Truck accident cases are more complicated than auto crash claims. Your injuries could be much more catastrophic, and you may be entitled to significantly more compensation.
In addition, federal regulations governing the trucking industry may have been violated and caused your collision. Because of these differences, you may need different types of evidence if you want to win your case.
Crucial Evidence You Need When Filing a Truck Crash Claim
Some of the evidence you need is the same as in other motor vehicle collisions. This includes the police report, witness statements, and pictures taken right after the wreck. However, there is unique evidence that you may also need to prove your case. Here are documents and records that can help you build a strong claim.
Black Box
Many trucks are equipped with a black box, which can establish the truck’s speed, braking, and other useful information. It also records the number of hours the truck was driven, which may show that the truck driver violated the federal hours of service rules on how long he can drive without a break.
Truck Camera
Some commercial trucks are also equipped with a camera that can show what is happening on the road or in the truck cab. The footage may show that the trucker was driving too close to the vehicle in front of him, texting, talking, eating and drinking, or engaging in other unsafe practices at the time of your collision.
Driver’s Logs
Truck drivers are required to keep detailed logs of the hours they drive and take a break while on the road. These records can be used along with other documents to prove that drowsy driving and violation of the hours of service rules caused your crash.
Truck Inspection Records
Truck drivers are required by federal law to conduct pre- and post-drive inspections of their trucks and well as inspections while they are on the road. They are not allowed to drive the truck if they know it needs repairs. The trucker’s inspection records could show that the trucker knew or should have known of a repair problem and drove the truck anyway.
Maintenance Records
Trucking companies have their own duties to inspect and maintain their commercial fleets. It is important to review the maintenance records for the truck to determine whether the violation of these duties was the cause of your wreck.
Trucker Employment Records
You might have a negligent hiring claim against the trucking company if they hired an unqualified or untrained driver. You need to obtain the truck driver’s employment records to determine if he met the federal and Nevada requirements for driving a truck and had sufficient training and experience. His personnel records will also have the results of drug and alcohol tests, medical certifications, and more.
Emails and Texts
Emails and texts between the negligent truck driver and the trucking company could provide valuable information about whether the trucking company encouraged the trucker to violate federal hours of service rules or other federal regulations. They could also show that they knew of other problems that caused your truck accident.
Let Us Collect the Evidence You Need Before it Is Lost
If you were injured in a truck accident in Henderson or Las Vegas, you must act quickly to obtain the evidence you need from the trucking company before it is lost or destroyed.
Have You Been Injured In A Henderson Or Las Vegas Area Truck Accident?
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident you need to speak with an experienced accident injury attorney as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Henderson office directly at 702.405.6000 to schedule a free consultation with our truck accident attorneys.
