Everett, WA, Personal Injury Lawyers

Types of Cases Handled by Our Everett, WA, Personal Injury Attorneys

 

Personal injury covers a wide range of cases. From slip-and-fall cases to multi-car pile-ups and workplace injuries, personal injury lawyers handle many types of accidents with all kinds of injuries, including those that lead to long-term or permanent disabilities.

Our Everett, WA, personal injury lawyers handle several types of cases, including:

Injuries Suffered in Bicycle Accidents

Bicycle accident injuries are often catastrophic because the bicyclist does not have much protection against any vehicle – even a subcompact car. In addition to recovering from those injuries that usually heal quickly, someone injured in a bicycle wreck could suffer more severe injuries such as crushed bones, spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries.

Injuries Caused by Car Accidents

The injuries you could suffer in a car accident range from very minor to catastrophic, depending on several factors. The speed of both vehicles, whether you were stopped when the other person hit you, the angle at which the other vehicle hit you, whether an at-fault driver shoved another vehicle into you, or the at-fault driver caused you to go off the road into a ditch or ravine – these all have a part in determining the seriousness of your injuries.

A personal injury attorney with experience in car accidents can help you recover the compensation you deserve after a car accident, whether you need money for medical expenses, to cover lost wages, or suffer more severe injuries that caused pain and suffering.

Serious Injuries Resulting from Truck Accidents

If a truck crashes into you, the chance of having more severe injuries is significantly higher. The size and weight of the truck play a big part in the type of injuries you could receive. Additionally, because a truck takes much longer to stop, it will most likely hit you at a higher speed than a car or passenger truck trying to stop in the same distance.

Our Everett personal injury attorneys have extensive experience settling and litigating cases where people suffered long-term and permanent injuries in truck accidents. Contact our office at 206-741-1053 for a free case evaluation if you sustained injuries in a truck wreck.

Motorcycle Accidents that Lead to Injuries

As with bicycle riders, motorcyclists have very little protection against severe injuries when a passenger vehicle or a truck hits them. However, injuries have yet a higher risk of being severe or catastrophic because the speed of the motorcycle is much faster than that of a bicycle. Injuries — from scratches to road rash to spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries — are common in motorcycle wrecks.

Injuries that Happen in Pedestrian Accidents

While all accidents could cause wrongful death, pedestrian accidents caused the most wrongful deaths in 2019. Depending on the speed and weight of the vehicle that hits a pedestrian, and how the pedestrian was struck, injuries could range from minor to catastrophic when death does not occur. Other than truck accidents, pedestrian accidents are some of the more complicated cases because of the damages an accident victim could sustain. Many of these injuries often require long-term therapy and extra care, whether from a live-in caregiver/nurse or a family member.

Dog Bite Injuries

Injuries in dog bite cases could range from minor punctures that are not very deep to severe gashes causing death, depending on the size of the dog, the size of the victim, and the length of the attack. Dog bites could also become infected, adding additional injuries to the victim.

While not all dog bites are avoidable, most are. Supervising children around the family dog is a “must,” regardless of the dog’s size. All states, including Washington, have leash laws. No dog should be off-leash unless it is in a fenced yard. And, if you do not belong in someone’s yard, then you can avoid being bitten by not going into the yard.

If you know that there is the smallest chance that your dog could bite someone, it is best to keep it on a leash and away from other people when out of the yard. Sometimes those who suffer dog bites cause the dog to bite. Some people do not realize how to read a dog’s cues. When a dog does not want to be bothered, whether it’s your child playing with the family dog or a stranger walking down the street, you should know the signs of an irritated dog and remove the person or object causing the irritation – or remove your dog from the scene of the irritation.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Our Everett, WA, personal injury attorneys handle traumatic brain injury cases, whether the brain injury was caused by a vehicle accident, medical malpractice, a slip or trip and fall, or any other type of accident.

While most people would not think a minor concussion is a serious brain injury, it is. Just one or two mild concussions can cause you to develop chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) later in life. CTE is a disease that cannot be cured, and the only way to positively identify it is via an autopsy.

