A crash with a commercial truck is not a normal car accident. The injuries are usually more severe, the insurance limits are usually higher, and the evidence is usually controlled by people who don't want you to see it.
Step one is medical care. Truck crashes regularly produce internal injuries and head injuries that are not obvious at the scene.
Step two is identifying the truck and the company. The truck door usually has a DOT number and the carrier's name. Photograph it. Don't rely on the driver's verbal answer — they may give a leased-from name, not the true motor carrier.
Step three is preserving evidence. Modern commercial trucks carry electronic logging devices, telematics, dashcam, and engine data — much of it cycles and overwrites within days or weeks. A written preservation-of-evidence letter from a lawyer is what forces the carrier to keep that data.
Step four is what not to do: do not talk to the trucking company's rapid-response adjuster, do not sign a medical authorization, and do not accept a property damage settlement that includes a global release.
Trucking cases are won and lost on what's preserved in the first month. The earlier a lawyer is involved, the more of it survives.
