Tacoma Personal Injury Lawyer

In Washington State, a personal injury case usually happens when someone else causes your injury by acting carelessly. However, you may still have a case even if they acted intentionally. To know if you have a case, you need to be able to answer these questions:

• Did someone else act carelessly, recklessly, or intentionally toward you?
• Did someone else’s actions (or inaction) cause your injury?
• Did your injury cost you money, pain, or other problems?

Examples of common cases in personal injury law include:

• Car accidents caused by speeding, texting, or driving drunk
• Slip and fall accidents caused by unsafe property, like wet floors
• Mistakes by doctors or hospitals that hurt patients
• Injuries caused by dangerous products, like faulty car parts or unsafe medications

If you were injured in one of these ways—or another accident caused by someone else—you might have a personal injury case. We can review your case and explain how having legal representation can benefit you.

Most personal injury attorneys in Tacoma work on a contingency fee basis.

With a contingency fee, we only get paid if we win money for you (whether through a settlement agreement or jury verdict). You never pay hourly fees or upfront costs. Our payment comes as a percentage of the money we recover for you, usually around 33%.

If we don’t win your case, you owe us nothing in attorney’s fees. This means you can afford a skilled lawyer without financial stress. It also motivates us to work even harder for your case, as the more money we recover for you, the more we receive as well.

Every injury case is unique, and there’s no simple formula to know exactly how much your claim is worth. The total amount depends on several factors, such as:

• How serious your injuries are
• How long your injuries will affect your life
• The amount of medical care you need, now and in the future
• How much income you’ve lost, and if you’ll lose income in the future
• The emotional and physical pain you’ve experienced
• Whether you have a permanent disability or need ongoing care
• The terms and conditions of any applicable insurance policies

At Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ll take time to carefully evaluate your case. We’ll gather your medical records, talk to doctors, and work closely with experts to clearly show how much you should receive. Ultimately, our lawyers have one goal: to recover as much compensation for you as possible.

Washington law allows you to recover different kinds of damages, depending on your injuries and how they’ve impacted your life. Damages generally fall into two categories:

Economic Damages

These damages cover direct costs you’ve had because of the accident. They include:

• Medical expenses and bills
• Lost wages
• Property damage
• Out-of-pocket cost

Non-Economic Damages

These damages cover things that are harder to put a price tag on, such as:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Mental distress
• Loss of companionship

Every personal injury case is different. Some settle quickly—within a few months. Others may take longer, especially those with severe injuries or complicated facts.

Several factors can affect your timeline, and these include:

• How serious your injuries are, and how long your medical treatment lasts
• Whether the insurance company offers a fair settlement quickly or fights your claim
• How clearly we can prove who was at fault
• Whether your case must go to trial

We know waiting is difficult, and we work efficiently to move your case forward. However, we never rush to settle for less money than you deserve. Our priority is getting you the best possible outcome.

In Washington, you have a limited amount of time to file your personal injury lawsuit. This deadline is called the statute of limitations, and it’s typically three years from the date of your accident or injury.

If you miss this deadline, you might lose your right to get compensation. However, some cases have shorter deadlines, especially those involving government agencies or medical malpractice.

Since exceptions could change the time limit for your case, it’s important to act quickly and speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. The sooner our attorneys start working on your case, the stronger it will be.