When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Attorney After My Accident With a Big Truck?

Authored by Bradley A. Pistotnik — well-known and highly experienced Wichita truck accident lawyer; author of the book “Truck Accidents Kill,” and an authoritative speaker on trucking safety.

Coverage area: Wichita Metro (Sedgwick County and surrounding communities) and “Western Kansas,” defined here as any county west of a north–south line approximately 10 miles east of Topeka, bounded by Nebraska to the north, Oklahoma to the south, and Colorado to the west.

Short Answer

Immediately. ELD/telematics and camera footage cycle quickly. Without a fast preservation letter and inspection, critical proof can disappear.

Evidence With Short Retention Windows

• ELD/RODS and supporting documents: carriers must retain 6 months (49 CFR 395.8(k)(1), 395.11).
• Dashcam/yard camera/cloud video: often overwritten in days or weeks unless preserved.
• ECM/telematics data: can be lost with continued vehicle use, repairs, or salvage disposal.
• Dispatch, texts, and driver phone metadata tied to the trip.

What Your Lawyer Should Do in Week One

• Send spoliation/preservation notices to carrier, insurer, broker/shipper
• Schedule ECM/telematics downloads and vehicle inspections
• Secure scene evidence (911/CAD, photos, witness statements)
• Map the Western Kansas/Wichita venue and identify all defendants and policies

Why Wichita & Western Kansas Timing Matters

• Rural corridors increase stopping distance and speed-related severity
• Work zones and wildlife collisions complicate liability proof if evidence isn't preserved

Injured in a truck crash in Wichita or Western Kansas? Call Bull Attorneys 24/7 at 316-684-4400. We move fast to preserve ELD/telematics and black-box evidence.