Seattle Personal Injury Attorneys

If you were injured in a car accident, you may need a personal injury attorney. Call 253-839-9440 for a free consultation. Here are some things you should know after a car accident. Before you do anything, you should consult an attorney. You will almost always benefit from the help of an attorney. Legal Fees Most Seattle personal injury attorneys take cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you do not need to pay legal fees until the end of the case. A percentage of legal fees will be taken out of your recovery, so you do not need to pay legal fees out of your own pocket. Most attorneys charge 33% of gross recovery. If there is no recovery than there is no fee. Property Damage Property Damage is typically handled by insurance with very little attorney involvement. Personal injury attorneys normally will represent you on the injury portion and liability portion of your case, but not on the property damage portion. At Park Chenaur we can help direct you on property damage issues. We also will write letters and discuss law and issues with property damage adjusters and educate clients on what they are legally entitled to. Rental Car The at fault party's insurance company should pay for rental coverage for a reasonable time. Recorded Statement If you were in a simple rear-end accident, no recorded statement is necessary. Recorded statements are only beneficial to quickly resolve any liability issues so that property damage can be taken care of by the third party insurance company. If you are fully covered with comprehensive insurance, giving a recorded statement to the at fault insurance company may not be advisable. Never talk about your injuries or medical treatment in a recorded statement. This will most definitely be used against you at a later time. You can provide all your medical bills, treatment records, and notes at the end of your case. Medical Evaluation and Treatment If you were injured, you should seek medical treatment immediately. Sometimes, especially with whiplash type injuries, and neck and back injuries, you do not feel pain immediately after the accident. Sometimes it takes hours, sometimes days before you feel any pain. If or when you do feel pain, consult a Medical Doctor, or primary care physician, or chiropractor, or physical therapist. The worst thing to do for your physical well being and your personal injury case is to do nothing. You have an obligation under the law to mitigate your damages. That means if you want recovery for your pain and suffering, you need to help yourself get better. Always follow doctor recommendations, and diligently go to your treatments. Insurance companies will de-value your claim if you continually miss treatments, and fail to follow your doctor's recommendations. Medical Payment If the vehicle you were in when you were involved in the accident has personal injury protection (PIP), PIP will always be the first insurance to cover medical bills for car accident injuries. In Washington, most people have $10,000.00 available in PIP. That means, if you are injured in an accident, regardless of fault, your insurance will cover up to $10,000.00 in reasonable and necessary medical treatment resulting from the car accident. A secondary source of insurance would be medicare/medicaid and your own medical insurance. Always submit your medical bills to insurance if possible to take advantage of subrogation, and attorney fees associated with subrogation (Mahler).