Tacoma Trucking Accident Injury Attorney

Numerous factors can cause trucking accidents. Weather, road conditions, alcohol, or drug abuse, driving while distracted, and more may lead to tractor-trailer accidents. Below are some of the most common causes of trucking accidents in Washington. 

• Mechanical Defects — Mechanical defects are the number one cause of trucking accidents within the United States. Defective or unmaintained tires, wheels, and brakes are at the root of many big rig injuries and fatalities. There has also been an increase in detective steering wheels. 
• Speed — It may seem obvious, but excessive speed is another common cause for truck drivers and passenger vehicles colliding on the road.  Driving at a high rate of speed beyond the posted limit is not only against the law, but it can also lead to severe accidents and death. The danger of excessive speed is especially true in accidents involving 18 wheelers. 
• New Tour Routes — Long-haul drivers get used to the routes we drive every day. They know the roads, the tricky intersections, the condition of the streets, the traffic to expect, and more. Unfortunately, changing routes for truck drivers can be a significant cause of trucking accidents. 
• Fatigue — Truck drivers get tired. Driving long distances over an extended period of time is exhaustingly hard work. We all get tired while driving. Now, imagine driving a truck weighing 40 times the weight of your passenger car. Fatigue is such an issue with trucking accidents that the state and federal government limits the hours a trucker can drive, including how many loads they can carry in 24 hours. 
• Alcohol or Drug Abuse—Alcohol and drug abuse account for a small number of trucking-related accidents. According to some studies, they account for less than five percent (5%) of truck incidents but when it does happen injuries are oftentimes severe.
• Uneven Loads— Improperly secured or improperly level loads often lead to trucking accidents. Improperly secured loads may shift and cause overturning or loads falling off the truck, causing other accidents. Logging trucks in Washington are notorious for not properly securing their loads. 
• Aggressive Driving – Like drivers of cars, SUVs, passenger vans, and motorcycles, truckers get road rage too. The difference is that an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer is an extremely heavy and dangerous instrument.
• Weight of the Truck – One of the leading causes of trucking accidents is simply the truck’s weight. A big rig is hard to stop. There have been many trucking accidents because a heavy truck could not stop at an intersection or downshift on the road the driver was not expecting. Big trucks have a stopping distance much longer than an average passenger car. Loaded tractor-trailers can weigh over 40 tons. Fatal truck accidents are often the result of heavyweight and considerable braking distance that can equal long distances.

Most trucking accidents happen on major roads, highways, and freeways. Statistics also show that most accidents involving large commercial trucks occur on the weekdays between noon and 3:00 PM. 

According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, accidents involving big trucks account for approximately 4000-5000 deaths each year. But, again, depending on the year, this accounts for about 11% of all fatal motor vehicle accidents in the U.S.

You may recover monetary damages if your trucking accident injuries were caused by someone else. Some damages recoverable in a personal injury lawsuit involving a truck are:

• • Pain and Suffering
  • Loss of Past and/or Future Employment
  • Past and Future Medical Bills
  • Rehabilitation Costs
  • Loss of the Enjoyment of Life
  • Property Damage
  • Disability 
  • Wrongful Death

Yes, you can! Our policy at the Washington Law Center is to win your case before you pay any fees or costs. Our local attorneys work on a type of fee structure called a Contingency Fee arrangement. That means you pay us nothing unless we win your case.

We don’t get paid unless we win your case!

Washington law limits the time you must file a personal injury claim. An injured victim has generally three years to file a personal injury claim under the law.

We, lawyers, call this law the Statute of Limitations, and it bars a claim filed after the time limit is up. The three-year time limit runs on the date of accident or injury. Other claims, like Wrongful Death or Medical Malpractice, may have shorter time limits.

Like most things in law, there are exceptions to the rules, so it is always important to contact an experienced Tacoma, Washington personal injury lawyer soon after an injury.

Every case in Tacoma is different. The compensation available to you will be based on a variety of factors, including the severity of your injuries. Our attorneys will sit down with you to walk you through the entire process, and ultimately show you the value of your case.

Damages for a personal injury make an injured victim “whole,” again to the maximum extent possible through financial compensation. There are various damages in Tort law we lawyers learn in law school, but essentially an injured person’s damages will be economic, like medical bills, or lost wages, and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering or emotional distress.

The following are common personal injury damages our attorneys recover in Tacoma. 

• Lost Wages
• Medical Bills
• Employment Loss
• Rehabilitation Costs 
• Pain and Suffering
• Psychological or Emotional Distress (PTSD)
• Loss of the Enjoyment of Life
• Temporary or Permanent Disability
• Vision or Hearing Loss
• Loss of Consortium 
• Disfigurement or Amputation
• Wrongful Death

• We are dedicated Personal Injury Lawyers. It is all we do. 
• Your legal representation is based upon your desires and wishes. We work for you. 
• Our law firm is one of the largest and most experienced personal injury law firms in Washington. Size matters! 
• We have decades of experience handling personal injury cases.
• You will receive regular communication throughout your case, from start to finish.
• We never charge a fee until we win your case. We cover all the litigation costs associated with your personal injury lawsuit until we win the case. 
• The lawyers at the Washington Law Center have a documented history of successful litigation.  
• If you are too sick or injured to come to our office, we offer virtual meetings online, and we offer in-person out-of-office meetings at the hospital or your home. 
• Our entire law firm is client-focused and client-centered. We offer personalized service to every personal injury client. We make your life easier. Not all firms are the same!
• We have a very skilled and talented legal team that will work on your injury matter. 
• We are passionate and committed to seeking justice in every case.
• Our attorneys are not afraid of trial and will gladly accept challenging cases. 
• You will receive experienced, knowledgeable, and skilled service from respected Tacoma personal injury attorneys.

We regularly keep clients updated on legal news on our personal injury blog. Our lawyers encourage you to read and educate yourself about a potential lawsuit or accident. However, every legal case is different and complex so you can’t rely on blogs alone. We strongly advise you to speak to our attorneys as soon as possible following an accident or injury in Tacoma.