Lakewood, WA, Car
Accident Lawyers
Protect Your Rights After a Car Accident
Lakewood, WA, Car Accident Lawyers
Lakewood, WA, Car Accident LawyersWhen someone hits you with their vehicle, you may suffer injuries like minor cuts and scrapes, or you could suffer catastrophic injuries. The at-fault driver, or their insurance company, should pay for your medical expenses and other damages. Our Lakewood, WA, car accident attorneys can help you protect your rights and get the compensation you deserve.
After an accident, the at-fault driver's insurance company is usually responsible for paying damages. However, insurance companies will certainly try to avoid paying a claim; and they’re notorious for offering minimal amounts to settle.
If you suffered injuries or lost a loved one in a car accident, contact one of our Lakewood, WA, car accident lawyers at Strong Law at 206-741-1053 for a free case evaluation and assistance in dealing with insurers.
Our Team Gets Results for Our Clients
Find Out Why So Many People Trust Strong Law
Our Lakewood, WA, car accident team works hard to get results for our clients. We take the time necessary to investigate your car accident case to the fullest extent. We leave no stone unturned so that we can represent your interests to the best of our ability.
The legal system is complex; and if your car accident case has more than one person at fault, it becomes even more complicated. Count on our experience, our strategic and negotiating skills and our knowledge of the law. We make sure insurance companies and other defendants do not violate your rights. We will make sure that you get all the compensation you deserve. Some of our results include:
- A client was rear-ended while sitting at a stoplight. His neck surgery forced him to stay in a rehabilitation center for two months. We recovered $1.1 million for him.
- A drunk driver crossed the center line, causing a head-on collision with our clients. We recovered $1 million for them.
- A vehicle hit our client as the client was crossing the street. His injuries required surgery on his knee and shoulder and caused him to be out for work for over a year. We recovered $900,000 for him.
- Our client was a passenger in the vehicle driven by an acquaintance. Unbeknownst to our client, the acquaintance was drunk. The driver crashed into a tree, causing our client to suffer neck injuries that required surgery. We recovered $875,000 for our client.
- Three young children were riding in a car that was T-boned while the driver was making a left turn into a parking lot. The three children suffered injuries in the wreck. We recovered $680,000 for the children.
Each matter is unique, and your results may vary.
Proving Liability in a Lakewood, WA, Car Accident
Our Experienced Attorneys Know How to Show Who Was at Fault
In some cases, it is obvious who was at fault in a car accident. In other cases, your attorney might have to retain private investigators to determine who was at fault in the car accident. While the police report can point to liability, it is not the only tool a car accident lawyer in Lakewood will use.
To recover damages in a car accident, you must be able to show that the other driver met the four elements to prove liability. Those elements are:
- The driver – also known as the defendant – had a duty of care not to harm you.
- The driver violated that duty.
- The driver’s actions caused your injuries.
- You suffered damages as a result of those actions.
More than one person could meet these elements – and if they do, they are also responsible for your injuries and other damages.
To help prove who shares in the liability for the damages you can collect, our Sammamish car accident lawyers will investigate the accident scene and use expert witnesses to recreate the accident, when necessary. Our attorneys will also interview first responders, police officers and other witnesses who were at the scene of the accident.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Lakewood, WA
In many cases, your injuries could prevent you from doing anything after a car accident. However, if you feel that you can move around without causing additional harm to yourself, you should take the following steps after a car wreck:
- Call first responders and check on others involved in the wreck.
- Obtain the other drivers’ contact information, insurance information and registration information.
- Speak to witnesses. First, obtain a good phone number from anyone who witnessed the accident. You can also ask a witness what he or she saw. If you do, be sure to take notes about which witness said what.
- Allow the emergency medical technicians to check you over, even if you believe your injuries are minor. Some injuries will not manifest for hours or even a day or two.
- After the police release you from the scene, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Let the medical personnel know that you were in an accident and you want to ensure that you do not have any injuries that have not manifested yet.
- Contact our car accident lawyers in Lakewood, WA.
Recoverable Damages After a Car Accident in Lakewood
In Washington, you can recover economic damages and non-economic damages. You cannot recover punitive or exemplary damages for a car accident in Washington State, even if the at-fault driver’s actions or inactions were grossly negligent.
