A loaded semi needs far more room to stop than a car. When it doesn’t stop in time, the people in the smaller vehicle pay the price. Rich Martin is a Tacoma truck accident lawyer who won a $2 million jury verdict in a tractor-trailer case. Our Tacoma office handles truck cases across Pierce County.
Tacoma: local facts
- County
- Pierce County
- Court
- Pierce County Superior Court, County-City Building, 930 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma
- Major roads
- I-5, SR 16, SR 509, Pacific Avenue, South 38th Street
- Hospitals
- Tacoma General Hospital and St. Joseph Medical Center
- Population
- 231,000 (Washington OFM estimate, April 1, 2026)
- Our office
- Our Tacoma office is about 8 miles away (about 13 minutes without traffic).
Hit by a truck in Tacoma?
Truck companies call their insurers and lawyers within hours of a crash. You deserve someone working for you just as fast.
- We send hold letters right away, so the company can’t lose its logs, video, or truck data.
- We find every company involved. In Tacoma, that can be the driver’s employer, the chassis owner, and the shipper.
- We handle the insurance adjusters, often more than one.
- No Win, No Fee. You pay no fee and no case costs unless we win.
Why Tacoma sees so many big trucks
Tacoma is a port city. The Port of Tacoma and the Port of Seattle run their container business together as the Northwest Seaport Alliance. In 2025, the two harbors moved more than 3.1 million containers, measured in 20-foot units (Northwest Seaport Alliance). In one October 2025 week alone, the two harbors logged more than 21,000 truck transactions (NWSA weekly report).
Those containers leave by truck and train. The state is building the SR 167 expressway to finish key freight links between the Port of Tacoma and industrial areas in Pierce County (WSDOT). That means heavy trucks on I-5, SR 509, SR 167, and the streets around the Tideflats every day.
Container trucks: the truck, the chassis, and the box
A container truck is often three pieces owned by three different companies. One company owns the tractor and employs the driver. Another owns the chassis, the trailer frame the container sits on. A third packed and sealed the container itself.
| Piece | What can go wrong | Who may be responsible |
|---|---|---|
| The tractor and driver | Speeding, fatigue, distraction, bad turns | The driver and the trucking company |
| The chassis | Worn brakes, bad tires, broken lights | The company that owns or maintains it |
| The container and load | Heavy or shifting cargo that tips the truck | The company that loaded it |
We look at all three. Each one may carry its own insurance.
Fatal crashes in Pierce County
Fatal crashes in Pierce County, all vehicle types
Not all of these involved trucks. But when a truck is in the crash, the injuries are usually worse because of the size and weight difference. Tacoma’s own count of crashes that killed or seriously injured someone hit a ten-year high in 2023 (City of Tacoma).
Federal rules every truck company must follow
Interstate trucking companies must follow federal safety rules. When they break one, it can help prove the crash was their fault.
| Rule | What it says | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| 49 CFR 395.3 | A driver can drive no more than 11 hours in a shift | Fatigue causes crashes. Logs show the hours. |
| 49 CFR 395.8 | Companies must keep driving logs for at least 6 months | After that, the logs can be gone. Act fast. |
| 49 CFR 396.3 | Maintenance records must be kept for 1 year | Shows skipped brake and tire work. |
| 49 CFR 387.9 | Most for-hire trucks hauling general freight across state lines need at least $750,000 in insurance | More coverage for serious injuries. |
Driving logs only have to be kept for six months. If you wait, the proof of a tired driver may be gone.
Fuel tankers and hazardous loads
Tankers and trucks carrying fuel or chemicals are common around a port. Federal rules require more insurance for them. Trucks hauling oil or many hazardous materials across state lines need at least $1 million in coverage. Some bulk hazardous loads require $5 million (49 CFR 387.9).
A spill or fire can cause burns and breathing injuries on top of the crash itself. If you were near a hazardous-load crash, tell your doctor what you were exposed to, and keep the records.
The evidence we lock down first
- Hold letters to the trucking company, the chassis owner, and the shipper.
- Engine and electronic logging data showing speed, braking, and hours.
- Dash camera and nearby business video.
