Des Moines Auto Accident Attorney
A crash that happens on Pacific Highway South, near the Marine View Drive hill, or at the on-ramps feeding SR 509 and I-5 will almost always be handled through King County, and where the case is heard can depend on how much is at stake. Smaller claims may land in district court, while larger injury cases move to King County Superior Court. Injury Law Group NW handles car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, along with bus crashes and other personal injury claims, for people in Des Moines and throughout King County.
If you are searching for a Des Moines auto accident attorney, you are probably already dealing with the practical fallout: a car in a shop or totaled, a doctor’s appointment you did not plan for, and an adjuster who called before you had a chance to think. Those first conversations with an insurance company shape the claim more than most people realize. Statements get recorded, medical records get requested, and the other side starts building its version of events.
Why Injury Law Group NW Is Built for Des Moines Crash Claims
Injury Law Group NW is a personal injury firm that represents people hurt by someone else’s negligence in Des Moines, Seattle, Bellevue, and across King County and the greater Puget Sound region. The firm’s attorneys spent decades defending insurance companies before they began representing injured people, and that history is the reason the firm approaches car crash claims the way it does. We know which records adjusters look for, how claims get valued internally, when an insurer is likely to settle, and when it is preparing to fight.
Troy Hunter, a founding partner, spent 16 years in insurance defense litigation, mostly as a partner at Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer. He also serves as a dispute mediator. David D. Mordekhov spent two decades at Gardner Trabolsi & Mordekhov, a Seattle defense firm, trying wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and product liability cases before judges and juries. Troy and David are both 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 team, and the firm is a member of the Washington State Association for Justice. Our attorneys have argued at every level of the Washington court system, from district court to the Washington Supreme Court.
That trial background has a practical payoff. We prepare every claim as though it will be tried, because insurers tend to pay more fairly when the lawyer across the table is ready to go to court. The results reflect it. Our attorneys 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 the team as honest, responsive, and quick to answer questions, and our case managers return calls and texts promptly.
We also work in more than one language. David Mordekhov is fluent in Russian and has represented Russian and Ukrainian speaking families, and Warren Barreiro speaks Spanish. If your injuries make travel hard, we will come to you at home or at the hospital. Consultations are free and confidential, and we work on a contingency fee basis, so you owe no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.
Types of Collisions We Handle for Des Moines Drivers and Passengers
- Freeway and Highway Collisions: Merging traffic and sudden slowdowns on I-5 and the SR 509 corridor produce rear-end and chain-reaction crashes where several insurers may be involved at once, and fault has to be sorted out among multiple drivers.
- Pacific Highway South Intersection Crashes: Left turns across oncoming traffic, drivers pulling out of parking lots, and red-light running are common on busy arterials, and they often turn on witness accounts and traffic or business camera footage that disappears quickly.
- Semi-Truck and Commercial Vehicle Accidents: Trucks serving the freight routes around SeaTac and the Port of Seattle are governed by federal safety rules, and claims can reach the carrier, the driver, and sometimes a maintenance or loading company.
- Motorcycle Crashes: Riders on the waterfront roads and winding grades near Marine View Drive are exposed to left-turning drivers who say they never saw the bike, and insurers often use that to shift blame onto the rider.
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Strikes: People crossing near transit stops, schools, and the Des Moines Marina area can be hit by drivers who are distracted or turning, and injuries tend to be serious.
- Bus Accidents: Transit buses and other commercial passenger vehicles raise questions about driver training, scheduling pressure, and government defendants with their own claim procedures.
- Hit-and-Run and Uninsured Drivers: When the at-fault driver leaves or carries no insurance, your own policy’s coverage may become the main source of recovery, which makes the policy language itself a central issue.
- Brain and Spinal Injuries From Crashes: Symptoms such as headaches, memory trouble, and irritability may appear days later and may not show up on a scan, which is why insurers dispute them and why early documentation matters.
What to Do After a Crash in Des Moines
Get medical care first, even if you feel mostly fine. Adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap between the crash and your first appointment is something an adjuster will point to later. If you can, call 911 so a police report is created, and photograph the vehicles, the road, any skid marks, traffic signals, and your visible injuries. Collect names and contact information for witnesses. Do not apologize or guess at what happened, and keep your phone’s photos and messages from the day.
When the other driver’s insurer calls, you are generally not required to give a recorded statement, and it is wise to speak with a lawyer before you do. Adjusters ask questions designed to minimize injuries or move blame onto you. Report the crash to your own insurer as your policy requires, and be aware that Washington auto policies include personal injury protection coverage unless it was rejected in writing. That coverage can pay medical bills and some lost wages regardless of who caused the crash. Keep every bill, pharmacy receipt, and note about missed work, and follow your treatment plan, since gaps in care are used to argue that you were not really hurt.
Deadlines matter here. Washington generally gives you three years from the date of injury to start a personal injury lawsuit. A suit is commenced by filing the complaint or by serving the defendant, as long as the other step is completed within 90 days; if it is not, the case is treated as not commenced for purposes of the deadline. If a city, county, transit agency, or other government body may share the blame, a separate claim procedure applies before any lawsuit. Claims against local governments must be presented on the standard tort claim form to the entity’s designated agent, email and fax generally do not count as presentment, and a 60-day waiting period follows before you can sue. Claims against the state have their own 60-day presentment period. Those notice rules can catch people off guard, so raise it early if a government vehicle or a poorly maintained road played a role.
