The True Claims Podcast

Zack was working at his construction site in Anacortes, Washington, smoothing and shaping shotcrete when suddenly a 1,000-pound chunk became dislodged above him and hit him. The chunk knocked him unconscious and severely broke his ankle. Zack required immediate medical attention; his ankle required surgical repair, and he was left with thousands in medical bills and unable to work for months. That...

Semi Trucks are an every day part of life on the road in Washington state and across the United States, but recent reporting has revealed a class of trucking companies that may not be what they appear to be. "Chameleon Carriers" are trucking companies that accumulate hundreds or even thousands of violations and accidents before shutting down only to reopen under a new name, with a clean...

A retired couple was driving near Leavenworth when a vehicle driving the opposite direction lost control, crossing the centerline and striking their vehicle head-on. The couple suffered broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and one of them was even temporarily paralyzed. The driver of the other vehicle survived but their parents did not. The couple attempted to settle the claim themselves but, f...

A husband and wife were driving on a forest service road outside of Carbonado Washington, when a mistake nearly cost a woman her hand. Their truck left the road, rolled, and airbags were deployed, and at some point in the process, the passenger's hand was nearly split in two. With nothing but air between her middle finger and ring finger, nearly down to her wrist, and a head injury as well, the wo...

Tyler, a man in his 30's, was riding an E-scooter around Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood when a driver opened a door in front of him, causing him to crash. The impact sent Tyler down hard, shattering his elbow among several other injuries. At first, the driver was helpful, bringing Tyler to a nearby hospital for treatment. But after Tyler was dropped off, he realized he had no way to c...

2025 brought us some incredible stories of resilience and recovery, with over $27 million in recoveries discussed across 9 incredible episodes. Join award-winning journalist and anchor Eric Johnson and Attorney and founder of the Davis Law Group as they recap this past year of stories on this recap episode of the True Claims Podcast. -------------The Washington Accident Book series has vital infor...

A cyclist in Sammamish was enjoying a ride on familiar streets one day when he suddenly found himself launched from his bike after striking a curb he had never seen before. Installed less than a month prior, this curb cut through the existing bike lane, into the connecting neighborhood, without signage or warnings. Riding with traffic, the cyclist was thrown hard from his bike, resulting in broken...

It was a dark, rainy November evening in Tukwila, Washington, when a woman crossing the street at a marked crosswalk was struck by a turning delivery truck. The driver addresses her, but claims he wasn't the one who hit her and flees the scene. Eventually, the driver would be caught, and video evidence would be uncovered, and a lawsuit would be brought against the delivery company for the driv...

Out for a walk on the popular Lake Sammamish trail, Tina paused to let a cyclist pass before crossing. But moments after her first step onto the pavement, a cyclist struck her from behind at a high rate of speed. Tina was thrown to the pavement, hitting the back of her head on the ground and suffering a traumatic brain injury. She would eventually need to have a portion of her skull removed in a p...

A man in Sequim Washington, was struck and killed by a drunk driver behind the wheel of a company vehicle, who was found to have been driving with more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system. How did he end up behind the wheel that day? Was there anything the company, the police, or anyone could have done to prevent this? Can we ever put drunk driving collisions in the rear view...

Carl was a father, a grandfather, and an avid cyclist; he had been riding his entire life, travelling thousands of miles up and down the Puget Sound region, when one day his wife Sherry received a call that he had been in an accident and was being rushed to Harborview Medical Center. Carl struck an improperly marked bollard while riding on the Green River Trail. He was thrown over the top of his b...

A man in Yelm was riding his motorcycle home one night when a drunk driver crossed into his lane and struck him head-on. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A year later, the driver was criminally charged, and the family of John Santiago sought justice. What justice is there for victims of drunk driving, who's at fault after overserved patrons hit the streets, and just how much more dangerous...

A man driving his parents on a Monday evening in 2013 had his life forever changed when a bus exiting the freeway ran a red light, crashing into the side of his vehicle at more than 50 miles per hour. The collision killed both of his parents, but the bus driver claimed the brakes on his vehicle had failed. The truth, and what justice remained for the driver who narrowly survived, only in this epis...

It was an ordinary day for former state trooper, now delivery driver Kevin Backlund when a seemingly typical delivery took a deadly turn. Four pit bulls emerged from the property and immediately became aggressive, forcing the driver to take shelter on a nearby trailer, just inches out of the animals' reach. A neighbor, witnessing the attack came not to aid, but to antagonize the now seriously woun...

What happens when an ordinary drive takes a sudden dive into tragedy? After a semi-truck strikes a support beam for an aging bridge, a couple is plunged into the frigid waters below, leaving them injured and waiting for rescue. 90-minutes later help would arrive, but it would be years before they could fully recover from the events of that day. Join award-winning journalist Eric Johnson as he expl...