By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
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What to do after a work truck crash in Washington
- Get medical care and keep every bill and record.
- Get the police report. See how to get a police report in Seattle or other cities.
- Photograph the truck: company name, USDOT number, plate, unit number and any city or county markings.
- Photograph the road: dropped gravel, mud, refuse, spilled fuel, and where a tow truck or garbage truck was stopped.
- Ask the company in writing to keep its records: engine and GPS data, camera video, load tickets and route sheets. See truck black box and dashcam evidence.
- Hold off on a recorded statement to the truck’s insurer (why).
Washington rules for each kind of work truck
| Truck | Common crash patterns | Washington or federal rule |
|---|---|---|
| Dump and gravel trucks | Gravel and mud coming off the truck, wide turns, rear-end crashes | No load may drop, sift or leak, and the load and its cover must be fastened. Dirt, sand or gravel on a paved highway must be covered unless six inches of freeboard is kept in the bed, and mud and rocks on the truck’s body and tires must be cleaned off first (RCW 46.61.655). See dump truck accidents. |
| Garbage and recycling trucks | Backing, stopping in a lane, pedestrians and cyclists near the curb | A stationary or slow-moving solid waste vehicle using flashing lights creates an “emergency or work zone” 200 feet before and after it (RCW 46.61.212(1)(e)). See garbage truck accidents. |
| Tow trucks | Entering traffic, a towed car breaking loose, crashes at roadside scenes | A tow truck using its lights also creates an emergency zone. Drivers must slow and change lanes if they safely can; if not, they must drop at least 10 mph below the limit, or to no more than 50 mph where the limit is over 60 (RCW 46.61.212). See tow truck accidents. |
| Tankers | Rollovers, fuel spills, crashes at rural intersections | Higher federal insurance minimums for oil and hazardous materials (49 C.F.R. § 387.9). See tanker truck accidents. |
| Cement mixers | Tip-overs and concrete spills near job sites | Cargo must be secured so it does not leak, spill, blow or fall (49 C.F.R. § 393.100). See cement mixer accidents. |
Failing to secure a load is a crime in Washington when it is done with criminal negligence and causes substantial bodily harm to another person; that is first-degree failure to secure a load, a gross misdemeanor (RCW 46.61.655(7)).
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Who can be responsible in Washington
Washington generally makes each defendant pay only its own percentage of fault. Two exceptions matter in truck cases. A party is responsible for the fault of a person “acting as an agent or servant of the party,” which covers a trucking company and its driver. And if you were not at fault at all, the defendants found liable are jointly and severally liable for the sum of their shares (RCW 4.22.070(1)). Outside those exceptions, an at-fault party left out of the case can leave part of your damages unpaid, so we look at everyone involved:
- the driver and the employer or motor carrier (who is liable in a truck accident);
- a separate owner or the contractor the truck was hauling for (owner-operator or company driver);
- the pit, plant or job site that loaded the truck;
- the shop or fleet responsible for maintenance, since carriers must systematically inspect, repair and maintain their vehicles (49 C.F.R. § 396.3);
- a city or county that owns the truck.
Private garbage companies are also regulated. A solid waste collection company needs a certificate from the Utilities and Transportation Commission to haul for pay (RCW 81.77.040; RCW 81.04.010), but that chapter does not apply to a company working under a contract with a city or town, or to a city that collects its own garbage (RCW 81.77.020).
City and county trucks: the claim form and the 60-day wait
Local governments in Washington are liable for their own torts and their employees’ torts “to the same extent as if they were a private person or corporation,” but filing a claim on time is a condition of suing (RCW 4.96.010).
- The claim goes to the agent the government has appointed to receive claims, within the same period you have to sue, usually on the standard tort claim form (RCW 4.96.020(2)-(3)).
- You cannot file suit until 60 calendar days after the claim is presented. The limitation period is tolled during those 60 days (RCW 4.96.020(4)).
- Substantial compliance with the content and procedure rules is enough (RCW 4.96.020(5)).
Washington has no separate six-month claim deadline like California’s, but waiting until the last weeks of the three years leaves little room for mistakes. Federal motor carrier safety rules generally do not apply to transportation performed by a political subdivision (49 C.F.R. § 390.3(f)(2)).
Insurance behind these trucks
For-hire carriers hauling ordinary freight across state lines in trucks rated at 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000 in public liability coverage. Oil and most listed hazardous materials require $1,000,000, and certain hazardous substances hauled in bulk in cargo tanks, portable tanks or hopper-type vehicles require $5,000,000 (49 C.F.R. § 387.9).
Tow truck coverage in Washington is much lower. A registered tow truck operator must show $100,000 in liability coverage for bodily injury or property damage per occurrence, plus $50,000 for damage to vehicles in its custody (RCW 46.55.030(3)). Ordinary drivers need only $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $10,000 for property (RCW 46.29.090). When a policy is too small, your own underinsured motorist coverage may fill the gap. See truck insurance minimums in California and Washington.
