Washington, DC Truck Accident Lawyer

A Washington, DC truck accident lawyer from Regan Zambri Long won’t let trucking companies and their insurers bully you after a devastating crash. Big trucking corporations have teams of aggressive lawyers and insurance adjusters ready to deny, delay, and diminish your claim – but we fight back harder. Our trucking accident attorneys know every tactic these companies use to avoid responsibility, and we use our decades of experience to beat them at their own game.

We’ve recovered millions for truck accident victims throughout the DMV by aggressively investigating every violation, demanding every record, and leaving no stone unturned. When trucking companies destroy evidence, we hold them accountable. When insurers make insulting lowball offers, we take them to court. Our attorneys handle these powerful opponents while you focus on healing from your injuries. Contact Regan Zambri Long today for a free consultation to learn how we’ll fight relentlessly for every dollar you deserve.

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How a DC Truck Accident Attorney Can Help

Truck accident cases must be thoroughly investigated since there are usually more parties involved in the accident than in a regular auto accident claim. The trucking company will dispatch investigators immediately to the accident scene to gather evidence against you to protect its bottom line. You need a commercial truck accident lawyer in Washington, DC, on your side who can act just as quickly to recover fair compensation for your serious injuries.

Our truck accident lawyers will send demand letters to the trucking company so no evidence is destroyed. We will hire expert witnesses and accident reconstructionists to comb through the evidence to determine liability. We will hold those responsible and help secure fair compensation for your injuries.

Trucking companies hire large insurance companies to negotiate settlements on their behalf and keep costs low. Truck accident victims are often offered unsatisfactory settlements that won’t even pay the property damage. That is why you should hire a DC truck accident attorney who understands the law, has experience dealing with trucking companies and insurance adjusters, and knows how to achieve the settlement you and your loved one deserve. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Why Choose Our DC Truck Accident Law Firm?

A leading Washington, DC big rig accident attorney at Regan Zambri Long is ready to help you claim the compensation you deserve for your truck accident injuries. As soon as you hire Regan Zambri Long, our lawyers will dispatch a response team to secure the scene of the truck crash site and gather the evidence needed to prove fault. This must be done immediately because the trucking companies can lose or purposely destroy significant evidence that can prove liability in the truck accident.

Our truck accident lawyers have helped numerous victims of truck accidents secure the money they need to pay for all injury or death-related expenses and compensation for physical and emotional suffering. We are familiar with the laws governing commercial vehicles and can effectively demonstrate the negligence or wrongful act that caused their damages.

Recent data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shows encouraging trends in truck safety in Washington, DC, with injury crashes declining from 240 in 2021 to 102 in 2024. However, these crashes still resulted in 140 injuries in 2024 alone.

Nationally, truck accidents remain a serious concern, with 110,000 injury crashes occurring across the United States in 2021, injuring 155,000 people. While DC’s numbers are relatively small compared to the national scale, each crash involves complex federal and local regulations that require specialized legal expertise.

Do not wait another moment if you were involved in a trucking accident. Contact a personal injury attorney at Regan Zambri Long as soon as possible to get the process started.

Compensation Available for DC Truck Accident Injury Victims

In most cases, those injured in truck crashes can receive the following financial compensation:

Medical expenses. The bulk of truck accident claims involve monetary compensation for any medical treatment, including future costs you may have, such as further treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care.
Lost wages and loss of earning capacity. A severe truck accident injury can cause a significant setback in your career. You may miss several weeks of work; in some cases, you may not be able to return to your job and will have to find a new career or go on disability.
Pain and suffering. Pain and suffering compensation refers to any physical, mental, or emotional pain you are experiencing because of the truck crash. This can include mental anguish, emotional distress, depression, PTSD, and more.
Loss of consortium. A severe injury can cause mental distress. It can also change your relationships with family members and friends. You may not be able to give your significant other the same support or companionship. If this is the case, you may collect loss of consortium damages.
Wrongful death. The family has the opportunity to file a wrongful death claim to pay for the expenses associated with the fatal truck accident. The compensation you receive may include any loss of future income.
Punitive damages. Although punitive damages are rare, they are meant to punish the behavior of those responsible for the commercial truck accident.

How Much Are Most Truck Accident Settlements in DC?

Since each personal injury case is unique, it’s hard to determine an average settlement for a trucking accident. There are several factors to take into account when determining a truck accident settlement, such as:

The severity of your injuries
The amount of losses you suffered, such as lost wages, property damage, and, in the case of fatal injuries, funeral expenses
The complexity of the case (multiple parties responsible for the truck crash)

Speaking with an experienced truck accident lawyer in Washington, DC, can help you estimate the value of your truck accident claim. If you or a loved one was involved in a truck crash in Washington, DC, our truck accident lawyer is ready to speak with you. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

Commercial Truck Types and Catastrophic Accident Risks in DC

Commercial trucks pose unique dangers on DC roads, with each type presenting distinct hazards that can lead to devastating accidents. Understanding these specialized vehicles helps anyone who has been injured in a DC truck accident.