Catastrophic Injuries

All types of accidents can cause catastrophic injuries, from car wrecks to workplace accidents to medical malpractice. A catastrophic injury is one that causes long-term or permanent disabilities. Our personal injury lawyers in Everett, WA, have experience handling cases that involve catastrophic injuries, including ensuring you get enough compensation for the various therapies you might require.

Wrongful Death Claims

While many types of accidents could cause wrongful deaths, next to illness car accidents have the highest incidents of wrongful death. Even an accident that does not seem severe could cause a fatality. Injuries and death in any accidents, including car accidents, depend on many factors, including the person’s health at the time of the accident, how a person was hit in a vehicle accident, or how a person fell if in a slip and fall accident. Even dog bite accidents and some types of medical malpractice can cause fatalities.

Injuries that May Be Part of a Personal Injury Claim

The types of injuries you could sustain in an accident, regardless of the kind of accident, include:

• Fractures
• Soft tissue injuries, like sprains or muscle strains
• Face and eye injuries
• Internal injuries
• Head, neck and shoulder injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Back and spinal cord injuries
• Amputation of a digit or limb
• Thermal and/or chemical burns.

Our personal injury lawyers in Everett, WA, will help you document all your injuries so you can recover full damages available in your case. Those injuries may not be immediately associated with an accident. Any injury that results in an open wound, whether sustained during an accident or because of surgery, has a risk of becoming infected. The risk of infection increases if you have diabetes, an immunodeficiency, or are taking medications, such as chemo, that lower your white cell count.

When another person caused your injuries, they are responsible not only for those initial harms, but also for infections and other secondary injuries you may suffer. Secondary injuries could be underlying conditions you have that are exacerbated by the injuries you suffered. Our team of personal injury attorneys in Everett, WA, will fight to prove the connection between your injuries and the accident or negligence that led to them. We will hold those responsible for your injuries accountable, whether that’s by being tough negotiators over a settlement or your advocates in the courtroom.

Personal Injury Infographic

Recoverable Damages in Everett, WA, Personal Injury Cases

If you suffered injuries because of someone’s negligence, you could collect two types of damages: economic damages and non-economic damages. The court orders compensatory damages in an attempt to make you whole again. The damages not only help recover bills related to your accident or injuries, but also losses you may experience, like wages you couldn’t earn while you recover from your injuries.

Economic Damages

Special damages, often referred to as economic damages, have a monetary value and include:

• Past medical expenses for those incurred in the accident and prior to a settlement or trial award
• Future medical expenses for those incurred in the accident but after a settlement or trial award.
  Medical expenses include additional surgeries, follow-up appointments, and various types of therapy you might require after an accident, including physical therapy, cognitive therapy, occupational therapy, and various psychological therapies.
• Past lost wages for those lost directly after an accident and prior to a settlement or trial award.
• Future lost wages for those lost because of accident injuries and disabilities that continue after a settlement or trial award. You could also receive partial future lost wages if you are able to work but cannot make the same salary or hourly wage you did prior to the accident.
• Replacement or repair of destroyed or damaged personal property.
• Funeral, burial and/or cremation expenses.

Non-Economic Damages

Our Everett, WA, personal injury lawyers can help you collect general damages, also known as non-economic damages. While non-economic damages are also compensatory damages, they are harder to compute in monetary terms. Non-economic damages include:

• Pain and suffering, which includes emotional distress.
• Loss of quality of life. You can generally collect extra compensation if the accident injuries cause long-term or permanent disabilities that require you to take medications, use ambulatory aids or otherwise change your life.
• Loss of companionship if you can no longer enjoy family events or activities, such as throwing the ball with your children or going on hikes or barbecues.
• Loss of consortium if you can no longer have a physical relationship with your spouse.
• Loss of use of a body part, such as a foot or a hand.
• Loss of use of a bodily function, such as bladder control or eyesight.
• Amputation, whether a limb or digit was amputated in the accident or later because a doctor could not save the amputated body part.
• Excessive scarring and disfigurement.
• Inconvenience if you have to hire someone to do the chores you normally do, such as lawn maintenance, house cleaning, home repair and maintenance, and grocery shopping.

Punitive Damages

Unlike most states in the U.S., Washington State does not allow defendants to pursue punitive damages. However, our team of Everett, WA, personal injury lawyers will fight for the full amount of economic and non-economic damages you deserve for your injuries and your losses.

