Our semi truck accident lawyers have hands-on experience inspecting semi trucks and other commercial vehicles that have been in a crash. They recently won over $2,000,000 for several clients in personal injury and wrongful death cases involving a semi truck or other commercial vehicle. You can contact our law firm for a FREE consultation here.
In every truck accident case, we hire forensic engineers and other experts to inspect the truck and help with the accident investigation. During the truck inspection, at least one of our attorneys is also present to make sure nothing is overlooked.
The purpose of the truck inspection is to look for potential defects which may have caused or contributed to the crash. We inspect the brakes, lights, tires and also the power unit, the steering and even the horn. Most important, however, is the engine control module (ECM) download.
Diesel engines used in large trucks have a computer whose primary function is to receive inputs from various sensors and use these inputs to control the engine’s fuel system. This computer is also responsible for running diagnostics on the engine control system and setting fault codes, if problems are detected.
Data obtained from ECM downloads is often critical in proving what caused the crash. We analyze data for the hours before the crash and during the crash. This data needs to be protected with a spoliation letter, which is a letter that puts the trucking company on notice that an accident victim has a claim and that evidence needs to be preserved. The ECM is listed specifically in a spoliation letter, and a court of law can severely sanction the trucking company if it destroys or “loses” the ECM or any of its data.
If a defective part caused the crash, the accident victim may be able to sue the trucking company, the manufacturer of that part, the manufacturer of the truck itself and others for money damages, which generally includes amounts for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, disfigurement and other damages.
Our lawyers have distinguished themselves in the areas of accident and product liability litigation. They represent accident victims and their families throughout the United States. Contact them here if you would like a free case review and to know how much money your truck accident case is worth.
For more information, please see the following:
- Semi Truck and Motorcycle Accident: We are currently representing accident victims from 2 separate crashes (in two different states) who had amputations after being hit by a semi truck while riding a motorcycle.
- Car Rear Ended by a Semi Truck: We recently won $2,500,000 for a husband and wife who were injured when their auto was rear ended by an 18-wheeler.
- Dump Truck Accident Lawyer: We recently successfully resolved a dump truck wrongful death case and are representing another family in a similar case involving a dump truck running over a bicyclist at the University of Minnesota.
