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Truck accidents in Spokane often stem from common causes, whether it’s speeding through snow-covered roadways or failing to secure a heavy load properly.
When other motorists are injured in these wrecks, they may face steep medical costs, long-term trauma, and complex legal and insurance procedures. That’s why victims turn to trusted personal injury law firms like Craig Swapp & Associates, a dedicated team of Spokane truck accident lawyers helping clients recover after serious trucking collisions.
Here’s what you need to know about the most common causes of truck accidents, and what Washington State laws say about your legal rights after a crash.
Truck wrecks are more common in Spokane than many people realize. Based on the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Crash Data Portal, Spokane County has already recorded 215 crashes involving heavy trucks this year – and 101 of these are from Spokane City alone.
These numbers include collisions in areas often congested with commercial traffic and susceptible to dangerous weather in winter. Many of these crashes are linked to predictable, preventable behaviors.
Understanding the common causes of truck accidents in Spokane is crucial for preventing future wrecks and for understanding your legal rights if you’ve been involved in one.
Below are the leading reasons truck crashes happen:
Truck drivers on tight delivery schedules may speed to meet deadlines. However, speeding significantly increases the stopping distance of a heavy vehicle and can lead to catastrophic outcomes, especially on Spokane’s icy winter roads or during low-visibility conditions.
Interstate 90, running directly through Spokane, is a known hotspot for jackknife accidents due to high-speed travel combined with curves, hills, or sudden traffic slowdowns.
Impairment is one of the major contributing factors to serious vehicle crashes in Washington, and truck drivers are no exception. Even though federal regulations impose stricter alcohol and drug testing for commercial drivers, impairment-related wrecks still happen, sometimes due to fatigue-induced medication misuse or illegal substances.
Using a cell phone, GPS, or in-cab entertainment system is a dangerous distraction, even more so for truck drivers maneuvering an 80,000-pound vehicle. Washington’s E-DUI law prohibits all handheld device use while driving, even at a red light. Distracted driving reduces reaction times, and when it happens behind the wheel of a semi-truck, the results are often tragic.
Commercial trucks require frequent inspections and maintenance. Faulty brakes, bald tires, or broken taillights can be disastrous. Brake system failures are among the top contributors to truck crashes nationwide. In Washington, inspection checkpoints and weigh stations regularly flag tire and brake defects, but many unsafe trucks still make it onto the road.
An improperly secured load can shift during transit, throwing the truck off balance or spilling onto the roadway. Washington State’s Maria’s Law requires all vehicles to be fully secured to avoid debris hazards. Failure to comply is not only illegal, it can be deadly.
Trucks carrying construction equipment, logs, or other oversized materials must be especially cautious. If an object falls and causes an accident, the trucking company could be liable.
Overloaded trucks are harder to stop, cause more wear and tear on brakes and tires, and increase the chance of tipping over, especially on off-ramps or curves. Spokane’s transportation corridors include bridges and roadways that have weight limits, and violating these limits is a known safety risk. The Washington State Patrol uses weigh stations to monitor for overweight violations, but not all infractions are caught before a crash occurs.
Spokane experiences snowy, icy winters and foggy mornings that can limit visibility and traction. Drivers must obey chain requirements and adjust their speed and following distance in adverse conditions. Failure to prepare for the weather, like not chaining tires or underestimating black ice, leads to many serious truck crashes every year in Eastern Washington.
Due to their size and momentum, trucks often cause devastating injuries.
Victims in Spokane truck accidents often suffer from:
These injuries can result in lifelong disability, loss of income, and psychological trauma. Even minor injuries can carry long recovery periods and require extensive medical treatment. That’s why understanding the truck accident causes is just one piece of the legal puzzle; pursuing rightful compensation is the next.
In Washington, if you’re injured due to a truck driver’s negligence or a trucking company’s safety violations, you have the right to pursue compensation for your truck accident injuries.
This includes:
Fault in truck accidents is more complex than car accidents because of the potential for multiple liable parties.
Depending on the situation, you may have a claim against:
Under Washington’s comparative fault law, you can still recover damages even if you were partially at fault, although your percentage of fault may reduce your compensation.
Due to strict deadlines, victims must act quickly. Washington’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including truck wrecks, is generally 3 years from the date of the crash.
Working with experienced truck crash lawyers is essential to identify liable parties, preserve key evidence (such as driver logs and black box data), and negotiate with insurance companies who often try to minimize payouts.
At Craig Swapp & Associates, our team of experienced injury lawyers in Spokane is here to help you navigate your legal options. We’ve helped countless clients recover compensation for their injuries, and we’re ready to help you.
Call our office in Spokane at 509-567-2533 or send us a message about your case by answering our online form here.
Written By: Ryan Swapp Legal Review By: Craig Swapp