If you’re recovering from an accident with a semi truck you might need a truck accident lawyer in Ohio. Because of their size, semi truck accidents can lead to serious damages, severe injuries, or death. In this article we’ll look at what you can do to protect your rights when you’re involved in a truck accident.
Ohio Roadway Dangers
According to TruckInfo, there were just under 4000 semi truck accidents in Ohio in 2022. 32% of those resulted in some form of an injury for the people involved. That means that every day, Ohio drivers (and pedestrians) face the potential of being involved in a truck accident.
What to Do After a Semi Truck Accident
If you are involved in a semi truck accident you should take certain steps to protect your immediate, and long-term health.
- Call 911. This will bring medical professionals to the scene as well as local law enforcement. It will be important to have both to get even minor injuries looked at and an accident report generated.
- Take photos of the accident scene.
- Because memories fade over time, make a note of everything you can about what happened leading up to the crash.
- Get the names and phone numbers of any witnesses.
- Try to get insurance and company details from the truck driver.
- Contact your insurance company.
- Keep your bills and medical reports from every post-accident doctor’s visit.
- Contact an experienced Ohio truck accident lawyer.
Why You Need a CDL Lawyer in Ohio
An experienced truck accident lawyer in Ohio, like the team at GSAS, knows how important it is to gather ALL of the information after an accident. In addition to capturing the details from you along with the accident report, they have experience accessing:
- Dash cam footage
- The black box from the semi truck
- Driving logs
They can also help you work with a trucking company’s insurance provider. Because of the complexities involved in a semi truck accident, you may want to not respond to their insurance company without first speaking to a semi truck accident lawyer in Ohio.
Settlement vs. Trial
An experienced Ohio truck accident lawyer will be able to help you navigate your post-accident recovery. This can include helping you decide whether you are able to take a case to trial or if a settlement will be better.
- In a trial you will be able to present your case in court. You can often ask for a higher compensation amount. But there is no guarantee that you will receive that amount or even win your case.
- Settlements are often a quicker way to a final resolution. While the amounts may not be as large as you could get at trial, you can be more likely to get something.
As part of the settlement agreement, your Ohio truck accident lawyer may negotiate to see that certain practices or regulations be changed. This might mean the trucking company has to change a business process to prevent future accidents.
An Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer in Ohio
When you are trying to recover from an accident with a semi truck you want help from someone with compassion, experience, and knowledge of the trucking system. The legal team at GSAS not only has experience, they have a CDL licensed lawyer. This provides them with an insight that other law firms just don’t have. Let their experience aid in your recovery; contact our truck accident lawyers in Ohio today.
