Seattle Personal Injury Attorney Chris Thayer
Seattle Personal Injury Attorney Chris Thayer
Handling Personal Injury Claims in the Seattle Area and Throughout Washington Since 1995

My name is Chris Thayer and I am a personal injury attorney practicing in downtown Seattle. I handle personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death claims throughout the greater Seattle area, including Issaquah, Mercer Island and Kirkland.

I am here to help you.

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Evidence Pros and Cons in Burien Truck Crash Claims

Posted Friday, December 2, 2022 by Chris Thayer

Victims may obtain compensation for their severe injuries if an attorney proves negligence, or a lack of care, by a preponderance of the evidence, or more likely than not. Washington holds truck drivers, Uber drivers, and other common (commercial) carriers to a very high legal standard. Pretty much any driving mishap, no matter how small, usually constitutes negligence. Although it is easier to prove negligence, sufficient evidence is still the key to a successful outcome.

Frequently, the three types of evidence outlined below are enough to obtain maximum compensation. However, in many other cases, the cons substantially outweigh the pros regarding at least one type of proof. In these situations, a Burien personal injury lawyer must dig deeper and supplement the evidence in the case. Electronic evidence, such as surveillance video, often does the job. If an attorney fails to supplement the evidence, the victim must usually settle for less. Worse yet, many of these victims are ineligible for compensation.

Police *Accident Report*Usually, two heads are better than one. This old adage is almost always true regarding police accident reports in truck accident cases.

In the current political and economic environment, local law enforcement agencies, like the Burien Police Department, have fewer resources than ever. As a result, they have less time and money to invest in matters like accident reports. So, in most cases, lead emergency responders do the best they can with the evidence available at the scene, submit their reports, and move on to the next case.

Furthermore, as far as many emergency responders are concerned, truck crashes are civil disputes between insurance companies. Once upon a time, law enforcement officers often intervened in such situations. They did things like track down husbands who skipped out on their wives. Those days are long gone.

Things are different if multiple agencies, especially a large agency like the Washington State Police, contributed to the report. Lack of resources usually is not a problem in such situations. In fact, the WSP and other large organizations often work with accident reconstruction engineers and prepare much more reliable reports.

*Medical Bills*All medical bills include basic medical and financial information. This information includes basic diagnosis and treatment data, as well as basic cost information. If the victim quickly and fully recovers, this data is usually enough to obtain maximum compensation.

However, most truck crash victims don’t recover quickly or completely. Their injuries, such as serious burns and head injuries, are simply too severe. In these cases, medical bills are often inadequate. Many doctors do not include treatment notes that indicate the victim’s pain level at certain times. Almost no doctors include estimates about the need for future medical procedures.

A Burien personal injury attorney must fill in these gaps if they exist. Usually, this process means partnering with an independent doctor. This doctor reviews the bills in the case and physically examines the victim. Then, the doctor gives their expert opinion about items like pain and suffering and the need for future medical procedures.

*Witness Statements*This final type of evidence may be the most compelling kind of proof in a truck crash claim. Eyewitness testimony is incredibly persuasive in court. Unfortunately, not all witnesses are fully qualified to give court testimony.

Many witnesses don’t get good looks at truck crashes, mostly because everything happens so fast. Additionally, if the wreck happened at night or in bad weather, as many wrecks do, a witness’s credibility may be even lower. Additionally, many eyewitnesses have some relationship with a party in the case.

The good news is that not all eyewitnesses voluntarily come forward at the scene. Attorneys know how to locate additional witnesses and secure their testimony in court.

*Count on a Thorough King County Attorney* Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Burien, contact Pivotal Law Group, PLLC. Attorneys can connect victims with doctors, even if they have no insurance or money.