Steps in a Houston Truck Accident Lawsuit 

If you or your loved one suffered serious injuries in an 18-wheel or semi-truck accident, you may wonder about the steps you need to take in a Houston truck accident lawsuit. We will briefly describe the crucial steps required to successfully proceed in a truck accident lawsuit. One of the first steps is to hire a seasoned truck accident lawyer to guide your family through this tough time.

Initial Steps Following the Accident

Some steps taken immediately following the accident are necessary to protect the people involved. For example, it is critical to obtain immediate medical assistance for anyone with physical injuries. Paramedics should evaluate even those people who do not believe they are injured.

Contact police to come to the accident scene and help with medical aid. The written police reports will help with insurance claims and may help lawyers prove a driver was negligent.

You should obtain the insurance information for the defendant driver and the contact information for all witnesses and passengers. You will also need to contact your own insurance company to alert them to the accident and to obtain their assistance in any claim.

Steps to Preserve Evidence

Physical evidence assists attorneys in determining whether the truck driver and/or the trucking company was liable for the accident and the plaintiff’s serious injuries. Expert witnesses will give their opinions on the accident’s cause, and some may even recreate the scene for the court, making it easier for others to visualize the events.

Step One: First-Hand Accounts

First-hand accounts of the truck accident are important to the plaintiff’s case. If the accident was serious enough to file a lawsuit, then the police were likely on the scene. The police report will have indispensable information gleaned from witnesses and the accident participants. Witness statements are critical because memories fade with time, so a lawyer must take steps to preserve witnesses’ first impressions.

If either vehicle has a dashcam – or if any witnesses took video of the accident or its immediate aftermath – take steps to obtain copies of the video. The camera may function as an excellent witness at trial, and snapshots may also help pinpoint property damage and plaintiff’s injuries.

Step Two: Written Records

Trucking company records are vital to the plaintiff’s case. Records contain the driver’s logbook for the trip and may indicate the driver’s speed, and might also identify the cargo that was loaded onto the truck and the location of the loaded items. The location of the items may indicate improper loading practices or even load shifts during the trip. The company service records also indicate how well the trucking company maintained the vehicle, all of which is information that may have a bearing on the cause of the accident.

Step Three: Medical Records

Records maintained by the emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and the hospital’s personnel will feature prominently in a truck accident lawsuit. Not only may the pattern of injuries shed some light on the accident’s events, but hospital records are important to show evidence of pain, suffering, and emotional distress. The injured person’s own physician’s records will also be a factor

Hire a Houston Attorney and Learn the Important Steps to Take When Filing a Lawsuit

We are happy to share with you the steps that will be required in preparing a truck accident lawsuit. Call us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers. Your lawyer will review the circumstances of your truck accident and assess the value of your lawsuit by looking at your injuries and collecting all available evidence. We stand ready to fight for your family.