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If an Amazon truck strikes you in St. Louis, Missouri, understanding the steps to take is crucial for protecting your right to seek compensation for your injuries. Many people know what to do immediately after an accident, such as reporting it to the police and seeking medical treatment. However, it’s the steps that come next that will play a significant role in your case.
There are many causes of accidents with Amazon trucks. Depending on which applies to your case, different parties could be liable. It’s essential to understand how the accident that caused your injuries occurred. Once you know that, you can better understand the numerous potentially liable parties in your case. Some of the most common causes are:
Depending on the cause(s) of the accident, the driver, their employer, or even the truck’s maintenance provider could be liable. An experienced attorney can help you identify the liable parties and gather evidence that connects each to your injuries.
After an Amazon Prime truck accident, there are specific steps you should take to improve your health and chances of receiving the compensation you deserve. These steps include:
Seeking immediate medical treatment after an accident is important for two main reasons. First, it’s good for your health, as medical professionals can diagnose your injuries and begin providing necessary treatment. Second, it creates a record of your injuries and the treatments prescribed for them, which is vital for your insurance claim or legal case.
It’s also just as important to follow up with your medical treatment, such as by attending all doctor’s appointments until you’ve recovered or reached your maximum medical improvement (MMI). MMI is the point at which further treatment will not result in further recovery. It’s a good idea to reach this point before accepting a settlement for your injuries so you can understand your future medical expenses and make an informed decision.
If you stop your medical treatment early, the insurance company may use it as evidence that your injuries aren’t as severe as you claimed.
Always keep every bill you receive that’s related to your accident. The most common and important of these bills are medical bills. Your attorney will use your medical bills to calculate your past medical expenses and estimate your future medical expenses.
However, these aren’t the only bills you should track. If the collision with the Amazon truck damaged your vehicle, you should also keep your vehicle repair bills. And if your injuries prevent you from performing household tasks that you now need to hire someone else to perform, keep those service bills, as well.
These bills will be crucial in calculating the compensation you seek through your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
After an auto accident, collecting various kinds of evidence, including photographs of the accident scene and eyewitness contact information, is important. If your injuries prevent you from collecting this evidence immediately after an accident, someone else can collect it for you.
There’s another vital piece of evidence you might not realize is very important: your memories. Throughout your case, you may need to recall details about the accident. This may be weeks or months after the incident, and your memories of the details may be hazy.
To prevent yourself from forgetting key details or making contradicting statements, write down everything you remember about the accident while the details are fresh in your mind. You can look back at these notes later to remind yourself exactly what happened when the Amazon vehicle struck you.
Missouri follows a pure comparative fault rule that could impact your case and the compensation you receive. Under pure comparative fault, the compensation you receive is reduced by a percentage based on your degree of fault for the accident.
For example, let’s say that an Amazon truck struck you while you were looking at your phone and crossing the road. The Amazon truck driver would be partially liable for your injuries. But since you were looking at your phone instead of checking for traffic, you may also share liability for your injuries.
If you were 30 percent at fault, you would only be able to recover 70 percent of your sought compensation.
Insurance companies often have adjusters contact victims, asking for a statement about the incident. These insurance adjusters may claim to be on your side, but that’s not the case. Their job is to get you to say something they can use to place at least some of the blame for the accident on your shoulders and reduce your payout. To prevent this, avoid providing a statement until after speaking with your lawyer.
One of the best ways to protect your rights after a collision with an Amazon delivery truck is to consult an experienced truck accident lawyer. A truck accident lawyer can assist you with all aspects of your case, from the initial investigation into the incident to representing you in court. Some of the key ways they can help are:
If you suffered an injury in a crash with an Amazon truck in St. Louis, Missouri, call Goldblatt + Singer at (314) 231-4100 or contact us online for a free consultation with an experienced truck accident lawyer. We’ll review your case, explain your legal options, and help you take the necessary steps to protect your right to seek compensation for your injuries.