Construction and Industrial Trucks

Cement Trucks – Heavy concrete loads and rotating drums create unstable centers of gravity, leading to catastrophic rollover accidents and crushing injuries from 80,000-pound vehicles.
Dump Trucks – Massive cargo loads and raised dump beds cause severe crushing injuries when these top-heavy vehicles tip or collide with passenger cars.

Utility and Service Trucks

Bucket Trucks – Extended boom arms and high centers of gravity make these utility vehicles prone to tipping, with additional electrical hazards when power lines are involved.
Garbage Trucks – Powerful compaction systems, frequent stops, and significant blind spots create devastating accidents, particularly dangerous to pedestrians and children in residential areas.

Freight and Transport Trucks

Cargo Trucks – From box trucks to semi-trailers, these vehicles cause catastrophic damage through sheer size and weight, with additional risks from shifting or hazardous cargo.
Tanker Trucks – Liquid cargo creates dangerous momentum shifts, with fuel tankers posing explosion risks and chemical tankers threatening toxic exposure and environmental contamination.

Why These Accidents Are Catastrophic

Commercial truck accidents result in severe injuries and fatalities due to massive weight differentials (20-40 times heavier than cars), specialized equipment hazards, dangerous cargo materials, limited stopping ability, and operation in high-risk environments. The combination of size, weight, and specialized functions makes these vehicles particularly deadly in collisions with passenger vehicles.

If you’ve been injured in an accident involving any commercial vehicle, speak to a knowledgeable truck accident attorney at Regan Zambri Long. Immediate legal attention is essential to protect your rights and secure proper compensation.

How a Truck Accident Attorney Determines Liability in a Truck Accident Claim in Washington, DC

After a semi-truck accident in DC, you may be dealing with multiple negligent parties, such as the truck driver, the trucking company, the shipping company, and possibly third-party brokers.

To determine who the responsible parties are, your Washington, DC truck accident lawyer will take into account many factors, such as:

What the truck operator was doing at the time of the accident.
Suppose the truck company had acted negligently. This includes poor training or hiring practices, as well as unrealistic expectations for the driver to meet deadlines.
The truck or part manufacturers may have failed to keep the truck safe for use.
Not only could the vehicle have defective parts, but the truck owner could also be held responsible if they failed to keep the truck in proper working order.
The company that had loaded the semi-truck could be held responsible if the loader did not secure the load, balance the load correctly, or overload the truck.

Discovering the at-fault party for your accident must be found quickly. An experienced truck accident attorney is needed to help you with your claim to determine liability.

How Do Truck Accidents Differ From Car Accidents?

Truck accidents are handled differently from car accidents in many ways. Not only are there more parties that can be held liable for your accident, but you are dealing with a larger and heavier vehicle than a typical passenger car. The larger the vehicle is, the more likely the accident will result in catastrophic injuries that can take years to recover from.

Other reasons include:

Commercial Trucks Have Special Regulations

Semi-truck drivers require specialized licenses and must adhere to additional regulations, such as federal limits on the maximum hours they can drive within a 24-hour period. Drivers must also track their driving and break time, and subject their vehicles to routine maintenance and weight checks.

Despite these federal regulations, it is common for drivers to be pressured into driving longer than allowed and falsifying break or driving records.

In addition to federal regulations, many localities, such as the District of Columbia (DC), have additional rules that truck drivers must follow. The driver must know about and adhere to such regulations, so drivers new to the area may unknowingly violate local laws.

If there are regulation violations, the driver and their employer may be subject to legal action regardless of whether the regulations were knowingly violated. A Washington, DC, personal injury lawyer who specializes in truck accidents will understand the additional factors that affect semi-truck accidents and will be able to investigate any issues to ensure you have the most robust case possible.

Trucks May Contain Hazardous or Dangerous Cargo

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were 4,842 fatal truck accidents in 2020. And of those fatal crashes, more than 2 percent involved the tractor trailer hauling hazardous materials.

Hazardous materials involved in truck accidents come with additional risks and injuries to all those involved, which could affect your case and compensation claim.

Truck Accidents Don’t Just Involve Drivers

Truckers don’t haul cargo across the country as private citizens; they work for someone. That means truck accidents involve the driver’s company, that company’s insurance provider, the company that hired the truck to haul their cargo, and truck or part manufacturers. If the truck’s cargo was found to have contributed to the accident, the manufacturer and packing company also may be at fault.

Additionally, trucking accidents often involve multiple vehicles, complicating the issue of who could be held responsible.

So many potentially liable parties are involved in truck accidents, and each party likely will call on their insurance provider for help, leading to double the initial party count. You must work with a Washington, DC truck accident lawyer who can navigate such complex cases so you get the compensation you need.

