Have you or a loved one recently been involved in a car accident in Tacoma, WA? Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer can help you fight for the compensation you deserve. Call our Tacoma car accident lawyers at (253) 948-0250 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.
We are a nationally-recognized law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of injury victims and their families. Backed by more than 30 years of experience, we’ve successfully forced powerful multinational corporations to pay our clients over $1 billion in settlements and jury verdicts. Let us focus on building a strong case for you while you recover from your accident.
Why Should I Choose Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer to Help Me After a Car Accident in Tacoma, WA?
Choosing Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer to fight for you puts a highly acclaimed legal team with over three decades of experience in your corner. Our Tacoma car accident lawyers are unwavering advocates for justice who aren’t afraid to do what’s necessary to do right by our clients – including taking disputes to court when necessary.
Our uncompromising dedication to our clients and clear-cut ability to take down powerful adversaries have earned us some of the top honors in the legal community, including recognition from Martindale Hubbell, Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers in America.
You don’t have to take on the insurance company on your own. Count on our Tacoma personal injury attorneys to take charge and advocate for you every step of the way. We provide a free case evaluation, so call our Tacoma law office to learn more today.
Why Should I Hire a Car Accident Attorney in Tacoma?
The insurance company will have the upper hand, so putting yourself on a level playing field will be important. Claimants who hire attorneys win their car accident cases more often and get better case results.
Here’s why you won’t want to hesitate to hire an experienced car accident attorney in Tacoma to fight for you:
- The insurance adjuster will have to handle your claim in good faith.
- You’ll be protected against unsubstantiated claims of shared fault that could otherwise limit your financial recovery.
- You’ll benefit from the knowledge and insight of specialists whose testimony can help you maximize your compensation.
- The insurance company won’t be able to count on your taking a lowball settlement because you’ll genuinely know what your car accident case is worth.
You’ll also have the time you need to focus on recovering from your physical injuries and the emotional trauma you’ve experienced as a crash victim. While you take care of yourself, your attorney will invest the resources and knowledge needed to pursue your legal claim and fight for maximum recovery on your behalf.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
You shouldn’t have to worry that you can’t afford to ask for help, which is why we represent car accident victims on a contingency fee basis.
We’ll front the costs of pursuing your legal claim and stake our fees on the results. You don’t have to pay us anything unless we recover compensation for your car accident claim.
If we win your personal injury case, we’ll receive a pre-agreed-upon percentage of your winnings. Depending on factors discussed before you hire us, this can typically range between 33 and 40 percent.
How Much Money Can I Get From a Car Accident Case?
There is no standardized value for car accident claims in Washington State. Rather, each case’s specific and unique circumstances dictate how much money a claimant might be able to recover from an insurance company or another liable party. Answers to the following questions will determine the value of your case:
- What insurance benefits are available?
- What are the policy limits?
- Are your injuries catastrophic?
- What type of medical treatment is warranted for your particular situation?
- Will you require ongoing medical care?
- Have you been able to continue working?
- Have there been any changes in your ability to work or earning capacity?
- Are you partly to blame for the auto accident?
- Did you take steps to mitigate your damages?
- How old are you?
- What’s your life expectancy?
While each one of these factors will play a part in valuing your legal claim, the severity of your injuries will have the greatest impact. The more seriously you’ve been injured, the more your life will change. In turn, the more you can reasonably expect to demand and recover through a personal injury claim or lawsuit.
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Case in Tacoma?
Once you’ve been involved in a car accident in Tacoma, Washington, you’ll have a limited time to file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. Most car accident cases have a three-year statute of limitations.
There are some exceptions. For instance, the statute of limitations can be tolled if a child is injured in a Tacoma crash. In these situations, the child would have until their 21st birthday to file a car accident claim, as long as no claim has already been filed on their behalf.
It’s imperative that you file your lawsuit before the filing deadline passes. When time runs out, you’ll be left without recourse to demand compensation from an at-fault party or their insurance provider.
What Types of Damages Can I Get After a Car Accident in Tacoma?
