What Should I Do After a Semi Truck Accident, and Do I Need a South Bend Truck Accident Lawyer?

March 17, 2025

South Bend couldn’t function without the efforts of trucking industry, which supplies residents with essential goods while supporting the operations of local businesses, but semi truck accidents are nevertheless some of the most dangerous events on the city’s streets.  Fortunately, you may be eligible to receive compensation if a semi truck driver wrongfully injures you in South Bend, though how much you obtain may depend upon your actions following the collision, such as deciding to partner with an attorney.  Hensley explores what to consider if you are asking yourself “What should I do after a semi truck accident, and do I need a South Bend truck accident lawyer?” 

Steps to Take in Response to a Semi Truck Accident 

A semi truck accident can be catastrophic, inflicting punishing injuries and robbing you of the ability to think clearly immediately afterward, but the steps you take in response to the accident could make or break any personal injury case you might have, so it is important for you to: 

• Move to a safe place so that you can avoid a second crash. 

• Dial 911 if police and emergency personnel have not already arrived at the scene. 

• Seek medical attention. 

• Snap pictures and shoot videos of your surroundings, making sure to capture any identifying details on the truck that hit you. 

• Write down driver and witness information. 

Additionally, you should alert your auto insurance carrier as soon as you can in order to remain in compliance with the terms of your policy and access the benefits that it may provide.  However, you should not extend that same openness to the insurance carriers with applicable coverage on the truck, which could run as high as $5 million in the State of Indiana and may therefore give those carriers a strong incentive to use anything you say against you. 

How Hiring a South Bend Truck Accident Attorney Can Make a Difference 

As you may imagine, there are a number of seemingly “minor” mistakes that could doom a major trucking injury claim almost before it has begun, but hiring a South Bend truck accident attorney can make a difference.  

This may be your first truck accident, but it won’t be the first for a veteran insurance adjuster, who could exploit your inexperience to settle your claim for less or deny it altogether, which could leave you with few options if you are struggling to stay afloat. 

Yet just as it won’t be the first accident for the adjuster, it also won’t be the first for a seasoned lawyer, who will be better equipped to meet insurance companies on a level playing field, a key reason why 85 percent of the funds that these companies pay out go to claimants with attorneys. 

Once retained, your South Bend truck accident lawyer will launch a comprehensive investigation into the causes of your accident and the defendants who contributed to it, a list that might include the: 

• Truck driver 

• Truck owner (if separate from the driver) 

• Business deploying the truck commercially (if separate from the owner) 

• Cargo loader 

• Mechanic 

• Manufacturer, distributor, or retailer of a defective truck or component part 

• Government agency with authority over a hazardous road 

Your attorney will establish valid claims against all of the potential defendants and possibly file a lawsuit as well if warranted, then move swiftly to secure any evidence of liability that may exist, such as: 

• Police reports 

• Citations and dispositions   

• Eyewitness statements   

• Black box data   

• Phone records   

• Hours of Service (HOS) and inspection logs   

• Accident reconstruction and forensic analysis 

After assembling an airtight case, your lawyer will negotiate tirelessly for a settlement that reflects the totality of your losses.  When confronted with compelling proof of both your damages and the insured’s liability, a sensible insurer may put forth a healthy offer rather than risk a worse verdict at trial. 

Indeed, some South Bend semi truck accident cases can get resolved outside of the courtroom, but a skilled attorney will be indispensable if your case has its day in court, where plaintiffs who represent themselves only win about four percent of the time.  In contrast, plaintiffs with professional representation are statistically favored to prevail, and they might even be awarded the resources necessary to become whole again. 

Get in Touch with Our South Bend Truck Accident Lawyers 

Hensley Legal Group has been advocating on behalf of the innocent victims of negligence since 1998.  If you have been badly hurt by a truck in the South Bend area through no fault of your own, get in touch with our South Bend truck accident lawyers to discover what remedies may be available to you. 

You can schedule a free consultation with a dedicated South Bend truck accident attorney by calling our office at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form now.