How Federal Trucking Regulations Can Play a Part in Your Truck Accident Claim

Federal Motor Safety Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) maintains rules and standards to promote safety in the trucking industry. Some of the most essential FMCSA regulations include:

Hours of service. The FMCSA limits a driver’s total and consecutive hours on the road. It also has rules regarding mandatory rest and sleep breaks. These limitations are intended to prevent drowsy driving, a major concern for truckers.
Electronic Logging Devices. All trucks must have electronic logging devices (ELDs) in their vehicles. These track the hours an employee drives to ensure he or she follows hours of service regulations. ELDs help prevent the falsification of logbooks, a common practice with paper logs.
Medical exams and background checks. Trucking companies must perform drug, alcohol, and specific medical tests before hiring drivers. Additionally, the FMCSA requires companies to check for past criminal activity and traffic violations when hiring.
Cargo loading. Truck drivers and employees who load trucks must follow FMCSA regulations concerning cargo securement.
Employee training. Truck drivers must hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL), but companies must also train new drivers before allowing them to make solo deliveries for all truck companies.
Inspection and maintenance. The FMCSA requires commercial carriers to perform regular inspections and maintenance to eliminate crash risks.

If you sustained injuries in a trucking or bobtail truck accident, you likely do not know whether the driver or company violated these rules. However, our Washington, DC, truck accident attorneys can examine the company’s records and the truck’s ELD to determine if violations contributed to your injuries.

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Common Types of Truck Crashes in Washington, DC

Because commercial trucks are so large and weigh so much, they are more likely to cause severe injuries in an accident. Regan Zambri Long has extensive experience handling many types of truck accidents, including:

Rear-end collisions are particularly dangerous as the trucker may have been moving at high speeds.
Side impact accidents, or T-bone accidents, result from the front of one vehicle colliding with the side of another.
Head-on truck accidents are one of the leading causes of fatal injuries in trucking accidents. These collisions can occur because of curves in the road, speeding, or fatigued driving.
Rollover truck accidents – Truck rollovers typically occur when large trucks are driven negligently around curves in the road, and the driver loses control.
Underride truck accidents – Underride accidents occur when a passenger car crashes into the side or back of a tractor-trailer and slides underneath the truck. It can happen from the trailer’s front, back, or side, and the results are often deadly.
Jackknife truck accidents – The trailer swings out to one side at a 90-degree angle, tractor trailers can cause fatalities and injury to other drivers.
Truck driver negligence – Negligence on the driver’s part can cause a fatal accident. Types of negligence include aggressive driving, speeding, distracted driving, or drowsy driving.

What to Do After a Trucking Accident in Washington, DC

What you do after getting into a truck accident can be important to your case. Your first step is to seek medical attention immediately, even if you don’t think you’re injured. If you choose not to go to the hospital at the accident scene, follow up with your physician in the following days to get checked.

Your truck accident attorney will be able to collect evidence you may not be able to get, such as the truck’s “black box,” an electronic recording device on the commercial truck that records what the truck driver was doing before and during the accident. But there is evidence at the scene that you can collect to prove that the truck driver or trucking company may be negligent for the accident, such as:

Take photos and video footage of the accident scene
Get contact information from any witnesses, as well as the other drivers or passengers involved
Get information from the truck driver, including who they are working for and the owner of the truck
Document any damages to your motor vehicle and the injuries you sustained
Get the police report as soon as it is available. You will need this when filing a claim with your insurance company.
Continue getting medical care for your injuries. Keeping a record of your medical treatment and the days you missed work also helps your case.
Contact your insurance company to start the claims process. If the truck driver or trucking company’s insurance companies contact you, you do not have to speak with them.
Contact the personal injury lawyers from Regan Zambri Long as soon as possible.

Your truck accident lawyer will take all the evidence you give them and contact the defendant to work out a settlement. Since going to trial is costly and time-consuming, and can result in the defendant paying more damages, they will likely offer you a settlement instead.

All you have to do is stay in touch with your lawyer and get the proper medical treatment until you feel better. If you have an ongoing injury that won’t heal or could take a long time, your lawyer will also consult you about going after compensation for future medical bills.

How Long Do I Have to File a DC Truck Accident Lawsuit?

In Washington, DC, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is up to three years from the accident date. For wrongful death claims, the decedent’s family has up to two years from the date of death to file a claim. After your truck collision, contact our law office as soon as possible.

Schedule a Free Consultation With a Washington, DC Truck Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one were injured in a trucking accident anywhere in the Washington, DC, region, you need to act quickly. Evidence will disappear shortly after the accident and the trucking company will immediately dispatch a response team soon after learning about the crash. You need an experienced legal team to protect your rights and to make sure you get justice. Regan Zambri Long is that team. Contact our truck accident law firm today to schedule a free consultation.