Seattle Truck Accident Attorney
Injury Law Group NW represents people hurt in collisions with commercial trucks in Seattle and throughout King County, along with the families of those who did not survive. A Seattle truck accident attorney deals with a different kind of case than a lawyer handling a fender-bender: the vehicle that hit you was likely operated by a professional driver, owned or leased by a company, loaded by a third party, and insured under policies built to protect the business, not you.
That layering is what separates truck cases from ordinary car crashes. A semi on I-5 through downtown, a box truck on Aurora Avenue, or a dump truck near the Duwamish industrial corridor can each involve a driver, a carrier, a broker, a loading company, and a maintenance contractor, and each of them may point at someone else. Sorting out who answers for the harm is the first real task in the case.
Why Truck Cases Are Built Differently Than Car Cases
When a passenger car causes a crash, the question is usually whether one driver was careless. With a commercial truck, the question widens. Was the driver working past the hours federal safety rules allow? Was the cargo secured and balanced? Did the carrier skip brake inspections or hire someone with a poor driving record? Did a company push a delivery schedule that made speeding or fatigue almost inevitable? Federal safety regulations govern much of the trucking industry, and the records those rules require carriers to keep can show whether the company cut corners.
Much of that evidence is held by the trucking company, and it does not stay around forever. Driver logs, electronic data from the truck, dispatch records, maintenance files, and dash camera footage can be overwritten or discarded in the ordinary course of business. Early on, a lawyer can send a written demand that the carrier preserve that material. Waiting weeks to start that process can cost you proof that would have shown what really happened.
Insurance works differently here too. Carriers often carry larger policies than a private driver would, and they tend to dispatch their own investigators and adjusters to the scene quickly, sometimes within hours. Their goal is to build a record that favors the company before you have even finished your first round of medical care. Having someone on your side who knows how that machinery runs makes a real difference.
Why Choose Injury Law Group NW for a Seattle Truck Crash
Injury Law Group NW is a personal injury firm serving Seattle, Bellevue, Issaquah, and communities across King County and the greater Puget Sound region. Our attorneys spent decades defending insurance companies before they began representing injured people, so we know how trucking insurers and their adjusters evaluate, delay, and contest claims. We handle cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning no attorney fee unless we recover money for you, and the first consultation is free and confidential. Our case managers return calls and texts promptly, and if your injuries make travel hard, we will meet you at home or at the hospital.
Troy Hunter, our founding partner, spent 16 years in insurance defense litigation, mostly as a partner at Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer, defending insurers and corporate clients against injury, wrongful death, and construction defect claims. He also serves as a dispute mediator. David D. Mordekhov spent two decades at Gardner Trabolsi & Mordekhov, a Seattle defense firm, trying wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and product liability cases before judges and juries. Both are rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. David has been selected to the Super Lawyers list and teaches trial and deposition skills as faculty at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Associate attorneys Warren Barreiro and Hannah Shergold complete the team. David speaks Russian and has represented Russian and Ukrainian speaking families, and Warren speaks Spanish. Our attorneys have argued at every level of the Washington court system, from district court to the Washington Supreme Court, and we are members of the Washington State Association for Justice.
Results matter more than résumés, so here are a few. We secured a mid-six-figure settlement for a family of five whose minivan was forced into the I-5 center barrier by a semi-truck. We obtained a mid-six-figure settlement for an elderly woman struck by a transit bus in a downtown Seattle crosswalk. And we recovered more than $1 million for parents whose newborn died after a hospital failed to adequately test for Group B Strep, a case that also led the hospital to change its procedures. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a future outcome. We prepare every claim as though it will be tried, because trucking insurers settle more fairly when they believe the lawyer across the table will go to court.
Kinds of Commercial Vehicle Crashes We Handle
- Semi-Truck and Tractor-Trailer Collisions: Long-haul rigs moving freight along I-5, I-90, and I-405 through King County are involved in rear-end crashes, underride collisions, jackknifes, and wide-turn accidents. Federal safety rules on driver hours, vehicle inspection, and cargo securement often shape who bears responsibility.
- Crashes Into Barriers and Lane Changes: A truck that drifts or merges without clearing its blind spots can force smaller vehicles into center barriers or guardrails, as happened in one of our I-5 cases involving a family minivan.
- Delivery and Box Truck Accidents: Package and freight delivery traffic in Seattle’s dense neighborhoods leads to crashes at intersections, loading zones, and alleys, often involving rushed drivers working to tight schedules.
- Bus Accidents: Transit and commercial buses present their own liability questions, including pedestrians struck in downtown crosswalks, and claims may involve a public agency with special notice rules.
- Dump Truck and Construction Vehicle Crashes: Heavy trucks hauling material to and from Seattle building sites can lose loads, back into traffic, or run through intersections, and construction-related defendants sometimes share the blame.
- Motorcycle and Cyclist Collisions With Trucks: Riders and cyclists are hard to see from a truck cab, and the injuries when a large vehicle turns or changes lanes into them tend to be catastrophic.
- Pedestrian Strikes by Commercial Vehicles: Large trucks making turns in busy Seattle crosswalks can hit people the driver never saw, with devastating results.
- Fatal Truck Crashes: When a truck collision kills someone, the family may bring a wrongful death claim in addition to any claims for the person’s injuries before death.
What to Do After a Truck Crash in Seattle
Get medical attention first, even if you feel mostly fine. Adrenaline hides injuries, and brain injuries, internal bleeding, and spinal damage do not always announce themselves right away. Seattle has major trauma centers, and the emergency crews who respond to serious crashes on I-5 and I-90 will usually take you to one. Gaps between the crash and your first treatment give the insurer an argument that something else caused your injuries.
