Redmond Auto Accident Attorney
Injury Law Group NW represents drivers, passengers, cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians in Redmond who were hurt in crashes caused by someone else’s carelessness, and we serve injured people across King County and the greater Eastside. If you are searching for a Redmond auto accident attorney, you are probably dealing with two things at once: a body that hurts and an insurance adjuster who has already called.
Redmond’s traffic picture creates its own kinds of collisions. SR 520 and SR 202 funnel commuters through the city every day, Redmond Way and Avondale Way carry heavy stop-and-go traffic past Redmond Town Center and the Overlake corridor, and the tech campuses nearby mean rush-hour congestion that spreads onto neighborhood streets. Rear-end crashes in backed-up lanes, left-turn collisions at busy intersections, and crashes involving distracted drivers checking a phone on the way to work are common patterns in a place like this.
What happens in the first few weeks after a crash often shapes the whole claim. What you say to an insurer, when you get examined, and what you sign can matter as much as who was at fault. The sections below walk through how these cases work in Redmond and what to do next.
What a Former Insurance Defense Team Brings to a Redmond Car Crash Claim
Injury Law Group NW is a personal injury firm serving Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish, Issaquah, Seattle, and the rest of King County. We handle car, truck, motorcycle, and bus crashes for clients who need both a fair recovery and real help getting through treatment. The firm’s attorneys spent decades defending insurance companies before they began representing injury victims, so they know how adjusters value claims, when they delay, and what they look for when they want to pay less.
Troy Hunter, the firm’s founding partner, spent 16 years in insurance defense litigation, mostly as a partner at Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer. He also serves as a dispute mediator. Attorney David D. Mordekhov spent two decades at Gardner Trabolsi & Mordekhov, a Seattle defense firm, trying wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and product liability cases. Both Troy and David 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 complete the legal team, supported by case managers who return calls and texts promptly. The firm is a member of the Washington State Association for Justice, and its attorneys have argued at every level of the Washington court system, from district court to the Washington Supreme Court.
That experience matters in a crash case because we prepare every claim as though it will go to trial. Insurers tend to pay more fairly when they know the lawyer across the table will actually try the case. Our results reflect that approach: 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. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome, and every case turns on its own facts.
Clients consistently describe the same things in their reviews: attorneys who respond quickly, explain what is happening, and treat them honestly. David Mordekhov is fluent in Russian and has represented Russian and Ukrainian speaking families, and Warren Barreiro speaks Spanish. Consultations are free and confidential, and we work on a contingency fee basis, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover money for you. If your injuries make travel hard, we will come to your home or the hospital.
Crash Types We See on Redmond and Eastside Roads
- Rear-End Collisions: Backed-up traffic on SR 520 approaches, Redmond Way, and the Overlake corridor produces frequent rear-end impacts. Whiplash and disc injuries from these crashes often worsen over days, and insurers tend to argue that low vehicle damage means low injury.
- Intersection and Left-Turn Crashes: Busy signalized intersections along Redmond Way, Avondale Way, and 148th Avenue NE are where drivers misjudge gaps or run stale yellows. Fault often depends on signal timing, witness accounts, and nearby camera footage that may be overwritten quickly.
- Distracted Driving Crashes: Commuters juggling phones and navigation apps cause crashes that look simple but benefit from phone records and vehicle data to prove what the other driver was doing.
- Truck and Commercial Vehicle Crashes: Delivery vans, box trucks, and semi-trucks use the I-405, SR 520, and SR 202 routes. These cases can involve the driver, the carrier, and federal safety rules, and the company’s insurer often responds quickly.
- Motorcycle and Bicycle Collisions: Redmond has a strong cycling culture and trail network, including crossings where riders and drivers meet. Riders often face the assumption that they were at fault, along with more severe injuries.
- Pedestrian and Crosswalk Strikes: Drivers turning into a crosswalk while watching oncoming traffic are a recurring cause of pedestrian injuries, which tend to be serious because the person has no protection.
- Bus Accidents: Transit and shuttle vehicles carry passengers and share roads with everyone else. These claims can involve a public agency or a private operator, which changes the claim process.
- Rideshare and Uninsured Driver Crashes: When the at-fault driver has little or no insurance, or was working for a rideshare platform, the coverage picture gets complicated and your own policy may come into play.
What to Do After a Crash in Redmond
Start with medical care, even if you feel mostly fine. Adrenaline hides pain, and soft-tissue and brain injuries often show up later. Getting examined creates a record that ties your symptoms to the crash. If you need emergency care, go to the nearest hospital; for follow-up, tell every provider the injuries came from a car crash and describe all your symptoms, not just the worst one.
At the scene, call 911 so police respond and a report is created. In Redmond, that means the Redmond Police Department for crashes inside city limits, or the Washington State Patrol if you were on a state highway like SR 520. Photograph the vehicles, the road, any skid marks, traffic signals, and your visible injuries. Get names and insurance information from other drivers and contact details from witnesses. Do not apologize or guess about fault; a casual “I’m sorry” can show up in a claim file later.
Be careful with the other driver’s insurance company. You are generally not required to give them a recorded statement, and adjusters are trained to ask questions that minimize injuries or shift blame to you. Washington auto policies include personal injury protection (PIP) coverage unless it was rejected in writing, and PIP can pay medical bills and some lost wages regardless of who caused the crash. Report the crash to your own insurer promptly, but let us handle communication with the other side.
