#172. You’ve Been In an Accident, Now What?

This is a super important episode. If you own a truck, are a truck driver or run a trucking company, chances are you are going to deal with an accident at some point in your career. When it happens, you want things to go as well as possible. During this episode, Craig and I are going to help you know how you can be prepared and we will help arm you with some tips to protect you against those who want to take advantage of the situation.

What To Expect From Episode 172

We have all been driving down the interstate and seen a billboard that says something along the lines of, “Have you been hit by a semi, give us a call and we’ll make sure you get what you deserve.” Basically, that just means they know there is big insurance money behind trucking companies and they will try to sue the pants off them. Sometimes even if the accident wasn’t the trucking company's fault. We talk about some things you can do to help you get the best possible outcome.

Prevention (Before the Accident)

• Follow the FMCSA rules
  • Make sure you are hiring qualified, safe drivers
  • Maintain up-to-date driver qualification files
  • Keep your vehicles well maintained
  • Don't break Hours of Service rules
• Install forward facing cameras on your trucks

When An Accident Happens

• Turn on your hazards
• If physically able, place warning triangles, flairs, etc. (make sure you know how to do this correctly)
• Take lots of pictures, from multiple angles, including some from far enough away to capture the entire scene
• Once things have calmed down, call your insurance company ASAP, ideally before you leave the scene, for sure within 24 hours
  • I can't emphasize this enough, I explain why this is so important in the episode

Post Accident

There are lots of things that need to happen. We aren't going to cover them in this episode, but make sure you do them. If you don't know what to do, contact your insurance company. They should be able to help.