King County Workplace Injury Attorney
A workplace injury in King County rarely produces just one claim. The injured worker usually has a workers’ compensation claim through the state system, and sometimes a separate civil claim against someone other than the employer, such as a general contractor, a property owner, an equipment manufacturer, or a negligent driver. Injury Law Group NW represents injured people across King County and the greater Seattle area, and a King County workplace injury attorney at the firm looks at both tracks from the start, because decisions made on one can affect the other.
The distinction matters most on job sites where many companies work side by side: high-rise construction in downtown Seattle and Bellevue, warehouse and distribution operations in Kent and Renton, and commercial building projects along the I-90 and I-405 corridors. Workers’ compensation pays medical care and a portion of lost wages, but it does not compensate for pain, disability, or the full loss of earning capacity. A third-party claim can.
Why Choose Injury Law Group NW for a Workplace Injury Claim
Injury Law Group NW is a personal injury firm serving King County, the Eastside, Seattle, and the wider Puget Sound region. The firm’s attorneys spent decades defending insurance companies before they began representing injured people, and that history shapes how workplace injury cases get built. Clients pay nothing unless the firm recovers money for them, and the first consultation is free and confidential.
Troy Hunter, the founding partner, spent 16 years in insurance defense litigation, mostly as a partner at Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer, where he defended insurers and corporate clients against personal injury, wrongful death, fire loss, and construction defect claims. That last category is directly relevant here. Construction defect and construction injury cases turn on the same questions: who controlled the site, who was responsible for safety, and what the contracts say. Troy also serves as a dispute mediator and is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.
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 across Washington. He is also rated AV Preeminent, has been selected to the Super Lawyers list, and teaches trial and deposition skills as faculty at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Product liability experience matters when a defective machine, ladder, or safety device injured a worker. David is fluent in Russian and has represented Russian and Ukrainian speaking families. Associate attorneys Warren Barreiro, who speaks Spanish, and Hannah Shergold complete the attorney team, supported by case managers who return calls and texts promptly.
The firm’s attorneys have argued at every level of the Washington court system, from district court to the Washington Supreme Court, and they prepare every claim as though it will be tried. Recent results include 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 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. The firm is a member of the Washington State Association for Justice. If injuries make travel difficult, the attorneys will meet clients at home or at the hospital.
Workplace Injury Situations We Handle in King County
- Construction Site Falls: Falls from ladders, scaffolds, roofs, and unprotected edges are among the most serious job site injuries. Property owners, general contractors, and developers owe duties around fall protection and safe scaffolding, and a claim against one of them can reach beyond what workers’ compensation pays.
- Crane, Forklift, and Heavy Equipment Accidents: Active building projects around Seattle and Bellevue put cranes, lifts, and forklifts in tight quarters with many trades. These cases often involve an equipment owner, an operator employed by a different company, or a manufacturer whose product failed.
- Trench Collapses and Electrocution: Utility and excavation work, and contact with energized lines, produce catastrophic injuries. Liability often rests with a contractor other than the injured worker’s own employer.
- Work-Related Vehicle Crashes: Delivery drivers, tradespeople, and field workers are hurt in collisions on I-5, I-90, I-405, and local roads. The at-fault driver can be sued in a civil claim alongside the workers’ compensation claim, including crashes involving semi-trucks and commercial carriers.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries on the Job: A fall, a struck-by incident, or a vehicle crash can cause a brain injury whose symptoms are not obvious at first. Insurers often dispute these injuries, so early diagnosis and careful medical and vocational documentation matter.
- Defective Tools and Machinery: When a saw guard, lift, ladder, or safety harness fails, the manufacturer or seller may be responsible for the harm, independent of the employer.
- Injuries on Another Company’s Premises: Workers making deliveries, repairs, or service calls are hurt on stores, apartment complexes, and commercial property with unrepaired hazards. The property owner can face a premises liability claim.
- Fatal Workplace Accidents: When a worker is killed, a wrongful death action may be available against responsible third parties, separate from any survivor benefits through the workers’ compensation system.
What to Do After a Workplace Injury in King County
Get medical care first and tell the provider the injury happened at work, so the records connect the condition to the job from the first visit. Report the injury to your employer promptly and in writing, and ask for a copy of whatever incident report is created. Workers’ compensation in Washington runs through the state, and a claim is opened by the treating provider and the worker filing the required paperwork; missing a reporting step or letting a gap in treatment develop gives the insurer room to question the claim.
Preserve evidence while it still exists. Photograph the scene, the equipment, and any missing guards or protective devices. Write down the names of coworkers who saw what happened, and note which companies had workers or equipment on the site. That last detail often decides whether a third-party claim exists, because the employer that pays workers’ compensation is generally not the one you sue. Keep the damaged tool or gear if you can, and do not let anyone repair or discard it.
Be careful with statements. Your employer’s insurer and any outside insurer may ask for recorded statements, and the answers can be used to shrink the claim or assign you blame. You can speak with a lawyer before giving one. Do not post about the accident or your recovery on social media.
Watch the deadlines. Most Washington personal injury lawsuits must be filed within three years, and a wrongful death action follows the same three-year period counted from the date of death. A lawsuit counts as started when it is filed or served, provided the other step is completed within 90 days. If a government body is responsible, such as a city, county, or school district, a formal tort claim must be presented first and a 60-day waiting period must pass before suit can be filed. Claims against the state follow a similar 60-day rule. Construction-related claims also face a separate six-year outer limit tied to substantial completion of the project, which is a reason not to wait on older jobs.
If a lawsuit becomes necessary, most civil injury cases in King County are filed in King County Superior Court, which hears cases at the King County Courthouse in Seattle and the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Where you live generally drives which location is used: Seattle and areas north of I-90 point to Seattle, and areas to the south point to Kent. King County District Court handles smaller claims, with jurisdiction up to $100,000 per claimant, and its East Division includes Bellevue, Issaquah, and Redmond. Cases involving parties from different states or federal questions can land in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle.
Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims: How They Fit Together
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. You generally receive medical treatment and wage replacement without proving anyone was careless, and in exchange you usually cannot sue your own employer for the injury. What it leaves out is substantial: no payment for pain and suffering, no compensation for the way the injury changes your daily life, and only partial replacement of lost earnings.
A third-party claim fills that gap. If a subcontractor’s negligence, a property owner’s unsafe premises, a manufacturer’s defective product, or a driver’s carelessness contributed to your injury, you can pursue that party in a civil case for the full range of damages Washington law allows, including past and future medical costs, lost wages and earning capacity, and pain and suffering. Because the workers’ compensation system may seek reimbursement from a third-party recovery, how the two claims are coordinated affects what you actually keep. This is the kind of issue the firm’s defense-side background helps with, because the attorneys know how insurers on both tracks evaluate and negotiate these claims.
Fault is measured proportionally in Washington. If a jury finds you partly responsible, your recovery is reduced by your share but not eliminated. Insurers frequently inflate a worker’s share of blame, pointing to a skipped procedure or an unsecured harness, so the facts about training, staffing, equipment, and site supervision deserve a close look.
Frequently Asked Questions About King County Workplace Injury Claims
Can I sue anyone if I am already getting workers’ compensation?
Often yes, if someone other than your employer contributed to the injury. That can include a general contractor, another subcontractor, a property owner, an equipment maker, or a negligent driver. Workers’ compensation generally prevents suing your own employer, but it does not block claims against outside parties.
How long do I have to file a lawsuit after a workplace injury?
Most Washington personal injury actions must be filed within three years. A lawsuit is treated as started if it is filed or served, as long as the other step happens within 90 days. Separate rules apply to government defendants and medical malpractice, and the workers’ compensation system has its own reporting deadlines, so it is wise to speak with a lawyer early.
What if I was partly at fault for my own injury?
Washington uses comparative fault, so your damages are reduced by your percentage of responsibility but you are not barred from recovery. If you were found 30 percent at fault, you could still recover the remaining 70 percent of your damages in a third-party claim.
Does workers’ compensation cover pain and suffering?
No. It covers medical treatment and a portion of lost wages, along with other benefits within its own system. Compensation for pain, loss of enjoyment of life, and full earning capacity generally comes only through a civil claim against a responsible third party.
What does it cost to hire Injury Law Group NW?
The first consultation is free and confidential. The firm handles injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe no attorney fee unless there is a recovery.
Do I need to give a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster?
You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to an outside party’s insurer, and it is sensible to talk with a lawyer first. Adjusters ask questions designed to minimize injuries or move blame onto you. The attorneys at Injury Law Group NW spent years on the defense side and know how those statements are used.
My employer says the injury was my own fault. Does that end my claim?
No. Workers’ compensation does not depend on fault, and in a third-party case fault is shared proportionally rather than all-or-nothing. An employer’s opinion is not a legal finding, and the evidence about site conditions, training, and equipment often tells a different story.
What if I was hurt while working for a subcontractor on a large project?
These are common and often the strongest third-party cases. The general contractor, the property owner, or another trade on site may have controlled safety conditions or created the hazard. Identifying every company on the site, and the contracts between them, is an early step in a case like this.
Can I bring a claim if a defective tool or machine hurt me?
Possibly. Washington product liability law lets an injured person pursue the manufacturer or seller of a defective product. There is a three-year limit running from when you discovered, or should have discovered, the harm and its cause, and a presumption that harm occurring more than twelve years after delivery came after the product’s useful safe life ended. Keeping the product and its packaging or manuals helps.
How does a brain injury at work affect my claim?
Brain injuries can be hard to prove because symptoms such as memory problems, headaches, and mood changes may not show on imaging and can appear days later. Insurers often challenge them. Prompt diagnosis, consistent treatment, and medical and vocational evidence of how the injury affects your ability to work are central to valuing the claim.
What if a coworker or family member was killed in a workplace accident?
Washington allows a wrongful death action brought by the personal representative for the benefit of the spouse, state registered domestic partner, and children, or, if none, the parents or siblings. Third-party defendants can be pursued even where workers’ compensation survivor benefits are available. The deadline is generally three years from the date of death.
Will you meet with me if I am still in the hospital?
Yes. If your injuries make travel difficult, the attorneys will come to your home or the hospital at a time that works for you.
Serving Workplace Injury Clients Throughout King County
The firm represents injured workers and their families across King County, from Seattle and its neighborhoods to the Eastside and the communities south of Lake Washington. Clients come from Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, and Issaquah, and from Kent, Renton, Burien, Covington, and Auburn. The firm also serves families in Shoreline, Kenmore, Woodinville, Snoqualmie, North Bend, Duvall, and Carnation, as well as in unincorporated parts of the county.
That range matches where King County work injuries happen: construction sites in downtown Seattle and Bellevue, warehouse and industrial operations in the Kent valley and Renton, development along the I-90 corridor, and commercial and residential projects throughout the Eastside. Beyond King County, the firm serves clients throughout the greater Seattle area and the Puget Sound region.
Speak With a King County Workplace Injury Lawyer
If you were hurt on the job, the choices you make in the first weeks about reporting, treatment, statements, and evidence can shape the outcome of both your workers’ compensation claim and any claim against a third party. Injury Law Group NW offers a free, confidential consultation to explain whether an outside party may be responsible and what a fair recovery could look like. Speak with a King County workplace injury lawyer who has seen how insurers value these claims from the inside. Call or text the firm to schedule a time. We give hope. We get results.
