Many personal injury lawyers treat truck wreck cases as if they were simply big car wreck cases; and in so doing, they miss unique opportunities to maximize results for their clients. The focus of my practice is handling truck crash cases in Georgia and around the country (I have handled cases in over 25 States), usually on referral from, or in a co-counsel arrangement with, other personal injury lawyers. In this process, I have worked with many great lawyers and have learned a tremendous amount about how to best handle truck crash cases. I've developed a few tips that will help personal injury lawyers maximize recoveries in truck collision cases.
Tip#1 - No Delays
The biggest mistake I see plaintiff lawyers make in handling truck accident cases is failing to get moving on the case right away. Unlike typical car crash cases, trucking companies and their insurers are notified immediately when a truck crashes. This notification starts a well-oiled and well-trained response designed at circling the wagons and defending the truck driver and motor carrier. Plaintiff’s counsel is already behind by the time he or she is retained. Plaintiff counsel should start to work immediately to preserve whatever evidence can be preserved (e.g., scene, vehicles, witnesses, and trucking specific documentation) and to send evidence preservation (“spoliation”) letters out for everything that the plaintiff counsel does not have the power to preserve. Failure to act immediately and to hire the right experts to preserve evidence can result in the loss of evidence that can prove very costly. If you need a sample spoliation letter, feel free to contact me.
I've battled some of the most powerful trucking companies to obtain justice for victims of catastrophic injuries or wrongful death. As a former police officer, I rely on my investigative and forensic skills in combination with cutting-edge work in psychodrama and communication theories to find the truth behind every case. I'm a board member of the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America, and I was the first lawyer in Georgia certified by APITL America as a specialist in handling truck accident cases. I'm also an officer in the Interstate Trucking Litigation Group (ITLG) and founding member of the Truck Accident Attorneys Roundtable.
Content by Joe Fried mylawyerjoe@gmail.com