After the Crash

Truck accident mediation brings together people with very different perspectives: injured families, attorneys, trucking companies, and insurers. But can the process work better when the mediator understands what both sides need before anyone enters the room?In this episode of After the Crash, David Craig sits down with Cedar Abadie, founder of Iron Resolution Services and a national trucking mediator. After ten years working inside trucking companies, most recently as Vice President of Claims Litigation at Knight-Swift, Cedar now brings that experience to both sides of the table. They discuss how preparation, empathy, and understanding risk can lead to more productive mediations.✔️ Why Cedar meets with both plaintiff and defense teams before mediation  ✔️ How personal conversations help injured families feel heard  ✔️ What insurance towers mean for complex truck accident cases  ✔️ Why some cases require weeks of preparation  ✔️ How Cedar's trucking industry experience informs her approach  ✔️ Why resolving a case sometimes requires more than moneyDavid Craig is Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA-accredited). With nearly four decades of experience, he discusses what makes a mediator effective, from objectivity and preparation to understanding the people involved.Cedar also shares the story of a retired motorcyclist whose accident ended his dream of traveling across the country. An unexpected solution involving a camper illustrates why understanding someone's loss can sometimes matter as much as the numbers.👉 Key takeaway: Better mediation isn't about favoring either side. It's about helping everyone understand the case and make informed decisions.—00:00 – Why Cedar Became a Mediator  01:05 – Meet Cedar Abadie: A Different Approach  03:03 – Specializing in National Trucking Mediation  04:03 – From Big Law to Trucking Companies  05:18 – Driver Logs, Safety Rules & CDL Training  06:24 – Learning to Back a Semi-Truck  09:52 – Why Cedar Left Knight-Swift  11:18 – Can a Defense Veteran Be Neutral?  13:32 – Bringing Empathy Into Mediation  20:36 – Meeting Families Before Mediation Day  26:06 – Preparing Families for Important Decisions  32:13 – Why Preparation Matters for Both Sides  35:52 – Understanding Insurance Towers  45:25 – Looking Beyond Money to Resolve Cases  52:28 – Following Cases After Mediation  57:20 – Your Right to Ask Questions—If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck crash, don’t wait.Visit https://ckflaw.com or call 1-800-ASK-DAVID for experienced legal help.—Why Listen to After the Crash?Navigating the aftermath of a trucking accident can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. This podcast is designed to educate and empower victims and their families, helping you make informed decisions about your future.—Learn About the Firm:At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, LLC, we’ve dedicated over 30 years to fighting for trucking accident victims. From preserving evidence to holding negligent trucking companies accountable, our mission is to protect your rights and secure the justice you deserve.—Download Semitruck Wreck for FREE:https://www.ckflaw.com/truck-accident-ebook/Follow Us on Socials:Website: https://www.ckflaw.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ckflawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-kelley-&-faultless-attorneys-at-lawContact Us:Email: [email protected]: 1-800-ASK-DAVID#TruckAccident #TruckingSafety #TruckAccidentLawyer #Mediation #InsuranceTower #CatastrophicInjury #AfterTheCrash #CedarAbadie #DavidCraig #CraigKelleyFaultless

A school bus carrying Warren Township middle school students flipped onto its side after striking the median on I-465 in Indianapolis. What evidence must investigators preserve? In this episode of Ask David, Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorney David Craig explains how attorneys investigate a school bus crash and why early reports rarely tell the whole story.David examines the roles of a van, the school bus, and a state pickup truck. Drawing on over 39 years of experience handling semi-truck wreck cases, he explains how electronic control module (ECM) downloads, bus camera footage, maintenance records, and crash reconstruction can reveal speed, braking, and driver actions.The discussion also covers Indiana tort claim notice deadlines when a school corporation or government entity owns the bus, and why claims involving private bus contractors follow different rules. David recounts a case in which a bus company disconnected the ECM and blamed a pedestrian. His team later recreated the route and used tree-shade patterns to show the bus was speeding.✔️ Warren Township school bus crash on I-465 in Indianapolis✔️ School bus rollover safety and seatbelts✔️ ECM data, onboard cameras, and crash reconstruction✔️ Indiana tort claim notice deadlines✔️ Government-owned buses vs. private bus contractors✔️ Bus company maintenance duties and federal safety recordsDavid Craig is Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is one of four board-certified truck accident attorneys in Indiana.Key takeaway: Children and passengers on a bus did nothing wrong. Every driver and vehicle must be investigated before critical evidence disappears.