Being hit by a government snow plow truck has unique aspects that an experienced Utah personal injury attorney can help you with.
If you were hit by a Utah or city snow plow truck, here is what to do:
(1). Call the Police. As a general rule, you should at least call the police and report all Utah snow plow accidents to preserve the fact that an accident occurred.
(2). Document your Medical Injuries. You should always document your injuries caused in a city snow plow accident. Even if you are feeling fairly good, it is critical to document your injuries with a medical doctor in the event your health takes a turn for the worse.
Many car accidents can have delayed effects. At the time of the collision, you physically feel fine, only to have your back or neck worsen over the coming few days. Not documenting your injuries immediately is the number-one way insurance carriers want to pay less, or not pay fair compensation for your injuries. The argument goes that if you were really hurt, you would have seen a doctor immediately and since you didn’t go to the ER or Instacare, you must not have been hurt.
(3). Hire a Utah Snow Plow Car Accident Attorney. Discussing your case with an experienced Utah car accident attorney will give you perspective on what you are up against. Suing or making an insurance claim against the State of Utah or a city government has special considerations and a short statute of limitations.
(4). Report the Snow Plow Crash to the City/State and Your Insurance Company. Once you are back on your feet, have seen the doctor and an attorney, you need to immediately report the snow plow truck accident to your own insurance company, if not before. You need to report the matter to the government adjuster also. Reporting the snow plow injury claim will trigger them to ask for an adjuster interview. It is wise to speak with an attorney before giving an adjuster interview and he or she can advise you on whether you should give an adjuster interview at all.
See this article on whether, when, and why to give an adjuster interview concerning your snow plow accident. https://gunterinjurylaw.com/car-accident-insurance-adjuster-interviews-do-i-have-to-do-one/
(5). Utah Snow Plow Video. Often, UDOT snow plows have external video which you should request and ask that they preserve. Preserving and ultimately obtaining the snow plow accident video can be critical to proving your case. Your Utah injury attorney should immediately send the preservation letter to the Utah Department of Transportation so the video can be later obtained.
(6). Seek Appropriate Medical Care. After a snow plow accident, you should seek immediate and appropriate medical care. Generally, the vehicle you were in will have at least $3,000 in free medical care. This medical bill coverage connected with your own car insurance is called Personal Injury Protection Benefits. See this article on PIP benefits for more information. https://gunterinjurylaw.com/utah-personal-injury-protection/
Seeking appropriate medical care includes: listening to your doctor’s advice, going to physical therapy, or utilizing chiropractors to get better. Do not try to tough it out, as this can delay seeking treatment and appropriate diagnoses from doctors and specialists.