Personal Injury Lawyer in Tacoma, WA 

Tacoma is known as the home of Point Defiance Park, the Tacoma Art Museum, and America’s Car Museum. But the city isn’t immune to accidents. Last year, Tacoma saw a 10-year high in traffic fatalities, about 20% of which involved pedestrian accidents. If you or a loved one suffered injuries in an accident in Tacoma, you are likely facing a long road to recovery. You may be eligible for compensation for your medical bills and other losses. Contact a Tacoma personal injury Lawyer at Park Chenaur & Associates to discuss your options.

Why Choose the Tacoma Personal Injury Lawyers at Park Chenaur & Associates?

Two trusted Washington lawyers with more than 20 years of experience practicing personal injury law founded Park Chenaur & Associates was founded Park Chenaur & Associates to provide accident victims with personalized legal representation. In that time, they have handled thousands of personal injury cases and recovered more than $50 million in settlements and verdicts for their clients in Tacoma and across Washington State. You can trust the law office of Park Chenaur & Associates to handle your personal injury case professionally and thoroughly in pursuit of a fair settlement. Contact us today for a free consultation and case evaluation.

Have You Suffered Personal Injuries in a Tacoma Accident?

Any type of accident can be life-altering for the victim, resulting in long recovery, pain and suffering, lost earnings, and mounting medical bills. Over the past two decades, our Tacoma personal injury attorneys have helped individuals injured in the following types of accidents:

Accidents have the potential to severely disrupt a person’s life—either temporarily or permanently. We believe that you shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s negligent acts.

How Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help

The experienced and compassionate advocacy you will receive from our personal injury attorneys allows you to focus on recovery from injury while we handle the paperwork and communications with the insurance company. The claims process can be stressful and intimidating and it helps to have an experienced advocate looking after your interests.

Our lawyers in Tacoma are intimately familiar with tort law and the complex legal processes associated with personal injury claims, making the claims procedure as quick and rewarding as possible for victims.

We will assess your case based on our experience of similar cases in Washington, with the aim of maximizing your claim against the liable party—be it another driver, a government entity, or a medical facility.

While physical injuries are the most visible, the psychological, emotional, and economic consequences must be considered too. We will hold the at-fault party responsible for any damages caused and attempt to negotiate an out-of-court settlement. If no settlement is possible, we can pursue litigation on your behalf through a personal injury lawsuit.

Any party that causes you injury through a reckless, malicious, or negligent act should be held liable to the full extent allowed by Washington law.

What Damages Does Personal Injury Law Provide Accident Victims?

Under Washington law, you can claim “just compensation” for your losses if you are injured as a result of another party’s actions.

To start with, any medical treatment in Tacoma is likely to result in substantial medical expenses. Costs for emergency treatment in a hospital, diagnosis, surgery, physical therapy, medication, rehabilitation, and follow-up care all mount up quickly.

In many cases, this is only the start of a personal injury claim. In addition to present and future medical costs, our lawyers will consider claiming compensation for the following:

  • Lost income: salary, wages, tips, bonuses, etc. if you have had to miss work
  • Future lost income: if your injuries will require time off work in the future
  • Pain and suffering: damages for the physical and psychological effects of your injury
  • Loss of quality of life: if your injuries have reduced your quality of life or resulted in “loss of consortium”
  • Property damage: if you have suffered damage to a car, motorbike, or other property

What We Need to Prove in Your Personal Injury Claim

In a personal injury claim based on negligence, there are four elements that generally need to be established in order to prove that the defendant was legally responsible for the plaintiff’s injuries. These elements are: 

  1. Duty of Care: The first element involves demonstrating that the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff. This means that the defendant had a legal obligation to act in a reasonably prudent manner to prevent foreseeable harm to others. The specific standard of care can vary based on the circumstances and the relationship between the parties involved.
  2. Breach of Duty: The second element requires showing that the defendant breached the duty of care owed to the plaintiff. This means that the defendant’s actions (or failure to act) did not meet the required standard of care. It must be proven that a reasonable person in the defendant’s position would have acted differently under similar circumstances.
  3. Causation: The third element involves establishing a causal connection between the defendant’s breach of duty and the plaintiff’s injuries. There are two aspects to causation: “cause in fact” (also known as “but-for” causation) and “proximate cause.” But-for causation means that the injury would not have occurred if the defendant had not breached their duty. Proximate cause refers to whether the defendant’s actions were directly related to the plaintiff’s injuries in a foreseeable manner.
  4. Damages: The fourth element requires demonstrating that the plaintiff suffered actual harm or damages as a result of the defendant’s breach of duty. Damages can include physical injuries, emotional distress, medical expenses, loss of income, and other financial losses. It’s essential to show that the harm suffered by the plaintiff was a direct result of the defendant’s negligence.

