Seattle Auto Accident Attorney
Injury Law Group NW represents drivers, passengers, cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians in Seattle and throughout King County who have been hurt in crashes caused by someone else’s carelessness. Our work covers car, truck, motorcycle, and bus collisions, and we handle them from the first call with the insurance company through trial when a fair settlement is not offered.
A Seattle auto accident attorney deals with a city where the crash picture is unusual. Traffic funnels onto I-5 and I-90 and across the Alaskan Way and SR 99 corridors, while arterials carry buses, delivery trucks, rideshare vehicles, bicycles, and a constant flow of pedestrians in crosswalks. Hills, rain-slick pavement, and dense downtown intersections add to the risk. Many Seattle claims involve more than one potentially responsible party, such as a driver and an employer, a transit operator, or a trucking company, and sorting out who owes what is where a claim is won or underpaid.
Why Choose Injury Law Group NW for a Seattle Car Crash Claim
Injury Law Group NW is a personal injury firm serving Seattle, Bellevue, and the rest of King County and the greater Puget Sound region. Our attorneys spent decades defending insurance companies before representing injured people, so we know how adjusters evaluate, delay, and deny claims because we once sat on that side of the table. We prepare every claim as though it will be tried, since insurers tend to pay more fairly when they know the lawyer across from them will go to court. Consultations are free and confidential, and we work on a contingency basis, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.
Troy Hunter, our founding partner, spent 16 years in insurance defense litigation, mostly as a partner at Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer, and also serves as a dispute mediator. David D. Mordekhov spent two decades at Gardner Trabolsi & Mordekhov, a Seattle defense firm, trying catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. Both are rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. David has been selected to the Super Lawyers list and teaches trial and deposition skills as faculty at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Associate attorneys Warren Barreiro and Hannah Shergold round out the team, supported by case managers who return calls and texts promptly. Our attorneys have argued at every level of the Washington court system, from district court to the Washington Supreme Court, and the firm is a member of the Washington State Association for Justice.
Results matter more than adjectives. We recovered a mid-six-figure settlement for a family of five whose minivan was forced into the I-5 center barrier by a semi-truck, and a mid-six-figure settlement for an elderly woman struck by a transit bus in a downtown Seattle crosswalk. Clients describe attorneys who are responsive, honest, and clear about what to expect. David speaks Russian and has represented Russian and Ukrainian speaking families, and Warren speaks Spanish. If your injuries make travel hard, we will meet you at home or at the hospital. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome.
Kinds of Seattle Crashes We Handle
- Freeway and Interstate Collisions: High-speed chain reactions on I-5, I-90, and I-405 often involve several vehicles, disputed lane changes, and multiple insurers, so establishing who caused what requires early evidence from scene photos, vehicle data, and witnesses.
- Semi-Truck and Commercial Vehicle Crashes: Trucking cases can reach the carrier, the driver, and sometimes a maintenance or loading company, and they involve federal safety rules, driver logs, and inspection records that must be preserved before they disappear.
- Bus and Transit Collisions: Pedestrians and drivers struck by buses in downtown Seattle may be dealing with a public entity, which brings formal claim-filing requirements before a lawsuit can begin.
- Pedestrian and Crosswalk Injuries: Marked and unmarked crosswalks, turning vehicles, and low-visibility evenings produce serious injuries to walkers, and insurers frequently argue the pedestrian was not paying attention.
- Motorcycle and Bicycle Accidents: Riders are exposed to left-turn collisions, dooring, and drivers who “never saw” them, and they face a bias that blames the rider before the facts are known.
- Rideshare and Delivery Vehicle Crashes: When a driver was logged into an app or on a delivery run, additional coverage may apply, and identifying the right policy early can change the value of the claim.
- Impaired and Distracted Driver Crashes: A driver’s alcohol level, drug use, or phone use is central evidence, and a criminal DUI case can run alongside your civil claim.
- Hit-and-Run and Uninsured Driver Collisions: When the at-fault driver flees or carries no insurance, your own underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage may become the main source of recovery.
What to Do After a Seattle Collision and How the Claim Moves Through King County Courts
Start with medical care. Get checked the same day even if you feel fine, because whiplash, concussions, and internal injuries can surface hours or days later, and a gap in treatment gives an insurer an argument that you were not really hurt. Call 911 so a police report is generated, photograph the vehicles, the road, signals, and any skid marks, and collect names and contact information from witnesses. Exchange insurance details, but keep your conversation with the other driver short and factual. Do not apologize or guess about fault.
Be careful with the other side’s insurance company. You are generally not required to give the at-fault driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and adjusters ask questions designed to narrow your injuries or assign you blame. Report the crash to your own insurer, and know that your policy includes personal injury protection coverage unless you rejected it in writing; that coverage can pay medical bills and some lost income no matter who caused the collision. Keep every bill, pharmacy receipt, and work note, and avoid posting about the crash or your activities on social media.
