Washington residents have grown to depend on the unrivaled convenience of doorstep delivery. However, this now-essential aspect of the supply chain means that large delivery trucks, vans, and other vehicles share the highways with smaller cars. Delivery vehicles congest neighborhood streets and community roadways, and make frequent stops, starts, and reverses, increasing the risk of serious car accidents. If you or a close family member suffered injuries in a delivery vehicle accident, call Wells Trumbull to speak to a skilled personal injury attorney in Marysville who can help.
Why Choose Wells Trumbull After a Delivery Vehicle Accident In Washington?
Wells Trumbull is a law firm dedicated to advocating for injury victims, including against powerful defendants such as large delivery companies and their insurers. Our Washington delivery vehicle accident lawyers will do the following:
- Craft a legal strategy based on the unique circumstances of your accident after taking the time to get to know you and personally witness the impacts on your life
- An attorney will dedicate themselves to your case, and an entire legal team and staff will work behind the scenes on your behalf to strengthen your case
- Give you access to accident reconstruction professionals and medical expert witnesses to support your claim
- Use our history of success in recovering millions of dollars for clients, including a recent $4.5 million jury verdict in a Snohomish County truck accident case, to put a well-respected legal voice behind your claim
After a delivery vehicle accident in Washington, you deserve experienced legal representation on your side.
Types of Delivery Vehicle Accidents In Washington
Delivery drivers often struggle to meet unrealistic delivery schedules, making them more likely to speed or drive aggressively. Common types of delivery vehicle accidents include the following:
- Rear-end collisions
- Angle collisions (T-bone accidents)
- Sideswipes
- Collisions with obstacles
- Head-on collisions
- Roadway departures
Depending on the circumstances of the accident, additional parties may also contribute to delivery vehicle accidents. For instance, a negligent road maintenance agency or a road construction contractor who left debris in the roadway, causing a delivery van to swerve into oncoming traffic.
What Makes Delivery Vehicle Accidents So Common?
Delivery vans are often top-heavy vehicles with extended blind spots. They make wide turns and require longer braking times than standard family cars. Due to the persistent rise in delivery demand, delivery services and retailers may hire inexperienced drivers, increasing the risk of accidents. The most common causes of Washington delivery driver accidents include:
- Speeding
- Unsafe lane changes
- Tailgating
- Distracted driving
- Reversing accidents
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Unsafe passing
- Improper merging
- Tire blowouts
- Suddenly shifting loads
- Fatigued driving
- Impaired driving
- Inadequate vehicle maintenance
- Defective parts or equipment
When a delivery van or truck is involved in an accident, it often takes an in-depth investigation to determine the liable party and prove their negligence. Large retailers often insulate their companies against direct liability for delivery driver accidents by using independent contractors rather than employees. Other delivery services have their own in-house insurance to cover accidents; however, insurance companies do not happily right out large checks. Instead, they may devalue or deny your claim to protect their profits at your expense.
A trusted delivery driver accident lawyer investigates, documents evidence of liability, and presents a compelling claim for the maximum compensation available to the injury victim under the state’s pure comparative negligence laws of contributory fault.
Proving Liability In Washington Delivery Vehicle Accidents
In fault-based accident states like Washington, an injury victim seeking compensation for their damages must file a claim against the responsible party. The injury victim becomes the plaintiff in the case and has the burden of proof, requiring them to prove liability through a “preponderance of the evidence.” In other words, the evidence must show that it’s more likely than not that the at-fault party caused the accident. The evidence presented in the case must demonstrate the following elements of liability:
- The at-fault party owed a duty of care to the injury victim, requiring them to take reasonable measures to avoid causing an accident and injuries
- They breached this duty of care through negligence
- The breach of duty directly caused the accident and injury
- The injury victim suffered damages from their injury
“Damages” in an accident claim refers to the economic and non-economic consequences of an accident, including injury costs as well as property damage to a vehicle.
Common Injuries In Delivery Vehicle Accidents In Washington
Delivery trucks far outsize and outweigh average vehicles, leaving motorists vulnerable in collisions. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), over 70% of truck accident victims are those in other vehicles, not the truck or delivery van driver. Common injuries in Marysville truck accident claims include the following:
- Fractures
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
- Lacerations, contusions, and abrasions
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Soft-tissue injuries, such as sprains, strains, ligament tears, and tendon damage
- Internal organ injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Burns
- Facial and dental trauma
- Traumatic amputations
Injuries from delivery truck accidents are expensive to treat and can quickly cause financial hardship. In the worst cases, a delivery driver accident in Washington causes the wrongful death of a loved one, leaving their family facing grief, anguish, and economic losses.
What Damages Can I Recover In a Washington Delivery Vehicle Accident Claim?
Damages add up quickly in accident claims, especially when an accident involves a heavy delivery vehicle. Common damages recovered in delivery accident claims include the following:
- Reimbursement for medical expenses
- Anticipated future medical expenses for further or ongoing treatment
- Out-of-pocket injury costs
- Lost wages
- Future income loss
- Diminished future earning ability
- Compensation for pain, suffering, and any catastrophic (permanent) injury, such as loss of limb, scarring, disfigurement, loss of vision, hearing damage, loss of an organ, or diminished quality of life due to disability
Wrongful death damages may be available to the family of a fatally injured accident victim through a wrongful death claim filed by the decedent’s representative.
Reach out to a Washington Delivery Driver Accident Lawyer
The attorneys at Wells Trumbull are strong allies who will work tirelessly on your behalf throughout the exacting legal process. Contact an experienced delivery driver accident lawyer in Washington for a free consultation today to learn more about your legal rights and your options for recovery.