How Do Truck Accident Investigations Work?

Large commercial trucks are among the most serious safety threats to the public on any road or highway. These trucks can weigh tens of thousands of pounds and often reach up to 80 feet in length. In contrast, the typical passenger car weighs just a few thousand pounds and is about 15 feet from front to back bumper. This means passenger cars are at a severe disadvantage when larger commercial vehicles collide with them.

Truck accidents can cause severe injuries, overwhelming medical expenses, lost productivity, and property damage. Due to the high economic and human costs of these incidents, trucking companies and public safety agencies conduct extensive investigations after truck wrecks to pinpoint contributing factors and determine liability.

Like a car accident, a truck accident investigation involves several components that focus on collecting and analyzing evidence. But unlike a car crash, truck accidents often involve numerous parties, unique evidence, and other unfamiliar factors. To learn more about how truck accident investigations work, contact Lichtenstein Law Group, PLC for a free case review.

What Are the Steps in a Truck Accident Investigation?

Truck accident investigations usually involve multiple parties, including trucking companies, their insurance carriers, government investigators, and law enforcement agencies. Other key players in many truck accident investigations include industry experts, like accident reconstruction specialists, who determine the causes of the accident.

When these parties launch investigations into truck accidents, they typically start by:

• Collecting evidence – Truck accident investigations hinge on collecting and analyzing evidence, such as trucking company records or black box data. Investigators review various types of evidence to establish liability and estimate losses.
• Examining truck driver and trucking company records – Truck driver and trucking company records can indicate whether either party failed to follow any applicable truck safety laws or regulations. Investigators might look at training certificates, employment history, dispatch records, hours-of-service logs, and drug test results.
• Reviewing police reports – Police accident reports usually contain helpful information about things like road conditions when the accident occurred, statements from witnesses who saw the crash, and official opinions regarding who was at fault.
• Interviewing witnesses – Investigators typically interview drivers, passengers, witnesses, and other parties who saw or were involved in the crash to get each person’s account of what happened in their own words.
• Locating the truck’s “black box” – A truck’s event data recorder (EDR) or black box records critical information about a truck’s speed and movements in the moments leading up to and during a collision.
• Consulting accident and medical experts – Certain experts can analyze crash evidence to determine an accident’s most likely causes and consequences. Investigators might work with medical experts to evaluate the harm caused by the accident or consult crash reconstruction specialists to determine how the accident might have happened.
• Inspecting the truck for defects – A defect or flaw in any part of a large truck or trailer can cause the truck to malfunction and lead to an accident. Investigators usually inspect commercial trucks for possible defects after accidents occur.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Truck Accident?

Correctly identifying the parties responsible for a truck accident is essential when pursuing fair compensation for your losses. And truck collisions are usually much more complicated than car accidents since they often involve multiple parties that share responsibility. These parties could include:

• Truck drivers – In situations where truck driver error or misconduct causes the accident, the driver will likely bear responsibility. If the driver is an independent contractor who owns the truck involved in the accident, the driver could be solely liable.
• Trucking companies – Accidents often involve vehicles owned by third-party trucking companies and operated by driver-employees. Generally, employers are liable for the actions of their employees. Accident victims may hold trucking companies accountable when their employees are at fault for truck accidents. Trucking companies can also be liable for accidents caused by contracted drivers if they were negligent themselves, such as by pressuring the driver to violate hours of service regulations.
• Truck owners – A trucking company may lease the truck involved in an accident. The truck owner could share liability if it failed to maintain or inspect the vehicle and a discoverable defect contributed to the wreck.
• Manufacturers – Trucks consist of many moving parts that require regular inspection. A manufacturing defect in any component can cause a mechanical malfunction that contributes to a truck accident. In that case, the manufacturer could be liable.
• Hiring agencies – If a trucking company gets its truck drivers through a hiring agency, they could share liability for accidents caused by drivers who are professionally unqualified or have histories of safety violations.
• Cargo loading teams – If a truck’s cargo comes loose in transit and falls onto the road, it can crash into other vehicles and cause severe injuries. A third-party cargo loader could be liable for a cargo spill wreck if it fails to properly balance or secure a load.

What Are Damages That May Be Recovered for the Truck Accident?

Truck accidents are often catastrophic events that lead to devastating physical injuries, emotional trauma, and financial upheaval. You can fight to recover compensation for these losses by filing a truck accident claim. A knowledgeable truck accident lawyer can help you prepare a strong case demanding compensation for the following crash-related losses:

• Past and future medical expenses from crash injuries
• Related out-of-pocket costs, such as medical travel expenses
• Lost wages from missed time at work while you recover
• Lost earning potential from long-term or permanent crash injuries
• Subjective losses, such as pain, suffering, and lost quality of life

Contact a Virginia Truck Accident Lawyer

If you got hurt in a Virginia truck accident, the team at Lichtenstein Law Group, PLC can investigate the circumstances of the accident and demand fair compensation on your behalf. Contact us today to learn more in a free consultation with one of our experienced truck accident attorneys.

John E. Lichtenstein

John E. Lichtenstein is a founding member of Lichtenstein Law Group, PLC, with more than three decades of experience as a trial lawyer. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, John has successfully resolved hundreds of cases on behalf of his clients, including some of the largest jury verdicts and settlements in Virginia history. He has also served his profession, including serving as President of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association in 2015-2016 and as Chair of the Virginia State Bar Criminal Law Section in 2007-2008.