Truck Accident Lawyer in Washington, DC
Vehicle crashes involving trucks result in a different set of issues than regular passenger car accidents. The Washington, DC truck accident lawyers at Dash Injury Law Firm understand the specific laws and nuances that are involved in truck accidents. Our legal team has vast experience in representing injured plaintiffs in various types of truck accident cases. We know what needs to be done to resolve a lawsuit outside of court and at trial.
If you or a loved one were injured or killed in a trucking accident around the Washington, DC or Northern VA area, please reach out to our law firm so that we can discuss a plan of action for your case.
Truck Accidents in Washington, DC
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) works to ensure that commercial trucks traveling in Washington, DC are safe and the impact on the community is minimized to preserve the infrastructure of transportation. In addition to designated truck routes, there are various restrictions and safety guidelines as to how large trucks can travel in the city.
These trucks are essential to the city as they provide goods and services to thousands of residents and to the local businesses. Unfortunately, the complex and small roadways in Washington, DC can cause significant trouble for truck drivers and result in accidents.
In 2017, a woman named Bianca Butler was struck by a dump truck while walking down South Dakota Avenue NE, resulting in a dozen surgeries including amputation of her left leg. Soon after the accident, the driver of the dump truck was found to have been involved in another pedestrian accident two years before but was still allowed to operate a truck. Accidents such as this occur too often in Washington, DC as there are thousands of locals and tourists walking the streets of the city.
Non-commercial trucks, such as pickup trucks, have also caused horrific accidents in the Washington, DC area. In 2019, two people were sent to the hospital with critical injuries after a truck and a car collided in Northeast DC. The two victims of the passenger car ended up becoming stuck in their vehicle and required emergency crews to pull them from the wreckage.
No matter what type of truck causes an accident, DC residents can find experienced truck accident lawyers in Washington, DC with Dash Injury Law Firm.
Filing a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Washington, DC
There are strict regulations that truck drivers and their employers must follow. These regulations specify various concerns such as truck lengths, truck weight, required breaks, and the maximum amount of driving hours. If the truck driver’s failure to follow these rules causes an accident, the injured plaintiff will likely see a successful settlement.
Before filing a lawsuit, the plaintiff and their Washington, DC truck accident lawyer must first determine how many parties are involved. Complex truck accident cases usually involve multiple parties, thereby making it difficult to figure out which party is responsible for the accident. Under the law of vicarious liability, the truck driver’s employer is most likely named as a responsible party. To hold the liable parties accountable for damages, the plaintiff must show that the truck driver was within his/her scope of employment and was engaging in job duties during the accident. Other potentially liable parties could be the manufacturer of a defective part of the truck or the maintenance company responsible for maintaining the truck’s safety.
Truck accident lawsuits become even more complex in the DC area because a no-fault rule applies to accidents in the district. This means that each person involved in the accident must rely on their own insurance company to cover damages, regardless of who was at fault. Under this rule, truck accident plaintiffs in Washington, DC must have their insurance pay their medical bills unless the plaintiff’s injury caused one of the following:
- Significant permanent disfigurement or scarring
- Medically demonstrable impairment
- Medical bills that exceed the limits of insurance policies
The Washington, DC truck accident lawyers with Dash Injury Law Firm can help plaintiffs prove that their injuries are severe enough to file a lawsuit and prove that the truck driver’s negligence was the cause. Under Washington, DC law, proving the truck driver’s negligence requires proving the four following elements:
- Duty of care
- Breach of duty
- Proximate causation
- Damages sustained
Contact Our Washington, DC Truck Accident Lawyers
Call Dash Injury Law Firm today at 888-(DASH-LAW) or complete an online contact form for a free consultation.
The information contained in these pages should not be taken as a substitute for legal advice and it is in fact not legal advice, especially as to cases which are highly fact-specific.