Skip links

Eighteen wheeler accident? Investigating the truck driver is a critical step toward justice.

I have represented many families who lost loved ones in tragic eighteen wheeler accidents.

Now I do not have anything against trucker drivers and I have represented a few here and there along the way. But in every case I have ever had involving an eighteen wheeler collision, after digging deep into the facts and evidence, invariably I reveal a trucker who is driving tired after exceeding his legal hourly driving limit. Or in other cases I find a second set of log books revealing violations, or discover a driving record that reveals a poorly trained driver not ready for the road.

Investigating the truck driver is a critical step toward justice. Some online investigative resources include: the National Transportation and Safety Board (www.ntsb.gov); The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (www.fmcsa.dot.gov); and the Department of Transportation by state (www.dot.state.tx.us/). Every good attorney will scramble to preserve the evidence at the scene and hire a competent accident reconstruction expert to conduct a thorough investigation. But time is of the essence for both the client in selecting his attorney and his attorney executing a plan of action immediately upon his hire. Not to be neglected is the actions and past history of the truck driver as an integral part of the investigation.

Thankfully, most truck drivers are well trained and conscientious motorists. But it is extremely important to conduct a proper investigation into the background of the ones who cause tragic accidents. A good trial lawyer will leave no stone unturned in this effort. It’s the least we can do for our clients.