Truck accidents differ significantly from typical car crashes. The stakes are higher, the injuries are often more severe, and the legal landscape is far more complicated. Commercial trucking companies employ teams of lawyers and insurance adjusters whose primary job is minimizing payouts—often before victims fully understand the extent of their injuries.
The steps you take in the hours and days after a truck accident can significantly impact your ability to recover fair compensation. Knowing what to do, when to do it, and what to avoid helps protect both your health and your legal rights during a difficult time. Below, our Kansas City truck accident lawyers share key steps to take following a truck crash.
First Steps: What to Do at the Scene of a Truck Accident
The moments right after a truck accident are critical for both safety and documentation.
Seek Medical Attention
Your first priority should always be to seek medical attention. However, if you can safely take action at the scene, the steps below are also very important.
Move to Safety
Move to safety if possible. If your vehicle is in a dangerous position and you can relocate without worsening your injuries, move to the shoulder or sidewalk. Turn on your hazard lights and set up warning triangles if available.
Report the Accident
Call 911 immediately. Even if injuries seem minor, you need both police and medical responders on scene. A police report creates an official record of the accident, and paramedics can identify injuries that may not be immediately apparent due to the adrenaline rush following the impact.
Some truck accident injuries—like internal bleeding, spinal damage, or traumatic brain injuries—don't show symptoms right away. Declining medical attention at the scene can be used against you later when you file a truck accident injury claim.
Document Everything You Can
If you're able, use your phone to capture the scene. Photograph vehicle damage from multiple angles, road conditions, traffic signs, skid marks, and the truck's company name and DOT number visible on the cab. Take pictures of your injuries, no matter how minor they appear. Record the exact location, time, and weather conditions.
Get Contact Information
Get information from everyone involved. Exchange contact details, insurance information, and driver's license numbers with the truck driver. If there are witnesses, ask for their names and phone numbers—their statements could prove invaluable later. Truck drivers are required to carry commercial insurance, which is typically much higher than standard auto policies, but that doesn't mean they'll cooperate fully at the scene.
Choose Your Words Carefully
Never admit fault or apologize in the wake of an accident. Shock and politeness can lead you to say things like "I'm sorry" or "I didn't see you"—statements that insurers will twist into admissions of liability. Stick to facts when speaking with police, and avoid discussing the accident details with the truck driver or their employer.
The Importance of Immediate Medical Attention After a Truck Crash
Leaving the accident scene without medical evaluation is one of the biggest mistakes truck accident victims make. You might feel okay. You might want to go home and rest. However, truck accidents generate tremendous force; even low-speed collisions can cause life-altering injuries.
Some injuries can remain hidden for hours or days. For example, whiplash, concussions, herniated discs, and internal organ damage often don't trigger pain immediately. By the time symptoms appear, you may have already told an insurance adjuster you weren't hurt. That statement becomes ammunition to deny your claim. Going to the emergency room or urgent care right after the accident creates a medical record linking your injuries directly to the crash.
It’s also important for you to follow through with all recommended treatments. If doctors refer you to specialists, physical therapy, or follow-up appointments, attend every single one. Gaps in medical treatment signal to insurance companies that your injuries aren't serious. Keep copies of all medical records, bills, prescriptions, and doctors' notes for your records. These documents form the backbone of your truck accident injury claim.
Preserving Evidence for Your Kansas City Truck Accident Injury Claim
It’s critical to keep detailed records of everything that takes place following the accident. It’s in your best interest to create a well-organized file containing information relevant to your Kansas City truck accident injury claim, such as:
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Police report. Request a copy from the Kansas City Police Department or the Missouri Highway Patrol, depending on where the accident occurred.
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Photographs and videos. Store all images in a dedicated folder, complete with dates and descriptions.
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Medical documentation. Keep all bills, medical records, and treatment notes in chronological order.
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Communication logs. Document every conversation with insurance adjusters, including the date, time, and topics discussed.
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Financial losses. Track lost wages, transportation costs to medical appointments, prescription expenses, and any other accident-related costs.
The items listed above are essential, but they’re not the only type of evidence you may need. Truck accidents require more extensive investigation than typical car crashes because federal regulations apply to commercial vehicles. Trucking companies must maintain logs, inspection records, driver qualification files, and electronic data from the truck's black box. This evidence can prove driver fatigue, mechanical failures, overloaded cargo, or company policy violations—but it won't be preserved forever.
How an Experienced Lawyer Can Help With Your Truck Accident Injury Claim
The trucking industry and its insurers are experienced at minimizing claims. They employ delay tactics, lowball settlement offers, and pressure strategies aimed at closing cases quickly and efficiently. Contacting an experienced Kansas City truck accident lawyer early in the process can significantly alter the power dynamic.
Evidence Preservation
Seeking legal counsel right away can help you act quickly to preserve evidence. Trucking companies are required to maintain specific records, but only for a limited time. Black box data may be overwritten within days. Maintenance logs can be lost or altered. Dash cam footage gets deleted. A Kansas City truck accident attorney can send a spoliation letter immediately after your crash, legally requiring the trucking company to preserve all evidence related to the accident.
Investigation Resources
Investigating a truck crash requires resources most individuals don't have. Attorneys work with accident reconstructionists who analyze skid marks, impact angles, and vehicle damage to determine exactly how the crash occurred and identify all liable parties. They consult medical professionals who can testify about your injuries and provide an assessment of your future prognosis. They review Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records to uncover the truck driver's history of violations or the company's safety rating.
Negotiating Position
Perhaps most importantly, they negotiate from a position of strength. Insurance companies are aware of which attorneys are willing to take cases to trial if necessary. They make better offers when facing counsel with a reputation for winning.
Without legal representation, you'll be on your own to negotiate for damages against professionals whose job is to pay you as little as possible. Legal representation signals that you're serious about pursuing fair compensation and won't be pushed around by aggressive insurance tactics.