The evidence scattered around your Virginia truck crash scene has a short shelf life, and what you preserve now determines what compensation you may recover later. A Richmond truck accident lawyer knows that trucking companies move fast to protect themselves. You need to act with equal urgency, documenting everything while memories stay fresh and physical evidence remains available.
What Physical Evidence Should I Preserve Immediately?
Physical evidence deteriorates, disappears, or gets discarded within days. Some items seem insignificant but become crucial proof months later when your case reaches settlement negotiations or trial.
Your Damaged Vehicle and Electronic Data
Don't rush to have your car towed to a salvage yard or accept a quick insurance buyout. Take dozens of photos from every angle, and keep your vehicle accessible until your attorney advises otherwise. If your vehicle has telematics or a dashcam system, preserve that data immediately; it can be overwritten or lost if the vehicle is totaled without extraction.
Clothing and Personal Items
The jeans you wore, your torn jacket, and your cracked phone can prove the violence of the collision. Place damaged clothing in paper bags and don't wash anything, even if bloodstained. Take photos before storing items away.
Your Digital Photos and Documentation
Preserve photos and videos you take at the scene in their original quality. Save copies to cloud storage or an external hard drive immediately. Avoid editing, cropping, or enhancing images, which can alter metadata that verifies authenticity. If you text photos to someone, send them in full resolution, not compressed versions.
Time-Sensitive Documentation From the Scene
Certain truck accident evidence disappears fast if you don't act quickly:
- Police crash report. Get the police report number at the scene and request the completed report as soon as it becomes available.
- Witness dashcam footage. If witnesses have dashcam recordings, get their contact information immediately and ask them to preserve the footage. Many dashcams overwrite data within days.
- Security camera footage. Nearby businesses, traffic cameras, and residential doorbell cameras may have captured the accident. Note which businesses or cameras had a view of the scene so your attorney can request preservation.
- 911 call recordings. In Virginia, 911 call recordings are subject to FOIA rules. Your attorney can submit a FOIA request to the relevant public body to obtain these recordings.
Scene Documentation
If and when it is safe to do so, photograph skid marks, debris fields, sight obstructions, traffic signals, speed limit signs, and road conditions. Skid marks can help accident reconstruction experts estimate speed and braking patterns when analyzed alongside road surface conditions, vehicle specifications, and other technical factors.
Information From Witnesses and the Truck
Collect witness names, phone numbers, and brief statements before they leave. People forget details rapidly, and they become harder to reach as time passes.
For the truck itself, photograph the DOT number displayed on the cab, company markings, and license plates. Get the driver's name, the trucking company name, and insurance information. Law enforcement will document the driver's commercial driver's license (CDL) details in their report.
What Trucking-Specific Evidence Will Your Attorney Pursue?
Truck accident cases can involve federal regulations and company records that don't exist in regular car accidents. Federal requirements may differ for intrastate-only operations, and your attorney will determine which regulations apply.
- Driver qualification files. Federal regulations require carriers to maintain driver background checks, medical certifications, training records, and previous violations.
- Hours-of-service and ELD records. Electronic logging device data and supporting documents must be retained for six months under FMCSA rules.
- Maintenance and inspection records. Annual inspection reports must be kept for 14 months. Maintenance records must be kept for one year and for six months after the vehicle leaves the carrier's control under 49 CFR 396.3(c).
- Dispatch communications. Messages between drivers and dispatchers that might show the company pressured drivers to speed, skip rest breaks, or violate safety rules.
- Bills of lading and cargo securement. Documents prove what cargo the truck carried, how it was loaded, and whether weight limits were exceeded. Improper loading causes rollovers and cargo spills.
What Medical Expenses and Financial Records Should I Track?
Medical documentation proves your injuries and supports compensation calculations. Economic damages require documentation proving both your losses and their connection to the accident.
Treatment Timeline
Start a notebook or digital file the day of your accident. Record every appointment, treatment, symptom, and expense. Note symptoms between appointments, too. That headache three days later might be early evidence of traumatic brain injury.
Bill Organization
Create a filing system for all medical bills and statements. You'll receive separate bills from emergency physicians, ambulance services, radiologists, hospitals, specialists, and therapists. Cover not only immediate costs, but also ongoing expenses and future projections.
Lost Wages
To cover lost wages, request a letter from your employer stating your wage, hours typically worked, and time missed due to injuries. Include lost overtime, missed bonuses, or delayed promotions. Self-employed individuals need tax returns, client contracts, and billing records showing lost business.
Transportation Logs
Medical appointments require transportation. Keep a mileage log noting date, destination, purpose, and miles driven for each medical trip. Mileage is often documented and may be claimed as a reasonable expense.
Property and Additional Costs
Document personal property that was destroyed inside the car, like laptops, phones, work equipment, and clothing. Obtain repair estimates or replacement values. Track costs for services you must now hire others to perform, including home modifications, assistive equipment, and household services.
How Should I Organize and Store Records?
Store both physical and digital copies of everything. Scan paper documents and save them to cloud storage or external hard drives. Organize physical documents in labeled, protected files to prevent damage.
Create separate folders for:
- Accident scene documentation
- Medical records and bills
- Prescription receipts
- Mileage and transportation logs
- Lost wage documentation
- Property damage estimates
- Correspondence with insurance companies
Timing Matters in Virginia Truck Accident Cases
Virginia imposes a two-year statute of limitations on most personal injury lawsuits, meaning you must file within two years of the accident date or lose your right to compensation. Virginia also follows a harsh contributory negligence rule. These strict rules make thorough evidence preservation critical from day one.
Insurance adjusters deny liability or minimize damages when victims lack adequate documentation. The difference between well-documented and poorly documented claims can equate to hundreds of thousands of dollars. An experienced Richmond truck accident lawyer knows which documents matter and how to obtain evidence from trucking companies.