—00:03 – CDL and Passenger Endorsements: Why Credentials Don't Guarantee Safe Driving00:53 – School Bus Safety: Why This Ask David Episode Matters01:51 – Warren Township School Bus Crash on I-465: Van, Bus and State Pickup Truck04:48 – School Bus Crash Investigation: Why the Police Report Isn't the Whole Story06:07 – Bus ECM Data, Camera Footage and Crash Reconstruction07:08 – The Kids Did Nothing Wrong: Investigating Every Driver07:59 – Government-Owned vs. Private School Buses: Indiana Tort Claim Deadlines09:07 – Fatal School Bus-Pedestrian Crash: Disconnected ECM Evidence10:14 – Bus Company Lawyers at the Crash Scene Before the Family Knew12:13 – Recreating a Bus Route: Tree Shade Evidence Proves Speeding13:12 – Why Truck Accident Attorneys Handle Bus Crash Cases15:49 – Motor Coach Safety Rules: Insurance, Hours of Service and Passenger Endorsements17:04 – Checking Bus Company Safety Records Before a School Trip19:25 – Bus Crash Evidence: Preservation Letters, ECM Downloads and Maintenance Experts21:58 – Multiple Bus Injuries: Why Early Action Protects Passengers—If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck crash, don’t wait.Visit https://ckflaw.com or call 1-800-ASK-DAVID for experienced legal help.—Why Listen to After the Crash?Navigating the aftermath of a trucking accident can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. This podcast is designed to educate and empower victims and their families, helping you make informed decisions about your future.—Learn About the Firm:At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, LLC, we’ve dedicated over 30 years to fighting for trucking accident victims. From preserving evidence to holding negligent trucking companies accountable, our mission is to protect your rights and secure the justice you deserve.—Download Semitruck Wreck for FREE:https://www.ckflaw.com/truck-accident-ebook/Follow Us on Socials:Website: https://www.ckflaw.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ckflawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-kelley-&-faultless-attorneys-at-lawContact Us:Email: [email protected]: 1-800-ASK-DAVID#TruckAccident #BusAccident #SchoolBusSafety #CommercialVehicleSafety #TruckingSafety #IndianapolisAttorney #AskDavid #DavidCraig #CraigKelleyFaultless

Some shippers and receivers post signs on their restroom doors that read "No Truckers Allowed." That's how a lot of drivers get treated at the places where they pick up and drop off loads. And how a driver gets treated has a lot more to do with road safety than most people ever stop to think about. In this episode of Ask David, Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorney David Craig breaks down what he learned surveying 109 truck drivers from across the country, and why he believes treating drivers right makes the roads safer for everyone.In this episode of Ask David, David Craig sits down with co-host Ashley Napier to recap a week at the largest national plaintiff trucking group's seminar in Denver, then digs into the topic of his own talk there: how truck drivers are treated by motor carriers, shippers, and receivers. From unpaid detention time to drivers running low on hours of service, David explains the pressures that push good drivers into bad situations.✔️ Why detention time (up to six hours, unpaid) forces drivers to make up time on the road✔️ How truck drivers work 60 to 70 hours a week but often get paid for 30 to 40✔️ Why most truck drivers are good, professional people, and how to spot the bad actors✔️ What happens when a driver reports bad brakes and the motor carrier says "drive it anyway"✔️ The results of a survey of 109 truck drivers on how they're really treated✔️ Why CKF brings its entire team, including its Rapid Response Team, to national trucking trainingDavid Craig is one of the few attorneys in the U.S. who is Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and accredited by the American Bar Association. That means he meets rigorous experience, ethics, and knowledge standards to hold trucking companies and unsafe drivers accountable. With more than 39 years handling semi-truck wreck cases, he's an original board member of the national trucking group behind the Denver seminar, alongside his partner Scott Faultless.Here's what most people don't realize: no truck driver gets behind the wheel planning to hurt somebody. They're usually just trying to make up time they weren't paid for, whether that's rushing through a construction zone or pushing through bad weather. Understanding those pressures is how we start to understand why some of these wrecks happen.👉 Key takeaway: If you want safer highways, the way we treat the people driving 40 tons down the interstate matters more than most of us realize.—00:54 – Welcome Back: Recapping a Week in Denver at the AAJ Trucking Seminar01:20 – What the National Trucking Group Is & Why CKF Belongs02:01 – Why Craig, Kelley & Faultless Brings Its Whole Team to the Conference06:12 – Preserving Evidence & Data From New Trucks: What the Rapid Response Team Learned08:12 – Amazon, FedEx & UPS Cases: The Nuances General Practitioners Miss09:35 – David's Talk: How Truck Drivers Are Actually Treated10:12 – Are All Truckers the Problem? Separating Good Drivers From Bad Actors11:21 – "No Truckers Allowed": Detention Time & Unpaid Hours Explained12:33 – Living on One Income Below Cost of Living13:00 – When Drivers Are Told to Keep Driving on Bad Brakes16:06 – Surveying 109 Truck Drivers From Across the Country19:34 – Golden, Colorado & the Montgomery Broker Supreme Court Ruling—If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck crash, don’t wait.Visit https://ckflaw.com or call 1-800-ASK-DAVID for experienced legal help.