Washington State gives car accident victims the right to request compensatory damages through insurance or a civil lawsuit. Compensatory damages include two categories of awards: economic and non-economic.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are intended to help motor vehicle accident victims manage the unexpected and stressful financial consequences of a crash, including:
- Hospitalization, diagnostic testing, surgery, medical devices, medication, and other current medical expenses
- Future medical bills
- Therapy and rehabilitation
- Nursing assistance
- Property damage
- Costs paid out-of-pocket
- Lost wages and benefits
- Diminished earning capacity
- Disability
- Funeral and burial costs if a crash in Tacoma is fatal
These losses are typically supported by documentation, including wage statements, tax returns, invoices, bills, and receipts.
Non-Economic Damages
Car accidents can take a toll on your ability to live and enjoy your life. While these things might not have a set financial value, they’re no less meaningful. Non-economic damages are designed to compensate for these harder-to-value and more personal losses.
Examples of non-economic awards include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Loss of consortium
- Embarrassment
- Physical disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Chronic pain
Since these types of experiences are so personal, they’re more difficult to prove. We will bring experts to help demonstrate how your recent wreck has changed your life. Their testimony can be instrumental in forcing the defense to do the right thing and make you whole.
Can I Get Money if I Am Partly Blamed for My Car Accident in Washington?
Yes. However, anyone contributing to a Tacoma car accident will be liable for the damages. As a victim, your shared fault will also limit your ability to recover compensation. Damages can be awarded, but they will be reduced.
Under the state’s pure comparative fault law, your financial recovery will be reduced proportionately to your fault. The more your negligence contributes to a crash, the less you’ll be able to recover through a settlement or jury award.
For instance, you could expect to receive 70 percent of the value of your car accident claim if you’re assigned 30 percent of the blame for the crash. Hence, you would receive a maximum of $70,000 in damages if your claim was initially valued at $100,000.
Insurance adjusters and defense attorneys won’t hesitate to blame you for your accident. They know it’s an easy way to shift liability and limit how much they have to pay for your crash-related injuries. We won’t let these tactics go unanswered. Instead, we’ll anticipate these strategies and have a plan in place to protect you and your ability to recover a maximum monetary award.
Will My Car Accident Case Go to Trial?
Only a small fraction of car accident lawsuits go to trial.
Several factors can influence whether a car accident claim is resolved or goes to trial:
- Genuine disputes regarding liability, including comparative fault
- The insurance company’s refusal to handle the claim in good faith
- Considerable differences in how the parties value the plaintiff’s damages
While the chances are slim, there is always the possibility that your case will be one of the few that ends up going to court. That’s why it’s imperative to hire an experienced civil litigator with a proven track record of success in the courtroom to handle your car accident claim.
Show the insurance company that you’re not afraid to go to trial and fight for the results you deserve by trusting Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer to fight for you, too.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Tacoma?
If you’ve been involved in a car accident in Tacoma, you should:
- Call 911 and report the crash to the local Tacoma Police Department.
- Stay near the scene of the wreck while waiting for first responders.
- Exchange insurance information with other parties and determine if anyone requires critical medical care.
- Avoid admitting fault or apologizing for any part you might have played, as these statements can be taken out of context and used to limit your ability to recover compensation in the future.
- Seek prompt medical treatment unless you’ve been brought to the closest hospital in an ambulance.
- Direct any requests for information or negotiations to your personal injury attorney.
The insurance company doesn’t want you to hire an attorney. Adjusters want to deal with you directly while they have the upper hand; don’t let them keep their advantage. Our personal injury law firm has representatives standing by to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No matter when or where you’re involved in a crash, we’re ready to help.
Types of Car Accident Claims We Handle
At Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer, we can offer clients the experienced, knowledgeable legal representation they deserve after a car crash in Tacoma.
Our team handles all types of car accident claims, including:
Rollovers
While any car can tip or overturn, rollovers often involve vehicles with high centers of gravity, like SUVs, vans, or pickup trucks. Rollover accidents are often seen when a vehicle takes a sharp turn or curve without slowing down or when a vehicle’s tire loses traction with the road surface because it strikes a curb, pothole, or debris. The overwhelming lateral force overtakes the vehicle and causes it to tip, overturn, or roll on its side.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end crashes happen when the front of one vehicle strikes the rear of the vehicle in front of it. Drivers who tailgate and/or speed are most likely to cause rear-end crashes, especially if they’re also distracted, drunk, or otherwise impaired. The less time and space a vehicle has to stop, the more likely a rear-end crash will result.
