If you or your loved one suffered injuries or damages due a truck accident, you should report it to the police and your car insurer immediately.

Reporting to the police will help you with your personal injury case (even if police reports are generally not admissible in court). Once the police arrive at the accident scene, they will interview the parties involved in the accident, investigate the scene and the vehicles, and talk to witnesses if ever there were any. They will also assess and determine who is at fault, depending on the amount of evidence they were able to collect. The conclusion of the report can be leveraged by your lawyer when negotiating a settlement with the opposing counsel or an insurance carrier.

Reporting immediately to your insurance provider is required in your car liability insurance. If you fail to report the accident, you may risk being denied coverage by your insurance carrier. However, do not give information that concerns who was at fault or how the accident occurred just yet.

On the other hand, you should not talk to the truck company’s insurance representative if they try to contact you. Keep in mind that their motive is to avoid liability by pinning the blame for the accident on you. So be very careful with what you say to the other party’s insurance representative as they may use it against you.

Whether it’s your own insurance company or the truck company’s you will talk to, it is best to consult first with a truck accident attorney who can guide you on what you should and shouldn’t say when giving your statement.