An exhausted truck driver at the wheel of a big rig can prove to be a deadly hazard on any Spokane road. When truck drivers ignore certain mandated limits on how long they can drive and cause accidents, the driver and the trucking company can be fully liable.
CCD Law stands tall for injured Spokane-area truck accident victims. We demand full support from insurers who want to deny and delay help. Contact a Spokane Truck Accident Lawyer for a free case consultation and go over what your case is worth.
When Should I Have a Lawyer for My Truck Accident Case?
If a drowsy truck driver hits you and you receive a serious injury, like a broken bone or brain trauma, it’s a good sign that you should have a lawyer for your case.
Commercial truck insurance providers will fight extra hard when an expensive injury is involved. Trucking companies can also hire company lawyers who work to remove blame from the truck driver and/or downplay the severity of your injury.
A lawyer is a defense against these unfair tactics and can also often maximize the settlement you receive. Your lawyer can provide these benefits and more:
- Fully investigates your accident and the truck driver’s history.
- Gathers accident reconstruction data, witness testimony, and surveillance video if necessary.
- Files your case for you and submits it with a complete list of the damages you’ve suffered and that should be fully covered.
- Handles the frustrating negotiation process to demand more on your behalf, while giving you time to focus on getting better.
- No upfront costs. We work on a contingency basis. It means we don’t get paid unless we win your case for you.
Washington allows accident victims to file their own claims. However, victims with skilled lawyers often earn much more than they would if they handled their cases themselves.
The Danger of Fatigued Truck Drivers
Truck drivers do critical work, but with that duty comes a need to pay extra attention to the road. It’s just a requirement with the heavy loads they haul in such large, potentially dangerous vehicles.
- Truck drivers need sharper reflexes to hit the brakes early enough because their trucks take longer to stop in stop-and-go traffic on busy roads like Sprague Avenue.
- Truck drivers must monitor their speeds so they can slow down appropriately as they approach traffic lights and crosswalks, like the many along Monroe Street.
- Truck drivers need to pay attention to lane boundaries and not veer out of the one they are in unexpectedly or unsafely, as along a fast-moving I-90.
To ensure they have the focus to provide this extra attention, truck drivers must also take the wheel fully rested. When they don’t get the mandated rest they need, and when their employers don’t check in on their rest schedules, drivers and companies can be fully liable for any accidents and injuries that result.
Washington and Federal Truck Driver Rest Laws
Trucking and delivery companies will often put profits over the safety of their truck drivers and others on the road. It’s why there are state and federal mandates meant to keep fatigued truck drivers off the lanes.
Washington State generally follows the federal guidelines for how many hours and how many days truck drivers can be on the road.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) explains the maximum hours drivers can travel and the cutoff for when they must pull over or break the law.
- 30-Minute Driving Break: Truck drivers must take a 30-minute rest stop after they’ve been driving a total of 8 hours without at least a 30-minute interruption.
- 11-Hour Limit for Truck Drivers: Truck drivers transporting goods must only drive a total of 11 hours straight. And that drive should only come after they’ve had 10 consecutive hours away from the wheel.
- 60/70 Hours on Duty: Drivers can’t drive for more than 60 hours over seven days, or 70 hours over an eight-day period. This limit only resets after drivers have at least 34 consecutive hours off.
These limits can be expanded for short-haul one-day trips or when weather affects the trip.
Drivers are required to keep track of their hours on the road, but it’s usually done for them with an Electronic Logging Device (ELD). It’s plugged into the truck or van and tracks how long and how many miles drivers are at the wheel. It prevents drivers from falsifying their hours.
Support for Victims of Truck Accidents
An experienced truck accident attorney can gain access to this important data for accident victims. It can be used as evidence along with witness testimony, surveillance video, and accident reconstruction information.
It’s all helpful information when showing that a careless truck driver was too exhausted to be on the road.
Then your attorney files a claim on your behalf and demands the maximum in compensation available for these and other damages:
- Hospital and physical therapy costs now and in the future.
- Travel expenses for each trip you make to see doctors and out-of-town specialists.
- Past and future lost earnings.
- Support for the physical pain you endure.
- Emotional distress, such as depression and anxiety after a scary truck accident.
- Loss of enjoyment of life after a serious injury.
- Replacement or repair of your vehicle.
Contact a Spokane Truck Accident Lawyer Today
Don’t get fooled by truck accident insurance companies and trucking company lawyers. They can try to convince you that a truck driver wasn’t fatigued. They may also try to talk you into signing off on a “lowball” settlement offer for an injury that still requires medical care. Refer them to your attorney.
We invite you to contact the law office of Crary & Domanico, P.S., today to schedule a free and confidential consultation. There’s never an obligation for this meeting. Find out what your case is worth and how to hold trucking companies liable for their accidents.
If you stand to earn much more with the help of a lawyer, you don’t need any upfront money to retain CCD Law. We serve victims across the Spokane County area and only seek payment if we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement check a trucking company must write for you.