Truck accidents are some of the most devastating accidents on America’s highways. Due to the sheer size and weight of these vehicles, they can cause extensive damage not only to other smaller vehicles but also to buildings and other infrastructure in their path. This is why investigations into truck accidents are crucial in order to determine who is liable for damages and even criminal charges. This article will show how investigation and evidence preservation work after a truck accident.
Call 911
The first step after any accident, including truck accidents, is to call 911. This will alert emergency services such as police, paramedics, and firefighters. They will come to the accident scene, assess injuries if any have occurred, and secure the site by diverting traffic or evacuating individuals from dangerous areas. If possible, you should also get in touch with an experienced Fort Lauderdale truck accident lawyer from Schilling & Silvers, PLLC, at this stage.
Preserve The Scene
The next step is preserving the scene by ensuring no one moves anything at the site until authorities arrive, except where absolutely necessary, like when people need immediate medical attention or where there might be an immediate life-threatening danger. The responding civil authorities will also ensure that important details are documented through Police Reports or Traffic Citations.
Identify Witnesses
Efforts must be made as soon as possible to find witnesses who were present at the accident scene at the time of the collision. Eyewitness testimony is often critical in finding out what happened. Hence, police officers try to identify them before leaving once they have met the first respondents’ needs.
Inspect And Document The Scene
After securing eyewitness statements, photographs of all damages should also be taken while keeping each vehicle’s physical location undisclosed. This may provide valuable information concerning aspects such as braking, distance traveled before impact, the direction of travel leading up to the collision, and more.
Investigate
One important aspect of a truck accident investigation involves determining who bears responsibility for causing the crash – either the drivers involved or another party, such as the maintenance crew, owner and operator of the truck, or the company that hired them. An investigation team may be responsible for determining who was at fault based on witness statements, information obtained from the black box of the involved vehicles, like data loggers in event recorders (EDRs), accident reconstructions, and scene analysis.
Preserve Evidence
The evidence collected during an investigation is vital to establishing what happened during a truck accident. This includes physical evidence like pictures of damages sustained, vehicles involved, scene inspection reports drawn up by trained accident reconstructionist experts, and police reports detailing key moments leading up to the actual collision. To preserve key evidence for trial proceedings or out-of-court settlement, negotiations should remain intact until all investigations are complete and related cases are settled.
Expertise In Reconstruction
Accident reconstruction experts and engineers become involved once they’ve collected factual data through observation and investigation. These professionals are extensively trained and responsible for examining every aspect of an accident scene in order to ascertain its cause. This encompasses mechanical issues with either the car or the truck, as well as driving mistakes stemming from situational factors like weather conditions that modify the travel route. Reckless conduct while driving can lead to increased fuel consumption, ultimately resulting in road fatalities if not managed properly during overtaking or issues stemming from poor visibility, among other factors.
In accidents involving trucks, accident reconstruction experts also pay special attention to the following:
- The Brakes: Check whether they are operational and capable of braking within optimal parameters.
- Flat Tires: Assess whether any tire faults could have contributed to the commotion.
These endeavors aim to establish the precise moment when recklessness triggered a chain of events that eventually culminated in severe accidents involving both privately owned and commercially operated passenger-carrying trucks alike.
The investigation and preservation of evidence following a truck crash are vital processes that must be undertaken after a significant road incident. These actions provide crucial exhibits for trial proceedings, particularly in cases where individuals affected by the mistakes of the truck driver, along with other liable parties who have been identified as contributors to the occurrence of such incidents, have sought civil litigation.