Steps to Take After an Accident that Caused Your Injuries

In your injuries were caused by an accident, such as a car accident, you can help your case if you are able to take certain steps without causing yourself further injuries. Your personal injury attorneys in Everett, WA, can get a head start on investigating your case if we can obtain some documentation. We will also investigate your case to help identify who may be at fault for your injuries. If expert help is needed, we can hire skilled professionals; and if your case goes to trial, we can bring in expert witnesses.

What to do after an accident to help your personal injury claim:

• Take photos of the accident scene.
• Speak to witnesses. Ask them what they saw and obtain contact information from them.
• Obtain insurance information from the at-fault person, whether another driver, an employer, a property owner, or a dog owner.
• Obtain registration information for drivers involved in vehicle accidents.
• Allow emergency medical technicians to check you over, even if you believe your injuries are minor.
• Seek medical attention. Let doctors know you were in an accident and the type of accident so they can check you over thoroughly. Even if you think your injuries aren’t serious, you may develop more problems later, so medical documentation will be essential to your case.
• Get help from our Everett, WA, personal injury lawyers for a free case evaluation.
• What not to do: Don’t provide any detailed information to insurance company representatives. Let our attorneys handle that communication for you. You might harm your case with the information you provide them.

How Our Everett, WA, Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You

When you retain us, we will look through your medical records and photos. If we believe your case needs additional investigation, we will hire investigators for the type of accident you were in. We will also help file a claim with the insurance companies.

Personal Injury Case Investigations

Many personal injury claims in Everett, WA, relate to some type of accident caused by another’s negligence. In some cases, we do not have to hire investigators for your accident because the insurance company agrees to pay a fair and reasonable settlement once they find out personal injury attorneys are involved in your case.

In other cases, we have to fight an insurance company to get the settlement you deserve. If it will help your case, we may hire accident investigators. Combined with photos, a police report and other reports regarding the accident, and your medical bills, the investigator’s report can significantly help a case, especially when the defendant was grossly negligent.

Dealing with Insurance Companies

When people try to settle accident cases on their own, they often leave money on the table. Because insurance companies are in business to make a profit, they will do anything to deny a case or offer a pittance that will most likely not cover medical expenses.

A personal injury attorney knows all of the tricks that insurance companies use to try to reassign blame to anyone but their client. Insurance companies know this, so they are less likely to offer a low settlement during the beginning of negotiations. Insurance companies also know that a good attorney will not hesitate to end settlement negotiations and move to litigation.

Because litigation costs an insurance company so much money, they are more apt to settle a case for a fair and reasonable amount when you get your personal injury lawyers in Everett, WA, involved in the case.

When you’ve suffered a serious injury as a result of another’s negligent actions, it’s important for you to focus on healing. Count on our experience, skills and knowledge of Washington laws to fight for you. Give us a call at 206-741-1053 to talk to a personal injury lawyer in our Everett office today.

Results Our Everett, WA, Personal Injury Lawyers Have Obtained for Our Clients

When you hire personal injury lawyers in Everett, WA, you want a firm that gets results. Strong Law has a 98 percent win rate. Some of our recoveries include:

• $1.5 million in a premises liability case.
• $1.1 million for a car accident that resulted in neck injuries.
• $1 million from a drunk driver in a head-on collision.
• $900,000 in a pedestrian accident where the victim suffered knee and shoulder injuries.
• $875,000 in a drunk driving accident that resulted in the passenger in the drunk driver’s vehicle suffering neck injuries.
• $500,000 in a premises liability case for back injuries because of an improperly maintained balcony railing.

We have also won our clients compensation in UTV accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and other types injury cases.

FAQs: Your Questions Answered by Our Everett, WA, Personal Injury Attorneys

Some of the common questions we hear relate to case costs, results, time frames and other elements of a personal injury case. We answer several questions below.

Client Testimonial

”The team is awesome! Katrina was so helpful and there for me during the whole process. They never left me in the dark and were always open and honest about the process and likely outcome. I was so stressed going into this my whole life had changed because of what happened and I really appreciate strong law being there with me through the stress and getting an amazing win. :)” – Moe Poe (Google Review)