Why You Need a Lawyer ASAP After a Trucking Accident

Right after a truck collision, you’re worried about the basics: Getting help, your safety, pain, and injuries. A few days later, you may wonder what the costs of medical care, bills, lost wages, property damage, surgery, and the quality of life you had before the accident. 

Trucking companies worry about the costs too. So much so that they often have their attorneys respond quickly 一 sometimes even before the tow trucks arrive at the crash scene. 

When the other side can respond with lawyers so quickly, you need fast, reliable legal advice. You need to talk to an experienced South Carolina truck crash attorney as soon as possible after an accident. 

Trucking Company Lawyers Take a Rapid-Response Approach

Experienced personal injury lawyers know that the best way to gather evidence is to get it as close to the actual moment of the crash as possible. A lawyer who can be present at the accident scene can take photographs, make diagrams, and speak to witnesses in the moments after the crash when memories are still fresh. 

That’s why trucking companies often contact their attorneys when they know an accident happened 一 to gather crucial evidence as quickly as possible. Many trucking companies have one or more attorneys who work with the company regularly. In some offices, this attorney’s number is included on the speed dial. For these companies, their attorney’s help is just one click away.

At the scene of your crash, a trucking company may have a lawyer present. However, there is one problem. The attorneys a trucking company calls are looking out for the company’s best interest, not yours. 

The Other Side’s Lawyers Aren’t There to Help You

In a truck accident claim, you’ll often hear a trucking company’s lawyers referenced as the “defense lawyers.” Their role is to defend the trucking company, insurance company, or another party from any claims you might bring against them. You may also hear your own side’s lawyers referred to as the “plaintiff’s lawyers.” The person who files a personal injury claim in court is called the “plaintiff.”

Whether you call them defense lawyers, trucking company lawyers, insurance lawyers, or simply “the other side’s lawyers,” one thing remains the same: These attorneys are not on your side. Their job is to protect the legal interests of the trucking company. 

When defense lawyers gather evidence at an accident scene, they look for evidence that protects their client 一 the trucking company. They look for signs that you caused the crash. They look for ways to demonstrate in court that the trucking company should owe you nothing for your injuries, your lost wages, your pain and suffering, or your vehicle repairs. 

When you contact an attorney, your lawyer is already playing catch up. The trucking company’s lawyers have been involved in your case since it happened. The longer you wait to speak to a personal injury lawyer, the more catch-up work your lawyer has to do. This work can make your case take longer. It can also make it tougher for your lawyer to prove the full extent of your losses.  

Protect Your Legal Rights: Talk to an Attorney Who is On Your Side

Unless you also keep a personal injury lawyer on speed dial, chances are good that you won’t have an attorney who shows up at the accident scene for you. Instead, you’ll need to talk to an experienced South Carolina personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the crash occurs. 

The sooner you reach out to an attorney, the better it is for you and your case. Even if you don’t decide to hire the first attorney you speak to, talking to an attorney as soon as possible will help you:

• Understand your legal rights and available options.
• Take steps to preserve evidence that helps your case.
• Help navigate conversations with doctors, employers, insurance companies, or repair shops. 

If you decide to hire an attorney, you gain a valuable advocate. Your attorney will handle discussions with the trucking company and insurance companies. At each stage, your lawyer will work to gather evidence and clarify exactly what happened in the crash. The defense lawyer won’t get to control the story 一 your lawyer will make sure your side is told as well. 

As your attorney works on your case, you can focus on healing from your injuries. Your attorney will communicate with you at each step. If your lawyer secures a settlement offer, he or she will discuss it with you 一 and whether or not to accept it will be yours alone. 

Trucking accident lawyers respond quickly after a crash. To protect your legal rights, talk to an experienced South Carolina personal injury lawyer today.