Algona Car Accident Lawyer

In 2015 there were 117,053 car collisions in Washington, which the Annual Collision Summary calculated to be one crash every four and a half minutes. While nobody plans to get in a car accident, the subsequent property damage, injury, and death can be life-changing. If you have been involved in a crash because of another driver’s negligence you need to seek financial compensation for your losses. The Seattle personal injury attorneys at Khan Injury Law understand the effect a crash can have on a person, and we want to help you return to having a good quality of life after such a trauma.

What Steps to Take Post-Crash

You may have been in another vehicle, on a motorcycle or a bike, or you may have just been walking down the street. Regardless of your mode of transportation at the time you were hit, there are a few crucial steps you can take after that will help you file a claim with the insurance company.

Get the other parties insurance information – Having the other party’s insurance information will allow you to file a claim for damages with them. If the driver was not the owner of the vehicle, you will want to get the vehicle owner’s insurance information. If the driver fled the scene, write down anything you can remember such as license plate number, vehicle make and model, vehicle color, or what the driver looked like.
Document the accident – If the police are called they will do their own investigation. For your purposes it is valuable to have pictures of the damage done from the crash, statements from any witnesses, and notes of any details you may forget later.
Seek medical care for any injuries – You may disregard small injuries like a painful spot you assume will just be a bruise. However, a bruise could be a sign of more serious internal bleeding. Since some injuries are less obvious or have a delayed onset, it is important to seek medical care. This will provide documentation and, if you get care right after the collision, it will be proof that the injuries have were not developed at a later date.
Inform your insurance company – You may need to file a claim with your own insurance company if the crash was a hit-and-run or if the other driver was underinsured. Regardless, it is important to inform them so that you don’t risk losing compensation later.
Contact an attorney – Having legal representation is important after a car collision, especially if you are recovering from injuries. We can help collect medical information, gather evidence to support the total value of your claim, negotiate with the insurance adjusters, and if necessary, file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Who Is The Liable Party?

Initially, you and the other party may be in shock from a crash and treat it as a pure accident. However, almost all crashes are caused by negligence on one party’s behalf. For instance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 17 percent of all crashes were due to distracted driving. Other common causes of collisions are speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, running red lights, or other variations of reckless driving.

Contributory Fault

In some instances, it may be discovered that both parties were at fault for causing a crash. For instance: Driver A is on his cell phone, distracted, and drifts out of his lane of traffic, overcorrects, and runs into Driver B, who was originally behind Driver A. However, it was found that Driver B was tailgating Driver A and would not have been hit if she was the proper distance back. In this scenario, Driver A, the one who served out of the lane of traffic, may be found 60 percent at fault, while Driver B was found 40 percent at fault. Driver B would still be able to file a claim or lawsuit against Driver A, because he was the one that had the highest level of fault in causing the crash, but Driver B would only be able to collect 40 percent of the damages that would have otherwise been available to her. It is important to prove that you were not at fault at all in order to avoid limiting the damages you are allowed to receive.

We Know how to Recover Damages

Contact Our Seattle Car Accident Lawyers to Learn How We Can Help You

If you were injured in a car collision, we urge you to reach out to a lawyer today. We have the experience to represent you against ruthless insurance companies to ensure you get the best outcome possible. Contact the Algona, WA car accident lawyers with the Khan Injury Law today for help.