Kent Personal Injury Attorneys

Personal injury law and all its rules can be complicated and confusing for many people. That is because there are so many different types of personal injuries that you could suffer from, many with their own sets of circumstances and rules about who can be held legally responsible for them.

If you were injured as a result of someone else’s negligence or an intentional act, The Kent personal injury lawyers at Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers can help. We handle all types of personal injury cases in Kent, Washington, including but not limited to car accident cases, motorcycle accident cases, pedestrian and bicycle accidents, truck accidents, wrongful death cases, and more.

Contact us for a free consultation by calling (206) 312-0954 or by filling out our online contact form.

Kent Personal Injury FAQs

• What Is a Personal Injury?
• What Are Common Examples of Personal Injuries?
• How Do I Pursue Compensation After a Personal Injury?
• What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer?
• Do I Have to Make a Statement With an Insurance Company?
• What Kinds of Evidence Can Help in a Personal Injury Claim?
• What Damages Can Be Recovered After a Personal Injury?
• How Do Attorneys Prove Fault in a Personal Injury Claim?
• Are Punitive Damages Available in Washington?
• What if I Was in an Accident and the Other Party Doesn’t Have Insurance?
• Who Receives The Injury Settlement Check in Washington State?
• What Is the Statute of Limitations to File a Personal Injury Claim in Washington?
• Contact Us

What Is a Personal Injury?

A personal injury is a legal term that refers to physical, mental or emotional harm done to an individual. When the injury is caused by someone else’s negligence, the victim can file what is known as a personal injury claim in Washington. This is a civil lawsuit brought in pursuit of financial compensation for the victim’s injuries from the negligent party. Common personal injuries include the following:

• Car Accidents:

  Car accident injuries can range anywhere from minor bumps and bruises to devastating issues, such as as a wrongful death in some cases. The amount of compensation you can receive in Kent will depend on whether anyone was hurt, how badly they were injured (if at all), as well as which party was found liable for causing the injury.

• Medical Malpractice:

  Poor treatment by doctors or hospital staff can be examples of medical malpractice. This could include misdiagnosis, surgery without consent, and botched surgeries.

• Slip and Falls:

  Slips and falls are the most common type of accident in the United States, accounting for over one million hospital visits a year. Property owners are responsible for making sure their property is safe to walk through, and if someone suffers an injury as a result of a hazardous condition that had not been fixed, the property owner can be held liable.

At Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers, we have the ability to help you with a personal injury case after many different types of accidents in Kent. Our practice areas include various types of car accidents, premises liability accidents, medical malpractice and wrongful death. Contact us to find out if we can help you after any type of accident or injury in the King County area.

What Are Common Examples of Personal Injuries?

Being involved in an accident can leave you with life-altering injuries. You could suffer a catastrophic injury because of another person’s careless or malicious actions, meaning an injury that will impact you for the foreseeable future. Even a minor injury can come with pain, suffering and temporary debilitation. Every case is unique and the list of potential injuries is long. Some of the most common personal injuries involved in lawsuits in Kent are:

• Broken bones. A bone will crack or break if too much pressure is exerted upon it. A victim can often heal completely from a broken bone, but major fractures can have long-term or permanent ramifications.
• Soft-tissue injuries. The soft tissues of the body include tendons, ligaments and muscles. When these tissues get torn, pulled, strained or sprained, the victim can suffer significant pain and loss of mobility in the affected area. A common example is whiplash.
• Traumatic brain injuries. If a victim suffers a bump or blow to the head in an accident, he or she could be diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) such as a concussion. In the most severe cases, TBIs can cause permanent brain damage.
• Spinal cord injuries. If the spinal cord sustains an injury, such as disk herniation or a fractured vertebra, this can severely impact the victim’s life. Paralysis, or the loss of function and feeling in the body, is generally irreversible.
• Internal injuries. The internal organs can suffer damage from trauma such as a car accident or crush injuries. This can result in organ dysfunction, organ failure, internal bleeding and death.

It is important to see a doctor after suffering any type of injury in an car accident in Kent. Medical records can become an important piece of evidence in your injury claim. An insurance company can use your medical records to determine the severity of your injuries and the value of your claim. If you suffered a serious or catastrophic injury, you should always consult with a lawyer before accepting an insurance settlement. Insurers are known for devaluing major injuries to save money on large payouts.

How Do I Pursue Compensation After a Personal Injury?

If you decide that you want to pursue compensation for your personal injury, there are a few steps you will need to take. First and foremost, you will need to find an experienced personal injury lawyer who can help guide you through the process. They will likely want to review all of the evidence related to your case, as well as speak with any witnesses before filing a lawsuit on your behalf. It is important to remember that personal injury cases can take a long time to resolve, so be prepared for a possible lengthy legal battle. We will do everything in our power to make the process as quick and easy as possible for you.

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer?

There are many key benefits to hiring a personal injury lawyer if you have been hurt in an accident. Most importantly, a Kent personal injury lawyer will have more experience dealing with these types of cases than you would on your own. This means they will know how to navigate the legal system and get you the best possible outcome for your situation.

