Each year, thousands of innocent people across the United States are injured in a semi-truck accident. If you, or a loved one, have been injured in a semi-truck accident, you need to be proactive in protecting your legal rights and interests. This includes hiring a skilled semi-truck accident lawyer, like a member of the legal team at The Doan Law Office at (800) 349-0000.
In the aftermath of a semi-truck accident, every effort must be taken whenever possible to gather evidence from the scene of the collision. This includes gathering appropriate statements from witnesses to a commercial truck accident.
Odds are that you very well may not be in a position to collect information from witnesses to the semi-accident. You need to do your best to ensure that someone acts on your behalf and gathers necessary information from witnesses to a big rig accident.
Fully Identifying Any and All Witnesses to a Semi-Truck Accident
In a majority of commercial truck accidents, there is at least one, if not more, witness to the event. These witnesses can include other motorists on the roadway at the time of the accident. In addition, there can be other passersby, on sidewalks, at windows of buildings, and so forth that witness the incident.
The objective is to identify all possible witnesses to a semi-truck accident. This includes individuals who indicate initially that they "really did not see much of anything." The reality is that a person who may not think he or she saw much of anything important related to an accident may in fact have seen something or another of legal consequences. In addition, people oftentimes remember things later in time that they may not immediately recall when initially questioned about an accident.
Keep in mind that you definitely want to identify witnesses who may not agree with your recounting of events. Even though you may be certain the commercial truck caused the accident, you want to make sure that you identify individuals who witnessed the accident who might state that you were at fault. When pursuing a claim for damages, you must be well aware of individuals who do not necessarily agree with your version of the vent.
In identifying witnesses to a semi-truck accident, you need to get their full legal names and as much contact information as possible. Contact information should include:
- street address
- home phone number
- work phone number
- mobile phone number
- email address(es)
Obtain a Comprehensive Statement from All Witnesses
When possible, you need to obtain as complete and comprehensive a statement for each witness to a semi-truck accident as possible. While you do not want to be overly aggressive, you do want to make sure that you glean the essential elements of a witness's perceptions of what happened at the time of a commercial truck accident.
A solid strategy to use in this day and age, to ensure that you accurately recount what a witness states, is to use a mobile device to record a statement. Some witnesses may balk at being recorded, but most will be willing to comply.
You Cannot Rely on Law Enforcement Officers to College Appropriate Evidence
An important fact that you must keep in mind is that you cannot rely on law enforcement officials to collect and maintain appropriate statements from witnesses to a commercial truck accident. Depending on the circumstances, the police may take statements from witnesses. However, they may not do so for all individuals who witness a truck accident. In addition, you may not be able to access those statements in the future, for one reason or another.
Retain a Skilled, Experienced Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer
If you have been injured in an accident involving a big rig, a semi-truck accident lawyer from The Doan Law Firm at (800)349-0000 stands ready to meet with you. Our truck accident lawyer hotline is staffed around the clock, 365 days a year, including all major holidays.
We are a nationwide semi-truck accident law firm. We can schedule an initial consultation at any one of our offices, at your home, or even arrange for a virtual appointment online. There is no charge for an initial consultation with a semi-accident lawyer from The Doan Law Firm.