Evidence that matters with these trucks
- Engine, GPS and camera data showing speed, braking and position before the crash.
- Load tickets and scale tickets for dump trucks and mixers, route sheets for garbage trucks, and dispatch logs for tow trucks.
- Driving time. Property-carrying drivers may drive 11 hours after 10 hours off and may not drive after the 14th hour on duty (49 C.F.R. § 395.3). Short-haul drivers within 150 air miles may skip logbooks, but the carrier must keep six months of time records (§ 395.1(e)(1)). See hours-of-service logs.
- Maintenance and inspection records, kept for a year and for six months after a vehicle leaves the carrier (§ 396.3(c)), and the annual inspection (§ 396.17).
You can also look up a trucking company safety record, and our page on how truck accident rules differ in Washington covers more of the state’s quirks.
Washington deadlines and shared fault
| Claim against | Deadline | If you were partly at fault |
|---|---|---|
| Private company, driver or other business | 3 years to sue (RCW 4.16.080(2)) | Your fault “diminishes proportionately the amount awarded” but “does not bar recovery” (RCW 4.22.005) |
| City, county or other local government | Claim within the 3 years, then a 60-day wait, with the clock tolled (RCW 4.96.020) | Same rule |
For a death claim, see the Washington wrongful death statute of limitations and comparative fault in California, Texas and Washington.
Recent crashes and Washington truck numbers
In October 2026, a tanker truck and a minibus carrying farm workers collided on State Route 24 near Mattawa, and 11 people were taken to hospitals. KPQ reported that the State Patrol said the minibus driver allegedly ran a stop sign (our report on the Mattawa crash). Who was at fault depends on the evidence, even when one vehicle is a heavy truck. That same month, a trooper whose patrol vehicle had its emergency lights on while helping with a lane closure on Interstate 82 south of Kennewick was injured when a passenger vehicle allegedly failed to yield and struck it (our report). The same emergency zone law covers stopped tow trucks and garbage trucks using their lights.
The Washington Traffic Safety Commission counts 90 traffic deaths involving heavy trucks in 2022, 82 in 2023 and 79 in 2024, the last figure preliminary (WTSC, State of the State, October 2025). We take cases statewide, including Seattle and Tacoma truck accidents.
Related pages
- California dump, tow, garbage and tanker truck accident lawyer
- Texas dump, tow, garbage and tanker truck accident lawyer
- Washington truck accident lawyer and Washington delivery truck accident lawyer
- Falling loads and cargo spills and truck crashes in construction zones
- Hit by a truck while walking or biking
- Washington wrongful death lawyer
Common questions
How long do I have to sue after a work truck crash in Washington?
Generally three years under RCW 4.16.080(2). If a city or county is involved, the tort claim must be filed within that period, and you then wait 60 days before suing, with the clock paused during the wait.
A city garbage truck hit me. Is there a short claim deadline?
Washington does not have a six-month claim deadline. You present a claim, usually on the standard tort claim form, to the agent the city or county has appointed, then wait 60 days before filing suit.
What if a private garbage company was driving?
You claim against that company and its insurer. Haulers outside city contracts need a certificate from the Utilities and Transportation Commission, and that file can help identify who ran the route.
Gravel came off a dump truck and hit my car. Who is responsible?
Washington bars any load from dropping or leaking and requires dirt, sand and gravel to be covered on paved highways unless six inches of freeboard is kept. The driver and the company are the starting point, and the loading site may share fault.
How much insurance does a tow truck have in Washington?
A registered tow truck operator must carry at least $100,000 per occurrence for bodily injury or property damage. Your own underinsured motorist coverage may help if that is not enough.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault?
Yes. Washington reduces your award by your share of fault and never bars the claim.
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Washington work truck accident lawyer — Beverly Law
Hit by a dump truck, tow truck, garbage truck, tanker or cement mixer? Send us a photo of the truck and we will work out who ran it and which deadline applies. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Sources
- RCW 46.61.655
- RCW 46.61.212
- RCW 46.55.030
- RCW 46.29.090
- RCW 81.77.020
- RCW 81.77.040
- RCW 81.04.010
- RCW 4.96.010
- RCW 4.96.020
- RCW 4.16.080
- RCW 4.22.005
- RCW 4.22.070
- 49 C.F.R. § 387.9
- 49 C.F.R. § 390.3
- 49 C.F.R. § 395.1
- 49 C.F.R. § 395.3
- 49 C.F.R. § 396.3
- 49 C.F.R. § 396.17
- 49 C.F.R. § 393.100
- Washington Traffic Safety Commission, State of the State: Washington Traffic Fatalities, Brief No. 11 (October 2025)
Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 6, 2026.