If you were recently injured in an accident with a commercial truck, it is important that you contact a trucking accidents attorney before contacting the insurance company. In fact, this is the first call that you should make after seeking medical attention. This is because there are several benefits that an experienced attorney can offer you that rely heavily on how quickly you retain their services after being involved in an accident. These benefits include the following:

Protection Against Potentially Damaging Statements 

The insurance company will likely try to limit their own liability by getting you to make statements that allow them to assign even partial fault to you. These statements can be as simple as admitting to going five miles over the posted speed limit at the time of the accident. Having all communication with the insurance company go through an attorney will help to protect you from unknowingly making statements that will then be used against you. In the event that the insurance company contacts you directly, you should simply inform them that while you are happy to cooperate with them, you will not be making any statements until you are able to speak with an attorney.

Properly Identifying All Liable Parties 

While liability may seem like a rather straightforward issue, the truth is that you may be able to seek compensation from multiple different parties. For instance, both your personal injury protection coverage and the other driver's liability coverage may be held legally liable for paying your medical expenses. However, while both of these parties may be held liable, you will only be able to collect from one of these sources without first exhausting the coverage offered by the other option. Therefore not only is it important to properly identify all liable parties, but it is equally as important to know which party to file a claim with first. An accident attorney will be able to make these determinations. 

Clear Paper Trail

Any gaps in your timeline can give the insurance company the fuel they need to try and challenge liability. Contacting a truck accident attorney immediately after your accident will establish a clear timeline and create a paper trail that is much more difficult for the insurance company to challenge. 

Better Late Than Never

While it is always best to contact a trucking accident attorney directly after being involved in an accident, you should not be discouraged from contacting an attorney if you have already made initial contact with the insurance company. In fact, as long as you have not accepted settlement in your case or allowed the statute of limitations to expire, it is never too late to hire a lawyer to represent you. Therefore, regardless of what stage of the litigation process your claim is currently in, it is in your best interest to pick up the phone right now and contact a qualified trucking accident attorney in your local area.