- The driver’s records: license, training, past violations, and drug tests.
- Maintenance and inspection records for the truck and chassis.
- The police report, photos, and witness statements.
Common Tacoma truck crashes
- Rear-end crashes when traffic stops suddenly on I-5 through Tacoma and Fife.
- Merge and lane-change crashes on SR 16, SR 509, and freeway ramps.
- Wide right turns on city streets, where a trailer cuts across a lane or a crosswalk.
- Underride crashes, where a car slides under the back or side of a trailer.
- Rollovers and tip-overs on curves and ramps, often with heavy or shifting loads.
- Backing crashes at warehouses, docks, and job sites.
Read about jackknife crashes and catastrophic truck crashes in Tacoma.
Rain makes all of this worse. Wet roads mean longer stopping distances, and spray from big rigs cuts visibility for everyone around them.
Box trucks, garbage trucks, and city vehicles
Not every truck case involves a semi. Delivery vans and box trucks fill Tacoma’s streets. See our guide to box truck crashes.
If a City of Tacoma truck caused the crash, the claim starts with the City Clerk. For a Pierce Transit bus, it starts with Pierce Transit. In both cases, state law requires a 60-day wait before you can sue (RCW 4.96.020).
Military trucks and federal vehicles
With Joint Base Lewis-McChord along I-5 in south Pierce County, military trucks are part of local traffic (WSDOT). A crash with a federal vehicle can’t start with a normal insurance claim. A written claim must go to the right federal agency within two years (28 U.S.C. § 2401(b)). The agency then has six months to decide (28 U.S.C. § 2675).
What trucking companies say, and how we answer
| What they say | What we look at |
|---|---|
| “The car cut in front of the truck.” | Dash camera video, engine data, and witness statements |
| “Our driver was within the hours rules.” | Logs checked against fuel receipts, delivery times, and phone records |
| “The brakes were fine.” | Inspection reports, repair invoices, and the brake system itself |
| “The driver isn’t our employee.” | Contracts, dispatch records, and who controlled the load and the route |
Companies sometimes call the driver an independent contractor to avoid responsibility. The label on a contract isn’t the end of the story. Who controlled the work matters.
What a hold letter does
A hold letter, also called a preservation letter, tells a company that a claim is coming and that it must save the evidence. Once a company has notice, destroying records can hurt it badly in court. That’s why we send these letters in the first days after you call. They go to everyone who might hold proof: the trucking company, the chassis owner, the shipper, and businesses with cameras nearby.
Rental trucks and moving vans
Not every truck driver is a professional. Rental trucks and moving vans are often driven by people with little experience handling a big vehicle. They may misjudge stopping distance, clearance, or turns. In these cases, the driver’s own insurance, the rental company’s coverage, and your UIM coverage may all come into play. We’ll sort out which policies apply.
Injuries from truck crashes
- Brain injuries, even without a direct blow to the head. Read about brain injury claims.
- Spinal cord and disc injuries. See spinal cord injury compensation.
- Crushed and broken bones, often needing more than one surgery.
- Burns and deep cuts.
- Internal injuries that don’t show up right away.
Tacoma has two adult Level II trauma centers, Tacoma General Hospital and St. Joseph Medical Center, plus Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital for kids, according to the state Department of Health.
What to do after a truck crash in Tacoma
- Call 911 and get medical care.
- Photograph the truck: the company name, USDOT number, plates, and trailer or container numbers.
- Get witness names and numbers.
- Don’t talk to the trucking company’s insurer. Send them to us.
- Don’t sign anything they give you.
- Call us quickly, so we can send hold letters.
Partly at fault? You can still recover.
Shared fault in a truck case: an example
Trucking insurers often say the car cut in front of the truck. Data from the truck and video from nearby businesses can show what really happened.
Where your truck case would be filed
Most cases settle without a lawsuit. If yours doesn’t, a case from an injury in Tacoma can be filed in Pierce County, where it happened (RCW 4.12.020). Pierce County Superior Court is in the County-City Building at 930 Tacoma Avenue South, in downtown Tacoma.
Most injury lawsuits must be filed within three years (RCW 4.16.080). A trucking company from another state can still be sued here when the crash happened here. Read how to hire a truck accident lawyer in Washington.
