Truck Accident Investigation
If you have been involved in a truck accident, you will need to file an insurance claim with a commercial insurance policy, which can be an emotionally and mentally taxing process if you are trying to recover from injuries at the same time. Additionally, the complexity of a commercial trucking insurance policy is immediately noticeable when you realize the number of regulations and rules that CDL truckers are required to adhere to, and must be considered through every step of the claims process. The good news here is that these rules (as well as the high policy limits — often in excess of $1 million in liability coverage) open a variety of paths for compensation, although those who are unfamiliar with this process can be quickly overwhelmed.
Work With an Experienced Team of St. Louis Truck Accident Attorneys
The team at Hipskind & McAninch, LLC is here to help you through this process so that you can get the support you need and the compensation that you deserve. When someone else causes an accident that you are injured in, it does not make sense that you should be held financially responsible for ANY of the costs and impacts that you encounter along your recovery process. Filing an insurance claim with the commercial insurer is the first step of many, and we will be with you from day one in order to help you get the justice you deserve.
Read more below to get a general sense of just some of the details that will need to be investigated during your claims process that we will be able to help you with. Contact us now to schedule a free initial consultation and case evaluation, where we will be able to discuss your experience in specific detail and begin to formulate a plan to get you the money you deserve.
Commercial Trucking Accident Claims Investigations
You may not be surprised to learn that CDL drivers are held to much higher standards than the general public, starting with the simple and obvious fact that commercial trucks like 19-wheelers, buses, and semi-trucks are much larger and more complicated than passenger vehicles. In addition, they carry fragile, hazardous, and heavy cargo including chemicals, produce, or people.
Hours of Service Regulations
One of the major details we will want to examine at the outset of your claim is the hours of service that the driver had kept a log of. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets out strict guidelines for the hours in a day or week that any driver may operate, and drivers are required to keep meticulous logs to prove their adherence. While fatigue can be the result of a number of factors, an overworked driver is a dangerous person to share the road with.
Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance Logs
In addition to strict limitations on hours driven, truckers and their companies are required to keep their vehicles maintained and inspected frequently, due to the long distances that they drive, the complexities of their vehicles, and the sheer weight of the cargo that they haul. If you are in an accident that was caused by a maintenance issue, then you deserve to be compensated for this negligence. Freight companies understand the importance of their upkeep and deserve to pay for any injuries that come from their failure to do so.
On-Board Computers
In addition to manual logs that inform us of hours driven, maintenance performed, and more, there are a variety of on-board computers that can give us information such as the speed during the collision, whether or not directional signals were turned on, whether the brakes were used or not, and more. This raw data is complicated to translate into measurable information, but luckily our team of St. Louis truck accident attorneys is experienced with every step of this process and will ensure that every detail is considered throughout your case.