Seattle Personal Injury Attorney
Injury Law Group NW represents people in Seattle and across King County who have been hurt by someone else’s negligence, from car and truck crashes to construction accidents, medical mistakes, and dangerous property conditions. A Seattle personal injury attorney has to be ready for a city where a pedestrian can be struck in a downtown crosswalk by a transit bus, a commuter can be hit on I-5 by a semi-truck, and a hospital error can change a family’s life overnight.
Seattle claims have their own texture. Dense traffic, steep streets, heavy bus and bike activity, constant construction, and a large medical community all shape how injuries happen and how insurers fight about them. Adjusters know that an injured person who is unrepresented tends to accept less, and they count on early recorded statements, quick settlement offers, and gaps in treatment to keep a claim’s value down.
The decisions you make in the first weeks, such as who you talk to, what you sign, and how you document your injuries, often matter more than anything that happens later. The sections below walk through those decisions, the deadlines that control them, and how a claim is actually built in King County.
Why Choose Injury Law Group NW as Your Seattle Injury Law Firm
Injury Law Group NW is a personal injury firm serving Seattle, Bellevue, the Eastside, and all of King County, and its attorneys spent decades defending insurance companies before they began representing injured people. That history shapes how we build a claim. We know which records adjusters look for first, how claims are valued internally, when an insurer is likely to settle, and when it is preparing to fight. We prepare every claim as though it will be tried, because insurers pay more fairly when they believe the lawyer across the table will actually go to a jury. 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.
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 the Seattle defense firm Gardner Trabolsi & Mordekhov, trying wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and product liability cases before judges and juries across Washington. He teaches trial and deposition skills as faculty at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, has been selected to the Super Lawyers list, and speaks fluent Russian, having represented Russian and Ukrainian speaking families. Both Troy and David are rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. Associate attorneys Warren Barreiro, who speaks Spanish, and Hannah Shergold complete the legal 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 secured a mid-six-figure settlement for an elderly woman struck by a transit bus in a downtown Seattle crosswalk, and another mid-six-figure settlement for a family of five whose minivan was forced into the I-5 center barrier by a semi-truck. In a medical negligence case, we recovered more than $1 million for parents whose newborn died after a hospital failed to adequately test for Group B Strep, and the hospital changed its procedures as a result. Clients describe the same things again and again: lawyers who answer quickly, explain things plainly, and stay honest about where a case stands. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a future outcome.
Common Seattle Injury Claims and Where They Come From
- Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Crashes: Seattle’s mix of I-5, I-90, SR 99, and congested arterials produces rear-end collisions, intersection crashes, and sideswipes daily. Semi-truck cases add commercial carriers and federal safety rules, and motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians face injuries that are often more severe than those of vehicle occupants.
- Bus and Transit Accidents: Buses share downtown streets with heavy foot traffic, and crosswalk collisions can involve a public transit agency as the defendant, which triggers special claim-filing rules before any lawsuit can begin.
- Construction Site Injuries: The city’s steady building activity means falls from ladders and scaffolds, trench collapses, electrocution, and crane or forklift accidents. Third-party claims against property owners, general contractors, and developers can provide compensation beyond workers’ compensation.
- Medical Malpractice: Seattle’s hospitals and clinics treat patients from across the region. Claims arise from surgical errors, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, prescription errors, birth injuries, and treatment without informed consent, and they require qualified medical experts.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: A head injury can follow a crash, a fall from a ladder, or a slip on an icy entryway. Symptoms may emerge slowly and may not show on a scan, which is why insurers frequently dispute them.
- Slip and Fall and Retail Liability: Wet floors in stores, poor lighting, broken stairs, and falling merchandise injure visitors at retail locations, apartment complexes, and businesses where managers failed to fix or warn about a hazard.
- Wrongful Death: When negligence takes a life, Washington law allows a personal representative to bring a claim for the benefit of qualifying family members, including a spouse or domestic partner and children.
