If you have suffered an injury in a truck accident, enlist the services of an attorney who truly understands the trucking industry and the process of litigating truck accident cases. Attorney Michael Leizerman, in an effort to better understand the rigors of working as a truck driver, earned his Commercial Drivers' License, providing him valuable insight into commercial transportation. That experience has provided value in courtrooms across the country as Michael teams with local attorneys to ensure that truck accident victims' rights are protected.
As an author, speaker and trial lawyer, Michael is recognized nationally as being an authority on truck accident litigation, and his three-volume treatise, "AAJ's Litigating Truck Accident Cases" is viewed as a definitive resource for attorneys preparing for cases involving a commercial vehicle accident.
Or contact me online. All information is kept confidential. I will not accept a case in a state where I'm not ethically permitted under the circumstances.
A tractor trailer slammed into three passenger vehicles in gridlock on Interstate 5 in Seattle on Thursday, April 5, leaving highways in and around the city tied up for hours. According to The Seattle Times, the driver of the tractor … [Read more]
Read more >A head-on collision involving a passenger car and a tractor trailer on State Route 221 in a remote part of Washington left one woman dead in the early-morning hours of Thursday, March 22. According to the Yakima-Herald, the woman was … [Read more]
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I am honored that West Thompson—the world’s largest publisher of legal books—asked me to write this multi-volume book on truck accident law in 2004. I had already begun the project for my own reference. My book includes the federal regulations that are the same in each state for interstate tractor-trailer crashes, as well as state law that differs in areas, like whether there are monetary limits or “caps” in the lawsuit, whether you can receive punitive damages, and the varying technical requirements for filing a lawsuit.
I have handled cases across the country. I am licensed in several states, and have local counsel in many states who I trust and work with closely. Select your state to learn more:
As home one of the country's busiest international crossings, Washington invites a steady stream of truck traffic every day. Highways that include Interstate 5, Interstate 82 and Interstate 90, as well as urban centers such as Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma attract tractor-trailers, buses and other commercial vehicles in large numbers. Unfortunately, that traffic volume leads to more than 1,300 commercial vehicle-related accidents every year, leaving hundreds of Washington residents suffering from injury or loss of a family member. If you've suffered from an accident with a commercial vehicle and believe the truck driver or trucking company's negligence is responsible, contact Michael and speak with an attorney who will fight to hold the responsible parties accountable.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (Title 49, Parts 350-399) govern all vehicles engaged in interstate traffic.
There are some situations where a tractor-trailer or other commercial motor vehicle is involved in only intrastate travel. For example, an appliance store in Seattle may own a truck that only makes in-state deliveries.
The Washington Department of Public Safety has adopted Title 49, Parts 382, 383, 384, 390, 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398, and 399 of the federal regulations.
For an overview of laws that affect trucks operating only in Washington, visit our Washington Trucking Laws page.
Your truck accident case may be larger than you think. My experience often enables me to maximize awards, well beyond what the co-counsel originally expected. My book Litigating Truck Accident Cases, published by West Publishing, is considered the definitive work on handling truck accident cases. Contact me if you are seeking co-counsel on your case.
Fatal Truck Accidents: 39 per year
Non-Fatal Truck Accidents: 1,364 per year
Accident Locales: 69%(Rural), 31%(Urban)
Carrier Fact: 21% of Washington's truck accidents involve carriers whose principle place of business is not Washington.
In 92% of Washington's truck accidents, weather conditions were NOT a factor.
Interstate 5: Stretching from the Mexican border in the south to the Canadian border in the north, I-5 and its 1,400 miles are instrumental in providing access to much of America's Pacific Coast. The 277 miles of I-5 within Washington include passage through Seattle.
Interstate 82: Travelling from Hermiston, Oregon to Ellenburg, Washington, I-82 spends 133 miles in Washington.
Interstate 90: The longest highway in America, I-90 links points from Seattle to Boston. 300 of its 3,100+ miles are within Washington State limits and include a stretch between Spokane and Seattle.
