For anyone seeking resolution via compensation or otherwise after a truck/big rig-related accident, an early investigation is the way forward. It is beneficial to conduct a thorough search of the scene of the incident because when it comes to the mitigation stage, insurance claims, and everything in between, every single bit of evidence is relevant. Whether it is a personal injury case or a vehicle damage pursual, you will need a vehicle accident lawyer to tell you the necessary steps to take.
What Evidence Can Be Obtained For Your Case?
There are multiple evidence avenues to explore after a truck/big rig accident. The Truck Accident Guys, specialists in multiple branches of law including this one, would first want to gain a clear picture of what happened. To do this successfully, there are a few things they would turn to first. All of the following bits of evidence accumulate to build a picture of what could have plausibly happened on the day, which would hopefully lead to a better idea of who is at fault and why. This will be invaluable during the negotiation stages further down the line.
The Driver Log Book
Investigation teams can acquire the record of duty from the time of the accident. This is a clear, legal record of a driver’s time while he or she was on shift. It has details like what hours they were driving, where they went, and other details related to the drive. To falsify these records is a violation of the law. There are state and federal laws relating to how many hours a truck driver can work. The purpose of these laws is to prevent driver fatigue.
The Logged Route
A tuck accident attorney would take a deep dive into the record of duty. They would take a close look at the logged route to ascertain whether there is any fault to find there. This could easily demonstrate things like if the driver was breaking the law by driving too fast between the different stops along the way. This would obviously be very useful information because it would serve to prove that the driver is not entirely safe behind the wheel and treats the law of the road with reckless abandon.
Black Box Data
The next useful thing to obtain will be the data from the black box. If a black box is not accessed fairly quickly, it can be wiped clean. This would erase all the evidence and render it useless. However, if it is logged and recorded within the immediate aftermath of the accident, the analysis can bring around a better, more accurate understanding of how the crash occurred. The black box tells the investigating team things like speed, braking and driver inputs, etc. These are all key facts because, without this information, there can be no real verification of the day’s events. A black box will generally record data leading up to, and after, a crash.
Incident Report
Finally, the incident report from the scene of the accident will be a key piece of evidence for any lawyer on either side of the case. This is the official document recorded by the officer on the scene of the accident if one was called (as they often are). This could also be a document made by the trucking company involved in the crash. Incident reports note down every detail from the scene of the incident on the day that it happened. They often include witness statements and driving violations. So, you can see why these would be valuable when it comes to figuring out who was at fault in a trucking accident.
Witness Statements
Witness statements will typically be included within an incident report. These are important because they provide accounts of what happened on the day from, in theory, unbiased passers-by. These types of statements help to corroborate important evidence factors and personal accounts of what happened at the time of the event. They can either verify or nullify one account vs. another. Truck driver defense teams are likely to call their own witnesses when the time comes, but the ones from the actual day on the official report will always be more valid and considered.
Video Surveillance
Video surveillance either from local CCTV cameras, doorbell videos, or even people’s smartphones nearby will all be used to see who was at fault and often capture the actually itself. While this wasn’t an option in years gone by, it is now a fairly common category of evidence to work with for attorneys around the world.
Reasons to Move Quickly
So why do these types of things need to be obtained at all? Well, the real answer is that the faster you move, the more accurate the claim will be. Evidence is essential to ascertaining where the blame lies and how far your compensation should stretch. If you go slow, the defense absolutely won’t so your side will be at an instant disadvantage.
What The Trucking Company Does After an Accident
Any semi-decent truck accident lawyer will make sharp moves to gain fast insight. So, if your team isn’t jumping on the bandwagon quickly enough, the defense will beat them to it in the blink of an eye. Truck companies often have top-tier law teams and heavily regulating bodies to help move things along when an incident does happen out on the road or otherwise. That means you’ll be up against bigshot experienced truck accident injury lawyers in the majority of cases and your representation will have to stay on their toes to fight the case. You can expect the trucking company to investigate the scene, take photos, download black box data, and interview witnesses within days of a crash.
The Faster You Move The More You Can Achieve
Don’t they always say the early bird catches the worm? Well, the early truck accident injury lawyer definitely catches the key evidence and facts! You can learn a lot from surveying everything early on that will help piece key things together further down the line. Things move so quickly in compensation cases, so it’s vital to stay ahead of the curve.
Trucking accidents are never easy to navigate. With the help of a professional team on your side, things will move a lot more smoothly. Investigations need to happen fast, as you will always be working quickly against the defense to find the best possible outcome. There is plenty of truth to be obtained if your representation looks in the right places. Contact The Truck Accident Guys to learn more.
