Insurance & Liability · Driver Training VideoPreserving Evidence at a Scene

The first ninety seconds after any collision decide how well you and your company are protected six months from now. Evidence disappears fast — skid marks fade, debris gets swept up, memories blur, and video gets overwritten. Your job is to lock it down before any of that happens.

Step one: safety before evidence

Move the truck only if it's safe to do so and only if it's blocking traffic or creating a hazard. Otherwise, leave the scene exactly as it landed until law enforcement documents it.

Step two: photograph everything, before anything moves. Wide shots of the whole scene from all four directions, then close-ups — skid marks, debris, vehicle damage, license plates, VINs, road signs, signals, and the weather.

Step three: protect your own black box. Your truck's engine control module and your ELD record speed, braking, and hours in the minutes before the crash — and that data can get overwritten. Call your safety department immediately so it gets preserved.

Step four: get names

Every witness, every passenger, every responding officer's name and badge number, and the police report number. Witnesses walk away from a scene in minutes and you may never find them again.

Step five: watch what you say. Exchange information and answer an officer's factual questions. Don't guess at fault, don't apologize in a way that sounds like an admission, and don't sign anything from the other party. Save your full account for your written statement.

Your company standard: call dispatch and safety right after you secure the scene and get help for anyone hurt — every time, no exceptions. Photograph before you move anything. Never discuss fault with the other driver, their insurance company, or a stranger holding a phone.