OTA Dispatch Issue 2, 2021

12 Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch ACCIDENTS HAVE A WAY of ruining a day. For most people it is a very unusual occurrence, and for truck drivers, including CDL truck drivers, it is no different. Even though an over-the-road driver will come upon accidents from time to time, it can still be a jolt if the accident involves you, as those things happen to other people. Until they don’t. This is especially true where the accident is very serious, and especially true where there is a fatality. Frequently, the truck driver is not at fault, yet the dynamics are still present. Last summer, my wife and I were the ninth vehicle to arrive at the accident where the oncoming passenger vehicle, fortunately with a solo driver, drifted into the opposing lane on a blind curve, there was a collision with an 18-wheeler pulling a trailer, and the driver of the passenger vehicle died instantly. The truck driver had zero chance to avoid the accident. Incidentally, the responding police officer had written 35 tickets the day before to drivers exceeding 85 mph on this remote highway in SE Oregon. The traveling public constantly exhibits bad behavior, and then the truck driver gets the bad rap. The first thing to do, unsurprisingly, is to call 911. Everyone knows that. The next thing is to get medical attention to everyone who needs it, and even those who seemingly don’t. Some injuries don’t manifest themselves at the scene. This precaution includes the driver. The next thing is to put on your Paul Drake hat (Perry Mason’s private detective for the younger generation) and work the scene. First and foremost is to get the names and contact information for all of the persons present at the scene. They may not have witnessed the accident, but the driver frequently won’t know who are or are not witnesses, and if someone pretends to be a witness but did not actually observe what occurred. People sometimes think they saw something but in reality they did not. Eyewitnesses? Crucial, right? Recent studies have shown in many instances AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE Some Dos and Don’ts By Larry R. Davidson, Attorney at Law