That’s why a seemingly insignificant truck collision in Joliet may become complicated later on.
The mirror on a pickup was smashed during a tight turn next to a warehouse. Small shards of yellow plastic were found by the curb.
A car was rear-ended during a stop-and-go stretch of I-80 construction. No airbags were deployed, but a mug of coffee was dumped onto the center console.
A delivery truck brushed against a sedan on Route 53. Both vehicles were able to keep driving.
Such small scrapes can escalate after people go home.
1. Symptoms Show Up Later
When there’s been an accident, people tend to focus on obvious issues. Where is the tow truck? Can we take photos of the broken bumper? Is the insurance card inside that pile of papers in the glovebox? Adrenaline can also help mask pain. People think: “I’ve been in fender-benders like this before. We went really slowly. I’m fine.”
The next day, everything can seem worse. It may be hard to turn your head to look at the squeaking bedroom door. Your head may hurt. Your fingers feel numb or tingly. Your back cramps. You feel lightheaded or woozy. There’s a band of pain running across your chest where the seatbelt sat. All these things might be felt over a period of several hours or days after the accident.
Driver experiencing delayed pain after a minor collision
Sometimes you can’t tell there was an injury until you start to swell up or do a certain movement that hurts a damaged area.
Getting medical care right away (there is a helpful breakdown at https://who.int/news-room) helps establish a timeline for symptoms. If you’re seeing a doctor, tell them everything that’s bothering you, not just your biggest pain point. Saying something like, “I’ve got tingling in my two middle fingers,” or “I get sharp pains when I try to climb three concrete porch steps,” could prove important down the road when an injury is harder to explain.
2. A Settlement Offer Arrives Before Treatment
Your claim number is probably written on a piece of masking tape on the windshield of your car. It’s sitting in a body shop. You’ve been contacted by the insurance company of the trucking company that crashed into you. The adjuster says they’ll cover your rental car, your lost wages, or anything else you might need. There are hospital bills coming in the mail, so taking their money seems smart.
But the insurance company is offering money before you know if you need physical therapy, imaging, injections, or even time off work. Once you sign a release, your claim is done. If you later find out your shoulder is hurting too much to carry a grocery bag in, or you can’t sit comfortably at work because of it, you may have signed away compensation for those problems.
Before you accept or even agree to talk, get ready by keeping track of:
- Pictures of skid marks, the trailer’s position, traffic cones and barrels, etc.
- Hospital or medical bills, prescriptions, pharmacy receipts, appointment reminders, etc.
- Time off from work, missed shifts, pay stubs, etc.
- Communications, letters from insurance companies, settlement offers, etc.
A truck accident attorney serving Joliet will be able to examine the initial offer, communicate with the insurance company, and calculate what losses may still occur. This is most relevant when the body shop estimates a few hundred dollars to replace a bent quarter panel but the driver can’t move his arm for three weeks.
3. A Second Insurance Company Steps In
That’s just the name on the door of the truck. The driver may be operating a tractor that he rented from another company. The trailer may belong to yet another company. Someone else may have loaded the goods into the trailer. The truck’s brakes might have been maintained by a third party.
Fault depends on why the collision happened. Was it caused by the driver making a wide turn? Was there a problem with following distance, braking, speed, fatigue (check out here), or pressure from management? Maybe a load fell out of the trailer and landed with a loud thump? The answers might point to a problem with the driver, the truck, the company, the goods being hauled, etc.
Commercial truck and multiple companies involved in a collision claim
There might be multiple responsible companies, each with its own adjusters and claim files. An attorney will be able to determine which companies could be held liable. He or she can begin gathering the appropriate evidence, such as driver logs, vehicle inspection reports, GPS, ELD data, texts between drivers and dispatch, maintenance records, witness statements, security video, before it disappears or is destroyed.
When a Truck Accident in Joliet Gets Complicated
It can take time for a scratch on the side of a car door to evolve into weeks of headaches, phone calls from insurance companies, and visits to the doctor. The best way to protect yourself after such an incident is to seek medical attention, keep all of your documentation in one binder, and consult an attorney before agreeing to accept any compensation.