Tacoma may seem a relatively benign place to live and work, but there is no guarantee that you don’t become the victim of someone else’s carelessness or negligence at some point. If you are injured in or around Tacoma and believe that someone else was to blame for your injuries, you may be able to claim compensation with the help of a personal injury attorney.
Choosing a Personal Injury Attorney in Tacoma
There are more than enough personal injury attorneys available in Tacoma. More than 420 are listed as able to provide personal injury assistance in the city. When selecting a personal injury attorney to help you decide whether to file a claim, make sure that they are fully licensed to offer legal services in Washington and have had recent successful experiences dealing with the sort of injuries that you have suffered from.
Typical Injuries in Tacoma
Tacoma is a city with busy highways and streets. Vehicle accidents are the most frequent cause of serious injuries. They are often the result of careless or reckless driving on the part of someone else. Typical reasons for vehicle accidents include:
- distracted driving, especially the use of a cell phone or mobile device;
- failure to obey traffic rules at an intersection;
- tailgating, often by an aggressive driver;
- intoxicated driver or driver affected by drugs or medications;
- defective vehicle parts or components;
- speeding;
- fatigue.
Vehicle accidents are not the only reason for personal injury claims in Tacoma. Slip, trip and fall injuries are probably the most common non-vehicle related injuries. A typical example in Tacoma would be tripping over an uneven section of sidewalk. If the accident was caused by poor maintenance by city authorities then a compensation claim may be justified.
The Personal Injury Claim Process in Washington
Washington has a pure comparative negligence rule that affects personal injury claims within the state. It means that you can still claim compensation, even if you are partly to blame for the accident that has caused your injuries. The final amount awarded is calculated as a percentage, so that if you are 30% to blame for an accident, you may obtain a maximum of 100% - 30%, i.e. 70% of the original amount claimed.
There is a time limit for making claims in Washington known as the statute of limitations. You have three years to file a claim from the date of the injury. The same time is allowed for claims against a government agency, although the process of making a claim is different.
There are no caps of either economic or non-economic damages in Washington, which includes medical negligence claims.
You will file your personal injury claim with the nearest civil court which is likely to be the Pierce County District Court, located at 930 Tacoma Ave., Tacoma. It is open from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. every weekday except for public holidays. Notices of claim against a government agency in the first instance are submitted to the actual government agency itself.
Use a Free Claim Evaluation to Find a Suitable Attorney
You can use our free claim evaluation form below to help you select a suitable attorney in Tacoma. Make sure that you get the claim process started as early as your injuries and treatment allow. The statute of limitations in Washington is quite generous, but you do need evidence of negligence and this is easier to obtain sooner rather than later while memories are fresh.