Economic damages and non-economic damages are compensatory damages. The court orders these types of damages in an attempt to make you whole again. While the money does not bring back a loved one, it does reduce financial stress for family members and for the accident victim who might not be able to work again.
Economic Damages
Special damages, usually referred to as economic damages, have a monetary value. They include:
- Past and Future Medical Expenses: Past medical expenses are those you incurred because of the accident and prior to a trial award or a settlement. Future medical expenses are those you expect to incur after you settle or win a trial award. Medical expenses also include any therapy you might need, such as cognitive and other psychological therapies, occupational therapy and physical therapy.
- Past and Future Lost Wages: Past lost wages are those you lost from the time of the accident through the time you settle your case or win a trial award. Future lost wages are those you expect to continue losing after a settlement or a trial award. If you are able to work but your disabilities prevent you from making the same hourly rate or salary as prior to the accident, you could recover partial future lost wages.
Economic losses also include property damage. These damages sometimes have an emotional component as well.
Non-Economic Damages
General damages, usually referred to as non-economic damages, are more difficult to compute in monetary terms. They include:
- Pain and Suffering: This general category usually includes emotional distress, for those who suffered injuries in a car wreck. Money cannot relieve emotional pain and suffering. But it is the only remedy available under Washington law.
- Lost Quality of Life: Some accident injuries cause disabilities that might require medication or the use of ambulatory aids for the rest of your life. You could recover compensation for loss of quality of life if the accident injuries caused such life-changing changes.
- Loss of Companionship: If your car accident injuries caused long-term or permanent disabilities that preclude you from enjoying family events and activities, you could recover extra compensation.
- Loss of Consortium: If the car accident injuries caused a long-term or permanent disability that precludes you from having a physical relationship with your spouse, whether those injuries are physical or emotional, you could recover extra compensation.
To determine a reasonable amount of non-economic losses, most Lakewood, WA, car accident lawyers multiply the economic losses by two, three, or four, mostly depending on the facts of the case.
There Is No Fee Unless Our Lakewood, WA, Car Accident Lawyers Win
You might be thinking that it is all well and good that we can obtain these types of results for our clients, but you worry about fees to retain us. This is one concern you don’t need to have.
Your initial case evaluation is free, and you don’t pay our attorney’s fees unless we win your case for you. If we win, we take our attorney’s fees from your settlement or trial award. We understand that you are going to have a hard enough time paying bills while you are out of work due to accident injuries. We have the resources to investigate your case and negotiate for a settlement to cover your injuries and costs or to take your case to court.
To win the compensation you deserve, contact our Lakewood, WA, car accident attorneys at 206-741-1053 for a free case evaluation as soon as possible.
Lakewood, WA, Car Accident FAQs
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When should I contact a car accident lawyer in Lakewood, WA?
You should contact our Lakewood, WA, car accident lawyers as soon as possible after the accident. Even if you are in the hospital, we can still meet with you for your initial case evaluation. We can visit you in the hospital or conduct a case evaluation over the phone or via video call.
If you are not able to meet with us due to your injuries, a loved one may contact us on your behalf. We will let your loved one know what steps to take.
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My accident was not in Lakewood, and the at-fault driver and I live in another city. Do I have to use your Lakewood office?
No. You can work with our car accident lawyers in our office in Tacoma, WA, or even Portland or Eugene, OR. We also have an office in Salt Lake City, UT. Because of jurisdiction and venue laws, you should visit the office closest to where you or the defendant lives or closest to where the accident took place.
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The insurance adjuster for the defendant’s insurance company keeps calling me. What should I do?
Ask the adjuster to contact our office. If you have given the insurance adjuster this information previously, tell the adjuster not to call you again. Additionally, let our office know that the insurance adjuster continues to reach out to you. We will also inform the insurance adjuster that he or she should not contact you.
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I need to have my car fixed before my case settles. How do I get it fixed?
We will contact the insurance company on your behalf to get information about repairing your vehicle. Once an investigation has been completed, you can take your car in for repairs. In many cases, insurance companies have separate departments for property damage and personal injury claims. You can discuss getting your vehicle repaired with the property damage department, or you can ask us to obtain the information you need for the repair shop to submit expenses.
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If the driver who hit me was on the job, can I also collect from his or her employer?
You bet. In fact, you may be able to collect from an employer even if the driver who hit you wasn’t technically “on the clock.”
