Preserving Evidence After a Truck Accident

Preserving Evidence After a Truck Accident: What Your Lawyer Will Do

Truck accidents often result in devastating injuries, extensive property damage, and complex legal disputes. Unlike typical car crashes, truck accidents involve powerful commercial vehicles and are governed by a combination of state and federal regulations. In these cases, preserving evidence is crucial to building a strong claim—and that’s where your truck accident lawyer steps in.

Why Preserving Evidence Is Critical

Evidence in a truck accident case can quickly disappear. Trucking companies and insurers may move fast to repair or dispose of damaged vehicles, delete digital data, or alter driver records. Without swift legal intervention, you could lose access to essential proof that supports your claim.

Preserving evidence helps:

• Establish fault and liability

• Identify negligent parties (driver, trucking company, manufacturer, etc.)

• Demonstrate the severity of injuries and damages

• Comply with legal deadlines and procedural rules

How Your Truck Accident Lawyer Preserves Evidence

An experienced truck accident attorney will act quickly and strategically. Here’s how:

1. Sending a Spoliation Letter

One of the first steps is drafting and sending a spoliation letter to the trucking company, driver, and other involved parties. This letter formally demands that they preserve all evidence related to the crash—including maintenance logs, GPS data, dashcam footage, and driver logs.

A spoliation letter puts parties on notice that destroying or altering evidence may result in legal consequences.

2. Obtaining Black Box Data

Most commercial trucks are equipped with an Electronic Control Module (ECM) or “black box,” which records crucial data such as:

• Vehicle speed at the time of the crash

• Brake application

• Hours of service

• Engine performance

• GPS tracking

Your lawyer will work to secure this data before it is lost, overwritten, or deleted—something that can happen quickly without legal action.

3. Requesting Driver Records and Logs

Truck drivers are required to maintain detailed Hours of Service (HOS) logs, which document how long they’ve been driving and resting. These logs can reveal violations of federal regulations designed to prevent driver fatigue.

In addition, your lawyer will request:

• Drug and alcohol test results

• Employment and training records

• Disciplinary history

• Driver qualifications

4. Inspecting the Vehicles

Your attorney may coordinate an inspection of both vehicles involved in the crash, documenting damage, skid marks, mechanical defects, or improperly loaded cargo.

In some cases, your lawyer may hire a qualified accident reconstruction expert to analyze:

• The crash scene

• Vehicle conditions

• Roadway design

• Contributing factors

5. Gathering Witness Statements and Surveillance Footage

Eyewitness accounts can provide powerful support for your case. Your lawyer will identify and contact any witnesses before memories fade.

They will also check for:

• Nearby surveillance cameras (businesses, traffic intersections)

• Dashcam footage from other vehicles

• Police body cam recordings

• Social media posts that may contain visual evidence

6. Securing Medical and Injury Documentation

Medical records, diagnostic scans, and doctor’s statements help link your injuries directly to the accident. Your attorney will gather all medical evidence that supports your claim for damages, including:

• Hospital reports

• Treatment plans

• Expert medical opinions

• Future care needs and costs

7. Working with Experts

Your lawyer may retain experts such as:

• Accident reconstructionists

• Mechanical engineers

• Medical professionals

• Economic experts (to calculate lost wages or future expenses)

These experts can help interpret the evidence and present it in a compelling way, whether during settlement negotiations or in court.

Time Is of the Essence

Evidence can degrade, be deleted, or vanish altogether within days or weeks of the crash. That’s why it’s essential to contact a truck accident attorney as soon as possible after the collision. The sooner your lawyer gets involved, the better they can protect critical evidence—and your legal rights.

Why Let Hagood Injury Law Handle Your Georgia Car Accident Case?

At Hagood Injury Law, we don’t churn out cases, settling them for a fraction of their full value. Our Georgia Truck Accident lawyers are dedicated to fighting for the rights of injured victims because we know just how much an injury disrupts someone’s life. You’re entitled to justice if you or a loved one are injured in a truck accident – especially if the accident results in death. No amount of money will ever undo your suffering; however, obtaining monetary compensation will be a big help in getting you back on your feet. Hagood Injury Law is ready to provide you with the effective and compassionate legal service you need to successfully claim what you deserve.
If you’ve been in a truck accident in Georgia or anywhere else in the state, determining your best course of action isn’t easy without an experienced Georgia auto accident attorney. At Hagood Injury Law, we know how to step in and take care of the details that protect your rights and options, assuring you of the compensation you need and deserve.