Side Impact Collisions
Side impact collisions, which can include sideswipes and T-Bone accidents, are particularly devastating because there’s not much to protect vehicle occupants when they’re hit from the side. While the front and rear of a vehicle are designed to absorb the force of a collision, the sides aren’t. As a result, victims of side impact collisions often sustain life-changing injuries, including crush injuries, severe internal trauma, and amputation injuries.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions tend to have the potential to cause the most catastrophic injuries and deaths due to the sheer force that can be transferred to vehicle occupants. Most often, head-on crashes occur when motorists drive on the wrong side of the road because they’re distracted or attempting to overtake the vehicle in front of them.
Who Could Be Liable for My Car Accident Injuries?
Under Washington law, any party contributing to a car accident can be liable for property damage, injuries, or death.
Depending on how and why your crash occurred, liable parties might include the following:
- Commercial vehicle driver
- Driver of a passenger vehicle
- Bicyclist
- Pedestrian
- E-scooter or e-bike rider
- Motorcyclist
- Transportation service
- Government agency
- Vehicle manufacturer
- Negligent party’s employer
- Property owner
Our Tacoma car accident lawyers will fight to make sure that anyone who caused your recent wreck is held accountable. We’ll invest the resources needed to conduct a thorough investigation, gather critical evidence, and build a legal claim that forces at-fault parties to take responsibility for your injuries.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents?
Some of the most commonly cited causes include:
- Speeding
- Unsafe lane changes
- Illegal turns
- Drunk driving
- Drowsy driving
- Distracted driving
- Tailgating
- Braking errors
- Blind spot errors
- Aggressive driving
While driver error often results in accidents, there are times when factors outside of a motorist’s control can contribute to wrecks in Tacoma. This might include vehicle defects, unsafe or defective road conditions, and inclement weather.
What Are Common Types of Car Accident Injuries?
We are here to help crash victims in Tacoma fight to get compensation for all of their car accident injuries, including:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Nerve damage
- Chest injuries
- Crushing injuries
- Broken bones
- Eye injuries
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash
- Neck and back injuries
- Herniated disc injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Amputation
- Burn injuries
- Leg and knee injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a spouse, parent, or child
Members of our legal team are available to listen to your side of the story, explain your potential legal options, and offer the time-sensitive support you need after a wreck.
Tacoma Car Accident Statistics
Every year, hundreds of people are injured and killed in traffic accidents across the state of Washington. In recent years, deadly crashes and fatalities have increased steadily. In 2023, 809 people were killed in Washington state car accidents, up from 743 the year before and 674 the year before that.
Many of Washington’s fatal car accidents take place in urban areas, including cities like Tacoma. In 2023, 45 car accident fatalities were recorded in Tacoma, up from just 24 the year before.
What Are the Most Dangerous Intersections in Tacoma?
Statistically, most car accidents happen at or near the intersection of two or more roads. Tacoma has no shortage of dangerous intersections.
Some of the most dangerous include:
- Pacific Avenue and E 34th St
- SR 509 and Alexander Ave
- S 37th and Steele St S
- Tacoma Ave and 21st St
- SR 7 and SR 507
Knowing which intersections pose the greatest threat to your safety could help you avoid a crash. While you can control another driver’s behavior, you can drive more defensively and exercise additional caution as you move through the crossroads.
Call Our Tacoma Car Accident Lawyers Today to Schedule a Free Consultation
If someone else was careless and caused a crash in Tacoma, WA, you shouldn’t have to struggle with the consequences on your own. Call Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer, to discover how we can help you recover compensation for your injuries.
Our Tacoma car accident lawyers have over 30 years of experience handling complex civil disputes inside and outside the courtroom. As fearless advocates for our clients, we’ve successfully helped hundreds of clients win over $1 billion in compensation.
Now, you can have an award-winning civil litigator fighting for your best interests, too. There’s no charge for your initial consultation.
Visit our Tacoma, WA, Personal Injury Law Office
Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer – Tacoma Office
909 A St Ste 700, Tacoma, WA 98402
(253) 264-0225
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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