Tractor-trailer accidents are especially horrific, and the aftermath is often devastating. Early investigation is crucial to ascertaining the accident’s cause. The involved trucking company is likely to get right down to investigative work; it has a lot to lose and a lot to protect.
Unfortunately, as an individual, you don’t have the resources to do the same – you have no investigative team to immediately set upon the crash site and interpret its findings. If you’ve been involved in a semi collision, seek immediate medical attention and then retain an experienced commercial truck crash attorney as quickly as possible to ensure that your legal rights are protected.
The First Two Days
The first 48 hours after a semi accident are crucial to your case. The police are obligated to clear the accident debris as quickly as possible to keep traffic moving safely. In the process, the evidence is also cleared. The scene of the crash provides fundamental clues and evidence as to what transpired:
- The direction of travel at the point of impact;
- The exact point of impact;
- Line-of-sight obstructions for any of the drivers involved;
- Dangerous road conditions;
- Driver condition at time of accident;
- Eyewitness testimony; and
- Traffic camera footage or bystander footage.
If you don’t know what to look for, valuable evidence can be swept away with the 18-wheeler crash debris.
The Trucking Company
From a business perspective, it makes sense for trucking companies and their insurers to try and avoid liability. In addition, some unscrupulous companies may even skew or destroy evidence. It’s not ethical; it’s not legal, but it does happen. Retaining a knowledgeable truck crash attorney right away will allow your legal team to file an emergency injunction that can preserve what’s left of the evidence until your team can inspect it.
Emails, electronic evidence, and GPS readings can also be vital to your case. Often this kind of evidence can point investigators in the direction of what conditions were in play at the time of the accident. Frequently, unrealistic deadlines, knowledge of driver’s diminished capacity, or evidence of mechanical failure play an important role in semi-collision cases. Such evidence, however, can be easily lost. Again, an injunction is often necessary.
Eyewitnesses
Contact a Knowledgeable Houston Tractor-Trailer Crash Lawyer Today
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you know how traumatic that is. You need an experienced Houston attorney who understands 18-wheeler collisions.
At Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at law, we understand how the process works because we’ve been in the business for over 20 years. Once you contact us, we will immediately investigate your case and do what it takes to preserve the evidence. If you or someone you care about has been involved in a commercial truck wreck, don’t hesitate to give our team a call at 800-898-4877. Your consultation is free, and you don’t pay until we deliver the settlement that you deserve. CLICK HERE to see Stewart interviewed as an authority on trucking accident cases by Mike Papantonio on his national news program, “America’s Lawyer.”