—Why Listen to After the Crash?Navigating the aftermath of a trucking accident can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. This podcast is designed to educate and empower victims and their families, helping you make informed decisions about your future.—Learn About the Firm:At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, LLC, we’ve dedicated over 30 years to fighting for trucking accident victims. From preserving evidence to holding negligent trucking companies accountable, our mission is to protect your rights and secure the justice you deserve.—Download Semitruck Wreck for FREE:https://www.ckflaw.com/truck-accident-ebook/Follow Us on Socials:Website: https://www.ckflaw.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ckflawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-kelley-&-faultless-attorneys-at-lawContact Us:Email: [email protected]: 1-800-ASK-DAVID#TruckAccident #TruckingSafety #TruckDrivers #DetentionTime #SemiTruckWreck #HoursOfService #DavidCraig #CraigKelleyFaultless #AskDavid #RoadSafety

Some gas stations keep their security footage for only 14 days. Doorbell cameras record over themselves. And the trucking company's investigators are often working the scene before the 911 call is even finished. What happens in the first 48 hours after a semi-truck crash can decide the entire case, and most families have no idea the clock is already running.In this episode of *After the Crash*, Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorney David Craig sits down with Clint Crabtree, Craig, Kelley & Faultless’s Crash Response Team Coordinator. After 17 years working together, David and Clint break down exactly what a rapid response team does, who's on it, and why most law firms don't have one at all. From sending investigator Patrick Stewart to the scene with a GoPro and camera, to paralegal Grace Kaminsky getting preservation letters out the same day a case comes in, this conversation shows the real, behind-the-scenes work that protects evidence before it disappears.✔️ Why gas station and doorbell camera footage can vanish in as little as 14 days✔️ What a preservation letter is and why it has to go out immediately after a wreck✔️ How the engine control module (the truck's "black box") captures speed, including one 120 MPH reading✔️ What investigators find inside a truck cab, from bills of lading to hidden insurance coverage✔️ How a Kansas City wrongful death case uncovered a hidden loading defect and millions in additional coverage✔️ How a school bus crash was reenacted a year later to prove the bus was speedingDavid Craig is one of the few attorneys in the U.S. who is Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and accredited by the American Bar Association. That means he meets rigorous experience, ethics, and knowledge standards to hold trucking companies and unsafe drivers accountable. With more than 39 years handling semi-truck wreck cases, David has seen firsthand how fast critical evidence disappears, and how often a case is made or broken in those first days.In one wrongful death case near Kansas City, the trucking company moved the semi two states away before a preservation letter could even go out. In another, a loaded trailer was about to be unloaded despite promises it wouldn't be. Because the team got there in time, they documented a hidden loading defect, built a case against the shipper, and secured the coverage that provided for a family who lost their father and breadwinner.👉 Key takeaway: In a serious truck wreck, the evidence that answers "what really happened" is often gone within days. Getting the right team on it fast is what makes the difference.—00:00 – Why Time Matters Most in Serious Truck Wreck Cases00:47 – Clint Crabtree Returns: 17 Years Running the Rapid Response Team02:30 – Meet Patrick Stewart: The Investigator Sent to the Scene03:38 – How Gas Station & Doorbell Video Gets Lost in 14 Days06:07 – Why You Can't Secure This Evidence on Your Own09:52 – Grace Kaminsky & the Preservation Letters That Go Out Immediately13:13 – Retaining Experts and Coordinating the Joint Inspection15:06 – What's Really Inside the Truck Cab: Paperwork, Hidden Coverage & More18:16 – When Trucking Companies Break the Rules: Restraining Orders19:58 – The Kansas City Case: How a Hidden Defect Opened Millions in Coverage21:23 – Investigating the Trucking Company: Safer Website & Background Checks24:33 – Downloading the Black Box: ECM Data and a 120 MPH Reading25:52 – The School Bus Case: Reenacting a Wreck to Prove Speed30:02 – Ongoing Investigation Through Mediation and Trial32:12 – Why CKF Invests in Training, Equipment & the Team—If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck crash, don’t wait.Visit https://ckflaw.com or call 1-800-ASK-DAVID for experienced legal help.—Why Listen to After the Crash?Navigating the aftermath of a trucking accident can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. This podcast is designed to educate and empower victims and their families, helping you make informed decisions about your future.—Learn About the Firm:At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, LLC, we’ve dedicated over 30 years to fighting for trucking accident victims. From preserving evidence to holding negligent trucking companies accountable, our mission is to protect your rights and secure the justice you deserve.—Download Semitruck Wreck for FREE:https://www.ckflaw.com/truck-accident-ebook/Follow Us on Socials:Website: https://www.ckflaw.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ckflawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-kelley-&-faultless-attorneys-at-lawContact Us:Email: [email protected]: 1-800-ASK-DAVID#TruckAccident #RapidResponse #TruckingSafety #SemiTruckCrash #EvidencePreservation #BlackBoxData #DavidCraig #CraigKelleyFaultless #AfterTheCrash #TruckAccidentLawyer

