18 Wheelers Have Rules in Place to Protect Us All

In 2009 there were reportedly 3,200 deaths in accidents involving big trucks. As much as one-third of all commercial motor vehicle crashes are due to fatigue, according to the NTSB. In order to try and prevent crashes caused by fatigue, rules and regulations are in place which limit the amount of time a driver can spend behind the wheel.

Even though regulations exist, companies routinely push their drivers to exceed their driving hour limits in order to increase productivity and profits. If you have been injured by a commercial vehicle, you should contact an attorney to review your case. GDH (205)912-8251

What to do in an 18 wheeler crash:

Crashes involving big trucks or commercial vehicles are complex and an attorney should be retained immediately. The responsibilities of the vehicle owner and driver must be analyzed under both federal and state laws, regulations, rules and ordinances. The applicable laws, regulations, rules and ordinances will depend on where the crash happened, where the company has a principle place of business and where the driver lives.

In addition to this analysis, some of the things your attorney may help you with are:

Document the scene of the accident
The best way to do this is by video as quickly as possible. The video should show the scene of the crash from every angle paying particular attention to road conditions, tire marks, gouges in the road surface, strike impressions (these often wear off over time), traffic signals (and controls) drop off, the vehicles, etc. A video from the dash of a comparable vehicle approximating the speed at the point of impact is sometimes pivotal. Photographs will ultimately be needed for presentation.

Interview witnesses
Again, if the witness will agree, the best way to do this is by video.

Secure the vehicles
Many claims require that the vehicle be kept in the crashed condition. If the vehicle is repaired or destroyed before the claim is resolved, the claim may be lost.

Get the records
Determine the driver’s history, the company’s Department of Transportation compliance history, insurance information, incident reports, "black box" data, 911 tapes, etc.

Retain experts
Make an early determination concerning the experts that will be needed to make your claim. For example, biotechnical engineers, accident reconstruction engineers and safety experts are common in these cases.

The work up of cases involving big trucks and commercial vehicles is more urgent than most cases. Many companies have teams on call to respond when their trucks or vehicles are involved in a crash. Often, these teams are working up the scene before the vehicles are towed from the scene or while the injured people are treated. A delay of even a day before you retain an attorney gives them a distinct advantage.

If you have been injured in a trucking crash, we welcome the opportunity to work with you. (205)912-8248