Washington Logging Truck Accident Lawyer

Washington is the No. 2 state in the U.S. for lumber production. Every year, logging trucks haul approximately 1 million loads of logs on Washington’s roads and highways.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says that logging is the most hazardous industry in the United States by many measures.

Have You Been Injured in a Logging Truck Accident in Washington?

If so, you need to know that an experienced attorney at Mariano Morales Law can help you demand maximum compensation for your injuries.

We understand how Washington State law trucking regulations apply to crashes involving logging trucks and other commercial trucks. We take pride in standing up for injured people who need a Washington truck accident lawyer. We have used our courtroom experience and knowledge to pursue financial compensation for injured people in many truck accident cases. We can guide you through the legal process and protect your interests if you have a logging truck accident claim.

We offer a free consultation to answer your questions and discuss your legal options, call us at (509) 853-2222 or complete our online form.

Recoverable Damages in Logging Truck Accident Cases in Washington

• Medical bills, including ambulance fees, hospital and doctors’ bills, medication, rehab, etc.
• Lost income while out of work to recover
• Loss of earning capacity if you are disabled
• Damage to your car or other property
• Incidental costs, such as for car rental
• Pain or disfigurement from injuries
• Emotional suffering from the horror of the accident or your injuries
• Loss of quality or enjoyment of life
• Loss of companionship, which your spouse suffers because of your injuries.

Determining Liability in a Washington Logging Truck Accident

One reason commercial truck accidents are different from other motor vehicle accidents is that there are often multiple parties who may be held financially accountable.

The truck driver is at fault in many logging truck accidents. A driver’s inattention, lack of adequate training, or disregard for safety may cause a crash. The truck operator may have acted negligently by any of the following actions:

• Speeding
• Following too closely (tailgating)
• Fatigued driving
• Distracted driving
• Driving too fast for inclement weather and bad roads.

Logging truck drivers and trucking companies are responsible for complying with Washington traffic laws such as cargo weight limits. If a logging truck driver causes an accident, the truck driver’s negligence makes them liable for the resulting injuries.

Other parties who may be liable in a logging truck accident include:

• Employers. A truck driver’s employer has liability for their employee’s legal violations, negligence or recklessness if they occur while the driver is on the job. A logging truck driver may be employed by a trucking company, a lumber products company, a sawmill,  or someone else.
• Truck owners. The owner of a commercial truck is responsible for its safe operation on public roads. A logging truck may be owned by the trucker, a trucking company, a lumber company, a sawmill, or someone else. 
• Cargo loaders. Washington State has specific standards for securing logs on logging trucks using any public highway where tiedown devices such as wrapper chains or cable are required. If a load of logs is not properly secured, the logs can shift in transit and lead to an accident. 
• Maintenance contractors. Many truck owners contract vehicle maintenance and repair work to truck repair garages. If the repair shop’s negligence led to a preventable failure of the truck’s operation that caused an accident, the contractor may be held liable.
• Vehicle or parts manufacturers. Sometimes, a commercial truck is defective from the start. If the manufacturer of the truck’s brakes, lights, tires, hitches, or other parts produced a defective product and caused the accident, the manufacturer may be held legally liable.

Determining liability in logging truck accidents requires a thorough investigation by determined Washington truck accident attorneys who know the types of evidence to seek. Depending on what the investigation finds, a truck accident lawyer may determine that multiple parties contributed to an accident and file multiple injury claims on your behalf. This increases the amount of insurance available to cover your losses. But it gives defense lawyers more opportunity to try to shift the liability. You need a seasoned truck accident attorney who has experience handling multi-defendant cases.

At Mariano Morales Law, we will investigate the accident that has turned your life upside down and develop a strong truck accident case on your behalf.

Investigating Your Logging Truck Accident in Washington

To resolve your case, our team will promptly obtain:

• Police accident report
• Accident scene statements by the truck driver and eyewitnesses
• Accident scene measurements and photos.

Once we are retained to represent you, we can obtain a court order requiring the truck’s owners and operators to give us access to the truck and provide records and other evidence, such as:

• Driver cell phone records, which may indicate distracted driving as well as show the trucker’s location and driving route
• The truck driver’s training, driving, and medical history (including required drug tests)
• Truck inspection records
• Truck maintenance and repair records
• Recordings of driver and dispatcher conversations

• The truck’s Electronic Data Recorder (EDR) database, which records a wealth of information about the truck’s operations just as a wreck occurs. This includes truck speed, acceleration, braking, steering trajectory, gear shifts, and other data that can help us explain what happened in a crash.

In complex motor vehicle accidents, we might work with accident reconstruction specialists who can determine what caused a logging truck accident and provide a written report or a multi-media presentation in court.

Need to Discuss Your Log Truck Accident? Contact Our Washington Law Firm Today

We investigate logging truck accidents and demand fair compensation for clients who have been unjustly harmed. We have successfully managed complex truck accident claims throughout Washington. Call us now at (509) 853-2222 or complete our online form to schedule a free initial consultation about your options.