It only takes a fraction of a second for an errant semi-truck to cross a center line, blow through a stop sign or red light, or fail to hit the brakes and cause a devastating crash. Victims of these wrecks are left to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, which can take years or decades to do. Some are unable to truly reclaim the life that they lived before their accident. This is nothing short of tragic. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, then you need to be ready to advocate for justice and accountability.
The best way to do that and to seek the compensation you need is to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. But taking action against a negligent trucker and their employer can be tricky to do, especially when they have aggressive defense attorneys on their side who will do everything they can to try to block you from recovering the compensation you deserve. But you might have multiple legal theories you can utilize to build a persuasive truck accident case and maximize your chances of achieving the outcome that you want.
Tips for crafting your truck accident personal injury case
In the most straightforward case, you’d simply present evidence that the trucker violated the law, thus causing the accident and your injuries. But truck accident cases aren’t always that straightforward, especially if you want to extend liability to the trucker’s employer. So, as you build your personal injury case, you might want to consider looking in the following places for additional evidence to support your claim:
- Truck maintenance records: Semi-trucks have to undergo routine inspection and maintenance. In fact, drivers should inspect their rigs after each trip, noting any existing safety issues. When issues are spotted, trucks should then be removed from the fleet until they are repaired. These rigs also need to be inspected on an annual basis. If a trucker and their employer fail to adhere to federal regulations pertaining to inspection, repair and maintenance, then they can allow a dangerous truck out on the road that causes your accident.
- Employment records: Truck companies should only hire drivers they know will be safe out on the road. But staffing shortages have significantly impacted the trucking industry. As a result, these companies might hire individuals with poor driving histories and a track record of dangerous driving behavior. This significantly increases the risk that one of these rigs will be involved in an accident.
- Training records: Even when safe drivers are hired, they need training to ensure they know how to properly handle their rig. When employers cut corners on training, inexperienced truckers can struggle to respond appropriately in certain situations, putting innocent drivers like you at risk of being harmed in a wreck.
- Trucking logs: Truck drivers are required to adhere to federal hours of service regulations, which limit the amount of time they can drive in a given period. If a trucker violates these regulations, then you’ll be in a stronger position to show that they acted negligently leading up to your truck accident.
Aggressively advocate for the compensation you deserve
You only get one shot to present your truck accident personal injury case. If you want to maximize your chances of winning your claim and securing the just outcome you deserve, then you need to gather compelling evidence to support your position. Being comprehensive here can go a long way, so make sure you know where to look for evidence to build your case and how to present it in a persuasive fashion.
