DARYL Daigle of Taylor, Wellons, Politz and Duhe APLC has some suggestions for carriers to ponder if their vehicles are involved in an accident.
A top priority should be to get as much evidence as soon as possible, he said at the National Tank Truck Carriers Safety Seminar. In accidents involving trains, evidence can be obtained from recorders that are used by the railroads. These are similar to flight recorders in airliners.
When trucks are involved in automobile accidents, there may be crash data available from engine computers installed in the cars. The systems record vehicle speed, engine speed, and position of accelerator upon impact. An air bag control module can show if the bag was deployed.
As for a driver using cell phone cameras at the scene, Daigle voiced a mixed opinion. He pointed out that the driver may be injured or answering police questions, which means he may be unable to handle a camera.
An attorney or other expert in accidents should be sent to the location as soon as possible to obtain accurate facts and determine the location of the vehicles when they are removed from the scene.