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Understanding Seattle Truck Accidents

gosankolaw • Jul 06, 2017

At least seven people were injured or killed in recent truck accidents around Puget Sound in May, 2017, according to Patch.

 

One accident involved a semi-trailer that overturned near 72 nd  Street and I-5 near Tacoma. The semi-truck driver died at the scene. A total of four other vehicles were involved. Those drivers and passengers sustained minor injuries.

 

Another semi-truck accident near Olympia caused one individual to sustain minor injuries.

The third crash happened along SR 167 near Algona. A 33-year-old from Lake Tapps was killed when a semi-truck allegedly hit his car. The sudden motion pushed his vehicle into a car stopped in front of him.

 

According to Washington State Patrol, the semi-driver was allegedly traveling too fast while entering an off-ramp going to Ellingson Road. An occupant in another vehicle was taken to the hospital.

 

In a fourth accident involving a semi-truck, the driver was traveling along SR 507 near Roy when he allegedly lost control and slammed into a house.

 

It is not known if any of the victim of the truck accidents will sue. It is also not clear if anyone else was at fault for the truck accidents.

 

The Cause of Truck Accidents in Seattle

 

Many people think about driver error or fatigue as the cause of a truck accident in Seattle. Commercial semi-truck accidents can have other causes too. They include:

 

  • The semi tipping because of weather conditions
  • Following another vehicle too closely
  • Not making a wide enough turn
  • Failure to respect or look out for blind spots
  • Driver under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol

 

More than One Party May be Responsible for the Seattle Truck Accident

 

Again, it is easy to assume the truck driver is the one at fault for a truck accident. After all, they are the ones operating the truck at the time of the accident. In Seattle, truck drivers are not the only ones at fault for the accident and/or victim’s injuries include:

 

  • The owner of the truck
  • Company or individual leasing the truck
  • Manufacturer of the truck and/or any of the vehicle parts that caused the accident. For instance, the truck may have been built with faulty brakes. These brakes stopped working and caused the accident.
  • Loader or shipper of the truck’s cargo. They may have overloaded the truck causing it to overturn.

 

Proving Liability in a Truck Accident in Seattle

 

The first step in determining liability is to investigate the cause of the truck accident. This will avoid the mistake of suing the wrong party. For instance, a personal injury case could be dismissed against the truck driver if the truck’s manufacturer was the blame for the crash.

 

After the party or parties are determined, a plaintiff must prove negligence. Negligence occurs when a person or entity fails to do something or does something wrong.

 

Contact Gosanko, O’Halloran, Lepore PLLC for Help with Your Truck Accident

 

To find out more about your truck accident claim, contact us. We will explain your case and how to proceed.

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