Truck drivers must take the right steps after crashes to abide by federal and state laws. In addition, because people in other nearby vehicles are likely to be significantly injured after a collision with a truck, truck drivers also must take steps that can potentially save lives.

Unfortunately, truck drivers don’t always take the proper steps after crashes—or before them. In some cases, truck drivers who fail to handle crashes after they occur properly are later found to have contributed to or caused the crash due to negligence. When this happens, their failure to act after crashes can be used as evidence against them if injured victims file injury claims.

In this blog, we break down the most important steps for truck drivers to take after crashes and explain how these actions impact injured victims, other motorists, and truck drivers themselves.

Truck Drivers Must Take These 7 Steps After Accidents in Oklahoma

Truck drivers have important roles to play both before and after crashes when it comes to keeping themselves and others on the road safe. They must follow each of these steps to assist injured drivers and passengers, ensure the accidents are properly investigated, and help clear the roadways to get traffic moving again:

1. Ensure Others’ Safety: If truck drivers were hauling dangerous cargo, such as explosives, corrosive or toxic chemicals, or flammable materials, they should move as far away from their trucks as possible while warning others to do the same.
   When truck drivers don’t warn others about the dangerous nature of their cargo after crashes, especially when it’s damaged and poses an immediate or imminent threat, they can be liable if it causes injuries, illnesses, or death.
2. Check on Other Involved Parties: Truck drivers should check on the well-being of others involved in the crash, including other drivers, passengers, or pedestrians. If anyone is injured, they should immediately call 911 for medical assistance. Offering help or simply relaying information to emergency services can significantly affect the outcome for those injured in the crash by getting them help sooner. Failure to offer reasonable and achievable assistance can potentially be used as evidence against negligent truck drivers in crashes, especially if their delay or inaction caused victims’ injuries to worsen.
3. Move Their Trucks to a Safe Location: If their trucks are operable, truck drivers must move them to the side of the road or another safe area. This action not only helps reduce traffic congestion but also prevents further collisions with oncoming vehicles. Clearing the roadway as soon as possible helps emergency responders access the scene more quickly. Truck drivers who fail to move their trucks to the side of the road when they’re able to do so safely may be liable for any secondary crashes that occur, especially if they’re blocking a large section of the road and are forcing other drivers to make dangerous maneuvers to avoid their trucks.
4. Call Emergency Services: Truck drivers must immediately contact emergency services to report accidents. Providing accurate details about the crash location and the extent of injuries helps ensure that police, medical personnel, and any necessary cleanup crews arrive promptly. Getting emergency responders to the scene as quickly as possible is extremely important for saving lives, managing the accident scene, and limiting its impact on traffic. After serious accidents such as crashes involving semi-trucks, seconds matter when it comes to protecting victims’ health. Truck drivers who could call 911 and fail to do so may have their inaction used against them and as evidence of their liability for injuries that result.
5. Warn Other Drivers: Truck drivers should use emergency signals, flares, or reflective triangles to alert other drivers of the crash, but they should only do so when it’s safe to be out of their vehicles and near traffic. This helps prevent additional accidents and makes the scene safer for everyone involved, including emergency responders. Properly warning oncoming traffic also helps reduce the pileup risk, which could worsen the situation. Secondary accidents are a significant problem after truck accidents, especially before police and emergency responders arrive to direct traffic. Truck drivers can potentially be liable not only for the initial crashes they cause but also for secondary crashes if they don’t take any steps to warn other drivers about the crash scene before it’s too late for them to make evasive maneuvers.
6. Exchange Contact Information with Other Parties: Commercial truck drivers should exchange contact, insurance, and vehicle information with all other drivers involved in the accident, but truck drivers should also provide the information of their employer. This step is necessary for resolving claims and legal matters and ensures everyone has the required details to move forward. A smooth exchange of information helps avoid delays in the claims process and can reduce the long-term impact of the crash for everyone involved. Truck drivers who fail to exchange information with other drivers or people involved in crashes not only make it more difficult for those victims to proceed with insurance or legal matters, but they also may be considered hit-and-run drivers, especially if they leave the scene before giving other drivers a chance to get their contact information.
7. Cooperate with Law Enforcement: Truck drivers must fully cooperate with law enforcement officers who arrive on the scene. This includes providing accurate and detailed statements about what happened and following any instructions they are given. Cooperating with police ensures the investigation proceeds efficiently and can help clear the scene more quickly while reducing traffic disruptions for others. When truck drivers leave the scene of a crash before police arrive or before the police have had a chance to interview them about what happened, this action may not only be used as evidence against them in a crash claim but they may also be criminally charged and lose their commercial driver licenses.

What Can Victims Expect in the Days and Weeks After a Truck Crash?

In the days and weeks following a crash involving a commercial truck, victims can expect to deal with many challenges that may be difficult to handle without the help of an experienced truck crash lawyer:

• Hospitalization: Truck crashes often leave victims with significant injuries that may leave them hospitalized or in recovery for weeks, months, or even years. Some victims are permanently disabled from their injuries.
• Pressure from Insurance: The trucking company’s insurance knows that large truck crashes often result in big settlements, which is why they will work hard to pressure victims into either admitting fault in some way or accepting a settlement that doesn’t begin to cover their damages. They may try to go around the victim’s lawyer when doing this by contacting the victim directly.
• Legal Proceedings: Truck companies and their insurers have big legal teams that they use to pressure victims, knowing the average person can’t compete with the amount of money and resources they have. They hope to wear down victims before it ever comes to trial. But at Parrish DeVaughn, we aren’t afraid to go up against the big guys. Plus, we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no up-front fees, and if you don’t win your case, you don’t owe us anything.

Contact Our Oklahoma City Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Case Review

After accidents, truck drivers don’t always follow the required steps correctly or at all, and that can leave injured victims struggling to get compensation, as they may not know the at-fault drivers’ names or even the trucking company that employs them.

At Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers, we have years of experience building truck accident claims from the ground up. We know how to collect all identifying information to determine who was at fault, who they work for, and what caused the crash. If you or someone you love was hurt in a truck accident, contact our Oklahoma City truck accident attorneys today for a free consultation.