A collision with a commercial truck can turn an ordinary drive into a life-changing event in seconds. The size and weight of a tractor-trailer, delivery truck, dump truck, or other commercial vehicle often mean injuries are serious and the insurance issues are complex. After a truck accident in New Jersey, protecting your health should come first—but the steps you take afterward can also make a meaningful difference in your ability to pursue fair compensation.
At the Law Offices of Mitchell R. Friedman, P.C., I help injured people throughout West Orange, Essex County, and northern New Jersey understand their options after serious accidents. Here are the most important actions to consider after a truck crash.
Get Medical Care as Soon as Possible
After any crash, seek emergency care if you have pain, visible injuries, dizziness, difficulty breathing, or other concerning symptoms. This is especially important after a truck accident, because the force involved can cause injuries that are not immediately obvious. Head injuries, neck and back injuries, internal injuries, and soft-tissue damage may worsen over the hours or days following a collision.
Do not assume that you are fine simply because you were able to leave the scene on your own. A prompt medical evaluation helps protect your well-being and creates documentation connecting your injuries to the crash. Follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations, attend appointments, and keep records of prescriptions, referrals, medical bills, and time missed from work.
Call Police and Document the Scene
Call 911 so law enforcement can respond, assess the scene, and prepare a crash report. If you are physically able to do so safely, take photographs and videos before the vehicles are moved. Capture the damage to every vehicle, debris, skid marks, roadway conditions, traffic signals, weather conditions, license plates, and the truck’s company name or identifying numbers.
Exchange information with the truck driver, but avoid debating fault or making statements that could be taken out of context. Obtain the driver’s name, license information, insurance information, employer or carrier name, and any witness contact information. If there are witnesses, ask for their names and phone numbers before they leave.
Photos and witness accounts can become especially valuable when the trucking company or its insurer later disputes how the collision happened. Even seemingly minor details, such as cargo on the roadway or damage to a trailer, may help explain the cause of the crash.
Understand Why Truck Accident Claims Are Different
Truck accident cases are often more complicated than typical car accident claims because more than one party may be responsible. Depending on the facts, a claim may involve the truck driver, the trucking company, a vehicle owner, a cargo-loading company, a maintenance provider, a broker, or a manufacturer.
Commercial carriers and drivers may also be subject to federal safety rules involving driver qualifications, vehicle inspection and maintenance, drug and alcohol testing, and hours-of-service limits. Those rules are designed to promote safe commercial driving practices. If a driver was fatigued, improperly trained, distracted, speeding, or operating an unsafe truck, the evidence may point beyond the individual driver and toward the company responsible for hiring, supervision, scheduling, maintenance, or loading.
That is why it is important to investigate quickly. Valuable evidence can include electronic logging data, onboard video, GPS information, driver qualification records, inspection reports, repair records, dispatch communications, and cargo records. These materials may not remain available indefinitely without timely action.
Be Careful When Insurance Companies Contact You
After a truck crash, you may receive a call from an insurance adjuster soon after the collision. The adjuster may sound helpful, but the insurance company’s goal is to resolve the claim for as little as possible. You are not required to give a recorded statement before you understand your rights, and you should be cautious about accepting an early settlement offer.
Early offers may not account for the full impact of your injuries, including future treatment, rehabilitation, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, or the effect an injury has on your everyday life. Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, it may be difficult or impossible to seek additional compensation later.
Before discussing fault, injuries, or settlement terms in detail, consider speaking with a New Jersey truck accident attorney who can evaluate the available insurance coverage and the facts of your case.
Preserve Evidence and Track Your Losses
Keep a dedicated file for everything related to the accident. Save the police report, photographs, medical records, bills, insurance letters, receipts, repair estimates, and correspondence. It can also be helpful to keep a short journal describing your pain levels, limitations, missed activities, sleep problems, and how your injuries affect work and family responsibilities.
Truck accident injuries can create losses beyond immediate medical expenses. You may be entitled to seek compensation for medical treatment, lost wages, future income loss, property damage, and the physical and emotional consequences of the crash. The specific damages available depend on the facts of the case, the insurance coverage involved, and New Jersey law.
Do Not Wait Too Long to Get Legal Advice
In New Jersey, personal injury claims generally have a two-year filing deadline, although exceptions and special rules can apply. Waiting can make a claim harder to prove even before a deadline becomes an issue. Witness memories fade, vehicles are repaired, video can be overwritten, and trucking records may become more difficult to obtain.
New Jersey also follows comparative-negligence rules. In some cases, an injured person may still recover compensation if they were partly at fault, but the details matter and compensation can be reduced based on the facts. Do not assume you have no claim because another driver or insurer says you contributed to the accident.
I provide direct attorney access and hands-on guidance to clients dealing with truck accidents in West Orange, Essex County, Union County, Hudson County, Bergen County, Passaic County, Morris County, and surrounding New Jersey communities. My office offers free consultations, and personal injury cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis.
FAQ
Should I see a doctor if I do not feel badly hurt after a truck accident?
Yes. Some injuries may not cause immediate symptoms. A prompt evaluation can identify medical concerns early and document the connection between the accident and your injuries.
Can I sue the trucking company after a New Jersey truck accident?
Possibly. A trucking company may be responsible depending on its relationship to the driver and whether its hiring, training, supervision, scheduling, maintenance, or safety practices contributed to the crash.
What evidence matters in a truck accident case?
Important evidence may include photographs, witness statements, police reports, vehicle damage, medical records, electronic driving logs, camera footage, maintenance records, and dispatch information.
What if the truck driver says the accident was partly my fault?
Do not rely on the other driver’s version of events. Fault should be evaluated using the available evidence, including the crash report, witness accounts, photographs, vehicle damage, and commercial vehicle records.
How much does it cost to speak with a truck accident lawyer?
The Law Offices of Mitchell R. Friedman, P.C. offers free consultations for personal injury matters. If I take your case, it is handled on a contingency-fee basis, meaning attorney’s fees are generally tied to a recovery in your case.