Truck Accident Lawyers Providing Dedicated Legal Representation to Injured Victims in Seattle, Washington
Any and all traffic accidents have the potential to cause serious injuries. But a truck collision has the potential to generate far more catastrophic injuries, especially if it happened to be a fully loaded truck. Big rigs and other large commercial vehicles can be incredibly heavy, and when all that weight collides with smaller vehicles, the damage can be absolutely devastating.
In addition to the dangers of truck accidents, there is also the complication for survivors and their families when it comes to seeking compensation for any injuries suffered in a crash. In the United States of America, the trucking industry is a multi-billion-dollar operation that employs some of the finest lawyers and has strong policies in place via their insurance companies.
If you have suffered an injury or if you have lost a loved one in a fatal truck-related accident, you may find yourself outmatched against the legal might that a commercial trucking company can bring to bear. For this reason and many others, it is essential that you hire the legal representation of an experienced truck accident attorney.
The Washington State law firm Khan Injury Law has a history of success taking on trucking companies for clients injured by heavy trucks. As your representatives, our truck accident lawyers will seek to hold the trucking company and their truck drivers accountable for any injury crashes and fatal crashes. We will attempt to secure a fair settlement for you and your loved ones so that you can move on with your lives after your nightmarish ordeal.
Khan Injury Law represents clients across the state of Washington with offices located in Kent, Seattle, Tacoma, and Tukwila. Contact our central office in Seattle to schedule a free initial consultation with a member of our legal team to discuss your truck accident claims.
What Are the Average Annual Statistics of Truck Accidents in the USA?
The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was formed to reduce fatal crashes and other accidents involving large trucks on America’s roads. It uses statistics to track commercial vehicle crashes in order to enact new policies that may limit the number of dead and wounded impacted in a truck-related accident.
There are approximately 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States in any given year, the vast majority of them being men, operating some 30 million registered large trucks.
Every year, some 100,000 people are injured in truck accidents, and 4,000 lose their lives in fatal crashes across the nation.
7% of large truck fatalities are caused by truck drivers speeding.
4% of fatal truck accidents are caused by overloaded, unbalanced, or otherwise hazardous cargo.
97% of those who died in such crashes were in much smaller other vehicles.
25% of fatal crashes occur on interstate highways, while 75% occur in more rural areas.
Thankfully, the number of fatalities in accidents involving tractor-trailers and other big rigs has been nearly cut in half over the past decade, as new safety regulations have been implemented for motorist safety.
Are Trucking Accidents Truly that Much More Deadly than Car Accidents?
A truck accident is nearly twice as likely to result in death or serious bodily harm than accidents involving much smaller motor vehicles. Some of this can be credited to the weight alone, as large commercial trucks are twice as heavy as usual passenger vehicles.
As a result of that weight, it takes truck drivers longer to bring their trucks to a complete stop, raising the risk of rear-end collisions. And while a rear-end collision between two similarly sized cars may result in little more than a fender bender, a big rig can flatten the vehicle ahead of it like an aluminum can with relative ease.
What Types of Injuries Are Common in Truck Accidents?
Despite the new safety regulations, injuries remain fairly common in truck accidents across Washington.
Injuries commonly linked to a truck crash include:
- Broken bones.
- Burns.
- Concussions.
- Cuts and lacerations.
- Disfigurement.
- Internal bleeding and soft tissue damage.
- Loss of limbs.
- Partial or complete paralysis.
- Spinal cord injuries.
- Traumatic brain injuries.
- Whiplash and other neck injuries.
- Wrongful death.
In addition to these bodily injuries, there is also the invisible toll of emotional distress that a traumatic truck accident can inflict on a person’s psyche. Depression, anxiety, and other psychological conditions often develop in the survivors of a crash and their families.
What Are the Common Causes of Trucking Accidents?
Heavy truck accidents happen for many of the same reasons that other motor vehicle crashes transpire; driver negligence, cars in a driver’s blind spot, and poor vehicle maintenance. However, for big rigs, there are a few additional causes for accidents, largely thanks to how large the commercial trucks are and how heavy their cargo can tend to be.
Typical causes for large truck accidents include:
- Breaking federal laws.
- Dangerous weather conditions.
