A car accident is a terrifying experience, especially when it’s more than a fender bender and ends in serious injuries or fatalities. Unfortunately, the distress caused by a car accident in Everett often continues after the accident, when an injury victim encounters the complex legal process for recovering car accident damages in Washington under the state’s fault-based accident laws. Instead of navigating a claim against an at-fault party alone, contact the Everett personal injury attorneys at Sears Injury Law for experienced legal representation. Call us today at (206) 203-1166.
Why Hire Sears Injury Law as Your Car Accident Law Firm?
The attorneys at Sears Injury Law have a client-oriented policy prioritizing compassionate, assertive legal representation with a personalized approach to every car accident case. With Sears Injury Law, you can expect the following:
- A free consultation and contingency-based payment, so the law firm assumes all financial risk, and you only pay after you have received compensation
- Over 100 years of combined experience, knowledge, and resources behind your case
- A car accident attorney in Everett who takes the time to get to know you and personalizes a strategy to achieve the best possible outcome
- Assertive legal representation throughout every step of the process, with your best interests as your attorney’s top priority
Recent exceptional results, including a $5,150,000 recovery in a car accident case, add a powerful voice to your car accident claim and demand for financial accountability.
What are the Common Causes of Car Accidents In Everett?
All drivers owe a legal duty of care to others on the road, requiring them to follow traffic laws, avoid distractions, and take all reasonable measures to prevent an accident. When a driver or other entity violates this legal duty of reasonable care, it’s an example of legal negligence, leaving them liable for damages to an injury victim. Common causes of car accidents in Everett include the following:
- Speeding
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Distracted driving
- Unsafe lane changes
- Tailgating
- Illegal U-turns and other traffic violations
- Improper merging
- Unsafe passing
- Reversing accidents
- Tire blowouts
- Impaired driving
- Drowsy driving
Driver error or recklessness are the most common causes of car accidents in Washington; however, in some cases, other parties cause or contribute to a car accident, such as a negligent road maintenance agency or the manufacturer of a defective auto part. Your Everett car accident attorney from Sears Injury Law will pursue compensation from all parties that caused or contributed to your car accident and injuries. Additionally, if you’ve been injured in a car accident due to the negligence of a truck driver, an Everett truck accident attorney can help you get the compensation you deserve.
What Types of Injuries are Common In Everett Car Accidents?
Everett residents lead busy, productive lives. Unfortunately, this also causes congested roadways and may result in a car accident that temporarily or permanently impacts your ability to lead the active lifestyle you enjoyed before the accident. Car accidents often result in injuries such as the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Internal organ injuries
- Soft-tissue injuries like sprains, strains, torn ligaments, and tendon damage
- Lacerations, abrasions, and contusions
- Burns
- External head and facial injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic amputations
If a car accident in Everett or the surrounding area causes a loved one’s death, a wrongful death claim recovers compensation for a close surviving family member, such as a spouse, parent, or child.
Understanding Washington’s Car Accident Laws
Washington’s fault-based car accident laws operate under a pure comparative negligence system. This allows injury victims to recover a portion of their damages even if they contributed to the cause of the accident. The insurance company determines the percentage of fault each driver or other entity involved contributed to the accident. Washington’s RCW 4.22.070 describes this as follows:
“In all actions involving fault of more than one entity, the trier of fact shall determine the percentage of the total fault which is attributable to every entity which caused the claimant’s damages…If the trier of fact determines that the claimant or party suffering bodily injury or incurring property damages was not at fault, the defendants against whom judgment is entered shall be jointly and severally liable for the sum of their proportionate shares of the claimant’s total damages.”
In other words, if the other driver was 100% at fault for your accident, you’re entitled to 100% of the compensation available for your damages. If the insurance adjuster finds you 25% at fault and your claim is for $100,000, they reduce your payment to $75,000.
In some cases, a driver and another entity could share fault. For instance, a road maintenance agency that left debris in the road, causing one car to swerve into an oncoming car, could share liability.
How Does an Everett Car Accident Lawyer Help With the Claim Process?
When you leave a car accident claim solely in the hands of the insurance companies, the insurer’s top priority is to protect the company’s profits. They may assign you an undue percentage of fault to minimize what they have to pay on your claim. A proactive car accident lawyer in Everett investigates the accident, documents compelling evidence of the other party or parties’ liability, and protects your best interests throughout negotiations for a settlement to maximize the compensation you recover. If the insurance company fails to offer an acceptable settlement for your damages, your trial-ready attorney from Sears Injury Law is ready to litigate the matter in court. Fortunately, more than 90% of car accident claims end with a settlement when a claimant has skilled, assertive legal representation.
What Damages Can I Recover In an Everett Car Accident Claim?
Car accidents cause injuries ranging from mild to catastrophic or fatal. Depending on the severity of the accident and the extent of the physical and financial damages in your case, you could recover compensation for damages such as the following:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical expenses related to injury care
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Lost earnings
- Future income loss or lowered future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Other non-economic damages for specific catastrophic injuries, such as limb loss, organ loss, disfigurement, scarring, the loss of one of the senses, loss of enjoyment of life, or diminished quality of life
The closest surviving family member may recover wrongful death benefits if they lost a loved one in an Everett car accident caused by someone else’s actions.
Call the Everett Car Accident Attorneys at Sears Injury Law
During the stressful and often painful recovery period after a Washington car accident, you shouldn’t have to take on the additional strain of a complex legal endeavor; however, it’s never advisable to leave a critical claim in the hands of the insurance company. Instead, contact Sears Injury Law so we can take prompt action on your behalf and allow you to focus on healing. Call us today at (206) 203-1166 to schedule your free consultation.