What your Tacoma truck accident case may be worth
Truck cases often involve higher insurance limits and more serious injuries. The value depends on your medical care, your future needs, your lost income, and the proof of fault.
- $9 million mediated settlement for a pedestrian hit by a semi-truck.
- $2 million jury verdict for a disc injury in a tractor-trailer crash.
Past results don’t guarantee future results. See all results and our truck settlement guide.
Life after a serious truck crash
Some truck crash injuries change how you live for years. You may need a ramp at home, a different car, help with daily tasks, or a new kind of job. A fair settlement has to pay for those changes, not just the hospital bills.
To show those costs, we may work with your doctors, a life care planner, and an economist. They put a real number on the care and income you’ll lose over time. You don’t pay for them up front.
Truck drivers hurt by someone else
Sometimes the truck driver is the one who got hurt. If another driver or company caused your crash, you may have an L&I claim through work and a separate claim against them (RCW 51.24.030). The second claim can cover pain and other losses that L&I doesn’t. The two claims are linked, so it’s best to plan them together.
How long a truck case takes
Truck cases usually take longer than car cases. There are more companies, more records, and more insurers. Some settle within a year or two. Others need a lawsuit, and a few go to trial. We’ll give you honest updates along the way.
Questions we’ll ask on your first call
- Where and when did the crash happen?
- Do you know the truck company’s name or the USDOT number?
- Were there witnesses or cameras nearby?
- What injuries do you have, and where are you being treated?
- Has an insurer already called you?
Don’t worry if you don’t know all the answers. That’s our job.
Visit our Tacoma office
Our Tacoma office is at 10116 36th Ave Ct SW, #206, Tacoma, WA 98499. The office line is (425) 449-1005. Call ahead and we’ll set a time to meet. If it’s hard for you to get out, we can start by phone.
Why truck crash victims choose Rich Martin
- A $2 million tractor-trailer verdict. Trucking insurers take him seriously.
- A South Sound office, close to I-5 and the port.
- Rich does the work. Your case isn’t handed off.
- No upfront cost. We pay for the experts and records.
Learn about Rich Martin, read reviews from clients, or see our truck accidents page.
Talk to a Tacoma truck accident lawyer today
The sooner we send hold letters, the more evidence we can save. Call (425) 635-2000 or reach us online. Hurt in King County? See our Seattle truck accident lawyer page.
Truck Accidents: results for our clients
Past results don't guarantee future results. Every case is different. See all results →
Your attorney: Rich Martin
28 years. More than 2,000 injury cases. More than 30 jury trials. When you call, you talk to Rich, and he handles your case himself.
About Rich Martin →Questions about Tacoma truck accidents
What does No Win, No Fee mean?
You pay nothing up front. Our fee comes out of the money we win for you. No hourly bills. No retainer. If we don't win, you owe us nothing. Not even the case costs.
How fast do I need to act after a truck crash?
Right away. Trucking companies only have to keep driving logs for six months (49 CFR 395.8). We send hold letters as soon as you call.
A port container truck hit me. Who is responsible?
It may be several companies: the trucking company, the company that owns the chassis, and the company that loaded the container. We look at each one.
How much insurance do trucks carry?
Most for-hire trucks hauling general freight between states must carry at least $750,000 (49 CFR 387.9). Many carry more.
The trucking company is from another state. Can I still sue here?
Usually, yes, when the crash happened in Washington. Your case can be filed where the crash happened.
A military truck hit me near JBLM. What do I do?
File a written claim with the federal agency within two years. Call us so it's done right.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault?
Yes. Your recovery goes down by your share of fault (RCW 4.22.005).
Do I have to pay for experts?
No. We pay case costs up front. If we don't win, you owe us nothing.
Can I meet you in Tacoma?
Yes. Our Tacoma office is at 10116 36th Ave Ct SW, #206, Tacoma, WA 98499. Call (425) 449-1005 to set a time.
Should I give the trucking company a statement?
No. Send their calls to us. What you say can be used to pay you less.
Talk to a lawyer today. The call is free. Call (425) 635-2000.
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