Truck accidents can cause devastating injuries that affect you and your family for years into the future. While trucks are required by law to carry substantial insurance policies to pay for the damages they cause to accident victims, their insurance companies will not pay claims willingly. To receive the compensation you deserve, you will need to prove liability on the part of the trucking company or the driver.
At the law firm of Seiler, Anderson, Fife & Marshall LC, our Provo accident attorneys represent truck accident victims throughout the Utah Valley. We offer a free initial consultation to discuss your personal injury case.
Collecting and Preserving Evidence of Liability
In the aftermath of a tractor-trailer crash, it’s important to have someone on the scene as soon as possible. Otherwise, the evidence you need to prove your case can literally drive away. Our attorneys will take immediate steps to collect and preserve evidence of liability. We will:
- Interview witnesses while their memories are fresh
- Use experts to reconstruct the accident based on skid marks, accident debris and vehicle damage
- Collect and preserve driver logbooks and other information that can help us determine if the driver took legally required rest breaks
- Investigate the background of the driver
- Inspect truck maintenance records to see if safety checks were performed
Trucking accident cases can be challenging not only in proving who was at fault but also in determining who is responsible for paying damage claims. The tractor and its trailer may be covered by separate insurance companies, and each may claim the other is responsible. Trucking companies may also attempt to avoid responsibility by claiming their drivers are independent contractors.
Case results: Our Provo Attorneys recently handled a truck accident case in which a passenger in the truck was severely injured in a crash. The truck and trailer were covered by separate insurance policies, and each disputed who was liable for the claim. Our attorneys filed a lawsuit and obtained a judgment in the district court. The insurance company appealed, and we settled in mediation in the high six figures.