If you are injured, it might benefit you to seek the assistance of a Washington personal injury attorney to help wade through the legal filing process for compensation.
Do You Need a Personal Injury Attorney?
There are many benefits to hiring an attorney to file and monitor your personal injury case. However, only you can determine if you need an attorney. Understanding the benefits and knowing what a personal injury attorney does may help you decide.
We Can Take on Your Stress So You Can Focus on More Important Things
You do not legally need a lawyer to fight for accident-related damages. However, hiring one can make you less stressed. You can also benefit from their knowledge and resources.
Stress relief is one of the immediate benefits. Being injured, juggling medical appointments, and recovering from an accident can be stressful. Adding a personal injury claim can be overwhelming.
With a personal injury attorney in your corner, you can concentrate on healing. In contrast, your attorney works to get compensation for your injuries.
What does a Personal Injury Attorney Do?
Laws regarding personal injury can be confusing. Your attorney has spent years learning the laws and working with them.
Our personal injury attorneys can assist you along every step of the path from your injury to a final determination in court or settlement. While your attorney is doing all the legwork, you can be taking care of medical needs from injuries and recovering from your accident. Among the many tasks that an attorney can perform:
- Finding and identifying the liable parties
- Verifying the cause of the accident
- Gathering evidence to support your case
- Filing your claim
- Facilitating communication with all parties
- Negotiating a fair settlement
- Answering your questions
You do not need to pore over legal text to secure a fair award. Your lawyer will explain and pursue all opportunities for compensation. They will valuate your losses.
What Are Compensatory Damages?
Many things fall under the label of compensatory damages in a personal injury case. They include any expense incurred as a result of your accident, such as:
- Lost or reduced wages
- Medical costs and continuing therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
Although a complete list of potential compensatory damages is extensive, the general premise is that anything that created a hardship for you can be compensable. These include physical, emotional, and financial losses.
How do Personal Injuries Happen?
Accidents or injuries caused by someone else fall under the scope of personal injuries. Work-related injuries such as construction site mishaps occur while doing your job. You may be working with unsafe conditions, faulty equipment, or the negligence of a third party.
Vehicle accidents are a kind of personal injury our team often sees. Included in this group are automobiles, motorcycles, and mass transit accidents. Pedestrians and bicyclists can also receive personal injuries.
Suppose you feel your injuries directly result from another person’s negligence. In that case, you may wish to discuss your case with a personal injury attorney.
What Happens When the Plaintiff is Partially at Fault for the Accident?
Many personal injury cases are the direct result of negligence. When an accident is the result of negligence on the defendant’s part, but that the plaintiff’s actions also played a role in the resulting injuries, the plaintiff’s damages could be affected.
Washington is a pure comparative negligence state under RCW 4.22.005. When determining negligence, a claimant responsible for a percentage of their accident or injury may receive reduced compensation. You can be as much as 99% liable for the accident and still recover some damages.
If you are 20 percent responsible for the injury and the defendant was 80 percent responsible, your award would be reduced by 20 percent. If you requested $200,000 in compensatory damages, the final figure would be reduced by 20 percent, or $40,000, to $160,000.
Choosing the Right Personal Injury Attorney
You can ask your lawyer’s team the following questions when deciding if they’re the right team for you:
- How long have they been in business?
- Do they break down the types of cases they handle by category?
- How many personal injury cases do they handle on average?
- Are they willing to go to trial if necessary?
- Do they charge upfront fees?
- What is their caseload – do they have time to devote to your claim?
- Do they offer a complimentary consultation?
How does a Contingency-fee Arrangement Work?
Many personal injury attorneys do not charge fees upfront. Our attorneys do not make money until we win. This is called a contingency-fee arrangement. If you win your case, your attorney will receive a percentage of the overall sum of your compensatory award. The rate is set in advance. For you, this arrangement is no risk.
Information You Will Need For Your Claim
Your Washington attorney can collect evidence and important information for you. However, you might already have some of the things that can help your personal injury lawyer with your case. These include:
- Medical records
- Witness testimonies
- Police report
- Photos of the scene (video also if available)
- Medical bills
- Pay stubs
- Receipts for medical bills or pharmaceuticals
This information can confirm the following things:
- The other party had a duty of care to you.
- The other party violated this duty.
- The violation caused your accident.
- The accident caused your injuries.
Your Attorney Serving Washington Is Ready to Take on Your Personal Injury Case
Ben Crump Law, PLLC, is ready to serve as your personal injury attorney in Washington. If you need information about filing a personal injury claim, contact Ben Crump Law, PLLC, at (800) 730-1331. Get started with a complimentary consultation.We’re eager to hear from you if you are ready to get started. Our team can help you sue someone after a motorcycle accident or file a claim after a slip and fall.
