Coal Truck Accidents -Get the evidence quickly!

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There are a number of things  you should consider if you or a loved one  is involved in a collision with a Tractor-Trailer or Coal Truck.  First and foremost,  Evidence needs to be collected quickly and it is the last thing a accident victim or his  or her family thinks about.  You can  be assured that the trucking company and their insurance carriers  routinely get  to the accident scene before it is even cleared by the police.

In eastern Kentucky almost every coal truck has at least one million dollars in insurance coverage so there is  a  lot at stake for the insurance company.

It is important that the victim have a trial lawyer with a thorough knowledge of trucking accidents.    The trial lawyer should collect the following items as soon as possible:

1. the complete police investigation file, including all photographs and video;
2. the 911 recordings or tapes;
3. all the television and news media converge, including all the photograghs taken at the scene by reporters. (Reporters often take a large amount of photos when covering a story which are never published by their media outlet)
4. all the black box data downloads from the crashed autos and truck;

There are numerous other items that need  to  be collected and reviewed, but the main point here is to be thinking about getting all the curcial evidence as quickly as possible.

Most attorneys have had little or no experience in operating or maintaining commercial vehicles.  That is why it is important that the attorney retain a truck safety expert as soon as possible.  A well trained, experienced commercial vehicle operator can provide crucial insight into helping structure the discovery requests, and can familiarize the attorney with the various aspects of commercial vehicle maintenance and operation.  There are numerous accident reconstructionists who have obtained CDLs, but nothing can take the place of someone who has logged thousands of hours behind the wheel.  Truck Safety Experts are also very helpful at trial as most jurors have a poor understanding of commercial vehicle operation, and the safety duties imposed upon truck drivers and motor carriers.

In my  20 plus year of litigation I have been involved in numerous tractor trailer and coal truck accident cases and the main lessons learned is  always get the evidence and get it quickly!