It's never been easier to hire the wrong attorney. Most people interviewing law firms after a truck crash ask about the lawyer, and they forget to ask about everyone else on the team. In this episode of Ask David, Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorney David Craig explains why that one oversight can change the entire outcome of a case.David sits down with co-host Ashley Napier to break down the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA), a group founded in 2016 that's dedicated entirely to plaintiff lawyers and paralegals handling truck wreck cases. They talk about what the ATAA actually does, why truck law is completely different than a car wreck or a trip-and-fall case, and why the firm you choose should invest in more than just one good attorney.✔️ What the ATAA is and why it matters when you're hiring a truck accident lawyer✔️ Why truck cases require expertise that most personal injury lawyers simply don't have✔️ How board certification in truck accident law works and what it takes to earn it✔️ Why paralegals can now be board-certified too, and how that benefits families✔️ How the recent unanimous Supreme Court broker decision changes trucking cases✔️ Why "I couldn't see because of the snow or glare" is an excuse, not a justificationDavid Craig is one of the few attorneys in the U.S. who is Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and accredited by the American Bar Association. That means he meets rigorous experience, ethics, and knowledge standards to hold trucking companies and unsafe drivers accountable. With 39+ years handling semi-truck wreck cases, David has served on the ATAA Board of Regents since the group started, and he'll be speaking again this year in Denver on how truck drivers are mistreated by brokers, shippers, and motor carriers, and how that impacts safety.Here's a detail most people never think about. When a top trial lawyer is locked in preparing for trial, working seven days a week and 15-hour days, somebody has to keep every other client's case moving at the same level. That only happens when a firm invests in its whole team. This year, CKF is sending more than ten people to the seminar, because knowledge is power and this is a team game.👉 Key takeaway: When you're interviewing truck accident firms, don't just ask if the lawyer is good. Ask whether the whole team is trained, certified, and invested in, because that's what actually protects your family.—00:00 – Why What a Firm Invests in Its People Matters00:31 – Meet David Craig: Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorney01:05 – What Is the ATAA? Ashley Opens the September Episode02:28 – Why You Want a Lawyer Who Belongs to the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys03:20 – The ATAA Library: Company Manuals & Case Resources04:35 – Why the Paralegal Breakout Session Sets Cases Apart05:14 – Most Lawyers Don't Know How to Handle a Truck Case06:22 – Board Certification for Attorneys AND Paralegals07:52 – Plaintiff Lawyers Share Information, the Defense Bar Doesn't10:32 – How Truck Technology & Data Keep Changing the Game11:43 – The Supreme Court Broker Ruling & This Year's Denver Topics12:13 – Visibility as an Excuse: Why "I Couldn't See" Isn't a Justification14:39 – Bringing 10+ Team Members to the Seminar15:02 – The Real Question: Does the Firm Invest in Its Whole Team?—If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck crash, don’t wait.Visit https://ckflaw.com or call 1-800-ASK-DAVID for experienced legal help.—Why Listen to After the Crash?Navigating the aftermath of a trucking accident can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. This podcast is designed to educate and empower victims and their families, helping you make informed decisions about your future.—Learn About the Firm:At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, LLC, we’ve dedicated over 30 years to fighting for trucking accident victims. From preserving evidence to holding negligent trucking companies accountable, our mission is to protect your rights and secure the justice you deserve.—Download Semitruck Wreck for FREE:https://www.ckflaw.com/truck-accident-ebook/Follow Us on Socials:Website: https://www.ckflaw.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ckflawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-kelley-&-faultless-attorneys-at-lawContact Us:Email: [email protected]: 1-800-ASK-DAVID#TruckAccident #TruckingSafety #CrashAvoidance #AfterTheCrash #SemiTruckCrash #RoadSafety #TruckSafetyTech #DavidCraig #CraigKelleyFaultless #WrongfulDeath