In a successful personal injury claim, all four of these elements must be proven by the plaintiff. If any of these elements is lacking, the claim might not succeed. The specific requirements and standards for establishing negligence can vary based on the specific circumstances of your case. Legal advice from a qualified attorney is recommended if you’re involved in a personal injury case.

Serious Personal Injuries

Motor vehicle accidents, truck accidents, and even dog bite attacks can result in serious and catastrophic injuries, often leaving victims with temporary or permanent disabilities. Injuries we often see in accident victims include:

  • Broken bones: usually temporary injuries that heal with appropriate medical care but which can be highly restrictive.
  • Traumatic brain injuries: from a mild concussion to injuries requiring permanent medical care.
  • Spinal cord injuries: painful injuries requiring long-term treatment or even resulting in paralysis.
  • Facial injuries: scarring, disfiguration, long-term physical and emotional suffering.
  • Amputation: may occur in a serious accident or be required medically.
  • Sensory damage: problems with vision or hearing may require significant life changes.

Many symptoms don’t present immediately after an accident. It is important to always get a thorough medical checkup after an accident.

Physical injuries are only part of the story. The psychological and emotional effects of an accident should not be underestimated and can be just as debilitating as physical injuries. Furthermore, the injured person isn’t the only one to suffer. Their family members can experience a loss of companionship and financial hardship, especially if the injured victim contributed to the household income.

What if I am Partly at Fault for My Accident?

Washington State follows the principle of “pure comparative negligence” when it comes to determining liability and damages in personal injury cases. Pure comparative negligence is a legal doctrine that addresses cases where both the plaintiff (injured party) and the defendant (allegedly at-fault party) share some degree of fault for the accident or incident that caused the injuries.

Under the pure comparative negligence rule in Washington, the court determines the percentage of fault attributed to each party involved in the accident, including both the plaintiff and the defendant. This percentage reflects the extent to which each party’s actions contributed to the incident.

The damages (compensation) that the plaintiff is entitled to receive are then adjusted based on their assigned percentage of fault. In other words, the plaintiff’s total damages award is reduced by their percentage of fault. For example, if the plaintiff is found 30% at fault and is awarded $100,000 in damages, their final award would be reduced to $70,000 (70% of the original amount).

Importantly, even if the plaintiff is found to be primarily at fault (e.g., 80% at fault), they can still recover damages from the defendant. The amount they can recover is reduced by their percentage of fault. This is a distinguishing feature of pure comparative negligence as compared to other negligence systems.

If there are multiple defendants in a case, each defendant’s liability and the plaintiff’s comparative fault are evaluated separately. Each defendant is responsible for the percentage of the damages that correspond to their assigned share of fault.

Is There a Deadline for Filing Personal Injury Claims in Tacoma?

Individuals who suffered a personal injury due to someone else’s negligence or intentional actions have a limited period within which they can file a lawsuit seeking compensation for their injuries. This deadline is called a statute of limitations. If you miss this filing deadline, you won’t be able to recover compensation through the Washington civil court system.

The statute of limitations for personal injury cases in Washington state is generally three years starting on the date the injury occurred. This includes injuries resulting from car accidents, slip and fall incidents, medical malpractice, and other personal injury situations.

There are situations where the exact date of the injury might not be immediately apparent. In such cases, Washington follows the “discovery rule,” which allows the statute of limitations to start running from the date the injury was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered.

For individuals who were minors (under the age of 18) at the time of the injury, the three-year statute of limitations doesn’t start until they turn 18. This means they have until their 21st birthday to file a lawsuit.

If the defendant is a government entity or employee, there may be specific notice requirements and shorter timeframes within which to provide notice of the intent to sue. These requirements can be complex and vary depending on the circumstances.

There are certain circumstances under which the statute of limitations might be extended or paused. For example, if the injured person is mentally incapacitated, the statute of limitations might be “tolled” (paused) until they regain capacity.

If you are considering filing a personal injury lawsuit in Washington state, it’s recommended to consult with an attorney who specializes in personal injury law.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney at Park Chenaur & Associates Today

If you suffered an injury in Tacoma because of another party’s negligence, why should you have to pay the price? The experienced personal injury lawyers at Park Chenaur & Associates in Tacoma, have helped Washingtonians recover damages for a wide variety of accident-related injuries since 1999.

You are entitled to “just compensation” according to Washington law. Unfortunately, insurance companies tend to offer less-than-fair settlements and legal intervention is required to secure what you are due.

It can be difficult to navigate a personal injury claim alone. Our law firm is committed to fighting for your best interests in your time of need, regardless of the type of injury you have suffered. It is best to proceed as soon as you can if you have been injured in an accident in Tacoma. Mistakes at the beginning of the claim process can be costly.

Start with a free consultation by calling (253) 839-9440 or filling out our online form today. We work on a contingency basis and only get paid if you win compensation.