If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident of any kind, one of the first things you should do is contact the police. This is especially true for the most serious of accidents, such as truck accidents, in which entire lanes of traffic may need to be directed or shut down. Part of the reason for this is so that an unbiased third-party can investigate the scene of the accident and take down any relevant information from both sides.
For particularly serious accidents, especially those that involve fatalities, officials will often conduct a thorough investigation in order to determine the sequence of events that led to the accident. This was the case with an accident that occurred recently in Tennessee involving one car and a logging truck. The two vehicles collided, leaving all of the occupants of the car fatally injured and the logging truck unharmed. State Highway Patrol concluded that the car turned into the truck's path.
The official report from Tennessee Highway Patrol indicates that the passenger car was likely at fault for turning into the truck's path, but this is not necessarily the case. Often, the official report is treated as the final authority on what actually happened in an accident, but it does not have to be. Individuals who have been involved in an accident or who believe that the official report was incorrect can pursue independent investigations in an attempt to come to their own findings.
Consulting with an attorney can help you come to a better understanding of what to expect and what your legal options are if you have been involved in or lost someone to a truck accident. An attorney may even help you conduct a private investigation to determine that your loved one was not at fault. If you believe that the official report of an accident was incorrect, consider meeting with an attorney to help you further investigate the case and possibly pursue compensation depending on the circumstances.
Source: The Jackson Sun, "Three killed in McNairy crash," Maranda Faris, Dec. 8, 2015