Everyone says stay quiet if you're undocumented, but actually you should report a Salem truck crash right away.

What should have happened at the scene: call 911, ask for police and medical help, and make sure the report names the driver, the trucking company, the USDOT number on the cab, and the trailer plate. If you were on I-5, Highway 22, or near the Salem Parkway, police may be Salem Police or Oregon State Police depending on where it happened.

If you can still do it now, get checked immediately. A lower-back injury, concussion, or memory problems can show up hours later, especially after a hard impact. Go to Salem Health or urgent care and tell them it was a commercial truck crash.

What to do now: if police were not called, report the crash. In Oregon, you usually must file an Oregon DMV Accident and Insurance Report within 72 hours if there was an injury, death, towing, or more than $2,500 in damage. Keep photos, your discharge papers, and names of witnesses.

Then act fast on the trucking evidence. Trucking companies can lose or overwrite key records quickly, including electronic logging device data, dashcam video, GPS, driver qualification files, maintenance records, and dispatch messages. Under FMCSA rules, some crashes also trigger post-accident alcohol and drug testing for the driver.

What comes next: the claim may involve more than just the driver. The driver, motor carrier, trailer owner, maintenance company, or a shipping broker may all point fingers at each other. The carrier usually has much higher insurance than a normal driver - often at least $750,000, and sometimes $1 million or more depending on the load.

Your immigration status does not cancel your right to medical care or an Oregon injury claim. The deadline to sue is usually 2 years from the crash date, but trucking evidence needs attention far sooner.