King County Personal Injury Attorney
A strong injury recovery in King County usually comes down to three things: medical care that is documented properly from the start, a liability case built before the evidence disappears, and a lawyer the insurance company believes will actually try the case. Injury Law Group NW is a personal injury law firm that represents people hurt by someone else’s negligence throughout King County, Seattle, the Eastside, and the greater Puget Sound region, in car, truck, motorcycle, and bus crashes, construction accidents, medical malpractice, brain injuries, premises injuries, and wrongful death.
If you are looking for a King County personal injury attorney, the practical questions come quickly. Which court will hear the case, how long do you have to file, who pays for treatment in the meantime, and what happens when the other side says you were partly to blame.
Why Choose Injury Law Group NW as Your King County Injury Attorney
Injury Law Group NW is a Washington personal injury firm whose attorneys spent decades defending insurance companies before they began representing injured people. We serve injured clients and grieving families across King County, from Seattle and Bellevue to Kent and Renton, and our practice focuses on personal injury. Clients pay nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee basis, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover money for you, and the first consultation is free and confidential. If your injuries make travel difficult, we will meet you at home or at the hospital.
The defense-side background is the firm’s defining feature. Troy Hunter, our founding partner, spent 16 years in insurance defense litigation, mostly as a partner at Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer, defending insurers and corporate clients against injury, wrongful death, fire loss, and construction defect claims. 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 to judges and juries. 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 complete the legal team, backed by case managers who return calls and texts promptly. The firm is a member of the Washington State Association for Justice, and our attorneys have argued at every level of the Washington court system, from district court to the Washington Supreme Court.
That experience shows up in how we build a claim. We know which records adjusters look for, how claims are valued internally, and when an insurer is preparing to settle or to fight. We prepare every claim as though it will be tried, because insurers pay more fairly when they know the lawyer across the table will go to a jury.
The results reflect that approach. We secured 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. We recovered more than $1 million for parents whose newborn died after a hospital failed to adequately test for Group B Strep, a case that also led the hospital to change its procedures. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome. Clients describe the same qualities in their reviews: attorneys who are responsive, honest, and clear about what is happening in the case. David Mordekhov is fluent in Russian and has represented Russian and Ukrainian speaking families, and Warren Barreiro speaks Spanish.
Injury Claims We Handle Across King County
- Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Crashes: King County’s corridors, including I-5, I-90, I-405, and the arterials feeding them, produce serious collisions daily. Semi-truck cases add commercial carriers and federal safety rules, and motorcycle riders, cyclists, and pedestrians face injuries out of proportion to the vehicle damage.
- Bus Accidents: Transit buses, school buses, and shuttles operate throughout Seattle and the Eastside. These claims often involve a public or corporate operator, which changes the notice rules and the evidence that must be preserved early.
- Construction Site Injuries: Ongoing building across Seattle, Bellevue, and the Eastside means falls from ladders and scaffolds, trench collapses, electrocution, and crane or forklift accidents. Injured workers can often bring third-party claims against negligent contractors or owners, which can provide compensation beyond workers’ compensation.
- Medical Malpractice: Surgical errors, delayed diagnosis, prescription mistakes, birth injuries, and treatment without informed consent. These cases require qualified medical experts and have their own filing deadlines.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: A concussion or deeper brain injury can follow a crash, a fall from a ladder, or a slip on an icy entryway. Symptoms may not appear right away and insurers often dispute injuries that do not show on a scan, so medical and vocational evidence matters.
- Slip and Fall and Premises Injuries: Wet floors, poor lighting, broken stairs, and falling merchandise at stores, apartment complexes, and other businesses. The question is whether the owner or manager knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to fix or warn about it.
- Retail Liability: Large retail stores can look low-risk, but inattentive staff and unaddressed spills or clutter cause serious injuries to shoppers.
- Wrongful Death: When negligence takes a life, Washington law lets the personal representative of the estate bring a claim for the benefit of the spouse, state registered domestic partner, and children. If none of those survive, parents or siblings may be the beneficiaries.
What to Do After an Injury in King County, and Where the Case Will Be Heard
Start with treatment. Go to an emergency room or urgent care the same day, even if the pain seems manageable, because adrenaline masks injuries and brain injuries in particular can surface days later. Follow the treatment plan and keep every record. Gaps in care are the first thing an adjuster points to when arguing that your injuries are minor. Report the incident to the police if a crash is involved, or to the property owner or manager if you were hurt on premises, and ask that an incident report be written. Photograph the scene, the hazard, your injuries, and vehicle damage, and save names and contact details for witnesses.
Be careful with the other side’s insurer. You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the at-fault party’s insurance company, and adjusters ask questions designed to minimize your injuries or shift blame. Talk to a lawyer first. In a crash, your own personal injury protection coverage can help pay medical expenses and some lost income regardless of fault, unless you rejected it in writing, so report the claim to your own insurer promptly as well.
Deadlines matter more than most people realize. Most Washington injury lawsuits must be filed within three years under RCW 4.16.080, and wrongful death claims follow the same three-year period counted from the date of death. A suit is commenced by filing or by service, but the other step must follow within 90 days or the action is treated as not commenced for purposes of the deadline. Medical malpractice has its own rules under RCW 4.16.350: three years from the act, a one-year discovery rule, and an eight-year outer limit, with a separate one-year window when a foreign object is left in the body. Claims against government entities, such as a city, a county, a school district, or the state, require a formal claim to be presented first, and no suit can be filed until 60 calendar days afterward. Local government claims must be delivered or mailed with return receipt requested, on the standard claim form, and email or fax generally does not count. A transit bus crash or a fall on a public sidewalk can put you in this category, so do not wait.
