A serious accident involving one of your trucks is the worst day in any fleet owner's career. What you do in the first 24–72 hours determines whether the situation is managed or whether it spirals into a catastrophic legal and financial event. Most fleet owners don't have a written accident response plan. They should. Immediately After the Accident (First 2 Hours) 1. Ensure safety and call 911. This is obvious but bears stating: human life comes first. Secure the scene, render aid if safe to do so, and get emergency services en route. 2. Do NOT admit fault. Instruct your drivers never to say "I'm sorry" or "it was my fault" at the scene. These statements can and will be used against you. Your driver should cooperate with law enforcement but limit statements to factual observations. 3. Document everything. Your driver should photograph: - All vehicles involved (all angles) - The scene (road conditions, traffic signals, signage) - Any visible injuries - Skid marks, debris, fluid spills - The other driver's license, insurance, and plate 4. Preserve dashcam footage. If you have cameras, immediately preserve the footage. Do not let it be overwritten. Many systems auto-delete after 72 hours. 5. Get witness information. Names, phone numbers, and brief statements from anyone who saw what happened. Within 24 Hours 6. Report to your insurance carrier. Call your carrier's claims line immediately — not tomorrow, not Monday. Late reporting is one of the most common reasons claims are denied or poorly handled. At Trux, we help our clients file first notice of loss and ensure the claim is routed to the right adjuster. Call us and we'll walk you through it. 7. Drug and alcohol testing. Federal regulations require post-accident drug and alcohol testing in certain circumstances (fatality, citation issued, or vehicle towed). The alcohol test must occur within 8 hours; the drug test within 32 hours. Missing these windows creates a presumption of impairment. 8. Secure the vehicle. Do not repair the truck until your carrier's adjuster has inspected it and the litigation hold (if any) has been addressed. Spoliation of evidence — destroying or altering evidence — can result in adverse inferences at trial. 9. Notify your attorney. If the accident involves serious injury or death, contact a defense attorney immediately. Do not give recorded statements to anyone other than your own carrier without legal counsel. Within 72 Hours 10. Prepare an internal incident report. Document everything you know while memories are fresh. Include: - Driver's written statement - Dispatcher's log of communications - ELD data for the 24 hours preceding the accident - Driver's hours of service status - Vehicle maintenance records - Driver qualification file status 11. Implement a litigation hold. Preserve all documents, electronic data, and communications related to the accident, the driver, and the vehicle. This includes emails, text messages, ELD data, maintenance records, and training records. 12. Review your coverage. Confirm your policy limits, deductibles, and any coverage that might apply (auto liability, physical damage, cargo, general liability, umbrella). The Weeks That Follow 13. Cooperate with your adjuster. Your insurance carrier will assign an adjuster to investigate the claim. Cooperate fully but route all communications through your agent or attorney. 14. Monitor the claim. Don't assume your carrier is handling everything perfectly. Stay engaged, ask for status updates, and escalate if the claim isn't progressing. 15. Address the root cause. If the accident revealed a safety gap — driver fatigue, mechanical failure, inadequate training — fix it immediately and document the corrective action. This matters for both your next renewal and any potential litigation. What NOT to Do - Do not post about the accident on social media - Do not contact the other party directly - Do not give recorded statements without legal counsel - Do not repair or dispose of the vehicle without carrier approval - Do not discipline or terminate the driver without legal guidance (it can be construed as an admission) The Trux Difference When one of our clients has a serious accident, they call us first. We coordinate the initial report, connect them with defense counsel if needed, and monitor the claim through resolution. We've seen too many claims go sideways because the fleet owner didn't know what to do in those critical first hours. If you don't have a written accident response plan, we'll help you create one. It's one of the most valuable documents you'll never want to use.