- What should I do if I am involved in a car accident?
- Who pays if I incur an injury due to an auto accident or my car is damaged?
- Should I accept the insurance company’s settlement offer?
- What issues will I face in making a claim for my injuries sustained in an auto accident?
- How will I pay for my medical bills?
- Can I recover anything if I partially caused the car crash that injured me?
- How long does a Washington auto accident claim take to resolve?
- What do I do if I don’t think I can afford a car accident lawyer?
1. What should I do if I am involved in a car accident?
If you have been injured in a car accident, you should seek immediate medical attention. However, if you or a loved one is conscious and able to remain at the accident scene, there is much information that can be collected.
For instance, you should collect information from the other driver or drivers involved in the collision, including their driver’s license number, address, phone number and insurance card information. If there are eyewitnesses, you should get their contact information, too, along with a brief description of what they saw and heard. Most cell phones today have a camera feature. If possible, snap photos of the accident scene, including skid marks, vehicle damage and debris.
If you are not taken away by emergency personnel, then you still need to visit the emergency room and get yourself checked out. You may have suffered internal injuries that aren’t immediately apparent. You should then follow up with a visit to your doctor within a week after the accident in order to determine the full extent of the harm you suffered.
It’s common for insurance company claims adjustors to contact you within days – even hours – of an accident. Don’t speak with them. Instead, contact Brett Murphy. We can assist you in seeking prompt, full and just compensation from the party who caused your auto accident.
For more than 39 years, we have represented car crash victims and their families from offices in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Vancouver, and throughout the State of Washington. Call us at 800-925-1875 or 360-714-0900 or use our online form. We can provide a free case evaluation.
2. Who pays if I incur an injury due to an auto accident or my car is damaged?
We will review all potential sources of compensation for your automobile damage and bodily injury. These sources include the at-fault driver’s liability insurance coverage, and your own personal injury protection and collision coverage.
In some cases, the negligent driver who caused your accident may have no insurance coverage or coverage that fails to pay for the full extent of your damages. If you have uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage, or UM / UIM, then you may be able to turn to that policy as well.
Remember: Insurance companies are in business to make a profit, and that means they have to make sure that the premiums they collect exceed the claims they pay out. The at-fault driver’s insurance company and even your own insurance company may attempt to deny or undervalue your claim. That’s why it’s important hire an experienced and dedicated attorney who will work hard to make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, call Brett Murphy - Washington's Injury Lawyers today at 800-925-1875 or 360-714-0900 or use our online form. We can review your case and provide a free evaluation of your legal options.
3. Should I accept the insurance company’s settlement offer?
You should not accept an insurance company’s check without first consulting a qualified Washington auto accident attorney. Tell the insurance claims adjustor or representative that you will get back to them. In the meantime, contact Brett Murphy and allow our lawyers to review your case and evaluate your potential claim. We can also deal directly with the insurance company on your behalf and negotiate a prompt, full and just settlement that covers the extent of your damages.
With more than 39 years of experience in representing Washington car crash victims and their families, we know common insurance company tactics and how to counter them. We want to be by your side in order to protect your rights.
We assist auto accident victims from offices in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Vancouver, and throughout the State of Washington. Call us today at 800-925-1875 or 360-714-0900 or use our online form.
4. What issues will I face in making a claim for my injuries sustained in an auto accident?
When you are injured in an auto accident, you may end up filing what is called a personal injury claim. The three issues that commonly arise in Washington car crash cases are:
- Liability: Who is at fault for the accident? Was the accident caused by the other driver running a red light, following too closely, falling asleep at the wheel, texting while driving or driving while intoxicated?
- Damages: What injuries or losses were caused by the accident? Did you suffer minimal vehicle damage, or was your car or truck totaled? Are your injuries minor, such as a cut or scrape, or did you or a loved one suffer catastrophic injuries (such as fractures, burns, spinal cord injury, head / brain injuries and disc and back injuries)? What are your medical expenses? Will you be unable to work or return to your former occupation? Did you suffer psychological trauma?
