Traveling alongside a large, heavy truck on Spokane roads can leave you more than a bit frazzled. Being behind a tractor-trailer you may watch the rear of that truck drift back and forth out of the lane. Rolling along in front of one of these giant vehicles will cause you to wonder if that truck driver is paying enough attention to stop in time if traffic comes to a halt.
Whether you’re watching a truck driver speeding along the lanes of I-90 or whipping back and forth in the stop-and-go traffic of North Division, you can be forgiven for trying to stay far away. If the worst happens and there’s a collision, you expect that driver will pull over or stop to exchange information. But with the rise in Hit-And-Run incidents, even truck drivers can be tempted to drive away and leave you to pay for an accident.
Finding Justice for Truck Accident Victims
After you or a loved one has been the victim of a hit-and-run truck accident, you can wonder how to get help paying for the financial consequences of such a devastating collision.
The truck driver may have left you at the scene or hit your parked vehicle while you were away, but you don’t have to give up hope of finding support for injury recovery and damages.
You have options if the driver is never found, but you want to be ready to act if the driver responsible is suddenly discovered. Contact CCD Law of Spokane for a free consultation that comes with no obligation to you. Tell us what happened so we can help you and your family find justice after such a traumatic event.
What to Do After a Spokane Hit-And-Run Truck Driving Accident
In the instant after a collision has happened most people must cope with the shock and disbelief of what’s occurred. That’s if they aren’t seriously hurt and instead are dealing with the pain and shock of an injury.
It’s a difficult few moments for sure, but if you’re able you need to start collecting evidence right on the scene, especially if a hit-and-run driver is to blame. If you are able, or if someone with you can help, you should jot a few things down and use your cellphone to secure valuable evidence that can assist investigators in catching the driver involved.
- Jot down everything you can remember about the driver and truck. If you saw the license plate or the company logo on the truck, make a note on paper or on your phone’s notepad. Write down a description of the truck and what type of truck it was, whether a box truck, a tanker truck, a big rig, or even a farm or ranch vehicle. You’ll forget these details quickly if you don’t make a note.
- Dial 911. Get checked out by EMTs and go to the hospital if necessary. Tell the police everything you recall. Their investigation may be the only chance you have of ever identifying the guilty driver. If you have the company the truck driver works for, investigators may be able to track down the culprit by checking company driver logs.
- Take pictures and video. Highlight the damage to your car and any visible injuries you may have. Take video of the path leading up to the scene with lane markings, traffic signals, and street signs clearly shown.
- Look around for any homes or businesses that may have had surveillance video rolling. This is especially helpful when your car is hit by a vehicle while you’re parked.
- Talk with witnesses about what they saw. Get their contact information. For parked car accidents, you can knock on nearby doors to see if people inside businesses or homes saw what happened.
- Make an appointment with your physician. In the days after your accident, you may experience the new pain of an injury that was hidden by the shock and adrenaline you experienced in the hours following a collision. All of your injuries should be noted on a medical chart.
Who Is Held Responsible After a Hit-And-Run Truck Accident In Spokane?
There are generally two paths for victims to get insurance support after getting hurt in a hit-and-run accident.
- The Hit-And-Run Driver Is Arrested – Once the driver is identified and apprehended, you may move forward with a claim for damages against the driver’s commercial truck insurance and probably the insurance for the company he or she works for. In some cases, both insurance companies can be called upon to provide compensation while you heal.  The truck driver may be facing a criminal trial for leaving the scene, but your civil claim can proceed regardless of where the criminal proceedings stand.
- The Hit-And-Run Driver Remains Unidentified – A truck driver may elude identification and capture. If this remains the case, you can turn to your own car insurance company for assistance. You would depend on your uninsured motorist coverage. This policy can provide the money you need to recover financially. However, you are still vulnerable to “bad faith” practices, even when you do business with your own insurance agent. You’ll likely see “lowball” settlement offers that leave you paying for 50% or more of your doctor bills. You pay premiums every month in order to get help in difficult times and you shouldn’t accept this sort of treatment.
Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer in Spokane
You shouldn’t be expected to recover from a serious injury while worrying over every medical bill that arrives in your mailbox. When you’ve suffered an injury through no fault of your own, make sure you are able to focus on healing by leaving your case in the hands of a skilled Spokane Attorney.
Contact CCD Law of Spokane after any accident resulting in a serious injury or the tragic loss of life in a truck accident. You should also reach out to us if your accident involved a hit-and-run driver. We offer a free and confidential case consultation. There are important details you should know before speaking with any insurance agents, even those with your own insurance company.