- Driver error and miscalculation.
- Driver fatigue.
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Equipment failure.
- Hazardous road conditions caused by disrepair.
- Improperly maintained large trucks.
- Inadequate training for drivers of big rigs.
- Overloading cargo.
- Speeding.
- Trucking company negligence.
- Unbalanced or unsecured cargo loads.
Who is Liable for a Truck Accident Injury?
Personal injury claims made in relation to a truck accident are more complicated than those regarding other car accidents, not least of all because of the involvement of wealthy and powerful trucking companies. It may prove difficult to hold at-fault parties accountable because of their legal team, but chances are there may be more parties that can be targeted for accountability.
Truck drivers are the most obvious individuals that may be to blame for trucking accidents. It could have been their actions that led their truck to collide with others, rollover, or jackknife. But the blame does not automatically fall at their feet, at least not the entirety of the responsibility.
The trucking company which owns the truck and employs the driver may also be held to account. The trucking companies have more money at their disposal, which means there is more to win. But they are well-defended by their personal injury lawyers and their insurance company. Still, if their neglect led to the accident, they must answer for their dangerous oversights.
Those responsible for loading and unloading the trucks may also hold some blame for an accident, especially if it is determined that an unbalanced load or too much cargo led to the truck accident.
If poor road conditions led to the truck accident, then certain government entities may be liable for not maintaining the roads to an adequate standard.
Additionally, the manufacturers of commercial trucks may be liable if it is shown that some defect in the design or make of the truck led to accidents.
What Compensation Can Truck Accident Lawyers Recover for Their Injured Clients?
Your truck accident attorney will attempt to secure a fair settlement for you using evidence collected at the scene of the accident, medical records, and closely examining all parties involved in the make and operation of the truck.
Compensatory damages for truck accidents can help victims recover from:
- Any outstanding medical bills.
- Emotional distress.
- Loss of ability to make a living wage.
- Medical expenses relating to long-term care.
- Pain and suffering.
- Past and future lost wages.
- Physical therapy.
- Property damage.
- Wrongful death claims.
How Much Does a Personal Injury Attorney Cost?
The cost of hiring a legal professional varies based on the details of the case and the firm you choose to represent it.
At Khan Injury Law, we work on what’s called a ‘contingency fee basis. What this means is that you only need to worry about paying for our services if we are able to recover compensation for your claim successfully. If we fail to secure any financial compensation for your case, you owe us nothing in legal fees.
Additionally, our law firm offers prospective clients a free case evaluation. So, please feel free to call us and set up your free, zero-risk consultation. We would love to discuss your legal needs and see if our dedicated and experienced personal injury lawyers would be a good fit.
What Makes a Truck Accident Case Different from an Accident Involving Other Vehicles?
While every driver involved in a vehicle accident may make a legal battle difficult, and every insurance company could try to lowball victims with ridiculous settlements for their injuries, accidents involving the wealthy and powerful commercial trucking industry can be all the more challenging. In these cases, not only are you trying to hold a driver accountable for their actions, but you may be seeking to hold those who loaded the truck, built the truck, and the owners of the truck liable for their role in the accident. And while this does mean those truck accidents have more potential targets by which you may recover damages, it also means that their defense is likely to be more robust.
The trucking industry is a multi-billion dollar behemoth of American wealth and industry. They employ some of the shrewdest lawyers and pay for airtight insurance policies to protect them from lawsuits and any appearance of wrongdoing. It will be difficult, and the case should be expected to take longer if you hope to hold a trucking company responsible for your medical bills and property damages. But right is right, and wrong is wrong, and as your attorneys, we will seek to hold the company and its employees accountable for their role in your pain and suffering.
Schedule a Free Consultation with an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer Today
A truck accident can be one of the most violent and life-altering incidents that a civilian motorist or pedestrian can ever be unlucky enough to become the victim of. If you’ve sustained injuries in a truck accident, you may be eligible to seek compensation from the trucking company and the truck drivers responsible. These cases can be hard fought, with complex insurance company involvement, and no injured person should be expected to navigate the legal process independently.
We have served accident victims across Washington for years at Khan Injury Law. To speak with a member of our legal team, please contact our Seattle law office at (206) 203-3978.