What to Do After an Injury in Seattle
Get medical care first, and get it the same day if you can, even if you feel mostly fine. Adrenaline hides pain, and brain injuries, whiplash, and internal injuries can take days to announce themselves. A prompt visit to an emergency room or urgent care clinic creates a record that ties your symptoms to the event, and insurers look hard for gaps between the incident and the first treatment. Follow through with the care your providers recommend. Skipped appointments are routinely used to argue that an injury was minor or has healed.
At the scene, call 911 so that the Seattle Police Department or the Washington State Patrol documents what happened. Photograph the vehicles, the road, the signage, the lighting, and your visible injuries before anything is moved or repaired. Collect names and contact information for witnesses, since memories fade and strangers are hard to find later. If you were hurt in a store or apartment building, report the incident to a manager in writing and ask that surveillance video be preserved, because that footage is often overwritten in a short time.
Be careful with insurance companies. You can notify your own insurer that a crash occurred, but you are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurer, and doing so before you understand your injuries is a common mistake. Adjusters ask questions designed to minimize your injuries or shift blame onto you. Do not sign a medical release that gives broad access to your history, and do not accept an early settlement offer until you know the full extent of your treatment. Washington auto policies include personal injury protection coverage unless it was rejected in writing, and it can pay medical expenses and some lost wages regardless of fault, so ask about it right away.
Deadlines drive everything. Most Washington injury lawsuits must be commenced within three years under RCW 4.16.080, and an action is commenced by either filing or serving, as long as the other step follows within 90 days. Wrongful death claims follow the same three-year rule, counted from the date of death. Medical malpractice has its own rules under RCW 4.16.350: three years from the negligent act, a one-year discovery rule, and an eight-year outer limit. Claims against a city, county, or other local government require a formal tort claim presented to the entity’s designated agent, followed by a 60-day waiting period before a lawsuit can be filed, and email or fax is generally not accepted for presentment. Claims against the state follow a similar 60-day rule through the state’s risk management office. Missing these requirements can end a case before it starts.
Where a lawsuit is filed depends on the size and nature of the case. King County Superior Court, a general jurisdiction trial court, sits at the King County Courthouse in Seattle and at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, and a Seattle resident’s case will probably be heard in Seattle. King County District Court handles injury claims that do not exceed $100,000 per claimant, with its West Division hearing Seattle matters. Cases involving parties from different states or federal questions can land in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, which has a courthouse in Seattle. Most claims settle before trial, but the preparation for trial is what drives the settlement.
How Fault and Compensation Work in Washington
Washington follows a pure comparative fault system. Under RCW 4.22.005, if you share some responsibility for what happened, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you are not barred from recovering. A person found 30 percent at fault can still recover 70 percent of their damages. The definition of fault in RCW 4.22.015 is broad: it reaches negligent or reckless conduct, unreasonable assumption of risk, and an unreasonable failure to avoid an injury or mitigate damages. That last point matters, because insurers often argue that an injured person should have sought treatment sooner or returned to work earlier.
Compensation in a Washington injury case can include past and future medical expenses, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, and noneconomic damages such as pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Valuing the future piece is where cases are won or lost. A traumatic brain injury, a spinal injury, or a permanent orthopedic impairment may require medical and vocational evidence projecting years of care and reduced work capacity. Because our attorneys evaluated claims from the insurance side for so long, we can tell you what a fair recovery looks like and press for it rather than guessing.
Some cases involve claims beyond ordinary negligence. Product liability claims carry their own rules, including a general three-year period running from when you discovered, or should have discovered, the harm and its cause, and a presumption that a product’s useful safe life has expired after twelve years. Construction-related claims against builders and designers are subject to a six-year limit measured from substantial completion. Dog bite claims fall under a statute that makes owners liable when a dog bites someone in a public place or lawfully on private property, without regard to whether the owner knew the dog was dangerous. Identifying which framework applies early keeps the right deadlines and the right defendants in view.
Seattle Personal Injury Questions Answered
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Seattle?