You can now see where semi crashes happened on your commute in 2025, before the federal government has even published that data. That lag has frustrated David Craig for years, so his firm built something to close it. In this episode of After the Crash, Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorney David Craig sits down with Nick Perin, the senior software engineer who turned an idea most people said couldn't be done into a working, patent-pending tool.Nick grew up in Indiana, earned his degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics, and built everything from diabetes education games for Riley's Children's Hospital to collaboration software before joining Craig, Kelley & Faultless. Together, David and Nick break down SemiCrashMap.com, an interactive map that tracks commercial motor vehicle wrecks across all 50 states, and what the 2025 and early 2026 Indiana numbers actually reveal.✔️ Why I-65 (193 wrecks), I-70 (115), and I-465 (98) topped Indiana in 2025✔️ How Marion County led the state with 314 commercial vehicle wrecks✔️ The most dangerous days and times to drive (Monday and 3 PM in 2025)✔️ Why "following too closely" is really about driver fatigue and distraction✔️ How unsafe lane movement and semi blind spots cause preventable crashes✔️ What the ECM "black box" reveals about speed, braking, and steering after a wreckDavid Craig is one of the few attorneys in the U.S. who is Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and accredited by the American Bar Association. With 39+ years handling semi-truck wreck cases, that means he meets rigorous experience, ethics, and knowledge standards to hold trucking companies and unsafe drivers accountable.David also shares how he took the attorneys at CKF to a trucking school in Montana to drive semis, watch stopping distance tests, and learn firsthand how a loaded tractor-trailer behaves differently than an empty one. That kind of hands-on understanding shapes how the firm reads crash data, and why so many of these wrecks were never supposed to happen.👉 Key takeaway: When you know where, when, and why semi crashes happen, you can make safer decisions, and hold the right people accountable when they don't.—00:00 – The Idea: Crash Data Before the Government Publishes It00:45 – Meet Nick Perin, Senior Software Engineer at CKF01:25 – From High School Computer Labs to Building Software for a Law Firm04:37 – Why Law Firms Are Slow to Adopt Technology08:20 – The Frustration That Sparked SemiCrashMap.com09:59 – Building the Proof of Concept & Filing a Patent12:29 – How the Semi Crash Map Actually Works14:48 – Clustering Markers & Filtering Thousands of Wrecks16:09 – 2025 Data You Can See Before the Feds Release It21:20 – Which Indiana Highways Have the Most Semi Wrecks?25:23 – Marion County Leads the State in Crashes28:18 – The Most Dangerous Days & Times to Be on the Road31:01 – Top Causes: Unsafe Lane Movement & Following Too Closely41:16 – Speeding Too Fast for Weather & What CDL Rules Require42:57 – Pulling the ECM "Black Box" After a Crash—If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck crash, don’t wait.Visit https://ckflaw.com or call 1-800-ASK-DAVID for experienced legal help.—Why Listen to After the Crash?Navigating the aftermath of a trucking accident can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. This podcast is designed to educate and empower victims and their families, helping you make informed decisions about your future.—Learn About the Firm:At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, LLC, we’ve dedicated over 30 years to fighting for trucking accident victims. From preserving evidence to holding negligent trucking companies accountable, our mission is to protect your rights and secure the justice you deserve.—Download Semitruck Wreck for FREE:https://www.ckflaw.com/truck-accident-ebook/Follow Us on Socials:Website: https://www.ckflaw.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ckflawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-kelley-&-faultless-attorneys-at-lawContact Us:Email: [email protected]: 1-800-ASK-DAVID#TruckAccident #TruckingSafety #SemiCrashMap #IndianaTrucking #DavidCraig #CraigKelleyFaultless #AfterTheCrash #TruckAccidentLawyer #RoadSafety #I65 #I465 #I80 #I70

A mother lost her son on I-74 to a crash that never had to happen. The technology to prevent it already existed. The trucking company just didn't install it.In this episode of After the Crash, David Craig talks with Celeste Bowens-Martin, a professional bus driver with a CDL and someone he has represented over the years. In March of 2025, Celeste's oldest son, Isaiah, 35, was killed on I-74 while driving home to Indianapolis from Illinois. His car had crossed the median and come to a complete stop in the opposite lane of travel. A 2024 Freightliner struck him. That truck could have been equipped with crash avoidance technology, sensors, cameras, and active braking that detect a stationary object and stop the truck when a driver doesn't react. It wasn't. Celeste, who has relied on that same safety technology to avoid crashes in her own bus, joins David to explain why she is now committed to advocating for change.✔️ How collision avoidance and automatic emergency braking systems actually detect stationary vehicles✔️ Why a 2024 Freightliner may still leave the lot without crash avoidance technology installed✔️ The real cost of adding these systems: a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per truck✔️ How safety sensors can be unplugged or left off, and why inspections matter✔️ A professional CDL driver's firsthand account of technology saving her from crashes✔️ Why families deserve answers when a preventable crash takes someone they loveDavid Craig is one of the few attorneys in the U.S. who is Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and accredited by the American Bar Association. That means he meets rigorous experience, ethics, and knowledge standards to hold trucking companies and unsafe drivers accountable. With 39+ years handling semi-truck wreck cases, David has seen how corporate decisions to cut costs on safety equipment can change families forever.This episode carries the weight of a grieving mother's loss. Celeste shares who Isaiah was, a gamer, a collector, her travel buddy, her day one, and how she is turning that grief into a mission so that no other family has to sit where she sits now.