Keeping Your Head Straight: What to Do After Causing a Road Accident

Causing a road accident would make you feel thankful that you partnered with an amazing company that deals with cheap commercial trucking insurance and other vehicles.

Face it, being involved in an accident can be pretty scary, but things seem much worse when you know it was your fault. Regardless of what happened on your end to cause the accident, what you do in the moments immediately after will make a difference in the overall outcome.

Steps to Take After Your Truck an Accident

Secure the Scene

While your adrenaline may be pumping from the collision and your mind might be focused on your truck or the cargo you have in tow, your first move should be to stay calm and secure the scene.

Check for Injuries

Take a deep breath and then survey the scene to see if there are any injuries which include checking yourself for aches, pains, sore spots, blood, etc.

If you’re able, check to see if anyone else is injured. You don’t have to perform any kind of examination, if someone looks like they might be hurt, assume that they are.

Moreover, even if you’re not in an accident with another vehicle, check the scene to ensure no one else was present or hurt.

If there are injuries or potential injuries, call 911 for help. Even if the accident seems minor and no one appears to have significant injuries, it might be worth making the call.

Keep in mind that your truck weighs much more than other vehicles on the road, this means you’re more likely to cause considerable damage or injuries.

It’s also worth remembering that the adrenaline from an accident can mask some injuries, so people may not realize that they are hurt right away.

Move to a Safe Area

If you didn’t sustain significant injuries and you’re able, try to move the involved vehicles to the side of the road or somewhere safe. This may not always be possible if there is enough damage but the goal is to move the vehicle to a secure location to lessen the risk for other approaching vehicles.

If you’re unable to move the vehicles, use flares or reflective emergency triangles to warn other cars that there is an accident ahead. Just because the accident is over it doesn’t mean it’s completely safe, especially on busy roads.

Call the Police

In some states, it may be required to call the police after an accident, while it isn’t in others. Regardless, it’s a wise idea to make the call. When an officer arrives, provide an accurate statement of events. Don’t embellish, provide unnecessary details, or lie about what happened.

The officer will create a report that you can later give to your company that offers commercial insurance for trucks.

Don’t Leave the Scene of the Accident

Whether your truck was the only vehicle in the accident or there were multiple drivers involved, never leave the scene. Obviously, there is an exception if you are injured and need to be transported to receive immediate medical treatment. Otherwise, make sure to stick around until you’ve done everything suggested.

Regardless of fault, when someone leaves the scene without adequately documenting the incident or exchanging information with the others involved, it can be labeled as a hit-and-run. In some states, this is considered a felony and can have severe penalties.

Never Admit Fault

While it might be obvious that you caused the accident, don’t apologize to the other drivers or take the blame.

Police officers will typically issue a citation or name an at-fault driver in their report based on the evidence and the situation. Even companies handling commercial insurance for trucks will work to determine the actual fault of the incident. There may be factors of which you’re unaware.

Document the Scene

The police report generated for the accident is just one piece of documentation you’ll need after causing a crash. Companies that provide commercial insurance for trucks will also want other pieces of documentation:

• Name and insurance information of the other drivers involved
• The other drivers’ telephone numbers, if they’re willing to share it with you
• The contact information from any witnesses
• Photos of any damage or injuries
• Pictures of the scene, including anything that may have contributed to the accident
• The Police report number and the officer’s name who made the report, and
• Personal notes of what happened during the accident, including diagrams of the scene and how the accident occurred

It might seem like an overkill to collect all of this information, but it can help you in the long run. It’s not uncommon for people to try and take advantage of an accident.

For example, let’s say you don’t take pictures of the damage or injuries you caused. The people involved might end up claiming injuries or damages that weren’t from the accident.

Therefore, documenting everything will help ensure that everyone acts justly during the aftermath.

Read also: A Step by Step Guide to Filing Truck Insurance Claims

Contact Your Commercial Insurance Provider

After you’ve secured and documented the scene, contact the company that handles your commercial insurance for trucks. Try to do this as soon as possible, so they can get your claim started.

Your insurance provider can also provide further instructions, help with repairs, or work to keep you safe in the aftermath.

You’ll also want to take note of if you were on the clock during the accident while driving on personal time. Even if you’re in-between jobs but aren’t currently on dispatch, your regular liability insurance may not kick in.

If you have bobtail insurance, you don’t need to worry because it offers coverage when you are driving without a trailer or when you’re off the clock in your semi-truck.

Shop Around for Quality Cheap Commercial Trucking Insurance

Finding cheap commercial trucking insurance will make a massive difference in your company’s bottom line. Insurance is going to be one of the most significant and necessary fixed costs for your business.

By shopping around, you can find a tremendous value on cheap commercial trucking insurance without sacrificing quality.

If you are the cause of an accident, your rates might increase, so even if you haven’t been in an accident, there is no better time to explore your insurance options. Call Strong Tie Insurance to learn more about how we can help improve the success of your business.