Most injury claims in Washington must be commenced within three years. A lawsuit counts as commenced by filing the complaint or serving the defendant, provided the other step is completed within 90 days. Medical malpractice, government claims, and some product and construction cases follow different clocks, so confirming the deadline early is wise.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
You can still recover. Washington reduces your damages by your share of fault instead of barring your claim. Insurers often inflate that share, so the facts deserve a careful review before you accept their version of events.
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, meaning we are paid only if we recover compensation for you. If there is no recovery, you owe no attorney fee.
Do I have to give the other driver’s insurance company a recorded statement?
Generally no. You are not required to give the at-fault driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and it is sensible to speak with a lawyer first. Those statements are frequently used to minimize injuries or assign blame to you.
Who pays my medical bills while my claim is pending?
Washington auto policies include personal injury protection coverage unless it was rejected in writing, and it can pay medical expenses and some lost wages regardless of who caused the crash. Your health insurance may also cover treatment. The at-fault party’s insurer should ultimately bear the loss, and we work to coordinate these sources so bills are handled as your claim moves forward.
What is my case worth?
Value depends on injury severity, medical expenses, lost income, how the injury affects daily life, and the insurance coverage available. A claim involving permanent impairment or future care is valued very differently from one involving a few months of treatment, which is why we do not quote numbers before seeing your records.
How does a claim against a city or transit agency differ?
A claim against a local government requires a standard tort claim form to be presented to the entity’s designated agent, and no lawsuit can be filed until 60 calendar days after presentment. The limitations period is paused during that wait. Because email and fax are generally not accepted, delivery method matters.
Can I bring a wrongful death claim if my family member died in a Seattle crash?
Yes. A personal representative brings the action for the benefit of the surviving spouse or domestic partner and children, including stepchildren. If none exist, parents or siblings may be the beneficiaries. The general deadline is three years from the date of death.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller injury claim?
Often it is, because insurers treat represented claimants differently and because early statements and releases can limit what you can recover later. Injuries that seem minor can also develop into lasting problems. A free consultation will tell you whether representation makes sense for your situation.
What happens if my injury was not diagnosed right away, as with a concussion?
Delayed symptoms are common with brain injuries, and insurers use that delay to argue the injury was unrelated. Seeking evaluation as soon as symptoms appear, and documenting them consistently, helps connect the injury to the event. We push for prompt diagnosis and build the medical and vocational evidence needed to value an injury that may last a lifetime.
Will my case go to trial?
Most cases settle, but not all. We prepare every claim as though it will be tried, and that readiness is what moves insurers toward fair offers. If a company refuses to be reasonable, we are prepared to take the case before a King County jury.
Can you help if I do not speak English well?
Yes. Attorney David Mordekhov is fluent in Russian, and attorney Warren Barreiro speaks Spanish. We regularly assist Russian, Ukrainian, and Spanish speaking clients across the Seattle area.
Serving Injured Clients Throughout Seattle and King County
Our work for Seattle clients reaches the whole city, from downtown and Belltown through Capitol Hill, South Lake Union, Queen Anne, and Magnolia, and on to Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford, the University District, and Green Lake. We represent people from Northgate and Lake City, from Beacon Hill, Georgetown, Columbia City, and Rainier Valley, and from West Seattle, Alki, and the Delridge neighborhoods. Because crashes and hospital errors do not respect city limits, we also serve injured people across King County and the Puget Sound region.
On the Eastside, we help clients in Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, and Sammamish. South of the city, we represent families in Renton and Kent, where the Maleng Regional Justice Center hears many King County Superior Court matters. If your injuries make travel difficult, we will come to you at home or at the hospital, at a time that works for you, so that getting help never depends on how far you can go.
Talk With a Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you were hurt because of someone else’s carelessness, you do not have to deal with the insurance company by yourself. Call or text Injury Law Group NW to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a Seattle personal injury lawyer who has spent years on the other side of these claims. We will listen to what happened, explain where you stand, and work to secure the medical care and compensation you need to move forward. We give hope. We get results.