👉 Key takeaway: The safety technology to prevent this tractor-trailer crash already existed and was available for the truck that killed Isaiah. A decision to save a few dollars cost a family everything.—00:00 – Celeste's Message: Companies Must Be Accountable for Their Equipment00:40 – Welcome to After the Crash & Meeting Celeste Bowens Martin01:35 – Remembering Isaiah: A Gamer, a Best Friend, and a Son Lost in March 202503:42 – Moving Back Home: The Late-Night Drive on I-7404:47 – What Happened: Crossing the Median and Stopping in the Roadway05:58 – Crash Avoidance Technology: How Sensors and Auto-Braking Work06:48 – The 2024 Freightliner That Didn't Have the Safety System Installed08:03 – A Bus Driver's Firsthand Experience With Collision Avoidance10:03 – Why Inspections Matter: Sensors That Get Unplugged or Left Off10:31 – The Real Cost: A Few Hundred to a Few Thousand Dollars Per Truck12:04 – Should Every Commercial Vehicle Have This Technology?13:37 – Becoming an Advocate So No Other Family Suffers This Loss14:50 – Reaching Lawmakers: These Decisions Are About Lives, Not Dollars17:58 – Who Isaiah Was: The Life of the Party and an Avid Collector19:51 – Grief, Driving as Therapy, and Living in Isaiah's House22:21 – Final Thoughts and How to Reach David Craig—If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck crash, don’t wait.Visit https://ckflaw.com or call 1-800-ASK-DAVID for experienced legal help.—Why Listen to After the Crash?Navigating the aftermath of a trucking accident can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. This podcast is designed to educate and empower victims and their families, helping you make informed decisions about your future.—Learn About the Firm:At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, LLC, we’ve dedicated over 30 years to fighting for trucking accident victims. From preserving evidence to holding negligent trucking companies accountable, our mission is to protect your rights and secure the justice you deserve.—Download Semitruck Wreck for FREE:https://www.ckflaw.com/truck-accident-ebook/Follow Us on Socials:Website: https://www.ckflaw.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ckflawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-kelley-&-faultless-attorneys-at-lawContact Us:Email: [email protected]: 1-800-ASK-DAVID#TruckAccident #TruckingSafety #CrashAvoidance #AfterTheCrash #SemiTruckCrash #RoadSafety #TruckSafetyTech #DavidCraig #CraigKelleyFaultless #WrongfulDeath

Most families never stop to ask this question before hiring a lawyer: is the attorney still learning, or did they stop once they passed the bar?In this episode of Ask David, David Craig sits down with co-host Ashley Napier to break down why continuing education matters when you're choosing an attorney for a serious truck crash or wrongful death case. Law school teaches everyone how to think like a lawyer, but it doesn't teach anyone how to handle a semi-truck wreck. What separates a good trucking attorney from someone who just happens to take the case is what they've done in the years since. David Craig walks through his own path: from being one of the first lawyers in APITL (the first trucking-only plaintiff group in the country) to serving on the original Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, the group that created the ABA-accredited board certification in truck accident law.✔️ Why law school never teaches you how to handle a specific type of case✔️ How continuing legal education rules got looser after COVID (and why that matters)✔️ The difference between a general practitioner and a specialized trucking lawyer✔️ How to research whether an attorney actually keeps learning before you hire them✔️ What CKF's "Winning Truck Wreck Cases" Indiana seminar covers, and who speaks✔️ Why investing in board-certified paralegals changes the outcome for clientsDavid Craig is one of the few attorneys in the U.S. who is Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and accredited by the American Bar Association. He's one of only four board-certified truck accident attorneys in the entire state of Indiana, and he's spent 39+ years handling semi-truck and commercial vehicle wreck cases. That certification means he meets rigorous experience, ethics, and knowledge standards to hold trucking companies and unsafe drivers accountable.What stood out to David over the years was watching one of the best trial lawyers in the country, John Romano, sitting in the audience at conferences taking notes. If someone that experienced still shows up to learn, the message is clear: the best lawyers never stop.👉 Key takeaway: When you're hiring an attorney for one of the most important cases of your life, don't be afraid to ask what they're doing to keep learning. The answer tells you a lot.