Deadlines are strict. Most Washington injury lawsuits must be commenced within three years of the injury, and a wrongful death claim runs three years from the date of death. A suit counts as started when it is filed or served, provided the other step follows within 90 days. If a government vehicle or agency is involved, a formal tort claim must be presented first, and no lawsuit can be filed until 60 days have passed after presentment; local government claims are generally not validly presented by email or fax. Washington follows comparative fault, so if you share some blame your recovery is reduced by your percentage rather than eliminated.
Where a case is heard depends on its size. King County District Court can hear injury claims up to $100,000, and its West Division sits in Seattle. Larger or more serious cases go to King County Superior Court, which hears matters from Seattle residents at the King County Courthouse in Seattle. Federal court in Seattle can come into play in some disputes, such as certain cross-state or federal-law issues. Most claims settle before trial, but we build each one with a courtroom in mind.
How Seattle Auto Injury Claims Are Valued and Where Insurers Push Back
Compensation in a Washington auto case can include past and future medical care, lost wages and reduced earning capacity, and pain and suffering. The number depends on the severity and permanence of the injury, how it affects work and daily life, and the insurance available. Insurers value claims using internal software and prior experience, which is why a lawyer who has worked inside that system can anticipate the arguments before they are made.
Common pushback includes claims that the crash was minor, that treatment was excessive, that a pre-existing condition explains your symptoms, or that you bear a large share of fault. Brain injuries are a frequent target because they may not show on imaging, so documentation from treating providers and, where needed, vocational evidence matters. In a case involving a death, Washington allows the personal representative to bring the claim for the benefit of the spouse or domestic partner and children, or if there are none, parents or siblings, and survival claims for the person’s own losses may proceed alongside it.
Questions Seattle Drivers Ask About Auto Accident Claims
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Washington?
In most cases, three years from the date of the injury. Wrongful death claims also run three years, counted from the date of death. Claims against government entities require a pre-suit claim and a 60-day wait, so those timelines need attention early.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
You can still recover. Washington reduces your compensation by your share of fault but does not bar the claim. If you were found 30 percent responsible, you would recover 70 percent of your damages. Adjusters often inflate the injured person’s share, so the fault analysis deserves a close look.
Who pays my medical bills while the claim is pending?
Personal injury protection coverage on your own auto policy can pay medical expenses and some lost wages regardless of fault, unless you rejected it in writing. Health insurance may also cover treatment. We coordinate these sources so care continues while the claim develops.
Do I have to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement?
Generally no, and it is wise to talk to a lawyer first. Those statements are commonly used to minimize injuries or shift blame.
How much does it cost to hire Injury Law Group NW?
The first consultation is free and confidential. We take auto cases on a contingency fee basis, so you owe no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
What is my case worth?
It depends on your injuries, medical costs, lost income, the effect on your life, and available coverage. We evaluate claims the way insurers do, which lets us tell you what a fair recovery looks like and push for it.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a crash that seems minor?
Often yes, if you had any injury or ongoing symptoms. Soft-tissue and head injuries can worsen over time, and a quick settlement signed early can close the door on future treatment costs. A consultation is free, so you can learn where you stand before deciding.
What if the driver who hit me had no insurance or left the scene?
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply. These claims are handled against your own insurer, which can still contest fault and the extent of your injuries, so documentation and prompt reporting matter.
What if a Seattle bus or other government vehicle hit me?
Claims against governmental entities have special notice rules. You must present a formal claim on the required form through an accepted method, and the lawsuit cannot be filed until 60 days after presentment. Missing these steps can jeopardize the whole claim.
Can a drunk driving charge affect my injury claim?
The criminal case and your civil claim are separate, but evidence overlaps. A driver is guilty of DUI at an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher within two hours of driving, or a THC concentration of 5.00 or higher, and a test taken later may still be used as evidence of the earlier level. Impairment can strengthen your claim and support a stronger recovery.
How long will a Seattle auto injury case take?
It varies with the seriousness of your injuries and whether the insurer negotiates in good faith. We usually wait until you reach a stable point in treatment so the claim reflects your true needs, and we file suit when an offer does not.
Can children or incapacitated people have more time to file?
Washington can pause the filing clock for people under 18 and for those who are incompetent or disabled in a way that prevents them from understanding the proceedings. Because the rules have exceptions, a lawyer should confirm the deadline in any such case.
Serving Seattle Auto Accident Clients Across King County
We represent injured people from downtown Seattle, Belltown, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, and First Hill through Ballard, Fremont, Queen Anne, and the University District. Our clients also come from West Seattle, Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Rainier Valley, Georgetown, and Northgate. Beyond the city, we serve families in Shoreline, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Burien, Tukwila, and SeaTac, and across the Eastside in Bellevue, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, and Issaquah. To the south and east we also help clients in Renton, Kent, and the surrounding communities of King County and the greater Puget Sound region, and we will come to you if travel is difficult after a serious crash.
Talk With a Seattle Auto Accident Lawyer Today
If another driver’s carelessness left you injured, speak with a Seattle auto accident lawyer at Injury Law Group NW before you sign anything or talk further with the insurance company. Call or text to schedule a free, confidential consultation. We will listen to what happened, explain how your claim is likely to be handled, and work to secure the medical care and compensation you need. We give hope. We get results.