As for where a case ends up, King County District Court can hear injury claims up to its civil jurisdiction limit of $100,000 per claimant, exclusive of interest, costs, and fees. Des Moines falls within the civil filing area of the district court’s Burien facility. Claims that exceed that limit, or that need a jury and broader discovery, are filed in King County Superior Court, which sits in Seattle and at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. For Des Moines residents, a Superior Court case is likely to be heard in Kent. The vast majority of claims resolve through negotiation, but we prepare each one as if it will reach a courtroom.
How Fault and Insurance Shape the Value of a Washington Car Crash Claim
Washington follows comparative fault. Under RCW 4.22.005, if you share responsibility for a crash, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, but you are not barred from recovering. A driver found 30 percent at fault can still recover 70 percent of their damages. Fault under the statute is broader than most people expect and includes unreasonable failure to avoid an injury or to mitigate damages, which is why insurers scrutinize seatbelt use, gaps in treatment, and social media posts. Adjusters also tend to inflate an injured person’s share of the blame, and a lawyer can test that figure against the evidence.
Value depends on the severity of your injuries, your medical expenses, lost income and earning capacity, the effect on your daily life, and the insurance coverage available. Compensation can include past and future medical care, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Because our attorneys evaluated claims from the insurer’s side for so many years, we can tell you what a fair recovery looks like and press for it. Where a crash involves a suspected impaired driver, that evidence can matter too; Washington’s DUI statute treats an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher within two hours of driving as a violation, and blood or breath results can become part of the civil case.
Wrongful death is the hardest outcome of a collision. Under Washington law, the personal representative of the estate brings the claim for the benefit of the spouse or state registered domestic partner and children, and if none exist, for parents or siblings. The three-year deadline is counted from the date of death. We handle these cases with patience so families can focus on each other.
Questions Des Moines Drivers Ask About Car Accident Claims
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. Wrongful death claims follow the same three-year rule, counted from the date of death. Claims involving government defendants carry added notice steps, so do not wait.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault for the crash?
Yes. Washington’s comparative fault rule reduces your recovery by your share of fault instead of barring it. Even a significant share of blame does not end the claim.
Who pays my medical bills while the claim is pending?
Your personal injury protection coverage can pay medical expenses and some lost wages regardless of fault, unless you rejected it in writing. Health insurance may also cover treatment. We work to coordinate these sources so bills are handled while your claim moves forward.
Do I have to give the other driver’s insurance company a recorded statement?
Generally no. You are not required to give one to the at-fault driver’s insurer, and speaking with a lawyer first is wise. Those statements are often used to downplay injuries or assign blame to you.
What is my case worth?
It depends on the severity of your injuries, medical costs, lost income, the effect on your daily life, and the coverage available. We value cases the way insurers do, so we can give you a realistic picture of a fair recovery.
How much does it cost to hire Injury Law Group NW?
The first consultation is free and confidential. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you owe no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
What if the driver who hit me left the scene or has no insurance?
Your own policy may provide coverage for hit-and-run or uninsured driver situations, depending on what you purchased. We review your policy and the facts of the crash to identify every available source of recovery.
Will it hurt my case if my symptoms did not appear until days after the crash?
Delayed symptoms are common with head, neck, and back injuries, and insurers know it. Getting examined promptly once symptoms appear and keeping a record of them helps connect the injury to the collision. Brain injuries in particular may not show up on imaging, so the medical and vocational evidence has to be built carefully.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a crash that seems minor?
Often, yes. Injuries that look minor early on can develop into lasting problems, and insurers tend to offer less to unrepresented people. A free consultation costs nothing and will tell you whether the claim warrants representation.
What if a city or transit agency vehicle was involved in my crash?
Claims against local governments require presenting a standard tort claim form to the entity’s designated agent, followed by a 60-day waiting period before a lawsuit can be filed. Claims against the state have a similar 60-day presentment period. Email and fax generally are not accepted, so the method of delivery matters.
How long does a car accident case take?
It varies with the severity of the injuries, how long treatment lasts, and whether liability is disputed. Many cases wait until your medical picture is clear before settlement talks begin, since settling early can leave future care uncovered. If an insurer will not offer fair value, we are prepared to file suit.
Can you meet with me if I cannot travel because of my injuries?
Yes. We will come to your home or to the hospital at a time that works for you.
Serving Des Moines Crash Victims and Neighboring Communities
We represent people hurt in collisions in Des Moines and throughout King County, from the waterfront and Marine View Drive areas to neighborhoods along Pacific Highway South. Our work extends to nearby communities such as Kent and Renton, and north through Seattle and across the Eastside to Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish, and Issaquah. We serve clients across the greater Seattle area and the broader Puget Sound region, and whether the crash happened on a freeway, a local street, or a transit route, the same preparation applies.
Talk With a Des Moines Auto Accident Lawyer Today
If you were hurt in a collision, you do not have to handle the insurance company on your own. Call or text Injury Law Group NW to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a Des Moines auto accident lawyer who understands how insurers value, delay, and deny claims. We will listen to what happened, explain your options, and push for the medical care and compensation you need. We give hope. We get results.
