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Olympia Personal Injury Lawyers
Full-Service Olympia Personal Injury Attorneys
Do you need a personal injury lawyer in Washington state?
That’s the most common question among recent accident victims. More often than not, the answer is yes – but the question itself highlights several common misconceptions about compensation for accident victims in Olympia, WA. Our dedicated and proven Olympia personal injury lawyers are here to answer your questions and help you through this time.
At Our Law Firm, Anyone and Everyone Can Afford to Hire an Injury Lawyer
First, there is the myth that attorneys are difficult to afford. That might be true in certain contexts – divorce, high-stakes business transactions, and wealth management, for example.
But if you’re an accident victim in the state of Washington, the right law firm shouldn’t charge you anything upfront for its services.
That’s how we operate at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC. As Olympia injury lawyers, we represent accident victims on a contingency fee basis.
This means that, in every single injury case that we handle, we will not charge a fee to our clients unless and until our firm is able to get them a financial recovery from the other side.
Insurance Companies Don’t Treat Victims Fairly. Lawyers Can Change That.
The second big misconception out there is that victims are likely to get a fair financial recovery without personal injury lawyers.
In a perfect world, that might be true. But the reality is that insurance companies intervene in almost every accident claim in this country, and they fight with all their power to pay victims as little as possible.
Indeed, many studies have found that victims who are represented by an injury attorney recover substantially larger amounts of financial compensation than those who simply handle claims on their own.
As a matter of fact, many insurance companies will automatically reduce or deny your payout, until you hire an aggressive law firm. Essentially, they’re banking on the likelihood that you won’t hire a lawyer. Once you do, many of them suddenly become more willing to “play ball.”
That is the general premise of Washington personal injury law: Victims are entitled to compensation, but the wrongdoers and their insurers don’t make fair offers until lawyers get involved.
To make that system fairer, the right lawyers make their services available on a contingency fee basis – in other words, the law firm’s total fee is only a portion of the victim’s ultimate recovery.
By increasing the amount of compensation in many cases, attorneys are often able to put victims in better positions than they would have been otherwise.
As Olympia personal injury lawyers, we are dedicated to getting our clients the largest amount of compensation available under the law.
Our Olympia, WA Injury/Accident Practice Areas
The aggressive legal team at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC is fully equipped to handle any personal injury claim. Our skilled Olympia personal injury attorneys offer many years of comprehensive experience in each of the following areas:
- Brain trauma
- Head, neck, or spinal cord injuries
- Bicycle accidents
- Auto accidents
- Commercial trucking accidents
- Defective medications & other products
- Drunk driving accidents in Washington
- Medical malpractice
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip and fall
- Railroad accidents
- Wrongful death
- Much more
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I sue the manufacturer of a malfunctioning auto part that caused an accident that injured me?
Yes, you can sue under a product liability theory. You will need to prove that:
- The part was subject to a manufacturing defect, a design defect, or a “warning defect”;
- The product was defective when the manufacturer last parted company with it;
- Because of the defect, the part was unreasonably dangerous; and
- The defect operated as a substantial cause of the accident that injured you.
The unique advantages of filing a product liability claim are that (i) you can win without proving fault; and (ii) you can usually sue any company in the product’s chain of distribution, even a retail auto parts dealer.
Can I file a claim against the government?
Yes, you can sue the local, state, or federal government, under certain circumstances and subject to certain legal restrictions. You must file a notice of claim with the specific government agency you are targeting, and you must then wait 60 days to file the actual lawsuit.
Will I win if I can prove that the defendant was breaking the law at the time of the accident?
Not necessarily. You will have to prove that the violation actually caused the accident, and you will have to convince the court that the violation constituted negligence on the part of the defendant. It is possible for a court to conclude that the defendant was not negligent, even though he was breaking the law.
What is the standard of proof in a personal injury lawsuit?
The standard of proof in a personal injury lawsuit, and in most other lawsuits for money damages, is almost always a “preponderance of the evidence.” This is a much easier standard to meet than the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard used in criminal prosecutions. To meet this standard, you must simply establish that it is slightly more likely than not that the defendant is liable. Even proving a 51 percent likelihood will be enough.
If I was injured in a car accident, can my previous driving record be used against me?
Usually, your previous driving record cannot be directly used against you, even if the defendant claims the accident was your fault or partly at fault. This is true because the issue is not how good of a driver you are, but whether you caused this particular accident. In some cases, the defendant might be able to use your driving record to try to prove that you were at fault this time, too. You can be sure that the insurance company will try to use it during settlement negotiations.
What are “pain and suffering” damages?
Pain and suffering damages represent compensation that you are entitled to because of the physical pain and distress you suffered due to an accident. In many cases, pain and suffering compensation far exceeds the compensation you receive for medical bills.
How likely is it that my claim will go to trial?
Statistically, fewer than 10 percent of all personal injury claims go to trial. A lot depends, however, on the facts of your particular case. Insurance companies, in particular, are usually willing to settle out of court to avoid a trial.
Illustrative Examples
You were injured in a car accident with another driver. You manage to prove that the other driver’s tail light was out at the time of the accident, which is a violation of the law. The court, however, rules that the other driver’s missing tail light did not cause the accident. Your proof, then, will not help you win the lawsuit.
You are injured by a defective drug prescribed by your doctor. Since the condition you suffered did not appear on the drug’s warning label, you determine that it would be difficult to win a medical malpractice lawsuit. Instead, you sue the drug manufacturer alleging the drug contained a “warning defect” because the labeling failed to warn of the risk of the harm you suffered. This lawsuit is potentially winnable.
Serving the Greater Olympia Area
Our office is proud to fight for the rights of injured people throughout Northwest Washington and the entire state, including Thurston County and the city of Olympia.
We work with clients in:
- Lacey
- Ranier
- Tenino
- Tumwater
- Yelm
- Bucoda
- Olympia
- Much more
Our Olympia personal injury lawyers can come to you. No matter where you live in The Evergreen State, we’re ready to do what it takes to meet your needs. Big cities, small towns, unincorporated communities – we’re here to fight for you, wherever you may call home.
Contact Our Olympia Personal Injury Attorneys Right Away
Reach out to Paula, Dave, Matt, and Dean. Our compassionate Olympia injury attorneys are happy to listen to you, explain your rights, and help you understand your options.
Timing matters. Statutes of limitations apply to almost every personal injury claim, which means that you shouldn’t wait too long to take legal action.
The defendants and their insurance companies are hoping that you’ll delay your claim, accept one of their lowball settlement offers, or simply forget about the whole thing. Don’t let them avoid their responsibilities. Don’t settle for less than you deserve.
Please contact us and schedule a free consultation with our Olympia personal injury attorneys online right away. You can also contact us by phone at 800-925-1875. We’re here to fight for you.