On deadlines, the general rule is three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit under RCW 4.16.080. A lawsuit counts as started when it is filed or served, as long as the other step happens within 90 days. Claims against a city, county, transit agency, or other government body follow a different path: a formal claim must be presented first, using the standard tort claim form, and you must then wait 60 calendar days before suing. Email and fax generally do not count as presenting a local government claim. The limitations period is tolled during that waiting period, but missing a step can end a valid claim, so call early.
If your case needs a lawsuit, the venue depends on the size and nature of the claim. King County District Court’s East Division sits in Redmond and can hear injury claims up to its jurisdictional limit, while larger or more complex cases are filed in King County Superior Court, which is a general jurisdiction trial court with locations in Seattle and Kent. Small claims court is for money-only claims, and lawyers generally cannot appear there without the judge’s permission, which is one reason it rarely suits an injury claim involving ongoing treatment.
How Fault and Damages Work in a Washington Car Accident Case
Washington follows comparative fault. Under RCW 4.22.005, if you share some responsibility for a crash, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you are not barred from recovery. Fault under the statute includes negligence and also an unreasonable failure to avoid an injury or reduce damages, which is why insurers look closely at things like seat belt use, gaps in treatment, and what you did after the crash. Adjusters frequently overstate an injured person’s share of the blame, and a percentage point shift changes the final number.
Damages in a crash claim can include past and future medical care, lost wages and lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering. The strength of the claim depends on documentation: treatment records, wage records, and often testimony from treating doctors or vocational experts. Because we spent years evaluating claims from the defense side, we value cases the way insurers do, which lets us tell you what a fair recovery looks like and push for it.
When a crash is caused by a driver who was impaired, the case can also involve evidence from the criminal side. Washington’s DUI law sets the alcohol threshold at 0.08 within two hours of driving, with a lower 0.02 threshold for drivers under 21, and a THC level of 5.00 or higher also qualifies. A DUI arrest does not decide your civil claim, but the police and test records can be powerful evidence of negligence.
If a crash kills someone, a wrongful death claim may be brought by the personal representative for the benefit of the spouse or state registered domestic partner and children, or, if none, the parents or siblings. The three-year clock runs from the date of death. These cases are handled with particular care and patience.
Redmond Auto Accident Questions, Answered
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Washington?
Generally three years from the date of the injury under RCW 4.16.080. Claims against government entities require a formal claim first and a 60-day waiting period before suit. Some situations pause the clock, such as injuries to minors, but you should not count on an exception.
Do I need a lawyer for a minor crash with injuries?
Not every fender bender needs one, but if you have ongoing pain, missed work, or the insurer is disputing fault, a free consultation costs nothing. Many injuries that seem minor turn out to need months of treatment, and settling early usually means giving up future care costs.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
You can still recover. Washington reduces your compensation by your percentage of fault rather than barring your claim. If you were found 30 percent responsible, you could still recover 70 percent of your damages.
Who pays my medical bills while the claim is pending?
PIP coverage on your own policy can pay medical expenses and some lost wages regardless of fault, unless you rejected it in writing. Your health insurance may also cover treatment. We help coordinate these sources so bills are handled while the claim moves forward.
Should I give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer?
You are generally not required to. Adjusters ask questions designed to minimize your injuries or assign you blame. Speak with a lawyer first.
What is my car accident case worth?
It depends on the severity of your injuries, medical costs, lost income, how the injury affects daily life, and the insurance coverage available. We evaluate it the way insurers do so you get a realistic picture.
Will my claim go to trial?
Most claims settle, but we prepare every one as though it will be tried. That preparation is what pushes insurers toward fair offers. If the insurer will not pay fairly, we are ready to file suit.
What if the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little?
Your own policy may include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, and your PIP coverage still applies. We review every policy that could respond, including employer vehicle policies and rideshare coverage.
Does it matter that my symptoms did not appear until days later?
Delayed symptoms are common with whiplash, back injuries, and brain injuries. Insurers will use a gap against you, so see a doctor as soon as you notice anything and describe the crash to your provider so the connection is documented.
Can I recover if I was hit as a cyclist or pedestrian in Redmond?
Yes. Drivers owe a duty of care to cyclists and pedestrians. These cases often involve disputes about visibility and right of way, and early evidence like camera footage and witness statements is important.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
The first consultation is free and confidential, and we work on a contingency fee basis. If there is no recovery, you owe no attorney fee.
Do you speak languages other than English?
Yes. David Mordekhov is fluent in Russian and Warren Barreiro speaks Spanish, and we regularly help Russian, Ukrainian, and Spanish speaking clients.
Serving Redmond and Surrounding Eastside Communities After Car Crashes
We represent injured people throughout Redmond, from the Overlake and Willows areas through downtown Redmond, Education Hill, Grass Lawn, Idylwood, and the neighborhoods around Redmond Town Center and Marymoor Park. Our reach extends across King County and the Eastside, including Kirkland, Bellevue, Sammamish, Issaquah, Woodinville, Duvall, Carnation, and Bothell’s King County side, along with Seattle, Kent, and Renton to the south and west.
Whether the crash happened on SR 520, SR 202, I-405, I-90, or a neighborhood street, we handle claims for clients across the greater Seattle area and the wider Puget Sound region. If your injuries make it hard to travel, we will meet you at home or at the hospital.
Talk With a Redmond Car Accident Attorney Today
If a crash in Redmond or anywhere on the Eastside left you hurt, you do not have to deal with the insurance company by yourself. Speaking with a Redmond car accident attorney costs nothing, and we can explain where your claim stands before you say anything to an adjuster. Call or text Injury Law Group NW to schedule a free, confidential consultation. We will listen to what happened, explain your options, and work to get you the medical care and compensation you need. We give hope. We get results.
