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Spokane Truck Accident Lawyers
Spokane Truck Accident Attorneys Representing Drivers, Passengers, and Their Families
A serious truck accident can disrupt nearly every part of your life. You may suddenly be dealing with hospital visits, painful injuries, missed paychecks, vehicle damage, and constant stress about how you are supposed to move forward. Trucking companies and their insurers often begin protecting themselves immediately after a crash, leaving injured victims at a major disadvantage from the start.
Our Spokane truck accident lawyers at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC help injured people stand up to trucking companies and pursue the financial recovery they need after devastating collisions. For more than 40 years, we have represented accident victims throughout Washington in complex injury cases involving commercial trucks, tractor-trailers, delivery vehicles, and other large commercial vehicles.
We are prepared to investigate thoroughly, protect important evidence, and fight for compensation that reflects the true impact of the accident on your life.
Our office in Spokane, WA
- Address: 1312 N Monroe St f179, Spokane, WA 99201
- Open hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm
- Phone number: 509-228-8790
- Map Directions
What Are Common Causes of Truck Accidents?
There is no single common cause of truck accidents in Spokane, Washington. Truck accidents may occur for any number of reasons. However, the most common causes include the following.
Malfunctioning Brakes
When truck brakes malfunction, these heavy vehicles become a deadly mass of moving steel. Even if a truck driver continuously pumps the brakes as instructed, there may not be enough time for a truck to make a complete stop before colliding with another vehicle.
Rollovers
When trucks are driven too fast, a driver can lose control, causing the truck to slide sideways. If the truck hits anything while sliding sideways, a rollover may occur. Truck drivers who take a turn or curve too quickly also risk a rollover. A rollover can cause a truck to hit other vehicles or objects, such as guardrails.
Large Blindspots
Trucks have large blind spots. Blind spots on large trucks prevent a driver from seeing any vehicle or motorcycle that may be in their way. Trucks have blind spots on both the right and left sides and immediately behind them.
Driver Fatigue
Truck drivers often spend long hours on the road attempting to meet delivery deadlines. Although federal regulations limit how long truck drivers can operate without rest, violations still occur. Fatigued drivers may have slower reaction times, poor judgment, and difficulty maintaining control of their vehicles.
Distracted Driving
Commercial truck drivers spend long hours behind the wheel and often rely on navigation systems, dispatch devices, and communication equipment throughout the day. Unfortunately, even a brief distraction can have serious consequences when a large commercial truck is involved.
Looking away from the road to read a message, adjust a GPS, eat, or reach for an object inside the cab can reduce reaction time and increase the likelihood of a devastating collision.
Swinging Turns
Swinging turns occur when a truck swings out to make a turn. For example, a driver may swing left to make a right turn. In these situations, the driver may hit another vehicle head-on.
Additionally, if a driver fails to make a wide enough turn, the truck may clip cars beside it. These accidents commonly occur when a truck is driving through surface streets.
Tire Damage
Flat tires and blowouts happen all the time. The aftermath can be catastrophic when a tire blowout happens to an oversized, heavy truck. Truck companies drivers are responsible for maintaining their vehicles and checking the wear and tread on their tires before embarking on long-distance routes.
Overloaded Cargo
Federal and state laws limit how much weight a truck can carry at one time. When a driver goes above that limit, their truck may become too heavy to manage, making it harder for the driver to operate the vehicle safely. When a driver loses control of a truck carrying an oversized load, the results are often catastrophic.
Falling Debris
Some commercial trucks carry large loads of goods that are not properly secured. Other trucks may have open beds increasing the risk of items inside the truck bed falling out during travel. A truck driver must secure their load before traveling. If they fail to do so, falling debris can create a substantial risk for other drivers.
What Should I Do After a Truck Accident?
The hours and days following a truck accident can feel chaotic and overwhelming. However, the steps you take immediately after the collision can significantly impact your physical recovery and your ability to pursue compensation.
Seek Medical Attention Immediately
Your health should always come first. Even if you do not believe you suffered a serious injury, you should still seek medical care as soon as possible. Truck accident injuries can be more severe than they initially appear. Internal bleeding, traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, and soft tissue damage may not produce immediate symptoms.
Prompt treatment also creates important medical records that connect your injuries directly to the collision. Insurance companies often try to argue that delayed treatment means an injury was not serious or was unrelated to the accident.
Document the Scene
If you are physically able, try to document as much of the accident scene as possible before vehicles are moved and evidence disappears. Photographs and videos can become important evidence later in your claim.
