Truck Driver Wage and Personal Injury Attorneys in Bellevue
On the east of Seattle, just across Lake Washington, lies Bellevue, a booming economy anchored by tech firms, retail giants, and several startups. Some of the largest and fastest-growing companies in the entire Northwest have chosen the east side as a base of their operations.
Today, the city hosts over 145 headquartered companies. It also serves as a link between two equally booming business hubs, Seattle and Redmond, where firms like Microsoft and Nintendo have relocated.
The trucking industry enjoys many benefits from this growth. And as truck drivers roll on the road every minute of every day, it’s important to ensure that they receive fair and just treatment and compensation.
Our truck driver attorneys in Bellevue are here to make sure your legal needs are met. We handle all cases concerning truck driver rights, including personal injury, wage and hour class action, and compensation and benefits. We also assist drivers filing claims or complaints against employers that violate health and safety regulations.
Our approach to representation is client-centered and results-driven. You can trust that our attorneys and legal team will stand with you and your rights, and help you easily navigate labor and employment law.
Wage and Hour Class Action
America’s truck drivers operate under unique pay structures. While there are laws in place to regulate how drivers are compensated, the decision largely rests on the employer. Compensation is received as pay-per-hour or pay-per-mile, while some work under piecework, per-load, or per-percentage-of-load basis.
The danger is that in today’s business context, a pay-per-mile or pay-per-hour pay system may not always reflect what the driver deserves.
For one, it does not take into account the hours the driver was stuck in traffic or on the road doing a repair. It can also lead to injury due to fatigue if drivers push to meet the job requirement.
The pay-per-mile structure, for example, conflicts with the current Hours-of-Service regulations, which states that a driver can drive a maximum of 11 hours per shift over a 14-hour window, with 10-minute breaks for every 4 hours. This system encourages drivers being paid per-mile to skip the breaks and maximize the required hours, increasing the likelihood of fatigue, which is cited as a common factor in trucking accidents.
Fortunately, changes have been made.
In the past, drivers are only paid for their time on the road and in motion, current laws also require employers to pay for the hours used up for non driving work, like pre- and post-trip inspections, safety trainings, sales meetings, or fleet huddles. State laws also mandate that if you are paid under a piece-rate basis, you should have separate pay for rest breaks and non driving time, among other benefits.
Employers that fail to comply with federal and state wage and hour laws should be held responsible.
Our Bellevue truck driver attorneys offer aggressive representation and guidance in wage and hour disputes, big and small. From claims to lawsuits, you can trust in our experience, knowledge, and commitment. Whatever pay plan you agreed to, our lawyers will make sure that your employer is paying for the hard work you do.
Protecting Injured Truck Drivers
Under federal and state law, truckers and shipment companies should never compromise on the health and safety of their drivers under any circumstance, especially to cut down costs. New safety regulations mandate that fleet managers should respect the number of hours truck drivers are allowed to drive at the recommended speed rate.
If it’s proven that these measures have been overlooked, employers could face hefty fines. While truck drivers can be negligent, too and have responsibilities on the road to prevent injury and accidents, there could be many different scenarios where the employer is liable. But many of these cases go unnoticed or unresolved because truck drivers are not aware of their rights or the violations committed by their employers.
For instance, not many truck drivers know that they can refuse to drive due to inclement weather or faulty equipment. In some cases where the truck driver fails to adhere to safety regulations because he or she received little to no training, the liability and consequences should fall on the employers’ shoulders. The worst scenario is when an accident involving an over-fatigued driver puts other motorists or pedestrians at risk or causes serious property damage.
At Truck Driver Rights, we advocate for the rights, safety, and well-being of truck drivers, and those of the community. Our personal injury lawyers in Bellevue assist drivers in filing personal injury claims and represents them against negligent employers. We will advocate for their rights and best interests and aggressively work toward fair compensation for the loss of injury.
Serving Washington’s Truck Drivers
Truck drivers are considered to be the unsung heroes of the economy, the backbone of America. They make sure all goods and freight arrive in mint condition and on schedule. As key players in the supply chain, employers are responsible for giving them the treatment and compensation they deserve.
If you are a truck driver whose rights have been violated, we stand with you and your rights. We work on a contingency basis, aka “no-win, no-fee,” which means that you will not pay our attorneys’ services if your claim is unsuccessful. But we are always determined to win, so you can expect our lawyers to fight tooth and nail to achieve the best possible outcome for you.
We are advocates of Washington’s truck-driving and freight shipment community, and we will not stop until we hit the brakes on employers that overlook safety and wage regulations.
Having worked with many truck drivers in the state, we have developed a deep understanding of the realities our clients face on the road. It is our commitment to bring these realities to the fore, whether it’s in a settlement meeting or trial court, be it in the district, state, or federal level.
We are Bellevue’s veteran truck accident, personal injury, and employment lawyers. Get in touch with us and let’s build you a winning case.
(This is an attorney advertisement by Joshua Haffner)