A collision involving a commercial truck is a different kind of crash. The weight disparity alone, semi-trucks loaded to the federal maximum of 80,000 pounds against a passenger vehicle weighing a fraction of that, means injuries are often catastrophic. And unlike a two-car accident, these crashes involve a web of potential liability that can include the driver, the trucking company, cargo loaders, and equipment manufacturers.
At Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm, our Wisconsin truck accident lawyers have investigated these cases and know what it takes to build a strong claim. The steps you take in the first hours after a crash can make a significant difference.
Step 1: Ensure Everyone Is Safe
Move vehicles out of the roadway if possible. If they cannot be moved, activate your hazard lights and call 911 to report the crash and request medical assistance. Check yourself and any passengers for visible injuries. Even if you feel fine, adrenaline often masks pain. Do not assume no medical care is needed.
Step 2: Document the Scene
Your documentation will be critical later. Use your phone to photograph all vehicles, road conditions, skid marks, debris, traffic signs, and any visible injuries. Note the trucking company’s name and DOT number from the side of the truck. Commercial trucks often carry dashcams and black box event data recorders, and your attorney will need to act quickly to preserve that data before the truck returns to service and logs are overwritten.
Collect witness contact information. Write down your own account of the accident as soon as possible, but share it only with your attorney, not with insurers or the trucking company’s representatives.
Step 3: Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Do not wait to see a doctor. Whiplash, internal injuries, and traumatic brain injuries frequently have delayed symptom onset. A prompt medical evaluation connects your injuries to the accident on the record, which is essential for both your recovery and your claim. Delayed treatment gives insurers an argument that the crash did not cause your condition.
Step 4: Do Not Speak with the Trucking Company’s Insurer
This is one of the most important protections you can give yourself. Trucking companies are businesses with legal teams that deploy quickly after an accident, sometimes before victims have left the hospital. Their goal is to limit the company’s financial exposure. Do not give a recorded statement or sign any documents before speaking with an attorney. Politely decline and refer any inquiries to your lawyer.
Step 5: Contact a Wisconsin Truck Accident Attorney
Truck accident investigations go well beyond what is needed in a standard car crash. Your attorney will move to obtain electronic logging device data showing whether the driver violated federal hours-of-service rules, pre-trip inspection reports, maintenance and repair records, cargo manifests, and post-accident drug and alcohol test results. A spoliation letter sent early in the process protects this evidence before it disappears.
According to the National Safety Council, more than 5,000 people died in large-truck crashes in a recent year, with the majority of fatalities occurring among occupants of other vehicles. Wisconsin’s major freight corridors see a disproportionate share of these accidents.
William Pemberton has been recognized as a Wisconsin Super Lawyer for 12 consecutive years and holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating. He and the team at Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm have the resources and experience in truck accident investigation to pursue every liable party and maximize the compensation available to you.
Contact Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm
If you or a family member was hurt in a Wisconsin truck accident, do not wait. Evidence disappears quickly in these cases, and Wisconsin’s three-year statute of limitations clock starts on the date of injury. Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm serves injured clients throughout the state from offices in Baraboo, Madison, Eau Claire, and Sun Prairie.
There is no cost to speak with us and no obligation. Fill out our online contact form to schedule your free consultation today.
