It only takes a split-second for a wayward semi-truck to cause a catastrophic accident. And those who are hurt in these wrecks often suffer life-changing injuries. Many of them end up paralyzed, but even those who eventually recover their physical health can be scarred by the psychological trauma that’s been unfairly thrust upon them. Add to that the financial damage caused by medical expenses and lost wages and you can easily see why these truck accidents are so devastating.
For a lot of truck accident victims, the road ahead is filled with uncertainty and fear. After all, many of them don’t have the savings needed to offset their losses, and they may not have the skills necessary to cope with their stress and trauma. Fortunately, all of this may be recoverable through a truck accident personal injury lawsuit. But proving the elements of one of these cases isn’t always as easy as it seems. That’s why in this post we want to assess some often-overlooked places where you can search for evidence to support your claim.
You might think that you’re limited in where you can search for evidence, but there’s probably more out there than you realize. Here are some places to look for evidence to support your case:
- Trucking logs: Truckers must adhere to strict hours of service regulations that limit the number of hours they can drive in a certain timeframe. If they violate these regulations, then they’re likely to be tired and fatigued behind the wheel, which can decrease their ability to drive safely. These violations can thus serve as a basis to show that the trucker acted negligently leading up to an accident.
- Maintenance records: Semi-trucks are supposed to be subjected to routine inspection and maintenance. For example, in addition to yearly inspections, truckers are supposed to conduct post-trip inspections where they search for safety issues after each route. If safety defects are identified, then the truck should be removed from service until the issue is remedied. If the trucker or their employer fail to conduct inspections and repairs, then they may be on the hook for an accident that’s caused by those safety issues.
- Hiring and training records: Truck companies should only hire safe drivers. And they should ensure that their truckers receive proper training so that they can remain safe out on the road. When truck companies cut corners to try to acquire staff, then can put dangerous drivers out on the road. This puts motorists like you at risk of being seriously harmed in a truck accident.
- Police reports: The police report generated after an accident can have powerful evidence, since it’ll identify witnesses, give witness accounts and maybe even have the officer’s personal opinion on the matter. You can also search for prior police reports to see if the driver in question had a demonstrated history of unsafe driving practices. This evidence could help you demonstrate that the trucker was acting negligently at the time of the accident.
Be diligent in building your truck accident personal injury case
You only get one shot at building your truck accident personal injury case. You owe it to yourself to gather as much evidence as possible and present it as persuasively as possible. Therefore, you’ll need to be diligent in gathering the evidence that most aggressively speaks to the legal elements at hand. If that’s something that you need assistance with, then continue to research what it takes to effectively build these sorts of cases and surround yourself with any support that you may need.
