an experienced truck accident attorney as quickly as possible.
That’s the whole list. If you or a loved one has been in a serious truck accident, you should find an experienced truck accident attorney as quickly as possible. There really isn’t such a thing as too quick either. Personally, people have called me in the middle of the night after their loved one was in a crash. What do I do? I get my team together and we go to the scene. That’s part of an experienced truck accident attorney’s job.
This may sound self-serving but I assure you it’s not. If you have a loved one fighting for their life in a hospital bed or you’re planning a funeral, do you really have time to conduct an accident investigation on top of that? Do you really want to send spoliation notices to the trucking company, so they don’t “accidentally” destroy evidence? Don’t you have more pressing matters than tracking down witnesses? Is obtaining video surveillance footage from local businesses something any one wants to do? (Your author excluded). Who wants to secure all the electronic evidence, negotiate with insurance companies, and begin the process of documenting your losses? All of those things are literally an attorney’s job. They look after your interests, you go about the business of healing and putting your life back together, and your attorney keeps you informed every step of the way.
Who Looks for a Lawyer Right After a Crash?
Perhaps you’re thinking that after a crash that devastating, the last thing anyone wants to do is look for a lawyer. Having litigated dozens of truck accident cases over four decades, I can tell you that I’ve worked with people in this exact situation. For these folks, I recommend that they task someone they really trust with vetting four or five experienced attorneys. This gives the person impacted by the crash the space they need to come to terms with their new situation. At the same time, the process of finding an attorney moves forward. Once you have a shortlist, finding an attorney becomes less daunting.
Why Is Involving an Attorney Essential for Victims?
Most people don’t realize that as soon as a trucking company hears of an accident, the first thing they do is notify their insurance carrier, who then notifies an attorney. Most trucking companies send lawyers to the accident scene to plan a defense before authorities even finish clearing the scene. The reason is federal law requires commercial drivers to carry at least $750,000 in insurance coverage. Given what’s at stake, it’s foolish for them not to call an attorney. If trucking companies treat the crashes as a legal matter, shouldn’t victims do the same?
Simply put, if the trucking company’s checklist is simply to call a lawyer, why should a victim’s be any different? This is why most attorney truck accident checklists work better at as marketing gimmicks than actionable advice for anyone involved in a serious truck accident.
call us 
Email Us 
Text us