The American truck driver is held to a high and exacting standard. It is estimated that two million semi trucks are operating in the United States right now, with over three and a half million drivers moving seventy percent of all the nation’s freight. In short, trucking is a big industry in the United States (including New Mexico) and, as such, two realities come with that territory: First, that it is a fallible institution. Second, that the trucking industry hires a lot of lawyers.

When trucking accidents occur due to the negligence of a trucking company or operator, it is normally due to one of four illegal activities:

• Improper licensing
• Failure to police driver backgrounds
• Accepting or rewarding unsafe driving
• Destroying evidence of negligence

Trucking companies are not perfect, and when accidents occur due to negligence, damage is done and injuries or even death may result. Because of this, personal injury attorneys experienced in the ins and outs of trucking negligence cases must come to the aid of those who have been victimized by incidents related to such oversights.

The Reality: Truck Employers “Cut Corners”

When an accident occurs and a trucking company is ultimately to blame, it is often due to negligence motivated by one of the following:

• Saving money
• Circumventing regulations to meet deadlines
• Ignoring the law to preserve relationships with drivers
• Lazy or negligent management style

Money, deadlines, friendship, laziness: When a trucking company wants something too easily or too quickly, it cuts corners and puts lives at risk. Because the industry is so large, however, most companies “lawyer up” quickly and early, spinning or even destroying evidence that they may be at fault. If you were involved in an incident resulting from negligence on the part of a trucking company, then act quickly: You need an attorney now, one well-versed in what trucking companies do to shadily protect their reputations when things go sour. Don’t be intimidated by companies or organizations just because they’re bigger than you: Nothing is more powerful than being on the right side of the law.

Do Trucking Companies Destroy Evidence?

The primary reason for calling an attorney quickly when negligence occurs is collection of evidence. If an individual is hurt due to negligence, that individual should not be taking on a company alone. A great team of attorneys can get hold of invaluable evidence including:

• Driver logs
• GPS tracking data
• Forging data, including backgrounds
• Receipts

This is in addition to anecdotal or testimonial evidence obtained from gathering and interviewing witnesses. The faster an attorney is put to work building a case, the more likely the results will be in the accident victim’s favor.