As for courts, King County Superior Court is the general jurisdiction trial court and hears most serious injury lawsuits, at the King County Courthouse in Seattle or the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Residents of Seattle and areas north of I-90 will typically be assigned to Seattle, and those south of Seattle and I-90 to Kent. King County District Court, organized into East, South, and West divisions, can hear injury claims up to $100,000 per claimant, and a plaintiff may bring a personal injury case in the district where the cause arose or where a defendant lives. Federal cases, such as those involving diverse parties, go to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle. Most claims settle before any trial, but the choice of court and the credibility of a trial-ready lawyer shape what insurers offer.
Fault, Insurance, and Valuation in Washington Injury Claims
Washington uses comparative fault. Under RCW 4.22.005, your own fault reduces your damages in proportion but does not bar recovery, so a person found 30 percent responsible can still recover 70 percent. The statutory definition of fault is broad. It reaches negligent and reckless conduct, unreasonable assumption of risk, and unreasonable failure to avoid an injury or reduce damages. That breadth is why adjusters push to assign blame to injured people, and why the evidence about what really happened matters so much.
Value depends on the severity and permanence of the injury, medical costs past and future, lost wages and earning capacity, the effect on daily life, and the insurance coverage actually available. In serious cases, such as brain injuries or catastrophic crashes, vocational and medical experts are often needed to show what a lifetime of impact is worth. Because our lawyers evaluated claims from the insurer’s side for decades, we can tell you candidly what a fair recovery looks like and push for it.
King County Injury Claim Questions Answered
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in King County?
Most injury lawsuits in Washington must be filed within three years under RCW 4.16.080. Wrongful death claims also follow three years, counted from the date of death. Medical malpractice and government claims have different timelines, so the safest course is to consult a lawyer early.
Does my deadline change if the person who hurt me works for a city, county, or transit agency?
Yes. Claims against local governments must first be presented to the entity’s designated agent on the standard claim form, and you cannot file suit until 60 calendar days after presentment. The limitations period is paused during that waiting period. Claims against the state follow a similar 60-day rule through the Office of Risk Management.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
You can still recover. Washington reduces your damages by your percentage of fault but does not bar your claim. Insurers often overstate the injured person’s share, so having a lawyer review the facts can meaningfully change the outcome.
How much does it cost to hire Injury Law Group NW?
The first consultation is free and confidential. We handle injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means we are paid only if we recover compensation for you. If there is no recovery, you owe no attorney fee.
Who pays my medical bills while the claim is pending?
In a crash, your personal injury protection coverage can pay medical expenses and some lost income regardless of fault, unless you rejected it in writing. Your health insurance may also cover treatment. The at-fault party’s insurer should ultimately bear your losses, and we work to 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 that can be used to downplay injuries or assign you blame. Speak with a lawyer before giving any recorded statement.
What is my case worth?
It depends on injury severity, medical expenses, lost income and earning capacity, pain and suffering, and the insurance coverage available. We evaluate cases the way insurers do and can give you a realistic range after reviewing your records.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller injury claim?
Often, yes. Soft-tissue and similar injuries are the ones insurers most aggressively undervalue, and untreated problems can surface later. Because we charge nothing unless we recover, a free consultation costs you only time, and we can tell you honestly whether representation makes sense.
Which King County court will my case be filed in?
Serious injury suits are usually filed in King County Superior Court, with Seattle residents and those north of I-90 typically heard in Seattle and those to the south typically heard in Kent. Smaller claims of up to $100,000 per claimant can be brought in King County District Court, where venue is allowed in the district where the injury occurred or where a defendant lives.
Can a medical malpractice claim be filed years after the treatment?
Sometimes, but there are limits. Washington allows three years from the negligent act or one year from when you discovered or should have discovered the injury, with an eight-year outer limit. A foreign object left in the body carries a one-year period from actual knowledge of it. A written request for mediation made in good faith before filing can extend the deadline by one year.
What happens if a child or an incapacitated adult is injured?
Washington tolls the limitations period for people under 18 and for those who are incompetent or disabled to the point of not understanding the proceedings. The Washington Supreme Court struck down the provision removing minors’ tolling in medical malpractice cases, but tolling rules are technical, so do not rely on them without legal advice.
Can a dog bite claim be brought in Washington without proving the dog was dangerous before?
Yes. Under RCW 16.08.040, an owner is liable when a dog bites someone in a public place or lawfully on private property, and the dog’s past behavior and the owner’s knowledge of it are not relevant to liability.
Do you represent families who speak Russian, Ukrainian, or Spanish?
Yes. David Mordekhov is fluent in Russian and has represented Russian and Ukrainian speaking families, and Warren Barreiro speaks Spanish.
Serving Injured Clients Across King County and the Puget Sound Region
King County is the heart of our practice. We represent clients across Seattle, from downtown and Capitol Hill to Ballard, West Seattle, and the neighborhoods along the I-5 corridor, and throughout the Eastside in Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, and Sammamish. Our reach continues south through Kent and Renton and into the communities served by the Maleng Regional Justice Center. We also serve families in Shoreline, Burien, Auburn, Federal Way, Covington, Maple Valley, Woodinville, Snoqualmie, and North Bend, and in the greater Seattle area and Puget Sound region beyond.
Wherever the crash, fall, or medical error occurred, injured people in these communities face the same dynamics: a traffic network that produces serious collisions, a booming construction industry, and large hospital systems and retailers with insurers ready to contest fault. If you cannot travel, we will come to you at home or at the hospital.
Talk to a King County Injury Attorney About Your Claim
If you were hurt because of someone else’s carelessness, a King County injury attorney who knows how insurers value, delay, and deny claims can change how your case is handled from the first week. Call or text Injury Law Group NW to schedule a free, confidential consultation. We will listen to what happened, explain your options and deadlines, and work to get you the medical care and compensation you need to move forward. We give hope. We get results.