- Insurance Coverage: Will you be collecting from the at-fault driver’s liability coverage, or will you have to turn to your own collision, personal injury protection or UM / UIM coverage?
These issues that arise in auto accident cases can be complex. Your case may involve extensive investigation, consultation with mechanical and medical experts and lengthy, contentious negotiations with insurance companies. The knowledge and dedicated lawyers of Brett Murphy can assist you in every step along the way and work hard to make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
For a free evaluation of your car accident claim, call Brett Murphy - Washington's Injury Attorneys today at 800-925-1875 or 360-714-0900 or fill out our easy-to-use online form.
5. How will I pay for my medical bills?
Medical costs are constantly rising. Even a minor accident that results in seemingly minor injuries can lead to financially crushing hospital bills and other expenses. If the accident has left you or a loved one unable to work, it makes matters more stressful.
At Brett Murphy, our goal is to alleviate the stress and other complications caused by your automobile collision. We want to make sure that you receive the highest quality medical treatment possible and that you protect your credit ratings.
We will review the at-fault driver’s insurance policy, your insurance coverage, state and federal medical assistance programs and even work directly with individual medical providers to make sure you are treated properly and that your bills do not go into default until your case is resolved.
To discuss your best options for maintaining medical treatment throughout the life of your case, contact the Washington car accident attorneys of Brett Murphy - Washington's Injury Lawyers today at 800-925-1875 or 360-714-0900 or use our convenient online form.
6. Can I recover anything if I partially caused the car crash that injured me?
Yes, you will not be prohibited from recovering compensation if your own mistakes may have contributed to your automobile accident. Washington follows a pure comparative negligence doctrine, which means that your recovery will simply be reduced in proportion to your amount of fault. For example, your car crash may have resulted in $50,000 in vehicle damage, bodily injury, lost earnings and pain and suffering. If you were 50 percent at fault, then your recovery would be limited to $25,000. However, in no case would your fault serve as a complete bar to your recovery.
Insurance companies often try to place blame for car accidents on the victim. We won’t let that happen to our clients. We work hard to thoroughly investigate and develop cases in order to make sure our clients receive the maximum compensation they deserve.
To receive a free evaluation of your car crash claim, including whether your own fault may diminish your recovery, call the Washington automobile accident attorneys of Brett Murphy today at 877-852-2386 or 360-714-0900 or use our online form. We assist car wreck victims and their families from offices in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Vancouver, and throughout the State of Washington.
7. How long does a Washington auto accident claim take to resolve?
The length of a case depends on a variety of factors. Brett Murphy will work diligently to investigate and research your case so that we can enter into settlement negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurance company with a strong case. Our goal will be to secure a prompt, full and just settlement that will provide a timely resolution to your case. However, if the insurance company fails to make a settlement offer, we will always be prepared to take a case to trial.
For an estimate of time on your specific car accident case, contact our experienced lawyers today at Brett Murphy - Washington's Injury Lawyers by calling 800-925-1875 or 360-714-0900 or submitting a request through our convenient online form. We provide free case evaluations.
8. What do I do if I don’t think I can afford a car accident lawyer?
At Brett Murphy, we believe that accident victims deserve the highest quality legal representation possible. We don’t want the cost of legal services to prevent that from happening.
That’s why we give our clients a choice. They can hire us to represent them in their automobile accident claim on an hourly basis, or they can hire us on a contingency fee basis. Under an hourly fee agreement, we bill for the time our attorneys and staff members spend on a case, and we send a bill on a monthly basis. Under a contingency agreement, we do not collect fees for our legal services until a recovery is obtained through a verdict or settlement. We generally would reserve up to one-third of the recovery as payment. If we are unable to obtain a recovery for you, then you do not pay for our legal services.
To learn more about a fee option that would work best for you, call Brett Murphy - Washington's Injury Lawyers today at 800-925-1875 or 360-714-0900 or fill out our easy-to-use online form.
For more information on auto accidents, please see our Automobile Accidents page.