You should try to capture:
- Damage to all vehicles involved,
- Road conditions and weather conditions,
- Traffic signs and signals,
- Skid marks and debris,
- Truck company logos or identifying numbers,
- Visible injuries, and
- The overall position of the vehicles after the collision.
Even small details can become important during a truck accident investigation.
Get Contact Information for All Parties and Witnesses
You should also gather contact and insurance information from everyone involved in the accident whenever possible. This information may be critical later when determining liability and pursuing compensation.
Important information to collect may include:
- Names and phone numbers of all drivers involved,
- Driver’s license information,
- Insurance company information,
- License plate numbers,
- Truck company information, and
- Names and contact details for eyewitnesses.
Independent witnesses can play a major role in truck accident claims by providing unbiased accounts of what happened.
Avoid Speaking in Detail with Insurance Adjusters
Insurance representatives may contact you shortly after the accident and request a recorded statement. It is generally best not to provide detailed statements or sign documents before speaking with a Spokane truck accident attorney. Insurance companies may attempt to use your words against you later.
Avoid Posting About the Accident on Social Media
After a truck accident, it is generally best to avoid posting details, photographs, or updates about the collision or your injuries on social media.
Insurance companies and defense attorneys sometimes review social media accounts looking for content they can use to challenge injury claims. Even seemingly harmless posts may be taken out of context and used against you later.
Get a Copy of the Police Report
The official police report can become an important piece of evidence in your truck accident claim. The report includes information about:
- The parties involved,
- Accident location and date,
- Witness statements,
- Roadway conditions,
- Citations issued, and
- The responding officer’s observations about the collision.
Your truck accident attorney can review the report alongside other evidence while building your case.
Contact a Spokane Truck Accident Attorney
Truck accident cases are complex and often involve multiple parties, large insurance policies, and extensive evidence. A truck accident lawyer can begin protecting your rights immediately by preserving evidence, communicating with insurers, and investigating the crash thoroughly.
What Can You Expect during Your Spokane Truck Accident Case?
Understanding what to expect during the legal process can help you feel more prepared as your case moves forward. When you choose our firm to represent you, our legal team will:
Meet with a Spokane Truck Accident Attorney
The process begins with a free consultation, during which you can discuss the details of the accident and your injuries with one of our Spokane truck accident lawyers. During this meeting, we will review the circumstances surrounding the collision, answer your questions, and explain your legal options under Washington law.
Investigate the Truck Accident
After reviewing your claim, our legal team will begin investigating the accident thoroughly. This investigation may involve:
- Reviewing police reports,
- Examining photographs and videos,
- Speaking with witnesses,
- Securing trucking company records, and
- Analyzing black box or electronic logging device data.
Truck accident cases often require extensive evidence to determine exactly how the crash occurred and who may be responsible.
Evaluate Liability and Damages
After gathering the available evidence, our Spokane truck accident attorneys will examine how the collision occurred, who may be legally responsible, and how the accident has affected your life.
Truck accident claims often involve complex liability issues, especially when multiple vehicles or commercial entities are involved. Determining who acted negligently and contributed to the collision is a critical part of building a strong truck accident claim.
We also carefully evaluate the short-term and long-term impact the accident has had on your physical health, financial stability, ability to work, and overall quality of life. Our goal is to pursue compensation that reflects the full extent of your losses.
Handle Insurance Company Communications
Insurance companies often attempt to minimize payouts or shift blame after serious truck accidents. Our Spokane truck accident attorneys can handle communications and negotiations with insurance adjusters on your behalf while working to protect your claim.
Negotiate a Settlement or Prepare for Trial
Many truck accident cases are resolved through settlement negotiations. However, if the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation, we are prepared to take your case to court. Our firm has decades of experience handling complex injury claims throughout Washington, and we are prepared to fight for your interests at every stage of the process.
How Do Insurance Companies Complicate Things After an Accident?
Insurance companies are businesses focused on protecting profits. Unfortunately, that often means they attempt to minimize what they pay to injured victims after a truck accident. Trucking companies and commercial insurers often have aggressive legal teams and investigators working on claims immediately after a crash.
Some common strategies insurance companies use include:
- Offering fast settlements before victims understand the full extent of their injuries,
- Attempting to blame the injured victim for the crash,
- Questioning whether injuries are truly accident-related,
- Requesting recorded statements designed to create inconsistencies,
- Delaying claims to pressure victims financially,
- Disputing future medical expenses or long-term disabilities, and
- Monitoring social media accounts for posts that they can use against claimants.
