The average truck accident claim presents unique challenges that attorneys with little experience or no focus on truck accident cases might not expect. Specifically, the need to take immediate action in order to preserve a claimant’s chances of success is often overlooked. Once a truck accident client walks into a law firm or calls the firm’s telephone number to start a claim, the attorney needs to get the case’s wheels turning because every moment of delay only benefits the trucker’s insurance company.
Some immediate actions a trucking accident attorney must take are:
- Notifying: A written notice to the trucker’s insurance company to preserve any and all evidence should be sent as soon as possible. This notice should be put in writing and sent by traditional mail, but it can be accompanied by an email to the appropriate parties, which will arrive immediately.
- Surveying: A survey of the accident scene by an expert accident reconstructionist should be arranged within a matter of days after the accident at most. Some truck accident law firms will have trusted reconstructionist experts at-the-ready due to their popular reputation among the local legal communities, so same- or next-day investigations can happen in rare cases.
- Examining: If the expert accident reconstructionist who studies the scene of the crash is not an expert in vehicle damage, then the truck accident lawyer needs to reach out to this type of expert as well. Mechanical engineers can be hired to lend their expert eyes and analysis to better understand how a vehicle suffered its damage, which points to liability in a truck accident.
- Requesting: The attorney will need to make a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request regarding prior violations by the trucking company and/or their driver. The trucker or their parent company may have a long history of negligence practices, but this information will not be known without this specific type of request. If the request is not made soon after a crash, then a dishonest trucking company could purge their records after the crash but before the inquiry is made.
- Communicating: Law enforcement officers often have reliable accounts of what they saw upon arriving at the scene of a truck accident. Communicating with them quickly to get copies of their reports for the attorney and the accident reconstruction team is a must. Otherwise, officers might inadvertently misplace or discard their reports as other assignments reach their desks.
- Interviewing: Eyewitnesses are also great sources for a third-party perspective of a truck accident, but only if they can be interviewed while the event is still fresh in their mind. An experienced truck accident attorney will want to contact witnesses within 24 or 48 hours when possible.
The bottom line is that evidence in trucking accident cases disappears quickly and is impossible to retrieve once it is gone. The key to preserving evidence and confidently pursuing a successful trucking accident claim is to hire a firm with a proven track record of aggressive action at the beginning of the case, as well as the ability to locate all available insurance policies for the specific situation.
McGowan & Cecil, LLC in Laurel is locally known as a law firm with the right abilities, history, and experience needed to turn difficult truck accident claims into success stories. We know the crucial importance of making moves immediately after a client hires our services, we have a network of experts to help collect and use evidence, and we have a good repertoire with local law enforcement agencies. All of the things that make us stand out attorneys will make your case stand out if you let us represent you!
There is no time to lose. Call us at (301) 761-2007 today or fill out an online contact form if you prefer!