If you’ve ever stood next to a semi-truck, you know just how big they are. Standing 13 feet high with an average weight of 80,000 lbs., the common sedan doesn’t stand a chance in a truck-auto accident. As a result, a truck hit and run can be worse than with a car.
The good news is that trucks often have unique paint jobs, decals, or company names splashed across them, which means you have a good chance of locating the driver, even if they fled the scene. Trucking companies have a responsibility to monitor their drivers’ whereabouts and quality of driving.
If you are the victim of a truck hit and run, follow these important steps:
REMAIN AT THE SCENE
Pull over when it is safe to do so and call the police immediately. If someone has been injured, make sure they receive medical assistance. Under no circumstance should you pursue the truck that hit you, you may find yourself in a potentially dangerous situation. Besides, you need to remain at the scene so you can look for witnesses and make a police report.
GATHER INFORMATION
One small detail may help the police find the truck that struck your car, so try to gather as much information as possible, including:
- The license plate number
- Color of the truck, or unique designs
- A company name on the truck
- The direction in which the driver took off
- The time and location of the accident
- A physical description of the person
- Witnesses to the accident
- Pictures of the damage done to your car
CONTACT YOU INSURANCE COMPANY
Every insurance policy is different, and yours may not cover hit and run incidents. To avoid being financially responsible for an accident you did not cause, make sure your auto insurance policy has at least one of the following coverages:
- Uninsured Motorist Coverage: this can help provide coverage for any injury caused by an uninsured, negligent driver. In the case of a hit and run, the negligent driver is unknown and therefore uninsured.
- Collision Coverage: this can help cover the cost of repairing/replacing the damage to your car
CONTACT THE TRUCKING COMPANY
If the truck had a trucking company or merchant store name on it, contact that company and let them know about the accident. They are a party to the accident as well. This is where a police report can come in handy, it is proof that the accident occurred. Witness statements are very useful as well.
HIRE AN ATTORNEY
If you involved in a truck hit and run, you might be entitled to carry out legal action against the driver and/or truck company. Contact the law offices of Kamper & Estrada, PLLC for a free one-hour initial consultation with our experienced wrongful death attorneys.
