Accident Investigation Checklist

Driver photographs all four sides of each vehicle, point of impact, license plates, road conditions, skid marks, traffic controls, and weather. Pull the ELD-paired dashcam clip (Motive, Samsara, etc.) before the rolling buffer overwrites — typically a 4-8 hour window depending on device.

A DOT-recordable accident under 49 CFR 390.5 involves a fatality, an injury requiring immediate transport for medical treatment away from the scene, or any vehicle towed from the scene due to disabling damage. Recordable status drives post-accident testing requirements and FMCSA reporting obligations.

Per 49 CFR 382.303, alcohol test must be administered within 8 hours and controlled-substances test within 32 hours. Send the driver to the nearest collection site listed by the consortium / TPA (Foley, J.J. Keller, eScreen, Quest, LabCorp). Document the dispatch time — if testing is not completed in the window, file the required explanation under 382.303(d).

Call the auto liability and cargo carriers (Great West, Progressive Commercial, Sentry, Northland) within their first-notice-of-loss window — typically 24 hours. Capture the claim number and adjuster contact in the file before any further communication with third parties.

If the load is in transit, notify the shipper, consignee, and broker per the rate confirmation's accident clause. Coordinate cargo recovery, transload, or rejection. Note any cargo damage on the BOL — this anchors the Carmack claim window (9 months to file).

Preserve the driver qualification file, ELD logs and unidentified-driving records, dashcam footage, ECM/engine data, dispatch messages, BOL, rate confirmation, and any prior DVIRs for this unit. Default ELD retention is 6 months under 395.22(i); a litigation hold extends that for the life of any claim.

Engine ECM (Detroit DDEC, Cummins INSITE, PACCAR ESA, Volvo Tech Tool) holds last-stop data, hard-brake events, and speed traces for a limited window before being overwritten by ignition cycles. Pull the report before the tractor returns to service or goes to the body shop.

Conduct the recorded driver statement within 48 hours while memory is fresh. Cover route, HOS clock at time of accident, last break, weather, traffic, sequence of events, and post-accident actions. Do not let the driver guess at speed or distance — record what they observed.

Pull the 14-day RODS from Motive, Samsara, Geotab, or Omnitracs. Verify the driver was within the 11-hour driving and 14-hour duty windows, had taken the 30-minute break after 8 hours, and had the prior 10-hour off-duty reset. Note any unidentified-driving segments or edits.

Pull the last 30 days of DVIRs and the unit's PM history from Fleetio, Whip Around, or RTA. Identify any defects reported but not repaired, brake-stroke measurements out of range, or skipped A/B/C services. A "no defects" DVIR pattern on a unit with known issues is a known plaintiff exhibit.

Classify the root cause so corrective action targets the right system. Driver-factor accidents trigger retraining or DQ review; equipment-factor accidents trigger PM and shop process review; environmental-factor accidents trigger dispatch and routing review.

Per 49 CFR 390.15(b), every DOT-recordable accident must be entered in the carrier's accident register within 30 days, with date, city/state, driver name, number of injuries, fatalities, and hazmat release flag. The register must be retained 3 years and produced on demand during a Compliance Review.

If the post-accident test returns positive or refusal, the carrier (or designated C/TPA) must report to the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse by the close of the third business day. Driver is immediately prohibited from safety-sensitive functions until SAP return-to-duty process is complete.

Many states require an SR-1 or equivalent within 10 days when damage exceeds the state threshold (commonly $750–$2,500), and most states have a separate hazmat release report. Check the jurisdiction where the accident occurred — not the carrier's domicile state.

If the load was placardable hazmat and there was a release, fire, or breakage of inner packaging, PHMSA Form 5800.1 is due within 30 days. Telephonic notice to the National Response Center (1-800-424-8802) is required immediately for releases meeting 49 CFR 171.15 criteria.

After a positive or refused post-accident test, the driver must complete the full SAP evaluation, treatment, return-to-duty test, and follow-up testing schedule (minimum 6 unannounced tests in 12 months) before resuming any driving function. Document the SAP letter and RTD test result in the DQ file.

Driver-factor accidents trigger targeted retraining — Smith System, defensive driving, fatigue management, or skid-pad refresher per the contributing factor. Document training completion in the driver's training file with instructor sign-off; this evidence supports nuclear-verdict defense if the matter litigates.

Walk the executive team and safety committee through the timeline, root cause, CSA score impact, and corrective actions. Capture the meeting minutes — these become discoverable evidence that the carrier acted on lessons learned.