The Permian Basin is one of the nation’s most dangerous places when it comes to big truck accidents. For example, the Texas Department of Transportation recently reported that in the Permian Basin in 12 months there were nearly 50,000 truck and car wrecks, resulting in nearly 500 deaths, and 1,500 serious injuries.
When a truck accident causes you or a loved one serious injury, it’s hard to focus. How do you figure out what to do next? The best way to move forward is to hire a personal injury law firm experienced with truck accident investigations.
To learn about how Kemmy Law Firm handles truck accident investigations and litigation in Texas and New Mexico, call (830) 264-6297 or use the online form to request an initial consultation with our truck accident lawyers.
Ways Truck Accident Investigations Help the Injured
As a truck accident victim, you need to know what happened because it falls on your shoulders to prove someone else caused the accident. Without proof, the insurance company could deny your claim. Or, what’s more common, the insurer might pressure you to accept their initial settlement offer.
A settlement offer that comes quickly after a trucking accident is most likely far lower than what your claim is worth. By hiring a lawyer to investigate the truck accident, you gain the evidence you need to prove the trucking company’s liability and demand full and fair compensation for your injuries.
Here are the top reasons you want a lawyer to perform a truck accident investigation:
1. You Find Out What Happened
Through an independent truck accident investigation, you learn more about what happened and why. We do this by gathering all the evidence, like eyewitness statements, photos, video, the truck’s electronic data, an inspection of the truck, and the police crash report.
Then, we hire an accident reconstructionist to build a simulation of what happened. An investigation uncovers whether the truck driver, a truck defect, or another issue caused the crash.
2. You Reduce the Risk of Evidence Disappearing
A major issue after a trucking accident is getting access to the evidence, like the truck itself, the truck’s electronic data recorder, driver employment records, inspection and maintenance records, other business records, and more.
Your truck accident lawyer will notify the other parties of your claim and demand they protect the potential evidence. Without taking these steps, including sending a Preservation of Evidence letter, you could find the truck driver or trucking company disposed of or altered critical evidence.
3. You Can Challenge the Other Party
A lot of trucking companies and their insurance providers investigate truck accidents immediately after they happen. Without an independent investigation, you have little to stand on if you disagree with their conclusions.
By gathering evidence and analyzing it without the trucking company or insurer’s influence, your legal team has the knowledge it needs to fight back when the insurer makes incorrect conclusions that impact your recovery.
4. You Learn About the Truck Driver and Company
You want to know as much as possible, which is why your lawyers will look into more than what happened on the road. They’ll dive into the truck driver and trucking company’s history of accidents, hiring practices, inspection and maintenance, regulatory violations, and more.
What your lawyers find informs your case strategy. You might have information that shows the trucker or trucking company wasn’t simply careless; they were reckless and demonstrated a disregard for other people’s safety. You might find regulatory violations that strengthen your claim.
5. You Level the Playing Field
Truck accident victims are at a disadvantage to the trucking company and insurer. You’re hurt and immediately prioritizing your medical care and recovery. Meanwhile, investigators are already collecting evidence. They’re taking photos, inspecting the truck, downloading the black box data, and talking with witnesses. The trucking company controls the evidence and gets to it first.
This disadvantage doesn’t mean you can’t recover fair compensation. You can and should hire an experienced truck accident lawyer who will start an investigation right away. They’ll access the evidence and hire experts, like accident reconstructionists, to analyze what happened and why. You can fight to know just as much as the trucking company and the insurance company.
6. You Can Maximize Your Compensation
Through an investigation, your lawyers gather direct and circumstantial evidence of the cause of the crash, whether it was a defect, driver negligence, or something else. Establishing the other party’s fault puts you in a strong position to demand maximum compensation for your injuries.
An insurance company that recognizes the trucking company is liable wants to avoid a lawsuit, which makes it more responsive to a fair settlement.
Call Us About Investigating Your Truck Accident
After being seriously hurt in a trucking accident, you need to recover compensation. The medical bills will pile up and eat away at your savings while you’re out of work. The only way to truly recover is if the party responsible for the crash pays you for your injuries.
But demanding compensation forces you to prove that someone else was at fault, and that requires evidence. The Kemmy Law Firm has experience investigating truck crashes in Texas and New Mexico, and a track record of holding trucking companies and large insurance providers accountable.
To talk about your situation and how we can help, contact us online or call (830) 264-6297 to set up a free, no-risk consultation.
Kemmy Law Firm serves clients across Texas and New Mexico:
Truck Accident Lawyers in Odessa, Texas
101 N Jackson Ave
Odessa, Texas 79761
Truck Accident Lawyers in Hobbs, New Mexico
1601 N. Turner, Suite 417
Hobbs, NM 88240
Truck Accident Lawyers in San Antonio, Texas
1924 N Main Ave
San Antonio, Texas 78212
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