What Should I Do At An Accident Scene?
- If you're able, pull your vehicle over to the side of the road to a safe location.
- Call 911 and report the accident; if you are injured, decide whether you need an ambulance.
- Do not tell the other driver that you are fine; it may take some time before you find out you are injured.
- Get the other driver's license number, license plate number, and insurance information of the other party involved in the accident.
- Do not express anger at the other driver. If there any witnesses to the accident, get their contact information and ask them what they saw.
- Take photos of the accident scene and the vehicle damage.
What Should I Do After I Leave The Accident Scene?
- If you're injured, seek medical assistance as soon as possible. Tell the doctor exactly where you are hurt, how it hurts, and what happened to your body in the crash, but do not estimate speeds or guess at how fast the other driver was driving.
- Give your doctor your own insurance information and health insurance information so treatment can begin as soon as possible.
- Follow your doctor's recommendations.
- Take photos of any bruising.
- Let your insurance company know you were in a car accident and where you are going for treatment.
- Ask the insurance adjuster to explain your policy's coverage, including your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage.
- Keep a record of conversations regarding the auto accident.
- Keep receipts of any expenses incurred after the accident.
- Call an attorney as soon as possible. Call us at 206-274-9997 or send an email for a free consultation.
What Not To Do After An Accident:
- If you are injured, do not wait to seek medical attention.
- Do not accept any offers to settle from an insurance company or the other driver without consulting with an attorney.
- Do not give any statements to an insurance adjuster without consulting with an attorney.
- Do not sign any releases or waivers from an insurance company without consulting with an attorney.
- Do not have your car repaired without consulting with an attorney.
What Is The Statute Of Limitations?
The statute of limitations is a time in which you must sue the person or entity that caused the accident in which you were injured.
- In Washington, the statute of limitations for injury claims is three years from the date of the accident.
- In limited circumstances, that time can be extended based on the Discovery Rule, which allows the three-year period to start from the time you discovered your injuries.
- For minors, the three-year period for injury claims in Washington state starts when they turn 18.
- If you do not sue the person or entity that caused the accident within this three-year period, you will lose all rights to do so; you will be limited from suing the at-fault party for compensation.
Please contact us if you have any questions; we will be happy to help.
Attorney's Fees
I work on a contingent-fee basis in civil injury cases. We only take a fee if we recover for you; if we recover nothing for you, we receive no fee. My attorney's fee is one third of the gross amount of what I recover for you until 60 days before trial; after that date, or if the case is appealed, the fee is 40%. In workers' compensation cases, there are three ways you may owe us attorney fees: (1) If we recover back time loss for you, you owe us 30% of the back time loss payment and 15% of ongoing time loss payments. (2) If you get a permanent partial disability (PPD) award, you owe us 30% of the award. (3) If you get permanent total disability (also known as “pension”) benefits, you owe us 15% of the pension reserve, to be paid if possible from any back benefits, and the balance at 15% of each monthly check. If you do not get any time loss, PPD or pension benefits, you do not owe us any attorney fee.