How to Prove Fault in a Truck Accident

Truck accidents are catastrophic and either kill the victim or leave them with horrific injuries. Most of the crash victims have a decreased quality of life after surviving the traumatizing effects of a road accident.

If you are unlucky and you find yourself in a compromising situation of a truck accident, there is a need to find ways to hold the truck driver accountable for their actions. The first wise move is to contact a personal injury lawyer who will negotiate a good compensation deal depending on the nature of accidents and injuries suffered.

The process of proving that you are not at fault is intimidating, and you might need factual data to hold the other driver accountable. The best methods to confirm that the truck driver is at fault include:

Screening of alcohol or drugs

Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the leading causes of car accident injuries, motorcycle accident injuries, and commercial trucking accident injuries on major roads. Upon the occurrence of an accident, the police on duty need to record a report on what led to the occurrence of the events. All drivers need to undergo screening to investigate if they were drunk or intoxicated.

Camera recordings

Most trucks have cameras that monitor the activities of the driver. If the driver is sleeping, distracted or indulging in other activities, there will be proof on the camera recordings.  Your injury lawyer will assist you in getting a copy of the recording before it is destroyed or lost. 

Eyewitnesses

Road users or pedestrians witnessed the occurrence of the events. If the truck driver were at fault, they would help to add solid evidence to the case in justifying your claims. At the crime scene, you can get the details of the witnesses through the help of your lawyer.

Black boxes

A black box is also referred to as an event data recorder (EDR) or electronic control module (ECM). The box in the trucks is similar to that of the aeroplanes and was invented to defeat warranty claims. The device installed in the trucks is useful in recording information relating to the vehicle accident or crashes.

The black box will capture everything that the truck driver does, such as braking and acceleration patterns. It also captures the hours the driver has been behind the wheel. Such information is critical in establishing whether the driver was at fault or not.

Dashcam footage

Dashboard camera also referred to as dashcam is the onboard camera that records any view through the vehicle’s front windscreen or rear windows. Some cars have a dashcam that operates at an angle of 360 degrees and capture photos and videos in the interior of the vehicle. The dashcam also records acceleration, steering angle and GPS data. 

The cameras are designed to continuously record whenever they are on. The police will use the data on the camera if it demonstrates the whole incident.

 Lastly, there are numerous ways to obtain factual data that can hold the truck driver accountable for reckless driving. However, if you want to get the right compensation, you will need to involve a personal injury lawyer. 

Jennifer Eonflux