Why Trucking Company Records Matter After A Crash

When victims of serious crashes seek help from a Raleigh, NC truck accident lawyer, one of the most overlooked, but powerful, sources of evidence is the internal records kept by the trucking company itself. In many wrongful‑injury claims against big carriers, those documents can make or break a case. In this post, we explain why those records are so important, what kinds of documents are most useful, and when your attorney should act early to preserve them. At Burton Law Firm, we believe such records often uncover liability that insurers hope will stay hidden.

What Types Of Trucking Records Are Most Crucial

Under federal trucking regulations, trucking companies are required to maintain a wide range of internal files and logs, many of which can reveal negligence. Some key documents include:

• Driver logbooks or electronic onboard records (logs of hours driven, rest breaks, duty status)
• Maintenance and repair history of the truck (repairs, inspections, parts replacement)
• Pre‑trip and post‑trip inspection reports
• Load manifests, cargo securing documentation, and weight statements
• GPS / telematics device data (speed, braking, route)
• Driver personnel files (hiring records, training records, driving history, disciplinary actions)
• Internal safety audits, compliance reviews, and accident reports
• Communications (dispatch records, driver instructions, messages)

When pulled together, these documents allow your legal team to piece together a timeline, check for regulatory violations, and compare what the driver and company claimed versus what their own records say.

Why Insurers And Carriers May Resist Producing Them

The insurance adjustors for the trucking company, as well as the company itself, oftentimes have an incentive to limit the potential disclosures of information, for example:

1. Admitting Fault Exposure: Some records may show repeated maintenance failures, undertraining, or log violations. Producing them openly might expose negligence.
2. Document Destruction Risk: Companies sometimes claim “we no longer have those files” or assert that records were purged as part of routine retention. That’s why early preservation (spoliation letters, litigation hold demand) is critical.
3. Claim of Relevance or Privilege Objections: Insurers might argue that certain documents aren’t relevant or are protected (e.g. internal safety reviews). Your lawyer needs to push back.
4. Burden or Cost Objection: They may balk at the cost or effort of reviewing voluminous data. A good attorney can push for methods (sample data, limited batches) to ease that.

Because of these common resistances, your lawyer must act early and forcefully to demand preservation and production of the records. Additionally, you should never talk to a company’s insurance adjustor without legal counsel present.

How These Records Can Shift Liability

Here are ways that trucking company records often turn the tide in your favor:

• Showing Hours‑of‑Service Violations: Telematics logs or onboard recorders may show that the driver exceeded legal limits or failed to take required rest breaks, undermining a defense that blame lies elsewhere.
• Revealing Poor Maintenance: If our team finds repeated repairs or deferred maintenance on brakes, tires, or other parts, that can show the carrier placed profit ahead of safety.
• Disproving Driver’s Story: Inspecting the GPS or dispatch logs may contradict a driver’s narrative (e.g. that they slowed earlier, swerved, or applied brakes) or show reckless driving.
• Showing Inadequate Training or Safety Violations: Internal safety audits or reams of warnings or violations in the driver’s file may show that the company ignored red flags.
• Reconstructing Crash Dynamics: Combining inspection, maintenance, and onboard data allows accident reconstruction to model exactly how the crash unfolded, speed, reaction time, stopping distance, and thus pinpoint negligence.

In many cases, injured clients have a far stronger claim once these records are in hand.

Real‑Life Examples From Our Firm’s Work

In one case, Burton Law Firm was retained by a Wisconsin couple who suffered injuries after being struck by a vehicle transport truck while traveling on Highway 26 in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Our team’s deep dive into trucking logs and transport company records played a central role in securing a $140,000 settlement for our clients.

In another matter, we represented a young woman who was rear‑ended by a plumbing truck, sustaining injuries to her neck, back, and shoulder. By demanding and analyzing the truck company’s internal safety files, we were able to show prior record issues—and ultimately obtained a $100,000 settlement for her.

These examples show how powerful trucking records can become once your team forces them into the open.

At Burton Law Firm, we know that trucking company records often contain the keys to proving fault and winning fair compensation in severe crashes. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a wreck involving a commercial vehicle, contact us today to discuss how we can use every record available to fight for you.