Sammamish Car Accident Lawyer

Sammamish, WA, Car Accident Lawyers

Every year, vehicle collisions kill or seriously injure millions of Americans. These injuries are not just physical. They are also emotional and financial. In addition to physical wounds, like head injuries and broken bones, most car accident survivors struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other issues. As for financial pain, the average injury-related hospital bill is more than $50,000. A family that was barely making ends meet can ill afford to pay such a large, unexpected expense.

Driver error causes over 98 percent of these vehicle collisions. If this driver error constituted negligence, as is usually the case, a Sammamish, WA, car accident lawyer can obtain the compensation you and your family need and deserve. A top legal team, like the one at Strong Law, usually settles these claims out of court. So, victims have more control over the outcome and receive their checks sooner. That result is better for everyone.

If you suffered injuries or lost a loved one in a car accident, contact one of our Sammamish, 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 Sammamish, 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 Sammamish, 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 Sammamish 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 Sammamish, 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 Sammamish, WA.

Recoverable Damages After a Car Accident in Sammamish

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 Sammamish, 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 Sammamish, 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 Sammamish, WA, car accident attorneys at 206-741-1053 for a free case evaluation as soon as possible.

Sammamish, WA Car Accident FAQs

When should I contact a car accident lawyer in Sammamish, WA?

You should contact our Sammamish, 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.
My accident was not in Sammamish, and the at-fault driver and I live in another city. Do I have to use your Sammamish 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.
The insurance adjuster for the defendant’s insurance company keeps calling me. What should I do?

Frequently, insurance adjusters first reach out to car crash victims in hospital rooms, brandishing settlement offers. The TV commercials we see almost every day lead us to believe that insurance adjusters are friendly professionals who have our best interests at heart. But the truth is radically different. Most insurance adjusters care little about accident victims. Instead, they only care about insurance company profit margins.

So, although it’s tempting to accept a settlement offer and try to move on, that’s almost always the wrong move. Do not speak to an insurance company representative, either in person or on the phone. Simply tell them you are working with a Sammamish, WA, car accident lawyer and refer them to our office. We’ll take care of the rest.
I need to have my car fixed before my case settles. How do I get it fixed?

Just like medical treatment, vehicle repair or replacement is an immediate priority for accident victims. These individuals cannot suspend their commitments, like taking their children to school, because of an accident.

Our Sammamish, WA, car accident lawyers understand this urgency. So, we usually resolve these matters in one of two ways. Sometimes, we work with insurance companies to expedite property damage claims. Usually, a separate department handles such matters. This approach could be the easiest and fastest way to get you back on the road. At other times, we connect victims with independent mechanics and other providers who charge nothing upfront for their professional services.
If the driver who hit me was on the job, can I also collect from his or her employer?
Absolutely. Respondeat superior employer liability usually applies if the tortfeasor (negligent driver) was an Uber driver, truck driver, taxi driver, or another commercial operator. This legal doctrine has two major elements:
- Employee: For negligence purposes, any person the employer controls is an employee. This broad definition includes independent contractors, owner-operators, and even unpaid volunteers.
- Scope of Employment: Any act that benefits the employer in any way is within the scope of employment. A deadheading Uber driver who is driving without a fare is acting within the scope of employment. The employer benefits because a driver is on the road and ready to pick up a passenger.
Other employer liability theories, which often apply in assault and other intentional tort claims, include negligent hiring and negligent supervision.
If I caused an accident because of a defective part on my vehicle that the manufacturer would not recall, can I sue the manufacturer?
Yes and no. Generally, manufacturers are strictly liable for the injuries their defective products cause. However, if you knew about the defect and did nothing to make your vehicle safer, the manufacturer could use that inaction as a defense.

Strict liability is a higher standard than negligence. A defective product, like a defective tire or an ignition issue, could seriously injure thousands of people. There are basically two kinds of product defects in Washington law:
- Design Defect: The 1970s Ford Pinto is an example of a design defect. To make the car lighter and cheaper, designers put the Pinto’s unlined gas tank behind the rear axle. As a result, it was overly prone to rupture and explosion, even in a relatively low speed accident.
- Manufacturing Defect: 1990s Takata airbags are an example of a manufacturing defect. To cut costs, the manufacturer replaced a stable and expensive chemical propellant with ammonium nitrate, which is unstable and cheap. Ammonium nitrate is basically the same compound Timothy McVeigh used in the Oklahoma City truck bomb.
The unforeseeable use doctrine is basically the only legal defense in a defective product claim. Manufacturers are not liable for damages if individuals misuse a product and that misuse causes injury. The misuse must be extreme, like using racing tires to go off-roading in the Cascades.
Is it possible to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder after an accident?

Absolutely. In fact, it’s also possible to suffer from PTSD-like symptoms, and obtain compensation for them, even if you were not otherwise injured.

About half of car crash victims suffer from PTSD. Going through a stressful event, like a car wreck or combat firefight, alters brain chemistry. The amygdala (part of the brain that controls emotional responses) enlarges, and the cerebral cortex (logical responses) shrinks. This imbalance causes effects like depression, anger, flashbacks, and other symptoms that make it difficult or impossible to function in everyday life.

Furthermore, the additional stress parents feel when they see their children injured triggers a special legal doctrine, called the zone of danger rule. Therefore, parents in these situations are entitled to compensation for bystander injuries. This compensation could include both the economic and noneconomic damages mentioned above.
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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Contact Our Team of Sammamish, 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 Sammamish, 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.