Trucks traveling the roads in Spokane don’t always fit in the lanes on our local streets, highways, and even on I-90. This is painfully obvious when a semi pulling a tractor-trailer attempts a turn in front of you. Truck drivers may go for it, despite not having the room, and hope motorists stop or veer out of the way in time.
You may see this giant obstacle coming and allow the truck some room. In other instances, you may not get enough warning to stop in time and end up in a frightening collision. An impact with an 80,000lb vehicle may inflict serious injuries on you and your passengers. Your focus will be on healing, but you may also have to worry over the cost of your hospital stay, each surgery you undergo, and your physical therapy.
Who Is Responsible for Washington Truck Accidents?
Large trucks can make a right turn alongside you and suddenly be pushing you out of your lane as their wide turning radius goes left and then cuts back right to close off the lane you’re in. An impact is common in this situation. A truck in the oncoming lane may make a wide, slow left turn across your lane and leave you to slam the brakes or endure a collision.
You can be put in harm’s way and end up spending the night in the emergency room or much longer in a hospital bed. The medical costs will be enormous as you heal and they shouldn’t be your responsibility when a truck driver’s mistake leaves you or your loved ones hurt.
A claim for damages can often be filed against several parties after a truck accident. The first party to call upon would be the driver’s commercial truck insurance policy if they work for themselves.
A trucking or agricultural company could employ the driver and those businesses would have insurance covering employees and their victims. They would also be responsible for the proper upkeep and maintenance of the truck, and if a bald tire or unchanged brake pads led to the accident they would be liable.
There’s also the possibility of suing the manufacturer of the truck if a problem in the design of the vehicle caused the accident. Perhaps there’s been a national recall on a part that played a role in your crash. With so many parties potentially liable for your collision, having a personal injury lawyer to investigate these companies and their actions can mean a much quicker path to success for your case.
Insurance Tactics in Washington Truck Accidents
With so many individuals and corporations perhaps sharing liability in your accident, you could have to face off against many more insurance adjusters and possibly corporate lawyers. They’ll be looking for reasons to reject your accident claim to save their companies thousands of dollars in settlement money.
This strategy isn’t a new one. Insurance companies use several tactics to reduce the amount you’ll receive or convince you to give up your hopes of getting compensation altogether.
These are just two of the main insurance tactics your personal injury lawyer will be shielding you from:
- Insufficient Settlement Offers: Insurance adjusters can receive your claim and lay it aside for several weeks or months to let you get desperate to pay your medical bills and your monthly expenses. When they do send you a settlement offer, it can be several thousand dollars less than you need to cover all of your damages. This is called a “lowball” settlement offer. You may be tempted to sign off on the first chance you get to secure some money. Without a personal injury lawyer working for you, you won’t know that your injury and your hardships are worth much more.
- Shifting Blame: An insurance company would also like to change the narrative of your accident and claim their policyholder wasn’t fully to blame. They could even claim you caused the crash. Insurance companies and corporate lawyers can hire investigators to go through your driving and medical records. They want to paint you as a dangerous driver and also show that you might have injuries from a previous accident. Your personal injury lawyer will knock down these weak arguments, but without a legal expert, insurance adjusters may just get away with pushing some of the blame to you.
Contact a Truck Accident Attorney Serving Spokane and Northern Idaho
Traveling along a Spokane road, you’ve probably witnessed some close calls involving a large truck trying to make a turn. Truck drivers can proceed with a turn and put the pressure on you to stop in time or swerve out of the way. If you can’t, the truck driver and his or her employer need to be held accountable for your injuries.
After an accident involving a serious injury due to the mistake of a truck driver, contact a Spokane Truck Accident Lawyer with CCD Law.  We offer a free and confidential case consultation for victims and their families. Even if you don’t end up needing our services, at least talk to a friendly and helpful legal expert so that you aren’t left in the dark about the benefits available to you and your family.
