The preservation of evidence from the scene of the accident can be crucial to your case. Your best bet is to contact an attorney as soon as possible to assist you in the investigation. If your injuries permit after the accident, try to take photos. Do not speak to investigators or the truck driver until you speak with an attorney. The trucking company will likely have their own lawyers and investigators on the scene quickly.

The trucking companies are required by law to keep maintenance records and driver hour logs. This information is vital to your case, and you should have your attorney review it.

Do not accept any sort of settlement or compensation for the accident without first speaking with an attorney, even if it seems fair at the time. The trucking company and the insurance company are interested in protecting their bottom lines, you need a lawyer who has your best interests in mind.

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• Keep still. If you are injured—even if it seems minor at the time—remain still until paramedics arrive to assist you.
• Call 911. This should be the first thing you do if you are involved, or simply witness the accident.
• Remain silent. Say as little as possible, even saying something simple like “sorry” or “I’m fine” can have repercussions that you may not even consider at the time. It is best not to even speak to the truck driver or other drivers, speak only to the arriving police officers.
• Pay attention to details. Try to remember everything about the crash. Write things down so you don’t forget them, including anything you noticed before or after the accident.
• Take pictures. Take pictures of the accident scene, your vehicle, the truck and debris or injured parties.

Have you or a loved one been injured or killed in a truck accident? Would you be able to remember these tips if you found yourself in an accident? It is important to remain calm to protect yourself and your rights as well.

Wooten, Kimbrough & Normand, P.A.—Orlando personal injury attorneys.

The logging truck initially lost control on the highway and overturned, spilling logs onto the road. A car wrecked into the logs and then was rear-ended by a mail truck. The driver of the chemical truck died and four others suffered injuries. The trucks caught fire after the collision. The FHP described the blaze as “intense.” Injured partied were flown to nearby hospitals.

Hazardous-materials crews responded to the accident as well. The chemical truck was carrying methyl bromide, an odorless gas that is flammable. The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.

Have you or a loved one been injured or killed in a truck accident?

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The victim was eventually pulled out of the car, but rescuers had trouble getting to him. They rushed him to Orlando Regional Medical Center. Officials shut down the highway for several hours. The victim’s condition is unknown.

Every year 41,000-45,000 people die in the U.S. in car accidents. 9% of the deaths involve commercial trucks. 4% are related to truck driver fatigue.

Have you or a loved one been injured or killed in a truck accident?

Wooten, Kimbrough & Normand, P.A.—Orlando wrongful death attorneys.

“The driver over-corrected, causing him to cross into the southbound lane,” said the Texas Department of Public Safety. He was on his way home to Jacksonville. He has spent the day with the team delivering gifts to families at a local shelter after a morning football practice.

“Joey always had a smile on his face and had such a positive influence on everyone,” said Texas A&M Athletic Director Bull Byrne. “This is a sad day for Texas A&M and our hearts are broken for his family, his teammates and his friends.”

Vallavisencio was a radiological health engineer major. His loss is deeply felt in both the Jacksonville and Texas A&M communities.

“Although his life on this Earth was way too short, his impact on the people he met will be everlasting,” said Aggies Head Coach Mike Sherman. “I will never forget him.”

Have you or a loved one been injured or killed in a truck accident?

Wooten, Kimbrough & Normand, P.A.—Orlando wrongful death attorneys.

“The doctors here didn’t think Devon was going to make it through the first night because his brain injuries were so severe,” said Dana. “Here it is, five days later, and we’re still just trying to keep him alive.”

Devon suffered severe brain injuries that he may never fully recover from. He is currently in a medically-induced coma.

“The police officer told us it was bad, very bad,” said Dana. “He said, ‘I hate to do this, but we need someone to ID to make sure this is your son.’ When I went over there, his face was so swollen, I couldn’t even tell if it was my own son.”

Have you or a loved on been injured in a truck accident?

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A Tennessee Highway Patrol report on the accident says witnesses recounted how the dump truck veered onto the shoulder of the road before striking the bicyclist. Tipton told police that he did not see Montgomery until he started rolling on the ground.

Montgomery was revived by good Samaritans who said that he did not have a pulse and was not breathing. He underwent emergency surgery to repair a broken pelvis and spinal fractures and to stop internal bleeding. He underwent surgery as recently as last week to repair additional damage caused by the truck accident. Montgomery feels fortunate that he is not paralyzed, even though he faces a long battle for full recovery.

The local police did not file any charges against the driver and said there was no presence of drug or alcohol. The state law requires motorists to give cyclists 3 feet of space when passing or approaching. The defendants had no comments against litigation. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

The semi-truck started experiencing mechanical problems and the driver attempted to pull over to the left shoulder when an SUV behind the semi clipped the truck’s trailer. The female driver, Allison Manlove, 19, was ejected from the SUV and died at the scene. Two cars were tangled up with the SUV, and two people in one of the vehicles had to be taken to a nearby hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

In Pottsville, PA, another serious injury was caused by a semi-truck accident. An Orwigsburg woman filed a lawsuit against MRD Lumber Co for unspecified money damages as compensation for the injuries she suffered in the crash in front of MRD’s former business location. Suzanne Holley told a jury that she had no warning before an August 2004 accident on Route 61 that left her with serious leg injuries. Holley testified that she saw the nose of the truck coming out of the MRD parking lot as she was driving her 2000 Oldsmobile Alero. The truck driven by Edward J. Yaeger pulled out in front of her and blocked both southbound lanes. Holley saw the nose of the truck blocking both yellow lines and the rear of the truck was still coming out of the driveway. Holley suffered a torn posterior cruciate ligament and a torn medial meniscus in her left knee as a result of the truck accident.

Edward Bernitsky filed a lawsuit against the trucking company and one of its drivers, alleging they caused the accidents in the southbound lanes of Route 61 in Port Clinton. The plaintiff testified that the driver’s tractor trailer had turned in front of him as he was driving south.

Bernitsky claimed he suffered an injury to his right ankle that continues to be a pain problem, and has left him unable to work as a journeyman electrician for several weeks. The plaintiff testified the truck accident cost him his job and imperiled his future with his current employer. He had underwent two surgeries to repair the damage to his ankle, but continues to have pain.

The family of the student is suing the trucking company and driver responsible for the accident for $5 million. Reportedly Mungai was driving his Toyota Corolla across the southbound lanes of Route 301, when a semi-truck struck the side of his vehicle. This collision forced the car off the roadway and into a wooded area. Mungai was flown by an emergency helicopter to Prince George’s Hospital Center, but unfortunately he did not survive.

Witnesses report the tractor trailer failed to stop at a red light, entered the intersection at a high rate of speed and struck Mungai’s car violently. A motorist that was heading south alongside the truck witnessed the truck accident as the tractor trailer sped through the light and struck the car.

The wife and parents of Mungai allege Gorgon Scott Barnes and his employer Cargo Transporters Inc were negligent in their actions. The wrongful death lawsuit is seeking compensatory damages, including lost wages, emotional suffering and funeral expenses. The college student was killed on his way to a class.