What You Can Do if Your Loved One Was in a Truck Accident
The Leading Personal Injury Lawyer in Monroe, NC Examines Your Options
Serious injury and even death can result from catastrophic truck accidents. If someone you know and love has suffered a devastating injury from a truck accident, it is important to know what you can do to ensure they are taken care of. To help, the leading personal injury lawyer, Monroe, NC firm Law Offices of William K. Goldfarb, is here to break down your options.
Make Sure Your Loved One is Receiving Proper Medical Care
Your Loved One’s Health Should Remain One of Your Main Priorities
As you determine how to handle the legal aspects of your loved one’s accident, you must also pay special attention to their medical needs. Many truck crashes cause serious, and even fatal, injuries to occupants of the car. For some car passengers, their first emergency visit is the first step to a long medical journey to recovery. Your loved one might require a series of surgeries or long-term care such as physical therapy and rehabilitation programs.
Some of the most common injuries that result from truck accidents include:
- Head Injuries: Serious head trauma causing a loss of motor skills or the development of cognitive issues may result from a truck accident. Sometimes, symptoms of a head injury do not appear until after the accident. Headaches, dizziness, confusion, and vision problems are some of the most common symptoms of a head injury.
- Back and Neck Injuries: Many people involved in truck accidents experience whiplash — a neck injury occurring as a result of a rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck. In some of the most serious truck accidents, internal decapitation, also known as atlanto-occipital dislocation, can occur. The road to recovery from a damaging — though rare — injury like this one can be long and painful.
- Broken Bones: Due to the immense force and power of a truck, many victims of these accidents suffer from broken bones. Some patients may have to undergo surgery or a bone fracture repair, during which the surgeon places metal screws, rods, pins, or plates at the site of the injury. Others may receive a cast. However, broken bones do not always heal properly. As a result, your loved one might have to undergo additional medical procedures before the bone finally heals.
- Internal Injuries: Blunt force trauma to the internal organs such as the liver and the spleen can also occur as a result of a truck accident. If these organs are critically injured, they can be extremely difficult to repair. Truck accidents can also cause internal bleeding in its victims, which is often indicated by confusion, weakness, fatigue, and blood in vomit or urine.
- Bruises and Lacerations: Bruises and lacerations are also common results of a serious truck accident. If a person is thrown from their vehicle, they may experience road burn. Road burn occurs when the skin comes in quick contact with the surface of the road forming rashes and abrasions. In the most severe cases, skin grafting may be required for open wounds.
Document Everything You Know
A Personal Injury Lawyer in Monroe, NC Tells You What Files You Need to Keep
Your loved one may have a legal case against the truck driver or the owners of the trucking company involved in the accident. If the trucking company and its insurance company don’t treat your loved one fairly and properly, you might be forced to file a lawsuit against the driver and the trucking company. In this case, it is critical that you gather physical evidence of your loved one’s injuries as well as any details you can gather from the scene of the accident.
Remember to take note of the accident’s surrounding area, any traffic signals and signs nearby, nearby lanes of traffic, and any other factors that could have played a role in the accident.
If anyone witnessed the accident, make sure you take their contact information down. You may even ask any businesses located near the vicinity of the accident to see if their video footage captured its events.
Other factors that could play a critical role in filing a truck accident lawsuit include:
- Medical bills
- Police reports
- Travel costs and any other expenses related to medical treatment
Find a Leading Personal Injury Lawyer in Monroe, NC to Assist You
An Experienced Lawyer Can Give You the Help That You and Your Family Need
Should you and your loved one be forced to file a lawsuit against the trucker or trucking company involved in the accident, you will need to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer in Monroe, NC to assist you. An attorney is trained to handle your loved one’s claims process with their insurance company while also helping you manage the aforementioned tips. While your personal injury lawyer works tirelessly to advocate on behalf of your loved one, you can keep your focus on monitoring their mental and physical health.
As you search for a lawyer, remember to take these factors into consideration:
- Proven track record helping similar victims
- Past client testimonials
- Credentials and education
- Experience with trucking collision cases
Are you currently on the hunt for a leading personal injury lawyer in Monroe, NC? Contact the team at the Law Offices of William K. Goldfarb to learn how they can help you. Led by William Goldfarb, the firm offers 30 years of legal experience in assisting victims of truck accidents.