What Victims Should Know About The Renton Bus Accident

A Renton crash involving a Metro bus,  a dump truck and another vehicle has injured 6 people, some very seriously.  See the original reporting in the Seattle Times, here.

Victims of a catastrophic accident need immediate support from family and friends, medical doctors, and oftentimes legal help.  The physical and emotional injuries suffered during a large-scale event can impact all areas of a victim’s life.  The stress of dealing with the aftermath can be overwhelming, particularly when calls from insurance companies and risk managers start. Anyone injured in the Maple Valley Highway Dump Truck Accident should contact legal counsel to protect their rights and, just importantly, relieve their stress.

People injured in dump truck accidents need to know that police, including Washington State Patrol, investigate major car accidents to determine if any laws have been broken, not to help the victims pursue civil claims for damages.  The distinction is important because criminal prosecution is meant to protect society, not to provide damages for the injuries of the victims.

Reports indicate that the dump truck company is likely to claim that mechanical failure caused the truck accident.  The dump truck company and its insurance company are likely already taking measures to prove a defense of brake failure by hiring accident reconstruction experts, mechanical experts, and lawyers.  Victims of the crash can’t rely on law enforcement; rather, they need a personal injury lawyer fighting on their behalf to conduct a proper investigation, including ensuring that evidence is properly preserved and inspected.

Victims also need to contact their own automobile insurance companies, even if they were not drivers but were injured.  Automobile insurers in Washington are required to offer Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage which pays for accident-related medical expenses, including mental health treatment.  If a victim has PIP insurance, then their medical expenses should be paid by PIP.  However, due to the dynamics of this crash, some auto insurers can make the process of collecting PIP benefits difficult.

For drivers involved in the wreck, because fault for the dump truck accident has not been admitted, property damage claims should be presented to each driver’s insurance carrier to avoid unnecessary delays and inconvenience.

The paperwork, telephone calls and emails that follow a multi-vehicle truck accident can create a tidal wave of work that leads to confusion and frustration for victims already in pain.  Hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer will not only provide a successful outcome for your personal injury claim, but will allow you to focus on your recovery rather than dealing with insurance adjusters.