After an accident with a commercial truck, you may be dealing with serious injuries, mounting medical expenses, and questions about how to recover compensation. To build a solid truck accident claim, you need strong evidence that proves who caused the crash and the full extent of your losses.
Evidence is the foundation of any personal injury case, and collecting it quickly is critical. At Trollinger Law LLC, our Maryland truck accident lawyers know the importance of evidence in truck accident claims and work diligently to gather everything necessary to build a powerful case for our clients.
Why Evidence Matters in a Truck Accident Claim
Proving negligence is crucial in Maryland truck accident cases, meaning it is your responsibility to show that the truck driver or another at-fault party acted carelessly and caused your truck accident injuries and related financial losses.
Strong evidence is essential to establish fault, counter disputes from insurance companies, and document how the truck crash impacted your life. Multiple parties may share liability for a tractor-trailer collision, but collecting compensation from each one depends on your evidence proving their fault.
Physical Evidence From the Crash Scene
Physical evidence from the accident scene is an integral part of your story. Vehicle damage reveals the point of impact and the force of the collision. Skid marks, debris patterns, and road conditions provide clues about how the accident occurred. Photographs and videos captured at the scene preserve these details before they disappear.
Your truck accident attorney can collect information about the positions of all vehicles involved in the crash, traffic signals, road signs, weather conditions, and any visible hazards. In more complex cases, this evidence may be reviewed by accident reconstruction specialists who use physics and engineering principles to analyze how the crash occurred. Their findings can help clarify factors such as vehicle speed, direction of travel, and estimated reaction time in the moments leading up to the accident. All of this information can support your case as it moves through the truck accident claims process.
Police Report and Medical Documentation
The police report is valuable introductory evidence in a truck accident claim, listing the parties involved, witness statements, officer observations, traffic citations issued, and a scene diagram. Medical records document your injuries, link them to the truck accident, and support claims for future care for severe injuries. Ongoing medical records and continued rehabilitation needs demonstrate the accidentās lasting impact on your health and daily life.
Digital and Technical Evidence
Modern commercial trucks are often equipped with electronic logging devices (ELDs) and event data recorders, also known as black boxes. These systems can record information such as vehicle speed, braking activity, engine performance, and driver hours. State and federal trucking regulations limit driving time to reduce the likelihood of accidents caused by driver fatigue. ELD data can help uncover whether a commercial driver violated hours-of-service rules, which may have contributed to the truck accident.
Surveillance footage from traffic cameras, dashcams, or nearby businesses can establish how the crash occurred, but it must be preserved quickly. Similarly, trucking companies only have to keep certain records for a limited period, but truck accident attorneys can subpoena them to preserve potential evidence of negligence.
Witness Statements and Expert Testimony
Eyewitness accounts offer objective perspectives on how an accident occurred. Their statements carry weight because they have no personal stake in the case, making them valuable evidence in your truck accident claim.
Expert witnesses provide specialized knowledge to clarify complex issues. In addition to accident reconstruction professionals, your truck accident attorney may ask medical experts to testify on the severity of your injuries and prognosis. Economic experts can calculate the projected lifetime financial losses you will incur as a result of your injuries. Trucking industry experts may be asked to review regulatory compliance issues, while mechanical engineers may examine whether vehicle defects or maintenance failures contributed to the crash.
How a Truck Accident Lawyer Helps Find and Protect Evidence
Gathering and preserving evidence after a truck accident requires immediate action and legal skill. At Trollinger Law LLC, our Maryland truck accident lawyers can launch an immediate investigation into your case and gather relevant evidence to support a claim for maximum compensation. Leaving us to handle evidence collection allows you to focus on your recovery.
If you have suffered injuries in a Maryland truck accident, turn to Trollinger Law LLC today. Call or contact us now for a free consultation.
