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Tacoma Car Accident Lawyer
Tacoma Car Accident Attorney Ready to Help When Things Get Rough
Tacoma is a great place to live. Cradled on the banks of Puget Sound, Tacoma has much to offer residents and visitors alike. If you enjoy the arts and museums, you’ll find them here. And if you like the great outdoors and water activities, Tacoma has hiking, biking, and water sports activities that would be a shame to miss.
And whether you are making your way to the Foss Waterway Seaport for a day of boating or the Tacoma Glassblowing Studio to watch this fascinating art come to life, you’ll likely use your car to get there.
If you were injured in an accident, contact a Tacoma car accident lawyer. Motor vehicle accidents can happen anywhere, at any time, and can cause anything from minor irritation to major emotional and physical upheaval. And when your life has been touched by such a crisis, it is time to reach out for some help. Let our proven Tacoma car accident lawyers at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC provide you with the support that you need.
What Types of Car Accidents Does Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner Handle?
Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner is prepared to help people injured in common car accidents, including:
- Rollovers,
- Rear-end collisions,
- Head-on collisions,
- Sideswipes,
- Side-impact collisions, and
- Multi-car pileups.
If you were hurt in any type of accident, speak with a Tacoma auto accident lawyer as soon as possible. The key in car accident cases is finding evidence to identify who is liable for the accident. Evidence can disappear, or you might not know what evidence is helpful. Our firm can offer guidance on preserving relevant evidence.
I’ve Been in an Accident, But Why Would I Want to Bring a Tacoma Car Crash Lawyer into the Mix?
People like to make jokes about attorneys, and the prevailing superficial opinion in our country seems to be that bringing an attorney into any situation will simply muddy up the waters – so to speak. But nothing could be farther from the truth in car accident cases.
In fact, the insurance adjusters that you may speak to are truly hoping that you believe this and opt not to use a legal practitioner. Why? Because that makes their job so much easier. You see, their job is not to help you, because helping you means paying you money that their boss would much rather see going into the company’s bank accounts.
Face it. Their job is to make profits for their company, and the way that they do that is by paying you as little as possible for your accident claim.
And they are well-trained. They know how to trip you up so that you say something to them that they can later use to claim that you are:
- Not injured at all
- Not as seriously injured as you claim
- More responsible for the accident than you actually are
The list goes on and on. And if you speak to them, you can be certain that they will use every tactic they know to get you to say things that will hurt you in the long run. You can’t really outsmart them, they know what they are doing. This is the reason why you should bring knowledgeable Tacoma car accident attorneys into the mix. It’s best to have a dedicated lawyer who knows what is best for you.
Simply Having a Tacoma Auto Accident Lawyer Balances the Equation
The good news is that you don’t have to outsmart them. You can hire a Tacoma car crash lawyer to do that. In fact, the minute you get Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC on your team, you have someone to handle the insurer’s questions and evaluate its offers. That is because the insurance adjusters know us. They know that we are aware of their tactics and will not fall for any of them. So simply having a lawyer in your corner changes the negotiations from their inception.
Now the adjusters are having to switch from tactics to true negotiations based on evidence.
When Is Another Driver Liable for My Accident?
A driver may be liable when they fail to drive with reasonable care and cause an accident as a result. There are some common examples of careless driving:
- Backing up without using the mirrors,
- Driving too fast for road conditions,
- Texting and driving,
- Making an illegal U-turn or lane change,
- Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs,
- Passing illegally, and
- Running a red light.
We rely on different pieces of evidence to establish a driver’s failure to use reasonable care. For example, if the driver is intoxicated, then the responding officer could administer a field sobriety test or a breath test. Our firm can seek access to these test results.
How Common Are Car Accidents in Tacoma?
Tacoma has between 3,000 and 3,500 reported traffic accidents annually, according to the city’s inaugural Vision Zero Progress report.
The city also tracks crashes involving any type of road user that result in death or serious injury, and those numbers rose overall between 2019 and 2023:
- 2019—79;
- 2020—74;
- 2021—100;
- 2022—115; and
- 2023—139
Motorists can protect themselves by driving defensively. Bringing an injury claim is another important piece of the public safety puzzle. By holding a negligent driver legally accountable, we can create incentives for all Tacoma drivers to drive more safely.
What Are the Most Dangerous Streets in Tacoma?
The City of Tacoma identified a high-risk network covering about 9.5% of its streets. Those streets accounted for 59% of the city’s fatal or serious-injury traffic crashes from 2019 through 2023. Pacific Avenue/SR-7 by itself accounted for about 15% of these serious or fatal accidents.
Other dangerous roads in Tacoma include Portland Avenue and South Tacoma Way. Although accidents can happen anywhere, these roads consistently see a high percentage of accidents.
How Do I Find the Best Car Accident Lawyer in Tacoma?
Tacoma has many lawyers, but not all practice car accident law. You should take the following steps to find a lawyer for your case:
- Search online for lawyers in Tacoma;
- Read their websites to see if they practice car accident law;
- Review their results, including whether they have obtained settlements for car accident clients; and
- Schedule a consultation to meet with the lawyer.
A consultation is your opportunity to talk individually with an experienced Tacoma car crash lawyer.
What Questions Should I Ask a Car Accident Attorney in Tacoma, WA During a Consultation?
The consultation can help you learn more about the lawyer’s experience handling car accident cases and their approach to injury cases. Some helpful questions may include:
- How many car accident cases have you handled?
- Have you handled cases involving injuries like mine?
- What percentage of your car accident cases have settled or gone to trial?
- Who will handle my case: a lawyer, paralegal, or someone else?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of my case?
