Trusted Burlington Personal Injury Attorneys Ready To Help You
Catastrophic accidents bring emotional devastation, physical suffering and if a death is involved, grief. Inevitably, financial issues also arise at a time when you are likely to be least capable of dealing with them. The personal injury/wrongful death lawyers at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC understand what you are going through because they have successfully represented many clients in your shoes. Speak with a skilled Burlington personal injury attorney willing to take over your financial concerns for you by completing the claims process, negotiating with insurance adjustors and, if necessary, filing a lawsuit on your behalf.
About Burlington, WA
Burlington, a small Skagit County town located near Mount Vernon and about an hour north of Seattle, began as a logging camp in the late 19th century. Its population, although still under 10,000, is growing rapidly along with the local economy. Burlington is nicknamed The Hub City, although some would like to re-christen it The Mall City due to its proliferation of shopping malls (including the regionally famous Cascade Mall) that draws in shoppers from far and wide.
In the summer, small-town life is spiced up with the Berry Dairy Days strawberry festival along Fairhaven Avenue. Outdoorsmen can enjoy the scenic Skagit River basin all year round since temperatures are rarely extreme. The Skagit River, of course, has been modified with an extensive network of dikes. Its long history of flooding remains such a threat to Burlington that evacuation routes have already been mapped.
Because of Burlington’s proximity to Seattle, many local residents commute to work. The area is served by Interstate 5 and Washington State Route 20, which bring in tourists as well. Burlington roads, unfortunately, see their share of traffic accidents, some of which are fatal. Area hospitals also treat a wide variety of other types of accidental injuries from truck accidents to slip and fall accidents to defective drug injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I sign a release?
A release of liability is a clause or an entire agreement, that legally bars you from filing a lawsuit against a particular defendant over a particular claim. If you are injured in a motorcycle accident, for example, and you sign a release in favor of the negligent driver’s insurance company, for example, you can never sue the insurance company over the accident (and you must withdraw any lawsuit you have already filed).
Although a release of liability clause is always included in a settlement agreement (conditioned upon the other party’s payment of the settlement amount), you should never sign a release without receiving an adequate settlement in return, and you should never sign one unless your lawyer advises you to. Contact our highly experienced Burlington Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss your situation.
What is my insurance company denying my personal injury claim?
There are two main reasons why an insurance company might deny your personal injury claim even though you thought you were fully covered. One reason might be that your coverage is not as comprehensive as you thought it was. Insurance policies are typically drafted by injury attorneys. They are meticulously worded, and you need to read the wording carefully before you accept a policy. The aftermath of a serious accident is no time to discover that your insurance policy contains a loophole that will allow your insurance company to deny coverage.
Another possible reason is that your insurance company is playing games with you by applying an unreasonable interpretation of your policy language as an excuse to deny coverage. Alternatively, your insurance company might disagree with you about the value of your claim, or it may claim that the other party’s insurance company should bear liability. It is at this point that a skilled personal injury lawyer can be a great help to you.
How will a delay in contacting a law firm or seeking compensation hurt my case?
The greatest danger in waiting to get an experienced injury attorney involved, of course, is missing the statute of limitations deadline for filing a lawsuit. If this happens, the value of your claim will drop to zero. In Washington, the deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is usually three years after the date of the injury, while the deadline for filing a wrongful death lawsuit is three years from the victim’s date of death.
Even if you don’t miss the statute of limitations deadline, waiting until the last minute could force your attorney to rush matters, resulting in lower quality representation. In addition, evidence tends to deteriorate over time – witness memories fade, for example, and physical evidence is degraded or gets misplaced.
What do I do when I’m attacked by a dog?
Dog bites happen quite often in Burlington. There are many dog owners who do not maintain proper control of their dogs. The Washington law that covers dogs is pretty clear: Dog owners are responsible for the injuries caused by their pets. The only defenses they have are if their dog was provoked or if the attack occurred on their property and the victim was illegally trespassing at the time.
If you’ve been injured by a dog in Burlington, contact our Burlington dog bite attorneys to help you with the case. Depending upon the severity of the injuries, you may be entitled to significant compensation for your pain and suffering.
In Burlington, the animal control division is part of the Burlington Police Department. As in most municipalities, dogs need to be licensed and keep their vaccinations up to date. If a dog bites someone, it has to be reported, and the dog can be impounded for a period of time at the cost of the owner.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are over 4 million dog bites in the United States every year. Burlington is a great place to live and a great place to own a dog, especially with all the parks and off-leash areas where dogs can roam and play. But sometimes dogs that are normally nice can still attack due to being scared or being possessive.
Having an experienced and skilled Burlington dog bite lawyer fighting for your rights is the best way to get fully and fairly compensated for your injuries.
Speak with a Burlington Personal Injury Lawyer
We work on a “no win, no pay” basis – if you don’t receive a recovery, you won’t owe us any money in legal fees. Call our Burlington Personal Injury Attorneys today at 1-800-925-1875 or complete our online contact form to schedule your free initial consultation, so that we can discuss your case and advise you of your options.