Our seasoned legal team understands these tactics and knows how to push back against unfair insurance practices.
How Can a Spokane Truck Accident Lawyer Help Me?
Truck accident claims are often far more complicated than standard car accident cases. Hiring an experienced lawyer can provide important advantages throughout the claims process.
Our legal team can help by:
- Investigating the truck accident thoroughly;
- Preserving important evidence before it disappears;
- Identifying all potentially liable parties;
- Handling communication with insurance companies;
- Reviewing trucking company safety records;
- Calculating the full value of your damages;
- Negotiating aggressively for a fair settlement;
- Working with accident reconstruction and medical experts;
- Preparing your case for trial, if necessary; and
- Helping reduce the stress of dealing with the legal process.
At Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC, we understand the enormous challenges truck accident victims face. We are committed to helping injured individuals and families pursue accountability and fair financial recovery after devastating collisions.
What If I Was Partially at Fault for the Truck Accident?
You may still be able to recover compensation even if you were partially responsible for the accident. Washington follows a pure comparative negligence system, which means your compensation may simply be reduced based on your percentage of fault rather than completely barred.
For example, if you were found 10% responsible for the collision, your recovery could be reduced by 10%.
Insurance companies often try to place more blame on injured victims to reduce payouts, which is why it is important to have a Spokane truck accident attorney review the facts of your case and protect your interests.
What Compensation Can I Recover?
The compensation available after a truck accident depends on the severity of your injuries and how the collision has affected your life.
Truck accident victims may be able to recover compensation for losses such as:
- Medical expenses,
- Future medical treatment,
- Lost wages,
- Reduced earning capacity,
- Property damage,
- Pain and suffering,
- Emotional distress,
- Permanent disability or disfigurement,
- Loss of consortium, and
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
We will evaluate your case and pursue compensation that reflects the full impact the accident has had on your life and future.
Is There a Deadline to Bring My Truck Accident Claim?
Yes. In most cases, Washington law gives injured victims three years from the date of the truck accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Missing this deadline may prevent you from recovering compensation for your injuries and other losses.
Where Do Truck Accidents Commonly Happen in Spokane?
Truck accidents can happen anywhere, but certain roads and intersections in Spokane are especially dangerous because of heavy commercial traffic, congestion, and high travel speeds.
Some commonly traveled trucking routes in the Spokane area include:
- Interstate 90,
- US Highway 2,
- US Highway 195,
- Division Street, and
- Sprague Avenue.
Heavy truck traffic near shopping centers, industrial areas, and construction zones can increase the likelihood of collisions. Winter weather conditions in Spokane can also make commercial truck accidents more dangerous, particularly when roads become icy or visibility is reduced.
Should I Accept the Insurance Company’s Offer?
You should be extremely cautious before accepting any insurance settlement offer after a truck accident. Initial settlement offers are often far lower than what a claim may actually be worth.
And insurance companies may push for an early settlement before accident victims have completed treatment or have a clear picture of how the injuries will affect their health, ability to work, and day-to-day life.
Once you accept a settlement, you cannot go back and ask for additional compensation later—even if your condition worsens or you require more medical treatment.
A Spokane truck accident lawyer can review the offer, calculate the potential value of your claim, and help determine whether the proposed settlement is fair.
What Evidence Is Needed to Prove My Truck Accident Claim?
Building a successful truck accident claim requires strong evidence showing how the collision occurred, who was responsible, and how the accident affected your life. We work to gather and preserve evidence that supports every aspect of your claim.
Important evidence may include:
- Photographs and videos from the accident scene,
- Police accident reports,
- Witness statements,
- Medical records and treatment documentation,
- Tax returns and pay stubs,
- Truck driver logs and hours-of-service records,
- Black box or electronic logging device (ELD) data,
- Truck maintenance and inspection records,
- Cargo loading records,
- Drug and alcohol testing results,
- Surveillance or traffic camera footage, and
- Expert accident reconstruction analysis.
Some evidence in truck accident cases may only be available for a limited period of time. Acting quickly can help secure important records and documentation before they become unavailable or more difficult to obtain.
Contact Our Spokane Truck Accident Lawyers Now for a Free Consultation
Are you ready to get started? To speak with our Spokane truck accident attorneys at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC in confidence, call us directly or request a free consultation online now.
Our Spokane truck accident lawyers have spent the past four decades working with injured victims to resolve their claims. We represent any injury claim, such as auto vehicle accidents, motor vehicle accidents, medical negligence and malpractice, dog attacks, and wrongful death claim.
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