—00:00 – Why Continuing to Learn Separates Great Lawyers From the Rest01:02 – Back to School in Indiana: Why Attorney Education Matters02:25 – What Law School Actually Teaches (And What It Doesn't)04:18 – The Loose Rules Around Continuing Legal Education Post-COVID06:18 – Why Truck Cases Are a Separate Niche From Car Crashes07:26 – The History of APITL: The First Trucking-Only Lawyer Group09:04 – How the ATA Created Board Certification in Truck Accident Law13:12 – Winning Truck Wreck Cases: CKF's Indiana Trucking Seminar15:35 – Meet the 2026 Speakers: Dr. Fletcher, Mechanics & Mediators17:16 – Podcasts, Speakers & How to Vet the Right Attorney19:44 – Hiring a Team, Not Just One Lawyer21:18 – Why CKF Invests in Board-Certified Paralegals26:55 – "Aren't You Afraid They'll Leave?" Investing in Your People—If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck crash, don’t wait.Visit https://ckflaw.com or call 1-800-ASK-DAVID for experienced legal help.—Why Listen to After the Crash?Navigating the aftermath of a trucking accident can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. This podcast is designed to educate and empower victims and their families, helping you make informed decisions about your future.—Learn About the Firm:At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, LLC, we’ve dedicated over 30 years to fighting for trucking accident victims. From preserving evidence to holding negligent trucking companies accountable, our mission is to protect your rights and secure the justice you deserve.—Download Semitruck Wreck for FREE:https://www.ckflaw.com/truck-accident-ebook/Follow Us on Socials:Website: https://www.ckflaw.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ckflawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-kelley-&-faultless-attorneys-at-lawContact Us:Email: [email protected]: 1-800-ASK-DAVID#TruckAccident #TruckingSafety #TruckAccidentLawyer #BoardCertified #ContinuingEducation #SemiTruckWreck #IndianaLawyer #DavidCraig #CraigKelleyFaultless #AskDavid

Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorney David Craig breaks down one of the most dangerous places to be behind the wheel: a construction zone. Every summer, road work stretches across Indiana highways, and every year families lose loved ones in wrecks that never should have happened.In this episode of Ask David, David sits down with Ashley Napier, who oversees the litigation file managers at Craig, Kelley & Faultless and stays involved in cases directly. Together they dig into why construction zone truck wrecks are so much more complex than an ordinary car accident, what makes them so deadly, and how families can find answers after tragedy strikes. Ashley pulls real numbers straight from SemiCrashMap.com, and David explains a case they worked on together involving a truck driver who was killed while working underneath his broken-down truck.✔️ Why 2025 already saw 139 construction zone wrecks in Indiana, with 4 deaths and over 200 injured✔️ How SemiCrashMap.com shows where semi wrecks happen on I-70, I-65, and near Richmond and Wayne County✔️ Why most construction zone wrecks happen where lanes merge and traffic slows✔️ How speed, fatigue, distraction, and trucks on cruise control cause deadly rear-end crashes✔️ Who beyond the truck driver can be held accountable: brokers, shippers, contractors, and the state✔️ Why time limits and disappearing evidence make hiring the right attorney quickly so importantDavid Craig is one of the few attorneys in the U.S. who is Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and accredited by the American Bar Association. That means he meets rigorous experience, ethics, and knowledge standards to hold trucking companies and unsafe drivers accountable. With more than 39 years handling semi-truck wreck cases, he has seen firsthand how a case treated like a simple car accident can leave families without the answers they deserve.One of the cases David and Ashley discuss stayed with them both. A driver whose truck broke down had to get underneath it in a construction zone. Another truck driver, impaired by drugs and traveling in the wrong lane, hit it and killed him. He left behind a wife and two children. Rather than accept the truck driver's minimum insurance, the team asked a harder question: why was there no safe place for him to pull off the highway?👉 Key takeaway: Nearly every construction zone wreck can be avoided, and understanding where and why they happen is the first step to keeping your family safe on the road.—00:00 – Why Getting a Truck Accident Attorney Quickly Protects the Evidence01:04 – Ashley Napier Kicks Off the July Construction Zone Episode02:11 – Why Construction Zones Are One of the Most Dangerous Times of Year04:09 – Why a Truck Wreck in a Construction Zone Is an Entirely Different Case05:23 – The Case of the Truck Driver Killed Under His Broken-Down Truck07:15 – Why Drivers Deserve a Safe Place to Pull Off the Highway08:44 – SemiCrashMap.com: 139 Construction Zone Wrecks in Indiana11:46 – The National Numbers: 252 Fatal Work Zone Truck Crashes in 202314:17 – David's Personal Driving Habits in Construction Zones15:22 – Why Most Construction Zone Wrecks Happen Where Lanes Merge19:19 – Protecting Construction Workers and Flaggers on the Job20:07 – Who Else Can Be Held Accountable: Brokers, Contractors & the State22:04 – Why Time Limits and Vanishing Evidence Make Speed Critical24:38 – Where to Find Help and David's Free Books—If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck crash, don’t wait.Visit https://ckflaw.com or call 1-800-ASK-DAVID for experienced legal help.