If you can, photograph the scene, the vehicles, the truck’s markings, and any DOT or carrier information on the cab or trailer. Get names and contact information for witnesses. Ask that police create a report, and keep a copy. Do not post about the crash online, and do not guess about fault or apologize at the scene. Things said in the moment have a way of reappearing in a claims file.
Be careful with the trucking company’s insurer. You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the at-fault party’s insurance company, and adjusters ask questions designed to minimize injuries or shift blame to you. Talk to a lawyer first. We can also send the preservation demand that asks the carrier to hold onto driver logs, electronic data, and maintenance records before they disappear.
On timing, Washington generally gives you three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, and wrongful death claims follow the same three-year period counted from the date of death. A lawsuit is considered started when you file or serve it, so long as the other step happens within 90 days. If a government vehicle or agency is involved, such as a transit bus, you must first present a formal claim on the required form, and then wait 60 days before filing suit; sending the claim by email or fax generally does not count as proper presentment for local government claims. Most suits in this area are filed in King County Superior Court, which sits in Seattle and in Kent, and we also work in federal court in Seattle when a case belongs there. Your own auto policy may include personal injury protection coverage for medical bills and some lost wages regardless of who caused the crash, unless you rejected it in writing.
Fault, Shared Blame, and How Compensation Is Measured
Washington follows comparative fault. If a jury decides you were partly responsible, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you are not shut out of recovery. Trucking insurers know this and work to inflate your share, claiming you braked suddenly, merged too close, or were in the driver’s blind spot. Defending against those arguments is a routine part of the work.
Compensation in a truck case can include past and future medical care, lost wages and lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering. For serious injuries, especially brain or spinal injuries, valuing the claim means building medical and vocational evidence about what your life will look like years from now, not just what the bills say today. We evaluate claims the way insurers do, so we can tell you what a fair recovery looks like and push for it.
Seattle Truck Accident Questions We Hear
Who can be held responsible for a truck accident?
Beyond the driver, responsibility can reach the trucking company, a company that owns or leases the truck, the party that loaded the cargo, a maintenance contractor, or a manufacturer if a defect played a role. Which of them is liable depends on the facts, and identifying all of them matters because each may carry separate insurance.
How is a truck accident case different from a car accident case?
Trucks are subject to federal safety rules, professional drivers must keep records, and companies often have teams ready to investigate right after a crash. The injuries tend to be more serious and the insurance policies larger, which makes the dispute more contested.
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Washington?
Generally three years from the date of injury. Claims against government entities require a formal claim first, followed by a 60-day wait before suit. Because some deadlines are shorter in practice and evidence disappears faster, it is best to talk to a lawyer early.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
You can still recover. Washington reduces your damages by your percentage of fault but does not bar the claim. If you were found 30 percent responsible, you could still recover 70 percent of your damages.
Should I talk to the trucking company’s insurance adjuster?
You are generally not required to give them a recorded statement, and it is wise to speak with a lawyer first. Adjusters are trained to ask questions that can later be used to downplay your injuries.
How much does it cost to hire Injury Law Group NW?
The first consultation is free and confidential. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you owe no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
What evidence should be preserved after a trucking accident?
Driver logs, electronic data from the truck, dispatch and delivery records, maintenance files, inspection reports, and dash camera footage can all matter. Carriers do not always keep this material for long, so a written preservation demand sent early can make a significant difference.
Will my health insurance or PIP coverage pay my medical bills while the claim is pending?
Often, yes. Washington auto policies include personal injury protection unless it was rejected in writing, and it can cover medical expenses and some lost wages regardless of fault. Health insurance may also cover treatment. We coordinate these sources so your bills are handled while your claim moves forward.
What if the truck that hit me was a city or transit vehicle?
Claims against local governments require a formal tort claim on the standard form, delivered properly, and a 60-day waiting period before you can file suit. Missing those steps can threaten your case, which is why these claims need prompt attention.
How long does a Seattle truck accident case usually take?
It varies with the severity of the injuries and how hard the carrier fights. Cases involving serious injuries often take longer because we usually want you to reach a stable point in treatment before valuing the claim, and cases that go to trial in King County Superior Court take longer still.
Can a family bring a claim if a loved one died in a truck crash?
Yes. A personal representative brings a wrongful death action for the benefit of the spouse or state registered domestic partner and children; if there are none, parents or siblings may be the beneficiaries. Parents may also have their own claim for a child’s injury or death.
Do your attorneys work with clients who do not speak English as a first language?
Yes. David Mordekhov is fluent in Russian, and Warren Barreiro speaks Spanish. We regularly help Russian, Ukrainian, and Spanish speaking clients across the Seattle area.
Serving Truck Crash Victims Across Seattle and King County
We represent clients throughout Seattle, from downtown, South Lake Union, and Capitol Hill to Ballard, Fremont, Queen Anne, the University District, and Northgate, and south through SoDo, Georgetown, Beacon Hill, Columbia City, and West Seattle. Heavy truck traffic runs along I-5, Aurora Avenue, and the industrial corridors near the port, and we handle crashes from all of those areas. We also serve people in Shoreline, Kenmore, and Lake Forest Park to the north.
Across King County and the Eastside, our team works with injured clients in Bellevue, Issaquah, Sammamish, Redmond, and Kirkland, and in south King County communities including Kent and Renton. Whether the crash happened on I-90, I-405, or a local road, and whether it involved a commercial semi, a delivery truck, or a bus, we serve the greater Seattle area and the wider Puget Sound region.
Talk to a Seattle Truck Accident Lawyer Today
If a commercial truck changed your life or took someone you love, call or text Injury Law Group NW for a free, confidential consultation with a Seattle truck accident lawyer. We will listen to what happened, explain your options, and go after the compensation and medical care you need. You pay nothing unless we recover money for you. We give hope. We get results.
