Car accidents occur with alarming frequency. Many car accidents, nevertheless, are relatively minor. The odds of fatalities or significant damage escalate when a truck is involved and often, the consequences are devastating. Truck accident statistics show that just over 1 in 10 accidents with fatalities involve trucks. There are tens of thousands of truck-related accidents across the world and these accidents are more pronounced in rural areas, on highways and interstate roads. Trucks are simply harder to drive through tight corners and the handling is much more rigid. Obviously, braking to a full-stop takes much longer than with smaller vehicles. Finally, trucks are just bigger than other kinds of vehicles, for example, a semi-truck can weigh up to 40 tons.. Given the unique complexities of trucks, it is important to have a lawyer who is well versed with the law on truck accidents.
It is vital to act as soon as possible when it comes to hiring a truck accident lawyer, because a truck accident will likely involve a complex investigation, and the evidence on the scene of an accident must not be contaminated. The longer you wait, the greater the odds that the evidence will be contaminated and it will be hard to build a case.
The accident scene evidence is the basis of the case and determines your ability to get compensation for any injuries suffered. Truck accident claims that prove successful usually do so because they build their evidence on a variety of sources of evidence and the key pieces are found at the scene. It is impossible to prove negligence without a strong grounding in accident scene evidence.
An investigation will demand eyewitness accounts, police investigations, accident reconstruction and surveillance footage from CCTV and traffic cameras. The truck itself may prove rich with evidence. On-board computers, L, and Dashcams, can provide insights as to the driver’s handling of the vehicle prior to the accident. Safety inspection books and logbooks will show just how many hours the driver spent on the road and if the truck’s safety equipment was in good working order.
The trucking company itself may hold clues that will be important for your case. Service tickets, mechanic’s reports, and maintenance logs, may show negligence in terms of the working condition of the rig.
It may be necessary to gather medical evidence, which may be highly technical but is crucial to establishing injuries suffered. Given the complexity of medical advice, an expert will need to be hired to testify regarding the injuries sustained and the impact of those injuries on your ability to earn an income.
By delaying this process or hiring a lawyer who is not well versed with truck accident law, you push the odds of victory in favour of the trucking company. Speed is essential, competence is everything. You need to hire truck accident lawyers who can fight in your corner.
The insurance company representing the trucking company will try and settle out of court to avoid losing more substantial sums in court. Their readiness to settle is dependent on the evidence which you are able to gather. If they believe the evidence is weak, they will fight making any payment.