Each time you get behind the wheel of your car you risk being involved in an accident on the roads of Sherman, TX. You never know when another driver will be impaired, distracted, reckless, tired or inexperienced to the point where they cause an accident with you. There are trucks all over the roads of Texas that carry goods to stores, restaurants, and other locations. These trucks are important to the health of the economy but they are also incredibly dangerous because of their sheer size and weight. If you are ever involved in a truck accident you will want to work with an attorney who knows the importance of the trucking log, either paper or electronic.
What is in a Trucking Log?
All truck drivers are required by law to log their service time in a log book. This includes service time for both long haul and short haul trips. The logs will track the hours of service (HOS) and the drivers are required to update the book every 24 hours with the following information, all of which can be used to mount a personal injury lawsuit after a truck accident:
- Total number of hours worked in the past seven days
- Total number of hours actually spent driving the truck
- The total number of miles driven in the last 24 hours
- The total number of hours or days the driver spent away from driving the truck
- The daily inspection report for the truck
Evidence Pulled from a Truck Log
It is very common for truck drivers to falsify the information they register in their trucking log. Why? Some do so because they know they were driving too much in the 24 hours leading up to an accident they caused. Some falsify the trucking log in an effort to prove to their employer that they were on the road when expected to be instead of doing something else. Either way, falsified logs can help a personal injury case move forward.
An attorney will know how to spot an altered log, especially a paper log that has been rewritten, scratched out, or copied from another driver. If the log is electronic it will monitor the speed of the truck, the hours driven, and the habits of the driver. Some of the evidence that can an attorney can look into aside from the log includes the following:
- Phone records
- GPS records
- Bills from weigh stations
- Communication records with dispatch
- Screening of the driver for drugs and alcohol
- Records for maintenance history of the truck
- Gas receipts and fuel logs
- Witness testimony
Call an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Today
Were you or a loved one injured in a Sherman, TX trucking accident? If so, you need to contact an experienced personal injury attorney about your case as soon as you are healthy enough to do so. An experienced attorney will know how to acquire the truck’s log and analyze it for any discrepancies that can benefit your case.