The biggest mistake that I see people make when they have been injured by a negligent truck driver is that they wait too long before they engage a skilled truck accident attorney. This gives the insurance company a big advantage in some cases.  If the trucking company driver has caused  a serious injury or death, the insurance company covering the truck company is going to do a thorough investigation of the collsion and gather evidence to support their driver. Of course, it is very difficult to think about this if you are in the hospital or otherwise dealing with tragic injury or death. That is why it is so important to obtain legal representation for such a serious event in your life--an event that could change your life forever.

There are numerous ways to find a competent lawyer truck accident specialist. There some good ways and there are some no so good ways. Choosing a lawyer based solely upon a TV ad or some other advertisement is generally considered to be a poor way to select a lawyer to take care of you and your family. Serious injury takes you out of work or places severe limitations on your ablity to provide for your family.  Information regarding an attorney's experience is very important. There are some reputable sources.

 Martindale Hubbell is one of the oldest rating organizations in the United State. Lawyers, as recently as 15 years ago, did not advertise at all and Martindale Hubbell was used soley by lawyers to find qualified lawyers in a particular specialty or in other jurisdictions. Lawyers are rated other lawyers and judges anonymously. Therefore, Martindale Hubbell has a great deal of credibility since how an attorney is rated is based solely on "reputation" developed among lawyers and judges over many years. Martindale Hubbell provides this service and it is now availble to the public on line.

Therefore, first obtain a qualifed attorney who has extensive experience in big truck, 18 wheeler, cases. Ask the attorney questions about his or her experience. How many cases have they settled? How many cases have they handled in court? How are they rated by Martindale Hubbell (martindale.com) or other rating organization Superlawyer, Avvo, or Findlaw?

 What kind of professional recognition has the lawyer received? All of these factors are important in choosing a lawyer to handle such an important event in your life.

 Most attorneys when engaged will begin their representation by sending a spoliation letter to the trucking company and its insurance company asking that all evidence including log books and on board computer information be preserved. Then it is important to get an investigator on the ground right away to take photos, measurements and to obtain downloads from the on board computer (ECM) which most big trucks have. This information is vital and can make a big difference in the outcome of your case.