Key Steps to Protect Yourself and Preserve Evidence
The best truck accident attorneys all agree on one thing: semi-truck crashes are not like regular car accidents. The victims and attorneys involved cannot handle them in the same way.
Semi trucks are bigger and heavier than the largest passenger vehicles. The forces in these crashes, even at low speeds, are much greater than in a typical car crash.
Semi trucks with loaded trailers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. This is nearly 20 times the weight of a full-size SUV. It can take twice as long to stop, even in ideal conditions.
Serious or even fatal injuries are far more likely to occur with the speed/weight differential. While the property damage to the vehicles involved will be extensive. And truck accident lawyers will know what to do with differences.
This guide shows you the important steps to take after accidents involving semi trucks. It explains how these crashes are different from regular car accidents. It also tells you why you should find the best truck accident lawyer near you.
Get to Safety and Be Careful!
As a victim your priority should always be safety. Move to a safe location if possible, call 911 and request emergency assistance. Don’t attempt to move anyone seriously injured unless necessary for their safety.
Once help arrives, let them work and check you for injuries. Because of the strong impact in semi truck crashes, injuries are often worse. Emergency responders may need to secure the scene longer than in a typical crash.
Tell someone if you experience any pain or discomfort following the crash. Even if you feel fine, get checked out by EMTs on the scene or immediately afterward at an emergency room. Many injuries, especially internal or soft tissue ones, may not present symptoms right away.
Document and Record as Much as You Can
If you are physically able, document the scene and collect as much evidence as you can. You can take photos and videos of the vehicles involved, focusing on the tractor and trailer. Semi Trucks must display DOT numbers on their bodies. This will help experienced truck crash attorneys determine who is responsible for your injuries.
The Department of Transportation, or “DOT,” requires motor carriers to display their numbers on both sides of vehicles. These numbers must be large enough for someone to see from 50 feet away. The DOT number should help quickly identify the motor carrier. It also shows whether the same company owned the trailer.
Also, it is important to note the position of the vehicles right after the crash. Look for any damage, road conditions, skid marks, and any traffic signs or signals. This is important as any movement or alterations of the scene can impact the investigation. While the condition of the vehicles, occupants, and drivers is all crucial.
Get The Police Report
A good truck crash attorney knows that the traffic crash report will have important information.
The report should include the driver’s license and insurance information. It should also list the VINs for the tractor and trailers involved in the crash. Additionally, it should identify the insurer for the tractor.
Colorado’s Traffic Crash Reports include a section for commercial motor vehicles. After a serious commercial truck accident the police should do a detailed investigation. They will often take photographs, take measurements, and interview witnesses. In cases involving catastrophic injuries or deaths, they may impound the vehicles and download information from the onboard systems.
In all semi truck crashes, you should find the DOT or Motor Carrier ID Number in the police report. This number is for the entity that authorized the driver. However, the police may not always fill out this section, depending on the report’s details.
With this basic information, a skilled truck crash lawyer can start looking into the truck driver and their employer.
You Need The Best Truck Crash Attorney To Help You Preserve Evidence
The differences between a trucking crash and a car crash become clear when you think about the steps needed to keep evidence. This evidence includes information about the trucker, the truck, and the trailer involved.
Commercial motor vehicles are governed by strict state and federal regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has created stringent requirements on the drivers and the trucks themselves. The trucks often have several devices that record detailed information about their operation. The trucking company must keep detailed records of the Driver’s background and skills.
Your truck crash attorney needs experience with semi truck crashes. General personal injury lawyers will miss violations or not know where to look for information.
This can include:
- Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) track a driver’s activities over days and weeks. They record how long the driver was driving, resting, and on or off duty. This information is important to see if the driver was tired or breaking the law.
- “ECMs” or “Black Boxes”: These devices record speed, braking, and throttle information before a crash. They can also tell you whether the driver had a history of hard braking or other conduct that can contribute to a crash.
- Maintenance Records: Trucking companies and drivers must check the condition of their tractor and trailer every day. They also need to inspect their equipment regularly to make sure it is safe and working well.
CMVs, like planes, face much more stress than cars. They must meet strict performance and condition rules. These rules include tire tread depth and brake testing.
- Driver History, Education, and Background: CMV drivers need special licenses. Motor carriers and trucking companies must take steps to ensure their drivers are safe and qualified to drive.
This is even more true if the crash involves tankers or hazardous materials. After a serious crash, drivers must take drug and alcohol tests. This is to make sure they were not impaired.
- Dash Cam Footage: Many commercial vehicles are equipped with front or rear-facing cameras.
The truck driver or their employer, the trucking company, usually controls all the material mentioned above. Moving the tractor after the crash can change or ruin some of this evidence. Law enforcement and everyone involved must take the right steps to protect this information.
You Need Experienced Truck Crash Attorneys On Your Side
Trucking companies and insurance companies will immediately send their own rapid response teams to accident scenes, especially for serious crashes. They do this to control and document everything. And while the statute of limitations for truck crashes in Colorado is three years, you cannot wait. You need the best truck accident attorneys in Colorado to help you do the same.
Experienced truck accident lawyers will have a team of their own experts and consultants to protect and document the evidence necessary to get you maximum compensation. An experienced truck crash expert will be able to determine whether factors such as driver fatigue, vehicle maintenance, or routing contributed to the crash.
They will also know when and who to bring in as experts to help your claim. This includes crash scene experts who will document all the details at the scene and commercial truck experts who can examine the semi truck and trailer to determine if the truck was safe to be on the road at the time of the crash.
As a victim of a truck accident, you need lawyers with experience and education in commercial truck accident cases.
Attorneys at the Law Offices of Peter M. Anderson have the experience and education needed to handle complex truck accident claims. Peter M. Anderson is board-certified in truck accident law – one of only two such attorneys in Colorado. He can navigate the complex federal regulations applicable to your injury claims. The Law Offices of Peter M. Anderson will fight insurance companies on behalf of truck accident victims.