Paul Hanson: Kirkland, WA Car Accident Lawyers

If you are injured in a car accident, immediately obtain all needed medical treatment. Go to the nearest hospital emergency room, or to your personal physician. An auto accident injury, if untreated, may become substantially worse and take longer to heal. And if you fail to promptly seek medical treatment, the at fault driver's insurance claims adjuster may later suspect that your delay meant that you weren't really injured. And then greatly discount your accident injury claim's value.

If someone is seriously injured, call 911 or the Kirkland Police and tell them an ambulance is needed. Make the injured person as comfortable as possible, but do not move him or her unless it's absolutely necessary to avoid further injury. 

In many cases, there are no witnesses and you and the other driver may have conflicting versions of how the car accident happened. If you do not request a police investigation, you may seriously damage your chances of obtaining full compensation, or may be blamed for an accident that is not your fault. Kirkland Police are not required, however, to do a report when there are no injuries and none of the vehicles has more more than $750 of property damage. They are also not required to prepare a report if the car collision occurs on private property such as a parking lot. 

Unless your car poses an immediate hazard to other traffic, it is important that you leave it in the same position that it came to rest after the accident. Ask the other driver not to move his or her vehicle until the Kirkland, WA police arrive. The single most important piece of evidence that the Kirkland Police officer has to determining fault is the position of the vehicles after the accident. 

The first record of your car accident injuries will be contained in the investigating officer's report. If you fail to mention to the Kirkland Police officer that you were injured, it may create suspicion in the mind of the insurance adjuster (who will ultimately evaluate your claim) that you were not hurt. Ordinarily the Kirkland officer will ask if you are injured. However, if the officer does not ask if you are injured, or assumes that you are all right, let the officer know immediately of all injuries or pain. 

Often by the time a Kirkland, WA Police officer arrives at the car accident scene, witnesses to a collision are gone. Therefore, it is very important for you to identify any witnesses and write down their names, addresses, and telephone numbers. 

You are not required to file a car accident report when the collision is investigated by a Kirkland, WA law enforcement officer who files a report. You may, however, file your own report if you wish or if you disagree with details reported by the officer. Your report, which is filed with the Washington State Patrol in Olympia, must be sent within four days of the accident. 

If you have suffered a serious Car accident injury requiring follow-up medical attention, you should consider hiring an lawyer to represent you. An experienced personal injury lawyer will generally make sure that you receive the compensation that is due you, usually more than you will be offered in settlement by auto insurance adjuster, even after lawyer's fees are paid. 

If you choose to accept a settlement for a car accident injury without seeking legal representation, you may receive a settlement that does not fairly compensate you for permanent injuries and damages. Once a claim is settled, it can never be reopened. The best rule is not to sign a release for at least six months following an injury. If you're uncertain about whether to settle, talk to an lawyer who handles personal injury cases. 

Most lawyers handle injury cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning there is no charge unless they recover compensation for you. You are responsible for out-of-pocket expenses, called costs, advanced by your lawyer. There is usually no charge to review your claim with an attorney. 

Yes but do not give a statement to the other driver's car insurance adjuster until you have talked to a lawyer. 

The odds are that a claims adjuster for the other driver will be assigned to your claim before you have been able to retain an lawyer. This may happen as soon as a day or two after the auto accident. The adjuster will request permission to take a recorded or written statement. 

If you are considering hiring an auto accident lawyer, you should NOT give a statement to an insurance adjuster for the other driver. Statements made can seriously prejudice your claim. Instead, tell the adjuster that you have decided to hire an lawyer, and instruct him or her to refer all further questions to your attorney. 

For every injury or death claim, there is a period of time during which you must file your claim with the court or the claim will be barred. This time limit is called "statute of limitations". 

In Washington State, the period for bringing a car accident injury or death claim is usually three years from the date of the auto accident, but there are some exceptions. The period for bringing a claim for injury to a child does not begin to run until the child's 18th birthday. An auto claim arising out of the death of a child, however, is usually limited to three years. For auto accidents which occur in other states, the period may be as short as one year from the accident. 

Although you may have longer to actually file your claim with the court, generally the sooner you can consult with a personal injury lawyer following a car accident, the more that lawyer can do to help you on your claim.