How is a Truck Accident Investigated?

There are a lot of reasons you need to contact an attorney as soon as possible if you’ve been injured in a truck accident. One of the biggest is that an attorney can immediately launch an investigation into the accident, gathering the evidence you’ll need in order to have the best possible chance of winning your case – and of getting the compensation you deserve.

Jones Law Group has the skill, experience, and resources needed to conduct the most thorough investigation possible into your case. We also have a long history of winning these types of cases, helping our clients recover financially while they’re recovering from their injuries. If you would like to schedule a free consultation, please contact us online or call (727) 571-1333.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents can happen for many of the same reasons that passenger vehicle wrecks occur. But there are also certain unique factors as well. The following are just some of the more common reasons for accidents involving big rigs.

• Distracted driving – Truck drivers love their smartphones just like many other people. Like other drivers, they sometimes use them behind the wheel – with catastrophic consequences. When a trucker decides to talk or text while operating an 80,000-pound machine, the results can be disastrous.
• Drunk driving – Amazingly, some truckers will decide to drive even when they’ve had too much alcohol, or they’ve taken some sort of drug that leads to impairment. It’s hard enough to operate a complicated truck when sober. That difficulty gets exponentially higher when a truck driver’s mind has been altered.
• Drowsy driving – Even though the government has set strict regulations regarding the amount of time a trucker can be behind the wheel, these rules are ignored far too often. Drivers have to often meet incredibly tight deadlines, or they just want to finish their route and get home as soon as possible. This can lead to falling asleep while driving, or being so tired drivers can’t react as quickly as they normally would.

Types of Evidence Needed for Your Truck Accident Claim

Even though you may be 100 percent certain the truck driver was to blame for the accident that resulted in your injury, that won’t mean much when the time comes to take legal action. You’re going to need hard evidence that the trucker caused the wreck.

Here’s a brief look at some of the evidence that could make the difference between you obtaining fair compensation and getting nothing for the suffering you’ve had to endure.

Police Report

Whenever a trucking accident occurs that results in serious injuries, the police will be called to the scene. The officers assigned to the accident will conduct their own investigation, and then produce a report detailing their findings. This report will be incredibly important to proving your case.

Accident Photos and Videos

These will also be incredibly powerful pieces of evidence that will help strengthen your case. For example, if you can get pictures of skid marks behind the truck, that will be a strong indication that the trucker tried to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting your vehicle – more than likely, because the truck was going too fast.

If at all possible, get as many pictures and videos of the scene as you can with your phone. Also, take pictures of the injuries you have suffered. The more photographic and video evidence you can get, the stronger your case will be.

Witness Statements

Another piece of evidence that will help your injury claim will be witness statements. More than likely, someone saw what happened, unless the accident occurred in the middle of the night on a desolate highway. If you can, talk to witnesses and get their statements. At least get their contact information so your attorney can get in touch with them as soon as possible.

Medical Reports

Don’t throw away any sort of document that shows what kinds of injuries you’ve suffered, and what kind of treatment you’ll need to recover. Keep all prescription records, medical bills, bills from doctor visits, and anything else you receive. The reason this will be so important is that your medical expenses will be a substantial part of your overall compensation if you win your case.

How Accident Reconstruction and Scene Inspection Can Strengthen Your Case

There is another valuable tool you may have in order to prove your case – accident reconstruction. In a nutshell, this is a scientific method of determining exactly why an accident took place. Reconstruction experts are highly skilled, taking all of the information from the police report and other sources to explain exactly what happened.

These experts will also go to the scene of the accident, documenting the conditions that existed at the time of the accident as closely as possible. If a case goes to trial, the expert will testify, giving their opinion of who was at fault. In some cases, reconstruction experts will produce animations of how an accident took place.

Does Your Case Need an Expert Witness?

Again, the stronger your case, the better your chances of obtaining the compensation you need. An expert medical witness could be brought in to testify regarding the severity of your injuries, and how they may affect you for the rest of your life. This witness could also help provide what it will cost to provide the treatment you need.

Contact an Attorney to Build Your Truck Accident Case

Unless you have a seasoned attorney working on your behalf, you’ll find it impossible to collect the evidence that will give you the best chance of winning. This is an extremely complex area of the law, and the defendant will be represented by incredibly smart, skilled professionals who will do everything they can to either reduce the amount of compensation you receive, or see to it that you get nothing.

Don’t let this happen to you. Get in touch with a Jones Law Group attorney as soon as you can for a free case review. Call (727) 571-1333 or use our online form to get in touch.