Because experience
really does matter.

Photo of John J. LaCava
  1. Home
  2.  » 
  3. Firm News
  4.  » Records maintained about semi truck crashes might help you

Records maintained about semi truck crashes might help you

Semi truck crashes are very serious matters that can impact the victims for the remainder of their days on Earth. These crashes often lead to claims for compensation. As part of these claims, the victims will need to show that the trucker acted in a manner that was negligent or reckless, that those actions caused the accident, that the accident caused their injuries and that the injuries led to financial damages.

One thing that victims of these crashes can look into is whether the accident was recorded with the Department of Transportation. A DOT-recordable accident is one that meets one of three criteria. One is that the accident was fatal. Another is that one of the vehicles had to be towed from the scene. The third is that there was bodily injury that required immediate medical care.

When you are going through the points of your case, determining if the trucker or trucking company has had prior DOT-recordable accidents. This information might show a trend of negligence. It is also used to determine the safety rating of the company.

The DOT records don’t include information about fault. This means that you likely won’t be able to rely solely on the DOT records if you are seeking compensation. Instead, the record is only one component that you should look into.

If you are injured in a semi truck crash, get medical care right away. From there, you can look into the option of seeking compensation. This can help you to recover some of the money that you have to come out-of-pocket for medical expenses and other costs related to the accident.

Source: FindLaw, “What is a DOT-Recordable Accident?,” accessed March 24, 2017

FindLaw Network