Issaquah Personal Injury Lawyer

Innocent people are harmed every day in accidents caused by others’ carelessness. When this happens to you, don’t hesitate to call an Issaquah personal injury lawyer for help. There’s no fee or obligation when you speak with a skilled attorney from our team. No matter what, you can walk away with valuable legal information about your situation.

Steps to Take After an Accident

We understand that you are likely finding this page after an accident. Even so, scan this short list of steps we recommend you take. Perhaps it’s not too late to make sure you’ve got your bases covered.

As soon as possible following an accident, we suggest that you:

Seek medical care. Ideally, do this the same day of your accident. Let your doctor know that you may be filing a claim and ask for a copy of the doctor’s report. If your injuries are serious or life-threatening, call 911 or get to the emergency room.
Ask for witness information. If there were witnesses to your accident, ask for their contact information. Also consider any nearby businesses or residences which may have surveillance footage.
Take photos. Photos can be powerful evidence. Take photos of everything related to your accident including the scene, weather conditions, location, your injuries, etc. We’ve got a blog post for specific photos to take at the scene of a car wreck.
Use care with social media. While it’s tempting to want to post about your accident, we’d caution you against that. Anything you say on social media may be used against you, particularly if your case goes to trial. See our in-depth blog post on social media and your personal injury claim as you decide what (and what not) to share online.

Finally, can we encourage you to involve a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible in the process? This increases your chances of receiving the best possible settlement.

Understanding How Settlements Work

Our first job is to identify the at-fault party (or parties) responsible for your injury. Typically, a claim is filed against the at-fault party’s insurance company. In many cases, we can work to negotiate a fair claim on our clients’ behalf with the insurance adjustors. However, there are instances when the offer is just too low. When this happens, we’ll tell you if we feel it’s in your best interest to file a lawsuit. This gives us the opportunity to argue your case before a jury or judge.

A settlement can help victims in two primary ways:

By providing financial restitution for the costs associated with your injury. These costs could include medical bills, prescriptions, missed wages, and other out-of-pocket costs.
By providing a sense of justice. When a client wins a fair settlement, it helps hold the at-fault party accountable for what happened.

We’d be happy to talk to you more about the settlement process and the potential value of your claim.

When You’re Partly to Blame

Not every situation is clear-cut. We recognize there may be times you were partially responsible for your injuries. For instance, suppose you were speeding when you were struck by a driver running a red light. Clearly, the other driver caused the accident. However, your speeding may have contributed to the severity of your injuries. What now?

Washington State is a comparative fault state (RCW 4.22.005). This allows victims to recover a partial settlement. Here’s what will happen: you will be assigned an at-fault percentage. That percentage will then be deducted from your settlement award. Suppose your speeding contributed 20% to your injuries. Your settlement award would then be reduced by 20%.

An experienced attorney can help in these situations by negotiating your at-fault percentage as well as your overall settlement award. If your injuries are severe or you’ve incurred steep medical bills, it may well be worth the time and effort to pursue a personal injury claim.

Requesting a Free Case Review

The first step is an easy one. Call an Issaquah personal injury lawyer from our team and ask for a free case review. After hearing what happened, we’ll be able to provide you with targeted legal advice. Rest assured, we only charge a fee if we win your case, so there is no upfront cost to worry about.

We look forward to answering all of your questions. Call us today!