After a very serious accident that resulted in severe injury, many people have a hard time coping with the changes to their circumstances and their injuries. At that time, it is difficult for an injury victim to do anything let alone hire an attorney to represent them in the eighteen-wheeler accident.
Yet, it is at this very time, when retaining a truck accident attorney is critically important to obtaining vital factual information concerning the cause of the crash. The accident scene can be a treasure trove of evidence that will fade with time and can disappear completely. Such things as skid marks, gouge marks in the pavement, debris and the highway itself can change over time.
In some truck accidents, the big rig will have an onboard computer system that documents and records such things as speed and braking activity immediately prior to the impact. Preservation of this important information is an important step after a very serious injury or wrongful death truck wreck.
Further, the condition of the tractor or trailer itself can be a source of important evidence should there be some indication that the condition of the truck may have contributed to cause the accident. In which case, an early inspection should be undertaken before the tractor or trailer park would back into service. Many insurance companies have taken the tactic of fixing the rig as quickly as possible in order to short-circuit a potential inspection.
Finally, motor carriers are only required to retain the necessary paperwork for a certain length of time. It is essential that someone take steps to ensure that the motor carrier that is responsible for the paperwork, preserve it as important evidence. Such things as drivers daily vehicle inspection reports, log books and maintenance records would be included in the records that an accident victim should get access to after an accident.
Some families find that appointing a family member to interview potential attorneys to help the injury victim while they are recovering is a workable solution to avoid the pitfall of letting important evidence disappear. Some accidents like a rear-end crash may not require extensive investigation.
About Greg Baumgartner
Greg Baumgartner is a truck accident lawyer helping victims with serious injury or families with wrongful death cases. Contact Greg Toll Free 1-866-758-4529
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