This is the third step to follow if you or a loved one have been injured in a truck accident.

3.  Third, photographs and videos of the physical evidence and motor vehicles involved should be taken immediately.  All parts of the motor vehicles should be photographed, including the semi-tractor and trailer unit should be taken while the vehicles are in their after-impact position.  Even those parts of the vehicles that don’t appear to be damaged need to be photographed and/or videoed.  This is because of the lack of damage on the portion of a truck or other motor vehicle can be important.  Photographs and videos of all portions of the semi-tractor and trailer may reveal maintenance defects in the tires, braking systems and other structure of the truck or trailer.  While it is best to take these photographs at the scene and before the vehicles are moved, if this is not possible, the photograph should still be taken of the semi-tractor and trailer and other motor vehicles even after they have been moved to a tow lot or other salvage location.  Interior photographs or videos of all vehicles should likewise be taken, particularly of the tractor unit.

In addition to taking photographs or videos of the semi-tractor and trailer and other motor vehicles involved, it is very important to photograph the scene of the accident.  This includes not only the terrain and surrounding area, but specifically the roadways where the accident happened.  There can be markings on the roadway which are significant in the accident and personal injury claim, including skid marks, scuff marks, gouges, oil marks, and physical debris.  Some of the markings and gouges can be present for even days afterwards.  It may be important to have an accident expert or trucking expert look at the scene of the accident to record the physical evidence.  Our law firm has access to trucking and accident reconstruction experts who can assist in investigation of the accident.  We can be reached at our website www.truckaccidentlegalcenter.com or our toll free number (800) 943-4529.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 at 12:04 pm and is filed under Truck Accident. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.