Establishing a Personal Injury Case
Posted Friday, February 7, 2020 by Chris Thayer
If you were injured due to someone’s negligence in the state of Washington, you are likely facing substantial medical costs, loss of wages due to an inability to return to work and even pain and suffering. If someone else’s carelessness or recklessness directly led to your injuries from a car accident, dog bite, slip and fall, medical malpractice or another type of injury, you may have the right to receive compensation from the negligent party. The following is a quick guide to how a personal injury case may be established. However, if you believe you have a personal injury case, visiting with an experienced attorney can help ensure your rights and help you build a strong case to receive the compensation you deserve.
*Personal Injury Law*Personal injury law covers all different types of injuries suffered due to someone else’s negligence. For example cases such as trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home injuries, slip and fall injuries, dog bites, boating accidents, manufacturing defects and more are all covered under personal injury law. To make the determination that you have a valid legal claim in the state of Washington for a personal injury claim, the following criteria must be met:
- Duty: A person has a duty in a specific situation not to cause injury or act negligently towards another person.
- Breach: Someone “breaches” that duty under the law. For example, they drive a car while speeding or run a red light, a property owner fails to keep their property free from dangerous conditions, a doctor leaves a sponge in a patient after surgery, etc.
- Causation: The breach of duty must have directly caused some form of emotional, physical, or financial harm to the victim.
- Damages: You suffered actual physical, emotional, or financial harm that is provable in a court of law.
*Statute of Limitations *According to the state of Washington, you have three years from the date of the accident or injury to file a lawsuit for any injuries suffered. There are some exceptions to this rule, and visiting with an experienced personal injury attorney can help you determine how long you have to file a lawsuit in your specific case. While this may seem like a long time, after dealing with medical injuries and insurance companies, this time goes by quite quickly.
*Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney*No matter what kind of personal injury you may have suffered due to someone else’s recklessness, carelessness, or negligence, you have a right to receive compensation for your unexpected medical bills, lost wages and even pain and suffering. In some cases, if the actions of the defendant were egregious, the courts may even award punitive damages to a victim in an attempt to punish the defendant for their actions and prevent future acts of negligence by others. Contact our compassionate attorneys at the Pivotal Law Group at 206-340-2008. You may have the right to receive compensation. We proudly serve the Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Burien, Mercer Island and Issaquah areas.