Have you been injured in a Car Accident?
If you are injured in a car accident, you need to take action quickly to protect your rights.
The statute of limitations for a personal injury action in Washington is just three years. If you are injured in a car accident, you should contact Earl and Edwards, PLLC as soon as possible in order to protect your rights. Our attorneys will evaluate your claim and help you decide if the matter should be brought to court. While some people think they can handle the matter themselves, this is unwise. It is a near-certainty that the driver who hit you will be represented by counsel. As will be seen below, a Washington motor vehicle accident case is not as simple as “The other driver was driving like a maniac-make him pay me!” You should not go into court alone. You should retain the experienced lawyers at Earl and Edwards to represent your interests and make sure you recover every penny you deserve.
In order to recover damages for injuries caused by a motor vehicle accident in Washington, you must prove that the other driver was negligent. In other words, you must prove that the other driver did not use ordinary care in operating their vehicle. In any negligence case in Washington, including motor vehicle accident cases, the plaintiff must prove: that the defendant was negligent, that the plaintiff was injured, and that the defendant’s negligence was the proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injuries. Unlike in a criminal case, this does not need to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The plaintiff need only show that it is more likely than not that the defendant was negligent, that they were injured, and that the defendant’s negligence was the proximate cause of their injuries. The attorneys at Earl and Edwards, PLLC are familiar with the elements of negligence in Washington motor vehicle accident cases, and will examine your case to determine if there is a chance of recovery.
If a motorist does not use ordinary care in driving their car, and as a result of this someone is injured, the motorist is liable for damages. They can be required to pay for medical expenses the person they injured already incurred, and for medical expenses they will incur in the future (for example, if their doctor anticipates that surgery will be needed). They can be required to pay for lost wages, as well as lost earnings potential. The motorist can also be made to pay for the injured person’s pain and suffering. Of course, they can also be made to pay for the damage to the car they hit. The attorneys at Earl and Edwards, PLLC are experienced in proving damages to juries, so by retaining us, you will be sure of recovering what you deserve.
What if the driver who hit you was driving under the influence? In Washington, violation of the DUI statute is negligence per se: The fact that the driver was drunk is sufficient to prove negligence. The attorneys at Earl and Edwards know how to show the jury that the driver who hit you was DUI in order to get you the recovery you deserve.
A common thing we hear clients tell us is “The driver was going 65 in a 50 mph zone. That means I win automatically, right?” Well, that is actually not the case. While the posted speed limit is a factor in Washington car accident cases, Washington courts have held that is not the sole deciding factor. The attorneys at Earl and Edwards are familiar with these doctrines.
Washington freeways being what they are, it is not uncommon for there to be multiple car accidents, with every driver pointing their finger at each other as to who caused what. For example, if a driver rear-ends your car, but that driver was himself rear-ended, the driver could claim that the person who rear-ended him was ultimately responsible as that driver pushed him into your car. In legal terms, this would be a superseding cause. These types of cases can be very difficult to sort out. That is why it is important to have an experienced attorney, like the ones at Earl and Edwards, PLLC, at your side to make sure you recover what you deserve.
As you can see, there are many factors to consider when you are injured in a car accident in Washington. You should retain experienced counsel who is familiar with the details of Washington negligence law as applied to motor vehicle accidents. The attorneys at Earl and Edwards fit that description. We will examine your case, determine how to prove the defendant’s negligence to the jury, determine what defenses the defendant could assert and how to defeat them, and show the jury what damages you suffered, so you can recover what you deserve.