Because of their weight and size, when commercial trucks are involved in an accident, the injuries are often devastating. Many trucking accident injury victims do not survive, and many others are left with life-altering injuries that require expensive long-term medical care.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a trucking accident caused by someone else, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages. However, trucking accidents can be complex, often involving multiple parties, insurance companies, and defense attorneys all trying to deny liability. You need the help of an experienced Seattle trucking accident attorney to help you recover the compensation you deserve.
At Seattle Injury Law, our Seattle injury attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience protecting trucking accident injury victims and their families and recovering maximum compensation. We know how to get the results you deserve.
Call (800) 928-5486 or complete the short form on our contact page to schedule a free consultation with a Seattle trucking accident attorney. We will listen to you, answer your questions, and explain your options. If we represent you, we will work tirelessly to recover every dollar you are owed.
Proven Benefits of Hiring Seattle Injury Law
Hiring the right legal team can make all the difference in the outcome of your case. Here’s why trucking accident victims throughout Washington choose the Seattle accident attorneys at Seattle Injury Law to fight for them:
- Our Seattle trucking accident lawyers have deep knowledge of all federal and state trucking regulations and extensive experience recovering the compensation owed to trucking accident victims and their families.
- We have a proven record of success, having recovered over $300 million in settlements and verdicts for our clients.
- We pay all expenses upfront to aggressively pursue your claim, and you pay nothing until we recover your compensation.
- Our attorneys leave no stone unturned when investigating your accident to identify all possible causes and all potentially liable parties to help maximize the available sources of compensation for your damages.
Types of Commercial Trucks on Seattle Highways and Streets
Seattle businesses and residents depend on the services provided by the numerous types of trucks operating on our highways. Some of the most common types of commercial trucks operating in Seattle include:
- Garbage trucks
- Buses
- Delivery trucks
- Flatbed trucks
- Construction vehicles
- Cement trucks
- Tanker trucks
- Hydrovac trucks
- Car haulers
- Box trucks
- Heavy haul vehicles
- Winch tractors
- Septic trucks
- Refrigeration trucks
- Tractor-trailer rigs
- Dump trucks
- Fuel tanker trucks
An accident involving any of these commercial trucks can be catastrophic. While the drivers of commercial trucks may be at fault, other parties linked to the truck may also be liable. At Seattle Injury Law, our Seattle truck accident attorneys and investigators scrutinize the details of your accident to ensure we identify all potentially liable parties.
Top Causes of Seattle Trucking Accidents
Numerous factors contribute to Seattle trucking accidents. Some of the most common causes include:
- Distracted driving– Truck drivers can be distracted by texting, talking, and reading on their cell phones or by adjusting vehicle controls. Anything that takes a driver’s mind off the road or hands off the wheel puts everyone on the road with them at risk of grave harm. If you were injured in an accident involving a distracted driver, reach out to our Seattle distracted driving accident attorneys for help with this type of claim.
- Impaired driving– Truck drivers may get behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound loaded truck and trailer while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. When driving impaired, the chances of having a catastrophic accident are much higher.
- Speeding– Large trucks can’t stop suddenly. When a driver exceeds the speed limit or drives faster than the weather and road conditions require, and then needs to stop suddenly, tragedy can happen.
- Blind spots– Commercial trucks have large blind spots that make them more likely to crash into a vehicle they can’t see in their mirrors.
- Improperly loaded cargo– If cargo shifts during transport, the truck may become unstable and crash. Loose cargo may also spill onto other vehicles or highways, causing widespread damage.
- Equipment failure– If equipment fails while driving, it can cause a sudden loss of control and lead to an accident. Equipment and parts can fail because they are defective or have not been adequately maintained or repaired.
- Dangerous road conditions– When roads are not properly designed or adequately maintained, they can contribute to tragic accidents.
These causes have numerous potentially liable parties. At our firm, our team of truck accident attorneys and investigators carefully examine the facts of your case to ensure each contributing factor is identified along with the responsible parties.
Injuries Sustained in Seattle Trucking Accidents
Injuries sustained in Seattle trucking accidents are sometimes fatal. When victims survive, they often suffer life-changing injuries. Some common injuries sustained in Seattle trucking accidents include:
- Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Broken and crushed bones
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Severe burns
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Severed limbs or limbs so damaged that they require amputation
- Back and neck injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Emotional trauma injuries
Types of Seattle Trucking Accidents
Some of the most common types of Seattle trucking accidents include:
- Jackknife accidents
- Underride accidents
- Rollover accidents
- Cargo spillage/lost load accidents
- Wide turn accidents
- Sideswipe accidents caused by big truck blind spots
Due to their height and weight, commercial trucks can be involved in unique accidents such as these.
Liability in Seattle Trucking Accident Cases
Liability in Seattle trucking accident cases depends on the causes of the accident. The truck driver, truck owner, or trucking company may be liable. Other potentially liable parties include cargo loading companies, employment screening agencies, and maintenance or repair companies.
In some trucking accidents, the manufacturer or seller of defective parts may be liable. Government entities responsible for dangerous road designs or negligently maintained roads may have liability.
At Seattle Injury Law, our attorneys carefully examine the facts of each trucking accident to help identify all parties that may bear responsibility and to hold them responsible for your damages.