A personal injury attorney will collect evidence, speak with witnesses, hire expert witnesses who can testify on your behalf at trial, and do anything else necessary to make your case as strong as possible.

Do I Have to Make a Statement With an Insurance Company?

One thing to keep in mind is that you should never speak to an insurance company until you have hired a lawyer. The insurance adjusters will be looking for any opportunity to reduce the amount of compensation they have to pay out, and by speaking to them without representation, you may inadvertently say something that hurts your case. It is best to let your Kent personal injury lawyer deal with the insurance company so they can get you the best possible settlement if there’s a negotiation and not a trial.

What Kinds of Evidence Can Help in a Personal Injury Claim?

There are many important types of evidence that can be useful when building your case for personal injury. Medical records are one of the most meaningful pieces of evidence in a personal injury case, as they document the nature of your injuries as well as their severity. You should also take photos or record a video if possible so you can demonstrate what happened at the time of the car accident.

Witness testimony is a vital way to prove negligence by the other party involved in the accident. If there were any eyewitnesses, try to get their information so they can provide statements about how things unfolded during this incident. A personal injury attorney will also look for any video footage of the incident, either from a dash cam, a property owner’s personal security cameras, or the security footage from a nearby restaurant or store.

What Damages Can Be Recovered After a Personal Injury?

Depending on how serious your injury was, you may qualify for several forms of compensation under the law including economic and non-economic damages. Some common examples include medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.

How Do Attorneys Prove Fault in a Personal Injury Claim?

In order to recover damages in an injury claim, personal injury lawyers need to prove that negligence occurred and led to the damages suffered in an accident.

Our Kent personal injury lawyers understand and can help prove that the elements of negligence were breached. These elements of negligence include:

• Duty – The existence of a legal duty that the defendant owed to the plaintiff
• Breach – The defendant breached that duty
• Causation – The defendant’s breach of duty caused the injuries to the plaintiff  
• Damages – The plaintiff was injured or harmed as a result of the defendant’s actions

Proving negligence is an imperative component in several types of personal injury claims. If a defendant acted in a negligent or reckless manner that lead to an accident and damages, that individual can be held liable for the damages caused to the victim, and possibly, their loved ones.  

Are Punitive Damages Available in Washington?

Generally speaking no – Washington State is one of the few states that does not allow punitive damages to be awarded in personal injury cases. Punitive damages are generally not recoverable under Washington Law unless expressly authorized by statute. 

Instead of awarding punitive damages in Washington State, RCW 4.22.005 outlines compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are in place and intended to compensate a plaintiff for enough financial compensation to cover the damages caused by the actions of defendant or at-fault party.  

What if I Was in a Car Accident and the Other Party Doesn’t Have Insurance?

If the other party doesn’t have insurance, you may still be able to pursue a claim against them by filing a lawsuit. If you carry uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage through your own policy, you will be able to make a claim with your own insurance company.

If you opted not to obtain this coverage, it might be possible to collect compensation from your insurance company under the collision coverage that you have. This will likely pay for any damages that affected your vehicle.

Finally, you may be able to recover compensation through personal injury protection. You’re not required to have this type of coverage, but if you do, it can be very helpful. You can collect money for medical and hospital expenses, lost wages, and funeral expenses if you lost a loved one in an accident. This is where having an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side can be invaluable, as they will know how to best proceed with your case.

Who Receives The Injury Settlement Check in Washington State?

Generally speaking, a lawyer working on a contingency fee basis will receive the check for an injury claim in the State of Washington.

Frequently, the law firm that is working on a contingency fee basis will have an escrow account set up that provides payment to the plaintiff that has suffered injury. 

Once the settlement check has cleared – normally one to five business days – the personal injury lawyer will disperse the funds to the appropriate parties after taking their mutually agreed upon contingency fee out of the account.  

After the attorney’s fees are deducted from the funds in the escrow account, an injured victim will receive the settlement check.

What Is the Statute of Limitations to File a Personal Injury Claim in Washington?

A statute of limitations is a law that you should know if you wish to file a personal injury case in Kent. It is a strict filing deadline that can bar you from making a financial recovery if you wait too long to file. The Revised Code of Washington Section 4.1.6.080 limits personal injury actions to three years from the date of the accident, in most cases. This law states that actions brought for injury to personal property or injury to a person must be commenced within three years. 

The three-year deadline applies to most personal injury claims in Washington. While this may seem like a lot of time to file a lawsuit, it can arrive quickly. Do not wait to contact a lawyer and begin your case. Prompt legal action can ensure that you don’t miss your statute of limitations – and, by extension, your right to recover financial compensation – as well as help you build a stronger claim. The longer you wait, the more likely it will be that important evidence has been destroyed or erased.

Contact Us

As you can see, it’s important to hire a personal injury lawyer after an accident in order to help you recover the compensation you deserve and to hold the at-fault party responsible. Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers have top notch attorneys on staff who are knowledgeable and dedicated to securing all of your rights if you are involved in a personal injury claim.

With a combined 19 years of experience and a 99 percent success rate, we know how to help. To learn more about everything we can do for you, contact Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers whenever you’re ready by calling (206) 312-0954 or by filling out our online contact form for a free consultation.