Trucking companies are highly profitable companies that will stop at nothing to protect these profits. Working with an experienced San Antonio semi-truck accident attorney can give you the best chance at getting fair compensation. They may try to avoid responsibility and avoid paying high-value claims by:
Blaming the Accident Victim
One unfortunately common tactic trucking companies use to try to get out of paying fair compensation after a truck accident is to blame the victim. Since these crashes are more likely to injure the occupants of the much smaller passenger vehicle, the truck driver’s version of events may be the only one that makes it into the official report, as those in the passenger car may be immediately whisked away to the hospital. The truck driver may try to say the driver wasn’t looking, failed to yield, was speeding, was distracted, or any other number of things simply to avoid taking responsibility for their own negligence.
Blaming Others
When blaming the accident victim fails, the trucking company may try to blame others, such as:
- The truck driver
- Other motorists
- The owner of the truck if the truck was unsafe
- Mechanics who made negligent repairs
- Cargo loading companies that unsafely loaded the goods on the truck
- Truck or parts manufacturers, if product defects were involved
- Construction crews for creating an unsafe zone
- Cities for poor visibility or poor road conditions
Because so many different parties are involved in the trucking industry, it’s essential to conduct your own independent investigation into how the crash occurred and each potentially liable party’s role in it.
Limiting Access to Evidence
Today’s trucking companies have more data stored in them than ever before. However, this doesn’t mean that they will make it easy for you to access this information to show they were at fault for the accident. You need a skilled accident attorney in San Antonio who can demand valuable evidence, such as:
- Truck black boxes
- Onboard camera footage
- Electronic driving logs
- Cell phone records
- Maintenance records
- Personnel records
- Medical records
- Drug and alcohol reports
- Hiring records
- Trucking company policies
Changing Logs
Trucking companies may go so far as to modify the information stored in their trucks to try to avoid liability. This may happen when the trucking company is aware that their drivers violated federal regulations and want to try to change evidence to avoid blame for the accident.
Destroying Evidence
Some trucking companies go so far as to destroy evidence. Federal regulations require trucking companies to maintain records, but these companies may blatantly destroy them to avoid responsibility. They reason that the less evidence you have, the harder it may be to prove your case. An experienced attorney may hire a forensic expert to uncover this information, which can strengthen your case and possibly result in sanctions against the trucking company. Engaging an experienced San Antonio personal injury lawyer in the process as early as possible is also important so they can send spoliation of evidence letters that clearly state the consequences of destroying evidence.
Contact George Salinas Injury Lawyers to Pursue Justice
When you’re going up against a powerful trucking company that may try to avoid responsibility by employing the tactics mentioned above, you need a skilled truck accident lawyer. The legal team at George Salinas Injury Lawyers can investigate your case, gather the evidence necessary to prove your claims, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Call us today for a free consultation.