Truck Accident Lawyers in Washington

A loaded semi-truck weighs up to 80,000 pounds, twenty times a passenger car. When one hits you on I-5, I-90, I-82 or US-395, the injuries are rarely minor and the claim is rarely simple. Trucking companies and their insurers send investigators to the scene within hours. The evidence that proves what happened, from the truck’s electronic logs to the driver’s hours-of-service records, is in their hands, and some of it can legally be destroyed within months unless a preservation demand is sent.

The truck accident attorneys at Ritchie-Reiersen Injury & Immigration Attorneys move quickly to lock down that evidence, identify every liable party and pursue the full insurance available. We represent injured people and families across Washington from eleven offices in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Arizona. No fees unless we win.

Why Truck Cases Are Different

• Federal rules apply. Interstate carriers must follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations on driver hours, drug and alcohol testing, vehicle inspection and maintenance, cargo securement and driver qualification. A violation of these rules is powerful evidence of negligence.
• More than one defendant. The driver, the motor carrier, the owner of the trailer, the shipper that loaded the cargo, the maintenance contractor and the broker that arranged the load can each share responsibility.
• Higher insurance limits. Interstate carriers must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, and most carry $1 million or more. That coverage exists to compensate serious injuries, but the insurer’s job is to pay as little of it as possible.
• Evidence that expires. Electronic logging device data, dash camera footage, dispatch records and driver qualification files have retention periods as short as six months. A spoliation letter sent early requires the carrier to preserve them.
• Washington law still governs fault and damages: pure comparative fault, a three-year statute of limitations and no cap on damages.

Common Causes of Truck Crashes in Washington

• Driver fatigue and hours-of-service violations on long hauls across the Cascades and along the I-5 corridor
• Speeding and following too closely in congested traffic through Tacoma, Everett and Spokane
• Improperly loaded or unsecured cargo, especially agricultural loads in the Yakima Valley and Columbia Basin
• Brake and tire failures from skipped maintenance
• Distracted driving and impaired driving
• Unsafe lane changes and wide right turns in urban areas
• Winter conditions on Snoqualmie Pass and the eastern highways, where chains and speed rules are often ignored
• Amazon, UPS, FedEx and other delivery vehicles, which raise questions about who employed the driver and whose insurance applies

What to Do After a Truck Accident

• Get medical care immediately and follow through with treatment
• Photograph the truck, its DOT and license numbers, the trailer, the cargo, the scene and your injuries
• Get the driver’s name, employer and insurance information and the names of witnesses
• Do not speak with the trucking company’s insurer or sign anything. Their adjusters often contact victims within a day.
• Contact an attorney quickly so a preservation demand can be sent before logs and video are overwritten

What Your Claim Can Include

• All past and future medical care, including surgery, rehabilitation and long-term care for catastrophic injuries
• Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering, disfigurement, disability and loss of enjoyment of life
• Property damage
• Loss of consortium for a spouse or domestic partner
• Wrongful death damages for the family when a crash is fatal

Truck accident injuries often include traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, crush injuries and amputations. We work with treating physicians, life care planners and economists to document what the injury will cost over a lifetime, because a settlement that covers only today’s bills is not a fair settlement.

How We Handle Your Case

• Immediate preservation demand to the carrier for ELD data, dash cam footage, driver files, inspection and maintenance records
• Independent investigation, including accident reconstruction and download of the truck’s event data recorder when warranted
• Identification of every responsible party and every applicable insurance policy
• A demand built on the full medical and economic record
• Litigation in state or federal court when the carrier will not pay fair value, with the case prepared for trial from the start

Truck Accident Lawyers Near You

We handle these cases from every office: Kennewick, Tacoma, Auburn, Yakima, Moses Lake, Everett, Spokane, Wenatchee, Portland, OR, Twin Falls, ID, Mesa, AZ. Phone and video consultations are available anywhere in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Arizona.

Our Personal Injury Attorneys

Brandon Ritchie

Brandon Ritchie has devoted his entire legal career to personal injury and has personally represented more than a thousand injured clients. He holds a J.D. from the University of Idaho College of Law and an MBA from Washington State University.

Guy Zimmerman

Guy Zimmerman’s practice has focused exclusively on litigation since law school, including trial experience as a prosecutor in Twin Falls County. He is admitted to practice in Washington and Idaho and focuses solely on personal injury litigation.

Attorney Steve Ritchie, admitted in Washington, also handles personal injury claims; before law school he spent seven years in rental car management working with customers and insurance companies during the claims process. Consultations are available in English and Spanish.

Related Reading

• What Evidence Disappears First After a Truck Crash, and How Fast Must a Tacoma Truck Accident Lawyer Move?
• Legal Steps to Take Immediately After a Commercial Truck Accident
• Semi-Trucks and Auto Accidents – Sharing the Road

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can be held responsible for a truck accident?

Potentially the driver, the trucking company, the owner of the tractor or trailer, the company that loaded the cargo, a maintenance contractor and, in some cases, the broker or shipper. Identifying all of them matters because each may carry separate insurance.

How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in Washington?

Three years from the date of the crash. But the evidence that proves a truck case can be destroyed much sooner, so contact an attorney within days, not months.

What is a spoliation letter?

A written demand that the trucking company preserve specific evidence: electronic logs, dash camera video, dispatch and maintenance records, the driver’s qualification file and the vehicle itself. Once received, destroying that evidence can be used against the company in court.

The trucking company’s insurer offered to pay my medical bills. Should I accept?

Not without advice. Early offers typically require a release that ends your claim for everything, including injuries that have not been fully diagnosed. A free consultation will tell you what the offer is actually worth.

What if the truck driver was an independent contractor?

Carriers often use contractor arrangements to limit liability. Under federal rules, the motor carrier whose authority the truck operates under is generally responsible for the driver regardless of the label. We examine the lease and operating authority to hold the right company accountable.

Talk to a Washington Injury Lawyer

Call (888) 884-7337 or send us a message for a free consultation. No fees unless we win. Se habla español.