Truck accidents are one of the worst kinds of road crashes. Because of the size and weight of the vehicle, truck crashes often lead to significant injury, disability, or death.
Victims of truck accidents have to contend with economic and non-economic losses. Luckily, you can file a truck accident claim to recover damages. Evidence is crucial to the success of your claim.
Read on to learn more about types of truck accident evidence that can help your case.
Witness Statements
Witness statements can give a clear picture of how the accident happened. The testimonies are also crucial in determining who is at fault for the truck accidents. After a truck accident in New Jersey, get the contact details of witnesses. Doing so will make it easy for your lawyer to reach them for testimonies.
Police Accident Report
The law requires parties to an accident to do some things after a crash. One of them is reporting the accident to the relevant authorities. In New Jersey, if an accident leads to property damage over $500, you must report it. After reporting your truck accident, the police will write an accident report.
The police accident report is a crucial piece of truck accident evidence. It includes important details regarding the accident that can back up your claim. Some of the information included in the report includes:
- Details of the truck accident (parties involved, vehicle details, etc.)
- Statements from drivers involved and eyewitnesses
- Police conclusions on how the crash occurred
Photos and Videos
Photos and videos of the truck accident can help strengthen your claim. Such physical evidence may come from a nearby store’s surveillance camera or a dash cam. Many trucks have cameras that may be set to face inside or outside the vehicle. These cameras can show what the driver was doing before the crash.
These days, many passenger vehicle owners also install dash cams. These cameras may take a video of the truck accident. The video can help prove the other party’s fault. You can also use your phone to take pictures and videos of the truck accident.
Black Box Data
Most trucks have an event data recorder (EDR), also known as a black box. It does the same thing as an airplane’s black box - recording information about operations.
An EDR can provide useful information about the moments before a crash. Such truck accident evidence can back up your claim.
Different EDRs record different details. However, some of the common types of data recorded by black boxes include:
- Truck speed before the accident
- Brake application
- Truck usage data (e.g., number of hours spent driving and resting)
- Diagnostic details of any truck defects
Maintenance Records
Trucking companies must properly maintain and repair trucks to ensure operational safety. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) outlines truck maintenance regulations. Trucking companies must adhere to these rules. Your lawyer can review maintenance records to determine if the trucking company is compliant.
Trucking companies may try to get a hold of the truck that was in a crash and repair it. Doing so would destroy any evidence of improper maintenance. So, ensure the truck gets checked for evidence of poor maintenance and repair as soon as possible.
Trucker’s Logbook
Tired drivers are prone to losing concentration and having slow reaction times. This increases the likelihood of causing an accident. To avoid having tired truck drivers on the road, drivers must comply with hours of service regulations.
These regulations outline how long a driver should be on the road. They also stipulate the number and length of rest periods a driver should take. To this end, truck drivers must maintain log books showing the hours they spend driving before resting. The trucker’s log book also shows the length of the rest period.
The logbook is a vital piece of truck accident evidence. It can help you prove the violation of hours of service regulations.
Driver Records
Trucking companies have a responsibility to hire qualified drivers. An unqualified driver may cause an accident leading to injury and death. The truck driver’s file can help your lawyer know more about the driver’s qualifications.
The file may include extra details such as previous accidents caused by the driver. If the truck driver has a health condition that makes driving unsafe, it may be in their records.
Recover Compensation for Your New Jersey Truck Accident
Truck accidents in New Jersey happen all too often. They cause extensive injury and damage. Truck accident evidence is key in recovering compensation for your losses. From witness statements to the trucker’s logbook, evidence will help your lawyer build a strong case for you.
Don’t Wait. Get Help from an Experienced New Jersey Truck Accident Lawyer
New Jersey has a two year statute of limitation on personal injury claims. While this may sound like a long time, it's important to start your personal injury claim after a trucking accident as soon as possible. Memories and recollections fade over time. Trucking companies may try to bury or change evidence. Contacting a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible will help to maximize your compensation.
At Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, we are dedicated to assisting clients throughout New Jersey and the tri-state area with their truck accident and personal injury cases. We have decades of experience and the extensive resources you need to secure a fair case result. Our compassionate attorneys put client care and your needs first.
When you hire a New Jersey truck accident lawyer from our team at Brandon J. Broderick, you pay nothing upfront. We work on contingent fees that are only collected if we win your case. Without a legal claim, the insurance company can offer you a lowball offer that barely covers your needs and may even refuse to cover some of the damages. You may be left having to pay for the costs of your injuries on your own. Contact us today and let us turn your setback into a comeback.