—Why Listen to After the Crash?Navigating the aftermath of a trucking accident can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. This podcast is designed to educate and empower victims and their families, helping you make informed decisions about your future.—Learn About the Firm:At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, LLC, we’ve dedicated over 30 years to fighting for trucking accident victims. From preserving evidence to holding negligent trucking companies accountable, our mission is to protect your rights and secure the justice you deserve.—Download Semitruck Wreck for FREE:https://www.ckflaw.com/truck-accident-ebook/Follow Us on Socials:Website: https://www.ckflaw.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ckflawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-kelley-&-faultless-attorneys-at-lawContact Us:Email: [email protected]: 1-800-ASK-DAVID#ConstructionZoneSafety #TruckAccident #TruckingSafety #WorkZoneSafety #SemiTruckWreck #RoadSafety #IndianaTruckAccident #DavidCraig #CraigKelleyFaultless #SemiCrashMap

Every year, more than 5,000 people are killed and over 100,000 are seriously injured in crashes involving large commercial trucks. A lot of those crashes were preventable. Not because the technology didn't exist, but because someone made a deliberate choice not to pay for it.In this episode of After the Crash, David Craig, one of only four attorneys in Indiana Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, sits down with trial attorney J. Kent Emison of Langdon & Emison to talk about what really happens after a truck crash, and what most families never find out. Kent has handled catastrophic truck, product liability, and wrongful death cases across the country, and he brings deep technical knowledge about the safety systems that should be on these trucks.✔️ A government study tracked over 3 million miles and 6,000 automatic emergency braking activations, and found zero crashes resulting from those events✔️ Paccar published data in 2003 showing one second of warning could prevent 90% of rear-end truck accidents, yet two-thirds of trucks on the road today still lack these systems✔️ The manufacturer's cost to add collision mitigation technology is between $97 and $200 per truck, yet it's marked up over 600% and sold as an optional add-on that buyers routinely delete✔️ Trucking companies deploy rapid response teams to crash scenes, sometimes before injured victims have been removed✔️ Ghost drivers, predatory freight brokers, and the economics that push small carriers to cut corners✔️ Reflective tape, underride guards, load shifts, and maintenance failures, the hidden causes that vanish if you don't investigate immediatelyOne detail from this episode is hard to shake. Kent describes a situation where a truck company showed up at the scene before the investigating officer was finished, while the injured victim was still in the hospital. The truck company was actively working to shape the report. That's not a rare exception. It's a documented pattern.👉 Key takeaway: The crash is just the beginning. What happens in the hours and days after determines whether the full truth ever comes out.—00:00 – Welcome & Why Evidence Disappears Fast00:53 – Introducing J. Kent Emison of Langdon & Emison02:17 – Is $750K or $1 Million Enough After a Catastrophic Truck Wreck?04:09 – The Real Scale: 5,000+ Deaths & 100,000+ Injuries Per Year07:26 – Looking Beyond the Driver: Tires, Brakes & Hidden Causes10:25 – Rapid Response Teams: How Trucking Companies Get to the Scene First13:03 – How Truck Companies Shape the Official Crash Report15:31 – Construction Zone Crashes on I-70: The Most Complicated Cases17:32 – Collision Mitigation Systems: 6,000 Activations, Zero Crashes23:50 – Why Two-Thirds of Trucks Still Don't Have This Technology35:52 – Who Gets Sued: Manufacturers, Dealers & Companies That Delete Safety Features43:31 – Ghost Drivers, Freight Brokers & the Race to the Bottom48:43 – Underride Guards, Reflective Tape & Maintenance Failures54:07 – Final Advice: Get a Good Attorney Involved Immediately—If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck crash, don’t wait.Visit https://ckflaw.com or call 1-800-ASK-DAVID for experienced legal help.—Why Listen to After the Crash?Navigating the aftermath of a trucking accident can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. This podcast is designed to educate and empower victims and their families, helping you make informed decisions about your future.—Learn About the Firm:At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, LLC, we’ve dedicated over 30 years to fighting for trucking accident victims. From preserving evidence to holding negligent trucking companies accountable, our mission is to protect your rights and secure the justice you deserve.—Download Semitruck Wreck for FREE:https://www.ckflaw.com/truck-accident-ebook/Follow Us on Socials:Website: https://www.ckflaw.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ckflawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-kelley-&-faultless-attorneys-at-lawContact Us:Email: [email protected]: 1-800-ASK-DAVID#TruckAccident #TruckingSafety #CollisionMitigation #SemiTruckCrash #TruckAccidentLawyer #WrongfulDeath #AfterTheCrash #DavidCraig #CraigKelleyFaultless #TruckingAccountability