Spokane Truck Accident Lawyer

A Spokane Truck Accident Attorney Team Rooted in Eastern Washington

Larry Lehmbecker founded this firm in 1986 to help people seriously injured in trucking accidents. Since that time, the amount of freight moving through Spokane on I-90, US-2, and US-195 hasn’t slowed down and has increased significantly, keeping box trucks and tractor-trailers in near-constant motion around town.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recorded 5,340 large-truck crash deaths nationwide in 2024, a 2.5 percent drop from 2023, and 70 percent of those killed were occupants of the other vehicle, according to NHTSA's 2024 crash data. In Washington, 67 people died in crashes involving large trucks and buses that same year, per FMCSA data reported to Congress. Our team knows what that means: without representation, it's rarely a fair fight.

More About Lehmbecker Law

Why Freight Traffic Puts Spokane Drivers at Risk

Spokane sits at the junction of several major freight corridors, and that traffic brings real risk to everyday commuters. The Sunset Hill grade westbound on I-90, the Sullivan Road interchange in Spokane Valley, and the industrial stretch of Fancher Road all see heavy truck volume mixed with regular passenger traffic.

Common causes of Spokane truck accidents include:

• Driver fatigue and violations of federal hours-of-service rules;
• Distracted driving, including cell phone use behind the wheel;
• Speeding on downgrades or through freight interchanges;
• Improperly secured or overloaded cargo;
• Worn brakes, tire blowouts, and other mechanical failures;
• Impaired driving by a truck driver or another motorist;
• Poor training or unsafe scheduling pressure from the trucking company.

More than one party can share the blame for a single wreck, and sorting that out early protects the value of your claim.

Types of Truck Accidents Our Firm Handles

Commercial trucks crash differently than passenger cars because of their size, weight, and long stopping distances. In Spokane, the fact patterns our truck accident lawyer team sees most often include:

• Jackknife wrecks: The trailer swings out and folds against the cab, often on wet pavement or steep grades.
• Underride collisions: A smaller vehicle slides beneath the trailer, often causing catastrophic harm.
• Rollover accidents: A shifted or overloaded cargo load, a sharp turn, or excess speed can tip a truck onto its side.
• Wide-turn and blind-spot crashes: A truck's turning radius and no-zones can trap smaller vehicles that a driver never sees.
• Rear-end impacts: A truck's longer stopping distance means a moment of inattention can end in a serious rear collision.
• Lost-load accidents: Unsecured freight can fall into traffic and strike nearby vehicles.

Injuries We See After a Spokane Truck Crash

Because of the size difference between a commercial truck and an ordinary car, injuries from these wrecks tend to be severe. Victims often end up at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane's regional trauma center, or continue rehabilitation at facilities such as St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute.

Injuries we regularly document in these claims include:

• Traumatic brain injuries and concussions;
• Spinal cord damage and paralysis;
• Multiple fractures and crush injuries;
• Internal bleeding and organ damage;
• Severe burns;
• Disfiguring lacerations and road rash;
• Wrongful death.

Medical records tied to these visits become central proof connecting the collision to your injuries, so keeping every follow-up appointment strengthens both your recovery and your claim.

Federal and Washington Trucking Rules That Affect Your Case

Truck cases run on a different set of rules than an ordinary car accident claim, and those rules often decide who pays.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, found at 49 CFR Parts 390 through 399, limit how long a driver can stay behind the wheel before resting, a set of hours-of-service rules built to cut down on fatigue-related wrecks. Washington's own weight and size limits, set out in RCW 46.44, govern how much cargo a truck can carry on state roads, and violations of either set of rules can become strong evidence of negligence.

Carriers operating only within Washington also answer to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission under RCW 81.80, which issues the permits intrastate trucking companies must hold to operate legally.

A logbook, an electronic driving log, or a maintenance record that shows a broken rule rarely wins a case by itself, but it can be the thread that unravels a trucking company's defense.

Proving Fault After a Spokane Truck Wreck

Liability in a truck case can fall on the driver, the motor carrier, the company that loaded the cargo, a maintenance contractor, or even the manufacturer of a defective part. Because trucking companies carry larger insurance policies and more resources than an average driver, they tend to fight harder and settle slower.

Evidence our team gathers early in a Spokane truck accident claim includes:

• Electronic logging device and GPS data;
• Dashcam and traffic camera footage;
• Maintenance and inspection records;
• Weigh station and cargo manifests;
• Police collision reports and witness statements.

Washington's comparative fault rule, codified at RCW 4.22.005, still allows you to recover damages even if you carried some of the blame for the crash, though your award gets reduced by your share of fault. That rule matters in truck cases, where insurers often try to shift responsibility onto the smaller vehicle.

Compensation Available After a Truck Accident

The value of a truck accident claim depends on the severity of your injuries, your treatment, and how clearly the evidence points to the trucking company's negligence.

Economic damages cover the direct financial cost of the crash: medical bills, future treatment, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and vehicle repair or replacement.

Non-economic damages address the impact that does not come with a receipt: physical pain, loss of mobility, and the strain a serious injury places on your family life. In a fatal crash, surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim for funeral costs, lost financial support, and the loss of a loved one's guidance and companionship.

What Spokane Truck Accident Clients Get from Lehmbecker Law

Choosing the right truck accident lawyer Spokane families can count on means working with a team that treats your case like it matters, because it does. Here is what that looks like in practice.

Direct Access to Your Attorney

You will speak with the attorneys handling your case, not a rotating cast of case managers.

A File Built on Documentation

We gather driver logs, maintenance records, and medical evidence before the trucking company can control the narrative.

Honest Updates at Every Stage

You will hear about deadlines, offers, and next steps as they happen, along with a candid read on what your case is worth.

No Fee Unless We Win

Consultations are free, and our firm advances the costs of investigation so your finances never dictate whether you can pursue a claim. A truck accident attorney Spokane clients turn to should never make you choose between medical care and legal help, and our contingency structure reflects that.