Evidence Used in Seattle Trucking Accident Cases
The evidence we use in trucking accident cases varies depending on the causes and your injuries.
To prove fault, we often use police reports, photographs, and video footage from the accident scene, nearby surveillance camera video, dashcam footage, and data from the involved vehicles’ event data recorders.
Other evidence we may use when proving fault includes eyewitness accounts, driver employment records, driver logs, expert witness reports and testimony, and truck maintenance records.
To establish your damages, we may use evidence such as medical records, journals, witness testimony, pay stubs, income tax returns, receipts, invoices, property damage repair or replacement estimates, and testimony from medical and economic experts.
Our Seattle truck accident lawyers will carefully consider and choose the best evidence to support your case.
Proving Negligence in a Seattle Trucking Accident Claim
Most trucking accident cases are based on the theory of negligence. To prove negligence, we must establish the existence of four elements:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care.
- The defendant breached their duty of care by negligent action or inaction.
- The defendant’s negligent action or inaction caused your accident and injuries.
- You suffered actual damages due to the defendant’s negligent action or inaction.
At Seattle Injury Law, our attorneys have the experience and skills to prove each element of negligence to achieve the justice and compensation you are owed.
How Federal Trucking Regulations Impact Your Case
The trucking industry is heavily regulated. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets standards and rules that trucking companies and drivers must adhere to.
Federal regulations set strict hours of service rules to help prevent driver fatigue, which increases the risk of accidents.
There are also federal regulations governing how often trucks must be inspected and maintained and how often drivers must check the security of their cargo before and during each trip.
Federal regulations also restrict the weight of cargo that a truck can haul and how it must be secured. Additionally, truck drivers are subject to random drug and alcohol tests each year.
If a trucking company or driver violates any federal regulations, it can be used as proof that they breached their duty of care for purposes of negligence and liability.
What If I Am Partially At Fault?
If you are partially at fault in a Seattle trucking accident, you may still be able to recover compensation from the other at-fault parties. This is true regardless of how large your share of fault is. This is possible because Washington follows a pure comparative fault model.
As outlined in Revised Code of Washington §4.22.070, when more than one party is at fault, the court shall determine each party’s percentage of fault, which together shall equal 100%.
In most other states, you would be barred from recovering compensation if your percentage of fault exceeded a certain threshold, such as 50% or more. However, due to Washington’s pure comparative rule, you could recover from the other at-fault parties even if your percentage of fault is 99%.
While you may still recover from the other at-fault parties, your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you, For example, if you are found to be 25% at fault and your damages total $100,000, you may still recover $75,000 from the other at-fault parties after your percentage of fault is deducted.
Our attorneys fight to avoid or limit any fault assignment to you and to maximize your compensation.
Statute of Limitations For Seattle Trucking Accident Claims
A statute of limitations sets the deadline for filing a claim to recover compensation in a personal injury case. If you miss your filing deadline, you cannot recover compensation for your damages.
The statute of limitations for most Washington personal injury claims, including trucking accidents, is three years, as provided in Revised Code of Washington §4.16.080. This means you must file your claim within three years of your accident.
There are exceptions to the three-year deadline, so you must promptly consult an experienced Seattle truck accident lawyer to determine your filing deadline.
You should consult an attorney quickly, not only to know your filing deadline but also to help preserve essential evidence supporting your claim. Evidence can be lost, destroyed, or diminished quickly if steps are not taken to preserve it. When we take your case, we take immediate action to help prevent the loss of evidence.
Can I Afford a Seattle Trucking Accident Attorney?
At Seattle Injury Law, we handle trucking accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that payment of our attorney fees is contingent on our recovering compensation for you. If we don’t recover your compensation, you pay nothing.
When we begin representing you, we will enter into a written agreement that states exactly what percentage of your compensation we will be paid when we recover it.
Under this agreement, we will pay all expenses of aggressively pursuing your claim upfront. This allows you to seek the justice and compensation you deserve without risking your own assets to do that.
Reasons You Need a Seattle Trucking Accident Attorney
Seattle trucking accident claims are often complex and require the experience and knowledge of an experienced trucking accident attorney. These claims usually involve multiple defendants, insurance companies, and defense attorneys, as well as federal and state trucking regulations.
A trucking accident attorney can investigate your accident to help determine all possible causes and liable parties and to uncover strong evidence to prove your claim. Your attorney may work with medical and economic experts to establish your current and probable future damages from your injuries and their values, so you know what a fair settlement of your case would be.
They can work to negotiate a fair settlement with all defendants as quickly as possible, and if a fair settlement is not reached, they can take your case to trial and demand full compensation for your damages.
Your chances of recovering maximum compensation for your damages is significantly greater if you are represented by an experienced Seattle trucking accident attorney.
Contact Our Seattle Truck Accident Attorneys Today
If you were injured or lost a loved one in a trucking accident caused by someone else, you may be entitled to recover compensation for your damages. However, trucking accident cases can be challenging.
Insurance companies will not easily pay out the full coverage limits in compensation for your damages. You need the help of an experienced Seattle truck accident attorney to protect your rights and get you the justice and financial settlement you deserve. You need Seattle Injury Law.
Our attorneys have the experience, resources, and skills to help you recover maximum compensation for your injuries. Call (800) 928-5486 or visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation to discuss your Seattle trucking accident claim.