In California, truck drivers use state and interstate highways to deliver essential products to our residents. However, due to their size and mass, commercial trucks can cause major injuries when they collide with smaller vehicles. Knowing the essential medical steps after a truck accident injury in California can enable you to protect yourself after such an incident.
Essential First Medical Steps After a Truck Accident Injury
Whether you’re hurt in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, or anywhere else in beautiful Southern California, the steps you take right after a truck-involved accident are critical. You should:
- Contact the police: After an accident, it’s critical to contact 911 to report any serious injuries and the accident’s occurrence. Answer any questions law enforcement asks, but make sure you consider how your responses may be viewed later.
- Address your visible injuries: Apply pressure if there’s any visible bleeding, which can help control and contain it.
- Document the scene: If you can, take videos and photos of the area, the vehicles involved, and your injuries. Try to focus on anything that may have caused the truck accident.
- Gather contact information: Exchange contact information with all parties at the scene.
- Get medical care: After you’ve talked with law enforcement, seek medical treatment right away. Sometimes, people think they haven’t sustained any injuries, only to find out later they’re seriously hurt. Internal injuries and late-onset symptoms can be serious and cause complications. As a result, it’s important to get emergency care right away after an accident.
- Get supplemental care: Once you’ve gotten emergency care, make sure you follow up with a primary care physician.
- Gather evidence: First, assemble all accident-related documents. Then, if you decide to consult a California truck accident attorney, you’ll be ready to discuss your accident.
- Consult an attorney: An attorney can investigate your accident, discuss the value of your claim, and protect your rights. They can get a copy of your official accident report once it’s ready. Their work can enable you to recover financially for your accident-related injuries and other losses.
Reasons to Visit a Doctor After a California Truck Accident
Seek medical care if you are involved in a truck accident in California. A doctor can protect your health and see if you have any hidden injuries, like whiplash or internal bleeding. They can diagnose and treat symptoms early, conduct a comprehensive examination, and often prevent long-term complications.
Visiting a doctor can strengthen a possible legal claim, as a medical report often provides evidence to insurance carriers or your attorney of the strength of your legal damages. It can connect the injuries to your accident and document the injury’s severity.
A doctor can provide a personalized treatment plan to make sure you recover properly. They can monitor your overall injury progress and advise about whether you should restrict any activities post-accident or post-treatment. Also, they can alleviate any fears you may have after your wreck. Overall, a doctor can provide the professional guidance necessary for your recovery.
The longer you wait for medical care, the more challenging it can be to show how your injuries were sustained in the truck accident. Getting medical care right away can ultimately improve your claim.
How a Medical Report Can Strengthen Your Claim
If you decide to pursue the available legal remedies for your medical injuries after a trucking accident, your medical report can strengthen your claim. It can document your injuries and the treatment received. Also, it can directly link your accident to your sustained injuries, which is often crucial for demonstrating legal causation with an injury claim.
Ultimately, your medical records show the severity of your injuries, which can help an attorney determine the value of your claim and negotiate appropriate settlement amounts. At an initial meeting with your California attorney, you can discuss your injuries, your medical documentation, and how they can support your damage claim.
FAQs
Q: Do I Need a Lawyer for My California Trucking Accident Case?
A: You’re not required by law to hire a lawyer for a trucking accident case in California, but it’s highly recommended that you do so. An attorney can provide comprehensive help with a complex trucking accident claim. They can represent you against an insurance company or at a court trial. A licensed California attorney can link your medical treatment to your specific accident and prove how your damages are entirely related to your truck accident.
Q: Where Do Truck Accidents Happen in California?
A: Accidents involving trucks happen with greater frequency in certain places throughout California, including:
- 405 freeway
- I-10
- Highway 99
- State Route 138
- I-5
You can protect yourself by being aware of these frequent accident sites and limiting your exposure. However, if you are hurt in a trucking accident, an experienced California attorney can discuss your recovery options.
Q: Do Truck Accidents Requiring Medical Care Happen Often in California?
A: Yes, many accidents happen across California that require substantial medical care. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported 2,839 commercial trucking accidents as of May 2024, which resulted in 20 fatalities. With this many accidents happening in the Golden State, there could be many times when Californians may need medical care after a trucking accident.
Q: Should I Always Go to a Doctor After a Truck Accident in California?
A: It’s important to visit a healthcare provider after you’re involved in a truck accident anywhere in California. Even if you don’t think you’ve sustained serious injuries, it’s important to discuss your symptoms with a doctor, who can provide assurance regarding your medical care.
Currently, California has about 122,963 active physicians, which means we have the highest number of doctors in the entire U.S. Therefore, it’s important to find a local doctor after a truck accident.
Contact McLachlan Law, APC
At McLachlan Law, APC, we understand the appropriate steps to take after a truck accident, including getting medical care right away. We can set up an initial meeting with an experienced attorney to review your claim. We’ve helped hundreds of truck accident victims get the justice and financial recovery they deserve.
Our Hermosa Beach law firm is just off PCH and I-405. Contact our team to set up an initial consultation.