A man and a teenage girl were killed January 26 in a collision with attractor-trailer on State Route 17 in Moses Lake, Washington. The two were in a 1958 Ford Thunderbird when the tractor-trailer, pulling two flatbed trailers, tried to make a left turn and struck the front end of the vehicle, according to a report in the Yakima Herald. The Washington State Patrol was investigating to determine whether charges against the driver of the tractor-trailer were warranted.
Tractor-trailers pose a risk to everyone on the state’s roads as a result of their sheer size and weight. In a three-year period, from 2008 through 2010, large trucks were involved in 9,707 collisions in the State of Washington, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. As a result of those collisions, 91 people lost their lives and 210 others were seriously injured. Almost 3,000 additional victims received injuries that were classified as less than serious.
Nationwide, tractor-trailers are disproportionately involved in collisions. Although large trucks represent fewer than 5 percent of all registered vehicles across the country, they are involved in almost 10 percent of all collisions in an average year. Furthermore, serious injuries and fatalities that result from tractor-trailer collisions are usually suffered by the occupants of other vehicles, not the tractor-trailers. The driver of the tractor-trailer in the Moses Lake collision, for example, was not injured at all.
This comes as no surprise when we take into account that fact that the average passenger vehicle weighs around 5,000 pounds while a fully loaded semi-truck can easily weigh 80,000. Despite substantial safety-related advances throughout the auto industry over the last few decades, a passenger vehicle remains at a significant disadvantage in a collision with a tractor-trailer or other large commercial vehicle.
If you have been injured in a Washington State truck accident or have lost a loved one as a result of one, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries or your loss. The Yakima Valley truck accident attorneys at Mariano Morales Law can help you get through the legal process and make sure that the party responsible for your injuries or loss is held accountable. Contact the team today by calling (509) 853-2222 or by using our online contact form for your free initial consultation.
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