Tips For Winning A Legal Case Against A Trucking Company
If you are ever involved in an accident with a semi truck, then there are things you can do to improve your chances of winning a legal case to recover your damages. Accidents with semi trucks are a bit different than those with other non-commercial vehicles, so knowing what to do at the scene and immediately following will be the difference between winning your case or fighting a futile battle in court. To this end, here are some tips for winning a legal case against a trucking company whose truck driver has caused an accident:
Tip: Collect the Names and Phone Numbers of All Accident Witnesses
If you are able to walk around after your semi accident, you need to locate any witnesses to the event and collect their names and phone numbers. While the police called to the scene should do this, witnesses may leave before they arrive so collecting the information yourself you can greatly improve your case's chances in court at a later date.
Tip: Request the Police Come and Write a Report
Even if you are involved in a minor accident with a semi truck, you should call 9-1-1 and request a law enforcement officer come to the scene and write a report. If you are in an accident in a busy city area where police won't respond to non-injury accidents, then you should file your own police report on their website or take whatever actions the local agency requires to report the accident.
Tip: Use Your Cell Phone to Take Photos of the Accident Scene
Once you have called for the police to come out and have gathered information on the witnesses, then you should get out your cell phone and take as many photos of the accident scene as you can. Take your photos from as many angles as possible and make sure you take some shots of the semi truck's doors.
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) requires all commercial semi trucks to be registered with them and their DOT registration number is required to be printed on the doors of the truck. Taking photos of the DOT number will allow your future attorney to conduct research about the vehicle and the company that owns the trucks.
Tip: Hire a Truck Accident Attorney
Finally, since dealing with a commercial trucking company's insurance can be a challenge, you should always seek legal advice from a local truck accident attorney as soon as possible post-accident to learn more about this topic.
Share