What Happens if You Are Hit By a Moving Truck?

Moving trucks are often rented by people with no prior experience operating large trucks. Renting a moving truck such as a U-Haul or Penske does not require special training or a commercial driver’s license. Anyone with a standard driver’s license can operate one of these large and dangerous trucks. Unfortunately, this can result in deadly traffic accidents in Arizona.

What to Do After Being Hit by a Moving Truck

It is important to take the correct steps after getting involved in an accident with a moving truck. The insurance company that receives your claim will look to see what actions you took or failed to take to determine if you qualify for financial compensation. Here’s what to do after this type of crash in Arizona:

Get to a safe place and pull your vehicle over. If you are able, move your disabled vehicle off the road and out of the way of oncoming traffic.
Assess yourself and others involved in the accident for injuries. If someone is injured or appears unconscious, call 911 immediately to report the crash and ask for help.
While you wait for the police to arrive, get the information of the moving truck driver. Write down the moving company’s name and license plate number.
Go to a hospital without delay for treatment of any injuries. Delaying medical care after an accident can make it harder to receive insurance coverage.
File an insurance claim with help from an attorney. Insurance coverage may come from the driver of the moving truck, extra insurance purchased with the rental or your own provider.

Involving a Scottsdale car accident attorney in your case right away can help you protect your rights from the very beginning. Your attorney can investigate the crash, collect evidence of fault and assist you with the insurance claims process. It is especially important to hire an attorney for a complex car accident case, such as one involving a moving truck.

Who Is Liable for Moving Truck Accidents in Arizona?

Determining who is financially responsible, or liable, for a moving truck accident in Arizona may take an investigation into who or what caused the crash. Arizona is a fault-based car insurance state, meaning the person or party most at fault for an accident is who pays for the damage. If the driver of the moving truck is to blame, such as for failing to check his or her blind spots or making an unsafe lane change, you could seek compensation through a few different sources:

The driver’s individual automobile insurance policy. Every motor vehicle operator in Arizona is required to carry minimum amounts of car insurance. However, in many cases, this insurance does not cover moving trucks or rental vehicles.
Additional insurance purchased through the moving truck company. Coverage for a moving truck accident often comes from additional insurance purchased by the driver upon renting the vehicle. If not, the driver may have a credit card company that covers a rental accident.
Your own automobile insurance provider. If the other driver does not have insurance, you might be able to turn to your own policy for first-party coverage. You would need medical payment, collision, comprehensive or uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance for this coverage, however.
The moving company. In some cases, you may be able to hold the moving truck company responsible. This might be the case if the truck was driven by a moving company employee who was negligent or if the truck had a breakdown or part defect due to poor maintenance.

If you got hit by a moving truck as a driver, pedestrian or bicyclist in Arizona, you have legal rights. You may be entitled to collect financial compensation from one or multiple sources of coverage. The most important step to take after this type of accident is to contact a truck accident attorney in Scottsdale to discuss your case and legal options.