Preface
In my profession as on of the the Auto Accident Lawyers Indianapolis, IN trust, I have represented the deceased and the families of the fatally injured many occasions throughout my career. We, my staff and I, become very close to the survivors and it pains us to consider the anatomical consequences of a loved one when vehicle and semi collide. It isn’t pretty. It is devastating on the families. There isn’t an amount of money gained that can drive the images from the mind or reduce the sadness of the loss by relatives who days earlier were leading their lives in the spirit of joy.
What drives me as a truck accident lawyer is the determination to make the life of the survivors a little easier. With so many unfamiliar concerns and a long road ahead of them, they should not have to worry about where they will live, how the bills will be paid and if they can even afford higher education absent the breadwinner. I can use the evidence, the facts and my wits to make them financially whole again. But they must look to a higher power for the spiritual strength to guide their present and future course one day at a time.
What happens at the scene of a trucking accident?
When a fatal auto accident involving a truck occurs on a state or national highway, a team of state police officers are generally the first responders. They are the big dogs. They know from experience how to run a detailed investigation, leaving few questions unanswered, since heavy vehicles and speed are leading contributors to the national highway fatality statistics.
Meanwhile, interstate traffic may be at a standstill for many hours while these heroes in uniform react to the needs of injured parties, record driver names, identify truck ownership and reference DOT numbers of trucks causing or contributing to the fatality. They begin to make assessments built on eyewitness testimony and the evidence plain before their eyes. They use these facts to mind sketch the facts, getting it all down on paper before returning to the office to write-up the official investigative report. They must be as careful and accurate in their report as is humanly possible. In fact, when a fatality is involved it can take days to get the official police report with drawings included.
With them travel an experienced team of photographers who know how to capture a complete picture that will be referred to many times by officers and attorneys to tell the story of the victims long after the investigation has concluded on-the-ground. They use their skills to document weather conditions, road conditions, license plates, vehicle positions, measurements, the lay of the road and the land, mile-markers, road signs and respectfully, the body of the deceased – anything which can be used by attorneys and other professionals to bring the facts to light. State police officers often elicit the help of local sheriff’s deputies, but usually in a supportive capacity as the state will likely have the jurisdiction.
Others players who may be at the scene of the accident are the insurers of the semi tractor-trailers. They are looking hard at the scene of the crash, surmising the facts and going over possible scenarios; they are investigating their truck driver’s record for accident, criminal drug or driving convictions; and before the vehicles are set a tow, and on the road, they are preparing a defense.
Ask for help from a dedicated truck accident lawyer
This is why it is so important reach out to an experienced truck accident lawyer as soon as humanly possible. Once that truck is released to the owner and towed from the scene, there is valuable evidence located within that should be mined. For example, each truck comes equipped with a black box. The black box records information vital to your claim for a minimum of 6 seconds before the crash. It doesn’t seem like long but it’s surprising how much corroborating information can be gleaned from the device. Your lawyer will halt any possible exploitation of evidence within the owner’s possession, including black box data. After the owner of the semi has been put on notice, the data from the black box will be downloaded by your attorneys reconstructionist for final interpretation of the driver’s actions and reactions.
Once the scene has been put back and traffic is flowing once again, your loved one’s claim is only beginning. Professionals, including your truck accident lawyer, paralegals and private investigators are at work to bring the legal claim for the loss of your loved one’s life to a successful conclusion.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from Ward & Ward for their insight into truck accident cases.
