Are Food Truck Crashes Common In Washington?

Food trucks have increased in popularity with an explosion of new food truck business openings during the pandemic. Continued industry growth has led to an expected $2.4 billion in revenue by the end of 2024.

Food trucks bring cuisine from other cultures as well as iconic American foods to special events, sports games, festivals, fairs, and neighborhoods around the country. As much as we all love a tasty street taco or a musical ice cream truck, the expansion of this industry has also caused an increase in an unusually dangerous type of truck accident. Food truck crashes in Washington and elsewhere can be catastrophic, causing serious or fatal injuries to those involved.

What Makes Washington Food Truck Crashes So Dangerous?

Tacoma residents were tickled when an ice cream truck accident resulted in ice cream bars and other tasty treats spilling out on Route 16 this summer, but not all food truck accidents are cause for chuckles. While food trucks are an economical option for lunch customers to sample a variety of cuisines, many of them come equipped with propane tanks that explode during accidents. For example, two children were left orphaned when a food truck exploded after a tire blowout caused a crash in Florida, killing their parents.

Food truck accidents in Washington and elsewhere are particularly dangerous due to the following factors:

• The propane tanks they carry for cooking explode on impact in a crash or leak gas from broken lines at the accident site
• Drivers are typically professional cooks who lack experience operating a large vehicle even after filling the minimal training requirements for transporting food items
• Food trucks have visibility problems and blind spots
• Drivers may be distracted by items they failed to properly secure in the truck
• Food truck drivers are often fatigued since standard trucking regulations only monitor the number of hours a driver spends on the road and not the total number of working hours
• Food truck cargo spills in accidents cause secondary crashes and chain reaction crashes
• Food trucks often have unbalanced loads that can shift and cause rollovers
• The unbalanced weight of many food trucks also causes tires to wear out unevenly increasing the risk of tire blowout accidents

Food trucks weigh between 16,000 and 30,000 pounds, far outweighing an average 4,000-pound family vehicle and increasing the chances of injuries to motorists in smaller cars.

What to Do After an Accident Involving a Food Truck in Washington

Washington is a fault-based insurance state with pure comparative negligence insurance laws. This type of accident compensation system requires injury victims to prove another driver’s negligence and liability. The steps an accident victim takes after an accident can make all the difference. If you are conscious and able to move safely, a cell phone becomes a critical tool for protecting yourself physically and financially. First, move to a safe location nearby until the food truck’s propane tank is secured. Then, use a cell phone to do the following:

• Call 911 to report the accident and apply any required reasonable first aid
• Use the cell phone camera to take photos of the accident scene, the damaged food truck, and your damaged vehicle
• Take photos of anything relevant to the cause of the accident like traffic signs, skid marks, or spilled cargo
• Add the contact information of the food truck driver and owner
• Add the contact information of any eyewitnesses to the accident

Always go to a hospital as soon as possible after an accident to receive emergency treatment and a full medical exam to identify any injuries with delayed symptom onset. Ask for a detailed medical report and request a copy of the police report of your accident.

Liability for a Food Truck Accident in Washington

There are several potentially liable parties in food truck accidents. Depending on the results of the investigation, one party could be liable or several parties could contribute liability, including the food truck owner, the operator, the manufacturer of a defective mechanical part, or a negligent road maintenance agency. Because the insurance company investigates accidents with the goal of protecting profits at the victim’s expense, it’s always beneficial to have a Kent, Washington car accident attorney on your side to defend your best interests.