Washington State has a very broad respondeat superior rule. Employers are financially responsible if their employees were negligent during the course and scope of their employment. “Course and scope” usually includes any act which benefits the employer in any way. If an Uber driver causes an accident while deadheading (driving around waiting for a fare), the respondeat superior rule usually applies. Although the driver didn’t have a fare at the time of the accident, Uber benefitted, since an available driver was in the area.
On a related note, almost any worker is an employee in Washington State, at least for negligence purposes.
Third party liability theories like respondeat superior are especially important in catastrophic injury claims, like wrongful death claims. Since many drivers don’t have enough insurance coverage to provide fair compensation in these cases, third-party liability gives these victims another recovery source.
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If I caused an accident because of a defective part on my vehicle, can I sue the manufacturer?
These wrecks are quite common. Manufacturers only recall products as a last resort. Usually, many people must be injured or killed before automakers and other manufacturers even think about issuing a recall. Additionally, product recall notices go only to record owners. Most used car owners are not record owners. On a related note, recall notices often don’t explain the severity of the problem. So, many owners put off repairs.
Usually, the strict liability rule applies in these cases. To obtain compensation for their injuries, victims don’t have to establish fault or negligence. They must only establish a connection between the product defect and their injuries.
Things like negligence and fault are relevant in terms of damages. If there is clear and convincing evidence that the manufacturer intentionally disregarded a known risk, a jury may award additional punitive damages. Usually, such proof is available. As mentioned, many product makers ignore danger signs and continue selling a defective product.
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Is it possible to suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after an accident?
Post-car accident PTSD is more than possible. It’s common. More than half of car crash victims experience prolonged symptoms like:
- Loss of interest
- Depression
- Anger
- Hypervigilance
- Flashbacks.
PTSD is not a processing disorder that randomly affects some victims. Instead, a chemical imbalance in the brain causes the aforementioned symptoms. Extreme stress, like being in a car wreck, enlarges the amygdala and shrinks the cerebral cortex. The amygdala controls emotional responses, and the cerebral cortex controls logical responses. This imbalance explains why these victims over-react emotionally to everyday triggers, like driving past the intersection where the accident happened.
On a related note, physical injury victims aren’t the only people who can sustain stress-related injuries. For example, if a parent witnesses a child’s injury, the parent may be entitled to compensation, even if the parent didn’t otherwise get hurt.
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What if the accident was my fault?
Tragedies like car crashes often have multiple causes. So, both drivers could well be partially responsible for the wreck. However, there are two important things to remember in this area.
First, there is a difference between fault and legal responsibility (known as “liability”). An insurance adjuster, who will have the insurance company interests as their focus instead of yours, usually determines fault based solely on the immediately available evidence. If your case goes to trial, a jury or judge determines liability based not only on the evidence at the scene, but also on electronic and other subsequently available evidence.
Additionally, even if you were partially responsible for the accident, compensation is still available. Washington is a pure comparative fault state. So, even if the victim was 99 percent responsible for the collision, the negligent driver is liable for a proportionate share of damages.
Attorney Jed Strong
Jed Strong is the founder of Strong Law. He knows that accident injuries can be devastating to individuals and families, so he does everything in his power to ensure his clients recover every bit of compensation they deserve. Prior to representing accident victims, Jed worked for GEICO insurance company as one of its in-house attorneys – representing the insurance companies. After learning the inner workings of insurance companies, he quit and began representing accident victims. [ Attorney Bio ]
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“Excellent attorneys and staff!! My attorney, Peter, and his paralegal, Katrina, went ABOVE & BEYOND to get me a settlement that was even higher than my own personal bottom line. I highly recommend Strong Law for all your personal injury claims. I would not have been able to navigate this 3-year long journey without them! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!”
Anita Washington
Contact Our Team of Lakewood, WA, Car Accident Lawyers for a Free Case Evaluation
Car accident injuries, especially those that cause long-term or permanent disabilities, can significantly change your life – and usually not for the better. While the compensation you deserve does not get rid of your injuries and disabilities, nor does it bring back a loved one who died in a car accident, the money does reduce the financial stress of not being able to work or of missing that second income.
Our Lakewood, WA, car accident attorneys can help protect your rights after an accident and help you recover the compensation you deserve. If you or a loved one was in a car accident, contact Strong Law at 206-741-1053 for a free case evaluation.
