If you become the victim of a crash with an 18-wheeler, you could suffer devastating injuries.
The key to establishing liability in such an accident is a quick and thorough investigation of the evidence left behind.
Marking the crash scene
Even as you are making your first calls to your insurance company and your attorney to report your involvement in a truck-car crash, police officers arrive to secure the crash site and prepare accident reports. They mark the scene by using evidence flags or spray paint to indicate the location of key items. However, the police rarely have time to perform a detailed investigation, which is where professional investigators step in.
Calling in experts
The trucking company will begin a prompt investigation to feed information to its battery of lawyers. Knowing this, your legal team will do the same. It is sometimes necessary to call in traffic accident reconstructionists to collect remaining evidence. These professionals will look for evidence such as skid marks, damage to curbs, barrier walls and other stationary objects; fluid stains such as engine oil or blood; vehicle debris and gouges in the pavement. They will determine the points of impact and final resting positions of the vehicles involved in the crash.
Assembling evidence
A truck-car crash is complex because multiple parties may incur liability for the incident: the company that owns the truck, the company that maintains the vehicle and perhaps the person or company responsible for loading the cargo. The rapid collection of evidence and assembly of all the facts on behalf of the injured victim will help the legal team assign liability. The victim has the right to expect maximum insurance compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of income and more.
