Accidents involving commercial trucks can be catastrophic and cause serious injuries, property damage, or even death. Truck accidents occur for various reasons, such as driver fatigue, distracted driving, and violation of traffic rules, among others. When a truck accident occurs in Spokane or anywhere else in Washington State, those affected may suffer significant consequences that can have long-lasting effects on their lives.

Contact us if you’ve been involved in a truck accident in Spokane or the surrounding areas recently and are looking to hire an attorney to represent you through the legal process toward receiving compensation for your damages and injuries incurred from the collision.

How Common Are Truck Accidents in Spokane and Washington State?

As a Spokane truck accident lawyer can tell you, in 2019 alone, there were over thirteen million large trucks registered throughout America, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) statistics. Commercial trucks pose potential risks due to their size that could easily endanger any other smaller vehicle sharing roads with them, oftentimes leaving people devastated after a collision with one or more other cars.

Spokane lies along major commercial corridors, including Interstate 90, which connects consumers all across North America via freight transport, therefore exposing it more frequently than less-commercialized regions within Washington State. The city of Spokane is known especially for its vulnerable zones, where truck-related crash incidents involve not only private passenger autos but also big rigs hauling lengthy trailers carrying heavy goods over public roads.

The most recent statistic from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) shows that there were over 6,000 crashes involving commercial trucks in 2022. This high number highlights just how common truck accidents are and emphasizes the importance of finding competent legal representation to protect your rights as a victim.

How to Win a Truck Accident Case in Washington State?

If you’ve been involved in a trucking accident, it’s essential to follow these steps. Doing so may help you to win a truck accident case in Washington State with the help of Spokane truck accident attorneys.

1. Seek Medical Attention

Your health is a top priority after an accident. Therefore, ensure you visit a hospital emergency services department or any other available medical facility nearby for proper treatment before even worrying about anything else, such as seeking legal advice from Spokane truck accident attorneys.

2. Document Evidence

Collect vital information concerning details relating directly to what took place at the scene, including photos taken by yourself, if possible, along with those taken by external eyewitnesses present.

3. Hire An Experienced Spokane Truck Accident Attorney

Hiring a qualified Spokane truck accident attorney will help guide you through the complex nature of lawsuits and maximize your chances of winning settlement payouts. This facilitates appropriate financial compensation for losses sustained due to the consequences associated with being hit or losing loved ones overnight without warning on highways. Reckless drivers who fail to obey traffic laws put innocent civilians at risk daily, and having an attorney can make a significant difference in addressing these unfortunate incidents.

Compensation for Commercial Trucking Accident

After experiencing damages incurred while involved in a trucking accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and other losses. Some of the types of compensation that you can receive with the help of Spokane truck accident lawyers include:

Medical Costs

This includes expenses for hospitalization, surgery, medication, and rehabilitation.

Lost Wages/Potential Earnings

If you are unable to work as a result of an injury sustained from an accident, or if it affects your ability to earn future wages due to lingering side effects that hinder your performance levels, you may experience a direct impact on your paychecks. This could result in lower earnings than you would have received without the incident, sometimes indefinitely, and could lead to a total loss of potential earnings. This is true even after some victims have made a full mental and physical recovery from their experiences. Consult with a Washington truck accident attorney to learn more about compensation for lost wages and earning potential. 

Property Damage

You are also likely entitled to compensation for damages incurred by vehicles involved, such as repair or replacement bills associated with these incidents.

Pain/Suffering Damages

Pain and suffering damages for truck accident victims serve to compensate you for the emotional and physical anguish caused by the harrowing event. These non-financial damages address the profound impact of the accident on the individual’s quality of life, encompassing aspects such as mental anguish, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, and physical pain. While quantifying pain and suffering can be challenging, your Washington truck accident attorney can help.

How Our Attorneys Can Help Get Compensation for Your Injuries and Damages in a Trucking Accident

The legal process of getting compensation for your injuries and damages in a trucking accident can be quite complicated, especially on top of experiencing all the physical injuries and trauma that the accident brought down on you. This is why engaging reliable and experienced lawyers is such a smart solution. Hiring legal representation can significantly increase your chances of getting fair compensation. Some ways our attorneys at Craig Swapp & Associates can help you include:

Investigating the Accident

Our lawyers will help to gather all valuable evidence, including police reports, witness statements, and medical records, in order to build a strong case on behalf of our clients.

Negotiating with Insurance Companies

We have experience in negotiating settlements that take into account not only immediate losses but also long-term damages, such as the loss of future earning potential or the effects of pain and suffering following accidents. Therefore, we secure maximum reasonable payouts for deserving clients represented through this difficult process.

Representation in Court

If we are unable to negotiate favorable terms for an out-of-court settlement due to adverse offers that don’t fully match the calculated worthiness of the rightfully deserved compensation demanded by the involved parties, providing representation during legal proceedings becomes essential. This ensures that the victims’ rights are duly protected and vigorously advocated for, fostering supportive lawyer-client relations. A forceful approach is necessary to achieve justice when it is needed most.

Incidents involving commercial trucks often result in severe consequences disproportionate to age/gender/ethnicity/occupation/status. Therefore, it’s imperative people protect themselves with capable hands that hold insurance providers and trucking companies accountable for putting others’ lives at risk on the road in Spokane.

Contact Craig Swapp & Associates For Help

Contact us today so we may help you get the compensation you deserve. Our Spokane truck accident lawyers at Craig Swapp & Associates are dedicated to fighting for your rights and ensuring that justice is served. We offer a free consultation where we can discuss your case and the options available to you. Don’t wait any longer, call us now!

Written By: Ryan Swapp     Legal Review By: Craig Swapp