YOUR COMMERCIAL VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT! NOW WHAT?!

The first priority after any vehicle accident is the health and safety of anyone involved in the accident. Determine if any emergency medical attention is required before concerning yourself with any other details because you could be wasting valuable time. After that though, there are a few things for you to consider. If you’re driving a commercial vehicle, your response should be somewhat similar to your response if driving your personal vehicle. 

Call the Police or Your Boss

When you are driving a commercial vehicle that you own, your first phone call should be to the police. However, if you are an employee who has not been injured, your first call should probably be to your boss, the owner of the vehicle. Your boss will probably also tell you to call the police, but alerting the owner of the vehicle should be done as soon as possible. You may very well be the owner of the vehicle, so your next step should be to determine the full extent of the damages while you wait for the police to arrive. 

Call the Insurance Company

After filing the police report and receiving your copy, you need to notify your insurance company.  Remember that your insurance company is not your attorney. They may seem like they have your best interest in mind, but that’s not always the case. You should be providing the insurance agency with the information contained in the police report, and that’s all! Regardless of whose fault you believe the accident to be, now is not the time to be giving written statements or offering additional information. Follow the lead of your employer/vehicle owner, as well as any legal representation that may have been contacted. 

Take Pictures of the Accident

This is a very important step, especially nowadays. Almost everyone has a phone, which means almost everyone has a camera or video recorder. Take thorough pictures of the damages from right there on the scene, including any damages to the surrounding property, your vehicle’s body, and yourself. This photo evidence will be invaluable if you ever need it for the court at a later date. You can never have too much evidence or information, so you should feel free to document your own account of the events, and hold onto any documentation. 

Visit Lithicum-Ferndale Truck Repair

If your vehicle is immobile due to the accident, your first call should be to Linthicum-Ferndale Truck Repair in Linthicum Heights, MD. We’ll make arrangements to get your vehicle towed to our repair shop as quickly and as safely as possible. Our team of body repair technicians is well-equipped and experienced at handling repair services for any heavy-duty, bus/transit, fleet vehicle, utility vehicle, RV, emergency vehicle, and more.