A 60-year-old man from Alma, Wisconsin, died yesterday in a crash in Wabasha County, Minnesota, according to the state patrol. Our thoughts are with the family.
The state patrol released the following information. The man was driving a Ford F150 truck southbound on Minnesota Highway 61. A Peterbilt semitractor pulling a Clements trailer was heading northbound on 61. The two vehicles collided head-on. Wabasha Fire and Rescue and MnDot assisted on the scene.
Getting Information
In most cases, the preliminary report is available to the family of someone who dies in an accident in Minnesota. If a semi truck is involved, as is the case here, it can take legal measures to get additional information from the truck driver and trucking company. In addition, a spoliation letter needs to be sent to the trucking company to prevent the destruction of evidence. This is one of the first things our lawyers do when they are hired to represent a family in a wrongful death case.
Below are some possible sources of information that, in most cases, can only be obtained with legal action:
- The semi’s “black box”;
- Semitrailer driver’s log book (may be electronic) and employment file;
- Dispatch records;
- Maintenance records (both the tractor and trailer); and
- Bills of lading.
These are just a few of the sources of information. Every case has to be evaluated on an individual basis to determine what information is needed and where it can be found.