What Information Can You Ask For To Prove A Truck Accident Claim?
When a truck causes an accident, you have the right to sue the truck company to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, repairs to your car, and other expenses. Unfortunately, some companies won't just admit fault and make things right even when it was clearly their fault. If that happens, you're going to need to get proof of what happened to be able to make your claim. Once you file a lawsuit, you can request the following information.
Dashcam Video
Most trucks have a dashcam in them. Even in areas where they're not required by law, both truckers and trucking companies like to have them so that they can prove they weren't at fault when someone else causes an accident. Of course, the dash cam can just as easily prove that they were at-fault for an accident.
You can request the dashcam video during discovery. If the trucking company doesn't provide it or says it wasn't recording, the jury may get suspicious, which could be advantageous for you.
Black Box
Many trucks also have a black box. This works just like it does in an airplane. The black box doesn't record video, but it does record things like speed, braking, and how the steering wheel was turned. This can all be important information in trying to prove what happened in an accident.
Hours Logs
Federal law has very strict requirements on how long drivers can drive, and they have to keep logs of all of their hours. This is to prevent accidents caused by driver fatigue.
While you can't use unrelated violations to prove an accident claim, you can use those related to safety. If the driver who caused your accident was over their hours, it could be inferred in court that driver fatigue contributed to the crash.
Schedules
You can also use the truck company's schedules to help with your accident claim. For example, you might be having a hard time proving the truck was speeding. The schedule might show that the truck was late, or the schedule might be made in a way that the only way for the truck to arrive on time was to speed there. This evidence is more circumstantial, but it can still be helpful when paired with the other information you're able to obtain.
To learn more about how to prove a truck accident claim, talk to a local truck accident attorney today.