It can be a terrible experience dealing with a serious accident. It’s not just dealing with the injuries but it’s finding the money to pay for medical treatment and the worry of not being able to return to work and losing wages. It is not fair to suffer financially if you were the victim of someone else’s negligence. You may be able to claim compensation if you have proof that you were not to blame. Talk to a personal injury attorney about your chances of success before filing a claim.
Choosing a Personal Injury Attorney in Spokane
It is not difficult finding a personal injury attorney in Spokane as there are over 200 advertised who provide this sort of legal assistance. Make sure that the attorney you choose is licensed to offer legal services in Washington, and that he or she has had sufficient experience dealing with the sort of accident and injury that you have had.
Typical Injuries in Spokane
The following are the most likely causes of personal injury in Spokane:
- Vehicle accidents of all types: bus accidents; truck accidents; car accidents;
pedestrian accidents; bicycle accidents; motorcycle accidents; - Workplace accidents (typically not covered by personal injury claims in Washington as they are dealt with by workers’ compensation cover);
- Slip, trip and fall accidents;
- Medical negligence;
- Nursing home abuse and negligence;
- Product defects;
- Dog attacks.
The most frequent causes of serious and fatal injuries in Spokane are vehicle accidents, and especially truck accidents. Pedestrians and bicyclists tend to be more at risk than any other road user.
The Personal Injury Claim Process in Washington
Washington has specific rules that govern how personal injury claims are filed and processed. These are different depending on whether you have been injured by a government entity or a non-government, i.e. a private entity.
The statute of limitations in Washington is three years for a personal injury claim against a private individual or organization and three years for a notice of claim against a government agency. You must wait 6 months if you file a claim against a government entity before going ahead with a lawsuit.
Washington uses a pure comparative negligence system. This means that the amount of compensation you eventually receive is reduced in proportion to the percentage of blame attached to your actions. For example, if it is decided that you were 30% to blame for an accident and you claimed $15,000, you would receive $10,500, i.e. 70% of the total.
Washington has no caps on any type of damages, including medical negligence as it has ruled that caps of any sort would be unconstitutional.
A personal injury claim should be filed at the appropriate civil court, such as the Spokane County Court at 1100 W Mallon Ave. in Spokane. It is open from 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday except public holidays. Notices of claim against a government entity should be first filed with the government agency itself.
Use a Free Claim Evaluation to Find a Suitable Attorney
It can be hard to know exactly what to do first when considering filing a claim for compensation. There are certainly plenty of attorneys capable of assisting you in Spokane, but who do you choose? One solution is to use our free claim evaluation form which is found below. It is best to get the ball rolling as soon as you can, not just because of the statute of limitations. The sooner you act, the more likely you will find suitable evidence to prove negligence.