Listen closely to the lawyer’s answers. If you don’t understand the lawyer’s explanations, then you should meet with other lawyers. Clear communication is essential to the attorney-client relationship.
You should also find a lawyer who has handled many types of car accidents. This broad experience helps lawyers effectively represent their clients.
What If I Am Partially at Fault?
Even if you were partially at fault for the accident, do not write yourself off just yet. In Washington, the comparative fault law does not bar recovery merely because you share fault, even if your share exceeds the other driver’s. So even if you failed to yield, or played some part in the crash, you can still recover – but your recovery will be lessened by the percentage that you were at fault. It can get a bit tricky to figure out, but that is what your Tacoma car crash attorney and their team are for.
What Types of Damages Can I Recover?
There are two basic types of damages in a Tacoma car accident settlement:
Economic damages: These are damages that can be measured easily like medical bills, medical supplies, hospital stays, therapies, prosthetics, medications, car repairs or replacements, and lost income. All of these things can be clearly calculated by adding up receipts and documents like bills, etc.
Noneconomic damages: These are a bit harder to quantify. Noneconomic damages reflect personal effects of an injury that do not come with a direct price tag. They include things like:
- Pain and suffering, and
- Loss of consortium and companionship
Money without Trial
You do not have to go to court to receive compensation for your car accident case. Most cases settle out of court. Hiring an attorney is a benefit to your case either way. Our trusted Tacoma car accident lawyers can help you get the most money out of your case by negotiating with the insurance company or settling your case with the other side before going to court.
Attorneys are able to assess and guide your case from the very beginning. We start with a free, no-obligation, confidential consultation, and then from that point, we can best assess the trajectory that your case needs to take.
We often begin by recommending that you get further medical treatment, and we will help get your medical bills paid as you receive treatment. Once you have received as much medical treatment as you need, we can progress to attempting to settle your case.
Oftentimes, we can settle directly with the insurance company once your medical treatment is complete. We will make a series of offers back and forth, and settle the case if we get to a position where we have valued your case and a position where you are satisfied with the result. Having our skilled Tacoma auto accident attorneys represent you in these negotiations can drastically increase your total monetary award.
If we can’t settle your case with the insurance company, we will proceed with filing your case in court. Once your case is filed and we have served the case to the other side, the court will set your case for trial. Generally, a case must go to mediation or a settlement conference before trial. Most cases settle prior to going to trial. We can help you get the full amount you are entitled to for your car accident case, even if your case never goes to court.
What Steps Should I Take After a Tacoma Car Accident?
The choices you make can protect your health and legal rights. Whether you are reading this at the scene of the accident or from your bed at home, you should try to do as many of the following as possible:
- Move your car out of the way of traffic, if you can;
- Call 911 to report the accident to the police and request an ambulance for anyone who needs one;
- Exchange personal and insurance information with other drivers involved in the crash;
- Speak with witnesses and ask for their contact information, such as a phone number or email address;
- Document the accident by taking photographs of vehicle damage and road conditions; and
- Seek medical care promptly.
And perhaps the most critical step of all: schedule a consultation with a car accident attorney in Tacoma, WA, to discuss your accident and learn more about your legal rights.
What Mistakes Undermine a Person’s Ability to Receive a Tacoma Car Accident Settlement?
Guessing about fault or failing to document your injuries can weaken your claim. Other mistakes to avoid include:
- Speculating about who caused the crash instead of describing what you know;
- Failing to call the police to come out to the accident scene;
- Posting on social media about your accident or injuries;
- Giving a recorded statement to another driver’s insurance company without first consulting a lawyer; and
- Ignoring injury symptoms and failing to seek prompt medical treatment.
The other driver’s insurance company may argue you are at least partly to blame for the accident. Or it may claim that you are not really injured and that you deserve a small settlement. By avoiding these mistakes, you strengthen your claim.
Confused about what to do after an accident? Contact a Tacoma car accident lawyer at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner to schedule a free consultation. Our firm can help you navigate the claims process.
What If the At-Fault Driver Is Uninsured?
About 19.1% of Washington drivers were uninsured in 2023, and that figure does not include uninsured motorists visiting from other states. You may still be able to obtain compensation for your accident, even if the driver is uninsured.
Some other sources of compensation include:
- Your own uninsured motorist (UM) insurance. This insurance can pay compensation if an uninsured driver is at fault for your accident. You may have UM coverage if you purchased a liability policy in Washington, unless you declined UM coverage in writing.
- Other insurance policies. Other policies may cover certain types of damage, including collision coverage for vehicle damage or personal injury protection (PIP) for covered injury-related expenses, if you have those coverages.
- Personal injury lawsuit. Although the at-fault driver may lack liability insurance, you may be able to sue them personally in court for compensation for your injuries.
The best car accident lawyer in Tacoma for your case is one who will identify all possible sources of compensation and document your injuries and damages to present the strongest claim for compensation based on the facts of your case.
Call Our Tacoma Auto Accident Lawyers Today
If you’ve been in a car collision, there is no time to waste. Let our Tacoma car accident attorneys at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC help put your life back together, get you every cent that your case is worth, and take all the burden off of you in the process.
In addition to car accidents, our highly-skilled legal team is always ready to assist with any injury cases, such as:
- Railroad accidents,
- Slip and fall,
- Dog attacks,
- City transit accidents,
- Medical negligence and malpractice,
- Truck crash accidents,
- Motor vehicle accidents, and
- Wrongful death claim.
Our services are free unless we win compensation for you, so call today or fill out our online contact form for a free, confidential case consultation.
Legal References Used to Inform This Page
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