The Significance Of Evidence In Truck Accident Claims
With more trucks on Louisiana and Texas roads and highways than ever before, the possibility of truck accidents resulting in fatal and catastrophic injuries is all too real.
Truck accidents are devastation unfolding on highways, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
The aftermath of a truck accident can be overwhelming and confusing. If you have suffered injuries in an accident with a truck, you’ll surely need extensive medical treatment and long-term care.
Trucks can weigh up to thirty times more than an average car. This difference in size and weight plays a pivotal role in the severity of truck crashes, often leading to tragic endings.
Evidence is the key to collecting the compensation you deserve and require for expensive medical treatments and rehabilitation that can put you out of work indefinitely.
When filing a personal injury claim for compensation, providing an accurate and complete description of your injuries and any other damages resulting from the accident is vital.
It is hard to gather evidence immediately after a truck wreck, but an experienced truck accident attorney can obtain information in the days after the accident.
Many significant aspects of a successful outcome in a truck accident case exist. These may include:
· Seeking immediate medical attention
· Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney
· Gathering and compiling evidence
· Being patient in negotiations
· Keeping up-to-date records of expenses
However, evidence is the most essential factor in any truck accident case.
Evidence helps to establish liability, validate damages, and secure compensation.
The more evidence you have, the easier it will be to prove your case and the more likely you will receive fair and just compensation for your damages.
The compensation you receive depends on the nature and extent of your injuries: the more severe the injuries, the greater the compensation.
Victims of truck accidents require extensive medical treatment and long-term care, which can be expensive.
You cannot simply claim that your injuries are severe. You must provide extensive medical evidence of your injuries.
Collecting evidence in truck collisions demands astute attention to detail. Truck mishaps often involve scrutinizing logbooks, GPS data, and maintenance records.
Some examples of critical types of evidence include:
Crash Site Photographs And Videos
Images of the accident scene can help establish liability and prove negligence. These photographs may include skid marks, vehicle damage, and road debris. The more visual evidence you have of the crash, the easier it will be to determine fault. Use different angles and distances to capture a comprehensive view of the scene.
Video footage from the dash cam and CCTV cameras can demonstrate the truck driver’s failure to take any action to avoid the accident. It can give insights into whether driver distraction was a factor at the time of the accident.
Black Box Data
All commercial trucks are equipped with electronic monitoring devices, also known as black boxes, similar to those found in airplanes. These devices record mechanical information regarding speed and RPM, brake use, seatbelt status, cruise control status, airbag status, maintenance alerts, and hours of service log.
This information can be crucial when determining if the truck driver and trucking company violated The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules and regulations.
Most trucking companies erase the data on a black box every thirty days.
Police Reports
Right after a truck accident, one of the first steps to take is to call the police.
A police report is a vital piece of evidence that contains a lot of valuable information. It can include drivers’ insurance information, their statements, an assessment of the damages, contributing factors, a crash diagram, and statements from witnesses.
These reports make it much easier to pursue damages.
Medical Records
Many injuries are not immediately apparent and can worsen over time.
Keep detailed records of your medical treatments, diagnoses, and accident-related expenses.
Inspection And Maintenance Reports
Federal and state laws require all commercial trucks to undergo inspection and maintenance. Truck drivers need to perform many of these daily. Commercial truck drivers must prepare a driver’s vehicle inspection report (DVIR) at the end of each working day.
Trucking maintenance records can highlight truck company negligence in maintaining and repairing their fleet.
Truck Driver’s Information
When exchanging information with a truck driver after an accident, you should collect the driver’s name, phone number and email address, license plate number, name of Insurer/s, insurance policy number/s, employer’s name and business address, and supervisor’s name and contact information.
This information can help you hold the driver accountable for your injuries and damages.
Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers: Personal Injury Lawyers Adept At Analyzing And Compiling Effective Evidence
Truck drivers carry specialized insurance policies with higher coverage limits. Navigating these policies and negotiating fair settlements requires a deep understanding of insurance law and the trucking industry.
Truck accidents can involve jurisdictional complexities. Determining the appropriate location for legal action and navigating multiple state laws require a thorough understanding of interstate litigation.
At Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers, we have access to accident reconstruction experts, rules compliance/ safety experts, driver training (trucking school) experts, mechanics and engineers, experts from various areas of medicine, life care planners, and toxicology experts. Our personal injury law firm has substantial experience in proving negligence in truck accident cases.
Personal injury attorney Bart Bernard uses court orders to his client’s advantage, forcing trucking companies to provide and preserve critical evidence.
Attorney Bernard will send preservation letters, calling on trucking companies to retain records of drivers and vehicles.
If you or a loved one have suffered harm in a truck accident anywhere in Louisiana or Texas, don’t hesitate to reach out to our offices in Lafayette or Houston for a free consultation. Let attorney Bernard put his immense experience to work for you.
