A truck crash can cause serious damages that could be worse than regular car accidents. Due to its larger size and heavier weight, collisions can have devastating consequences for drivers, passengers, and other road users.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,340 people died and 161,201 were injured in crashes involving large trucks in the United States in 2024, the latest full-year data available in 2026. The number of people injured increased by 5% compared with 2023.
It’s important to know what to do after a truck accident. This can help protect your safety and, at the same time, preserve evidence to support your potential injury claim.
Safety and Medical Care Come First
The first thing to secure right after the crash is the safety of everyone. Call 911 to seek medical help and police response. The officers can create an official record of the collision.
Move out of the way of traffic. This will lower the risk of a second impact.
Photograph the scene if it is safe to do so. Collect the other driver's and any witnesses' contact information. These steps may seem simple, but they can be difficult when vehicles are badly damaged and passengers are shaken or injured.
A visit to the doctor is always important regardless of how minor your pain may be. Adrenaline could mask the pain from the accident. And even some injuries need time before they start presenting themselves. Don’t disregard what happened and seek medical attention. This will also create a record linking the injury to the crash.
Details Worth Capturing at the Scene
There are distinguishing features for truck accidents that car accidents lack. The name of the trucking company and the USDOT number should be written on the side of the truck while there is another number on the trailer.
Taking photographs of these distinguishing features, the license plates, the damage done, and even the road will clarify matters long after the accident occurs.
Witnesses are important because a truck driver and a car driver might have totally different perceptions of the same thing. An apology in itself might be viewed as an admission of guilt in the future.
Why Truck Cases Involve More Parties
A car crash usually involves two drivers and two insurers. Truck cases can pull in many more. In New York City, an NYC truck accident lawyer at Cahn & Weiss lists trucking companies, vehicle owners, maintenance providers, cargo loaders, and parts manufacturers among the parties its investigations look at, alongside the driver. They cover tractors, trailers, box trucks, flatbeds, dump trucks, and tank trucks.
Each of those parties may have its own insurer and its own version of events. That web of companies is a big reason truck claims take longer to resolve than typical car crash claims.
Records That Can Disappear
The commercial truck produces a continuous flow of information. Electronic logging devices record the driver's time on the road, and the carrier maintains maintenance, dispatch, and even dash cam video if available. Data from the engine can give information about the speed and braking just before the crash.
None of it necessarily survives. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, federal regulations require carriers to retain the records of duty status and supporting documents for six months.
At that point, certain records may simply no longer be available. This is why injured individuals and their attorneys send a preservation letter to the carriers at the outset.
Insurance Calls and Early Offers
Trucking insurers move quickly. The adjuster can make contact within a few days and request an authorization of the claim and even a settlement offer. Most early settlement offers arrive before the full extent of the damages, including future surgeries and therapy, is known.
Since it is hard to reopen a closed claim, time plays a crucial part in the whole process.
Deadlines Differ by State
Each individual state has their own time frame for when an injury claim must be filed, and these time frames differ. Claims that are related to a government-owned vehicle have a much shorter notice period. Looking into the laws in the state in which the accident took place is crucial right away.
An accident involving a large commercial truck has the ability to disrupt your life for quite some time. People who get prompt medical care, keep accurate records, and recognize that a commercial claim differs from an ordinary car claim tend to fare better.