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Don’t Miss Gathering Crucial Evidence After a Truck Accident
Don’t miss gathering crucial evidence after a truck accident
by jessica.freeburg@thomsonreuters.com | Nov 26, 2018 | Truck Accident Injuries
It is easy to miss important evidence after a commercial truck accident, especially if your attention is focused on injuries. For many victims, truck accidents wreak havoc not only with physical injuries, but with the often overwhelming claim process.
If you recently survived a truck accident or find yourself caring for a loved one who suffered serious injuries in one, then you have a great deal of work to do while building a personal injury claim.
To receive full compensation for the expenses and losses the accident caused, you must carefully document them, while making a strong case that the accident was caused by some other party. This is much easier said than done, but a strong legal strategy can protect your rights and keep your priorities secure while you work toward a fair resolution and full recovery.
Gathering evidence at the scene
Like any traffic accident, much of the evidence needed to clarify which party holds liability for the accident is at the scene of the wreck. The longer that you wait to gather evidence, the less of it there is, beginning the moment that the clean-up crews show up and clear away the debris.
If you can gather photo and video evidence before the clean-up crews arrive, this is generally preferable, but many victims are too injured or concerned with others’ injuries to address evidence-gathering in the minutes following a collision. If you cannot document the scene in the moment, consider asking a friend or family member to come document the scene for you.
You should also look for security camera footage that may depict the accident. Typically, businesses and homes close to the scene may keep this footage for only a few days, so do not put off seeking this out.
Commercial truck evidence
Commercial truck accidents involve two types of evidence that you must request from the driver of the truck and the owner of the truck, respectively. The driver should provide their driving logs upon request, which detail how often they stop to rest between stretches of driving.
Similarly, the owner of the truck must provide the data gathered by the vehicle’s electronic control module, which records information about the driving and braking habits of the driver as well as safety feature usage. It is important to understand, however, that the owner of the truck owns the data, and may delete it until they receive your official request.
A strong legal strategy allows you to focus on your needs while keeping you protected for the long road to recovery and seeking the complete compensation that you deserve.