Commercial Truck Collisions Are a Different Kind of Case
An 80,000-pound tractor-trailer does not injure people the way a passenger car does. Neither does the claim that follows.
Behind the driver sits a motor carrier, a logistics broker, possibly a separate trailer owner, and a commercial insurer with counsel on retainer and a rapid-response protocol. Investigators are often at the scene the same day. Evidence that decides the case — electronic logging device data, driver qualification files, maintenance records, dashcam footage — is held by the carrier and subject to retention schedules that can lawfully expire.
That is why the first days matter. Sterbick & Associates sends preservation letters early to stop routine destruction of the records your case depends on.
Tacoma’s Freight Corridors
Tacoma is a freight city. I-5 carries interstate trucking through the center of Pierce County, while SR-509 and I-705 move container traffic in and out of the Port of Tacoma tideflats. SR-16 links the peninsula across the Narrows, and SR-7 runs commercial traffic south through Pacific Avenue.
Collisions in these corridors frequently involve interstate carriers — which brings federal law into a Washington claim.
What Makes These Claims Complex
| Factor | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Federal safety regulations | Interstate carriers are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, covering hours of service, driver qualification, drug and alcohol testing, and vehicle maintenance. A violation can establish negligence directly. |
| Electronic logging devices | ELD data shows hours driven and rest taken. It is the most common way fatigue is proven — and it is held by the carrier. |
| Multiple liable parties | The driver, the motor carrier, a broker, a shipper who loaded improperly, or a maintenance contractor may each bear responsibility. |
| Higher policy limits | Interstate carriers typically carry substantially more coverage than personal auto policies, which changes both the value and the intensity of the defense. |
| Rapid-response investigation | Carriers often deploy investigators immediately. Unrepresented claimants are at a structural disadvantage from day one. |
Injuries and Deadlines
Truck collisions produce disproportionately severe injuries — spinal trauma, traumatic brain injury, crush injuries, and fatalities. Serious injury cases should never be settled before your treating physicians can describe your long-term prognosis. A settlement signed at month three cannot be reopened at year two.
Washington’s three-year deadline under RCW 4.16.080(2) applies. Where a collision causes death, the wrongful death statutes at RCW 4.20.020 and RCW 4.20.046 govern who may recover — see our Tacoma wrongful death page.
Pure comparative negligence under RCW 4.22.005 means partial fault reduces but never eliminates recovery, and Washington places no cap on noneconomic damages.
Talk Before You Give a Statement
If a carrier’s investigator or insurer has contacted you, speak with an attorney first. You are not obligated to give the at-fault party’s insurer a recorded statement, and early statements are taken precisely because your injuries are not yet fully diagnosed.
Learn more on our Personal Injury practice page.