Interstate 2 in Washington is lauded as a more scenic and sedate alternative to traffic congestion on Interstate 90. Sometimes called The Great Northern Route, US-2 connects the Port City of Everett, Washington to the Michigan Upper Peninsula with Victorian towns, berry farms, and scenic lakes and mountains along the way. Interstate 2 is a bucket-list road trip route for Washington residents and tourists. Unfortunately, it’s also a highway with numerous accidents, including deadly collisions. Make sure to consult an Everett car accident attorney if injured in an accident.
What Types of Collisions Commonly Occur on Washington’s Interstate 2?
Most large, commercial trucks avoid Interstate 2 in favor of I-90, but accident numbers remain high on Interstate 2, including the following types of collisions:
- Rear-end collisions, often due to tailgating,
- Distracted driving and speeding
- Head-on collisions from improper passing or merging
- Sideswipes from unsafe lane changes
- Angle collisions
- Collisions with obstacles and barriers
- Multi-car pileups or chain reaction crashes
Accidents in construction and road work zones are also common on Washinton’s Interstate 2, including a devastating 3-car accident in June during the early summer travel.
What Causes Collisions and Other Accidents on Interstate 2?
Collisions on Interstate 2 occur between two vehicles or between one vehicle and an obstacle, like a barrier or guardrail. Common causes of interstate collisions include the following:
- Distracted driving
- Tailgating
- Making unsafe lane changes
- Improper merging
- Intoxicated driving
- Speeding
- Drowsy driving
- Aggressive driving
Driver error and negligence are the most common causes of car accidents and collisions on Interstate 2 in Washington. Less commonly, a road construction or roadway maintenance agency may bear liability for a collision if they leave an unsafe road condition, debris, or obstacles in place. In some cases, an investigation shows that a collision resulted from defective brakes, steering system, tire, or other mechanical part, in which case, the manufacturer may be held liable for an accident victim’s damages under a defective product liability claim.
How Do Accident Victims Recover Compensation After an Interstate 2 Collision?
Washington is a pure comparison negligence insurance state that requires car accident victims to prove another party’s fault and liability after an accident to recover compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance. In a pure comparison negligence system, even those who are partly at fault or contributed to the cause of an accident can recover compensation minus their percentage of fault. For instance, if a driver is 30% at fault for an accident, they can still recover $70,000 of a $100,000 claim.
Proving liability for an accident requires meeting the burden of evidence showing that the at-fault party owed a duty of care to those on the road to take reasonable measures to avoid causing accidents, they breached this duty through negligence, and that their breach of duty caused injuries with damages to the victim.
How Can a Washington Car Accident Lawyer Help?
It’s often challenging to document clear evidence of liability and make a compelling case for full compensation, particularly in fault-based insurance states like Washington where an insurance company may assign fault to injury victims to reduce the amount they have to pay on a claim. If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a collision on Interstate 2 or elsewhere, contact Wells Trumbull today so we can take action to safeguard your rights and argue for the maximum compensation available to you.