BELLEVUE, Wash. – A collision involving a semi-truck, a logging truck and 13 other vehicles are blocking lanes of westbound Interstate 90 and left a young girl in critical condition.

Three lanes were closed between 148th Avenue SE and the exit to I-405 as of 10 a.m.

The Washington State Patrol said the semi-truck came upon regular morning congestion around 7:45 a.m. and could not stop in time. The logging truck fishtailed in an effort to avoid the collision. That led to a chain reaction involving other vehicles.

At least seven people were taken to the hospital, including a 9-year-old girl in critical condition.

Initial reports were that the logging truck lost its load, but that was not the case. However, there are reports the truck’s rear axle was damaged.

Two lanes, including the HOV lane, are getting through, but the backup as of 10 a.m. was approximately six miles. General traffic is being allowed to use the HOV lane. WSDOT has no estimate on when the scene will be cleared.

For over twenty years Gary A Kessler has represented the seriously injured as well as wrongful death heirs (i.e. those who have lost a beloved family member) in an automobile vs. tractor-trailer rig(s) (Big Truck) collisions.  We specialize in difficult automobile vs. tractor-trailer rigs (i.e., tractor-trailer rigs and big rig trucks) collision cases.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) there were 6.3 million traffic accidents reported by law enforcement last year, in which over 41,000 people were killed and over 3.2 million people sustained injuries.  The most common causes of tractor-trailer rig and trucking accidents are due to the following:

• Drunk driving
• Driving while drowsy
• Reckless driving
• Speeding
• Driver fatigue
• Truck overturns
• Backing up
• Brake failure
• Transporting heavy equipment with trailers
• Overloaded trucks and/or trailers
• Loads that shift weight
• Semi truck jacknife in traffic
• Poor and dangerouse road conditions
• Cell phone misuse
• Mechanical failure
• DUI

Severe injuries and fatalities occur in a truck (big rig) accident.  Blunt head trauma, spinal cord injuries and amputations are common injuries associated when trucks carrying heavy loads collide into other cars.  The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler represents trucking victims throughout the Western United States killed or seriously injured in wrecks caused by truck driver negligence.  Our office takes immediate action, conducting our own investigation, consulting with nationally known accident reconstructionists, interviewing eyewitnesses and obtaining the truck driving records.

Due to the fact that the trucking industry is regulated by state and federal law, these trucking firms are required to follow procedures to ensure the safety of others.  It is important that you hire experienced trucking accident lawyer Gary A Kessler who has handled personal injury cases involving truck accidents for twenty years and has the comprehensive knowledge of the trucking industry.

At the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler we obtain all evidence from a number of vital sources, including the following:

• Review truck driver’s log book to see if sleep deprivation or overtime was a factor in the accident
• Review the truck’s maintenance records to determine if mechanical failure or design defect of the truck was a factor
• Verify if reflector(s) and lighting on the truck were in compliance with state and federal laws
• Consult trucking company as well as DMV (nationwide records when applicable) pertaining to truck driver’s drug and alcohol tests
• Obtain on board computer of the truck to determine speed, braking and sleeping
• Consult numerous accident reconstructionists and trucking experts
• Obtain all law enforcement agency reports (i.e., CHP, Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, MAIT Team, etc.)
• Law Offices of Gary A Kessler provides sophisticated and innovative legal strategies for almost any type of fatality, wrongful death and/or serious injuries.  We not only handle wrongful death and serious injuries but also traumatic brain injuries.  Our office has undertaken difficult to next to impossible cases and prevailed, convincing the skeptical insurance companies of the merits of our client’s viable claims.  From stolen vehicles, to tractor trailer rigs which have lost their loads, to professional truck drivers under the influence who have fallen asleep behind the wheel, to backing up over a Plaintiff wife and killing her, our office has represented hundreds of clients in truly tragic circumstances.  Many times the official police report does not outline the true circumstances of what has occured.  Our office many times has discovered witnesses which law enforcement neglected to interview and have turned the case around in favor of our clients.

  Too many lawyers rush to simplistic results only looking at the barebones insurance policy of the Defendant truck driver.  The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler will consult with you about all of the potential defendants (i.e., truck driver, the contracting party for the load being delivered, the party who loaded the truck, owner of the trucking firm,etc.), whether the roadway created “dangerous conditions” for the driver involved, were there steering and/or brake failure, did the restraint system operate free of defect, did the fuel tank fire cause the majority of injuries, etc..