Serious Seattle Personal Injury Attorneys Ready to Help You Win Your Fight
Seattle is famous for its stunning skyline and views of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, its friendly people, its variety of outdoor sporting opportunities, its rainy weather – and its traffic. It is a unique city with a unique set of challenges for people trying to get around town.
When an accident or injury happens, it is best to work with an experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer that know Seattle’s roads, how the road construction projects can contribute to an accident, the regional insurance companies and how they handle claims, and most of all know how to obtain a full settlement for its clients.
Because we have been so heavily involved with working within our Seattle community over the years, our knowledge of the city is vast, and our connections in the community are even more profound.
We know many industry professionals (including medical professionals) who can assist with your case. Often, we know the other attorneys working on the claim and sometimes even the claims adjusters who are working for the insurance companies. And we want to put all this knowledge to use to benefit our clients as they pursue justice for their injury or wrongful death claim in Seattle.
Our trusted Seattle personal injury lawyers have spent 40 years helping injured victims of accidents recover financially so they can move forward with their lives.
We work with clients who have been seriously injured and are seeking experienced injury lawyers capable of handling an accident claim to obtain a full settlement. We aren’t afraid to take your case to a jury if we can’t get a satisfactory settlement offer. Find out how an experienced Seattle personal injury attorney at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC can help you move forward with your life after an accident or injury.
Talk to our legal team immediately by calling us directly. Our injury lawyers will get back to you promptly.
Our Main Practice Areas
At Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC, our main practice areas encompass a comprehensive range of personal injury claims. We specialize in handling cases involving auto accidents, wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries, DUI incidents, and more. Our experienced team is adept at navigating the complexities of each case, ensuring justice and fair compensation for our clients.
Our skilled Seattle personal injury attorneys have vast experience handling personal injury and wrongful death cases that begin on the crowded roads and freeways of the city. We have found that the intense traffic, seemingly constant road construction projects, and lack of mass transit options that most cities of similar size offer lead to an extraordinarily high incidence of accidents.
We handle just about any type of personal injury claim, including the following types of claims:
- Personal injury: Personal injuries can, unfortunately, include several different types of injuries resulting from various types of negligence. Whether it’s a slip and fall, a traumatic brain injury (TBI), or even injury from medical errors, our Seattle personal injury lawyers are here to assist you as you recover and seek justice.
- Auto vehicle accidents: A car crash can result from many things. The use of intoxicants, texting and driving, falling asleep at the wheel, many other forms of carelessness, and sometimes even intentional misconduct can all be factors at play in an auto accident situation. Our accident injury lawyers can help you win your auto accident case by using expert witnesses, negotiating with the insurance companies, and examining the details of the incident to ensure you get all the compensation owed to you.
- Wrongful death claim: A claim for wrongful death may result from a personal injury that ultimately caused the victim’s passing. Several different types of negligence (such as careless driving, medical negligence or malpractice, and even murder) may constitute a wrongful death claim. In these types of cases, the victim’s family may receive damages for the financial and emotional strains caused by the victim’s untimely passing.
- Bike accidents: Bicyclists are the most vulnerable riders on the road – even motorcyclists have the ability to accelerate their way out of trouble the way a bicyclist cannot.
- Motor vehicle accidents: Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable in an accident due to a motorcycle’s complete lack of frame protection.
- Traumatic brain injuries ( TBI): TBI can result in lifelong disability and continuing medical expenses, which can make it particularly difficult to calculate the amount of compensation to demand.
- Pedestrian accidents: The death rate for pedestrian accidents is higher than for any other type of vehicle accident, even head-on collisions.
- Semi-trucking accidents: Although trucking accidents tend to be serious, trucking is a highly regulated industry, and the violation of a trucking regulation can serve as a basis for liability.
- DUI accidents: DUI accidents are the most avoidable type of vehicle accident. Remember that you can pursue a lawsuit and criminal charges against the defendant at the same time.
- Sexual assault and abuse: Sexual assault and abuse is a unique offense because it is intentional, which could pave the way for punitive damages.
- Back and spinal cord injuries: Back and spinal cord injuries can result in lifelong paralysis and chronic pain.
- Burn injuries: Burn victims commonly suffer permanent disfigurement as well as extraordinary pain and suffering.
- Broken bones: Broken bones are among the easiest injuries to diagnose, although the long-term consequences are not always obvious.
- Internal injuries: Internal injuries may not produce symptoms immediately, which could make it challenging to prove that the accident was the actual cause of the injuries.
- Neck injuries: Neck injuries such as whiplash and other conditions can be more serious than they initially appear.
- Airplane accidents: A plane crash, unfortunately, is more likely to result in a wrongful death claim than a personal injury claim. Often, a defectively manufactured part is the culprit.
- Boating injuries: Boating is a deceptively dangerous activity, and the accident rate is shockingly high. DUI boating is not at all uncommon.
- Distracted driving: Distracted driving is a traffic violation, and this violation can be used to help prove that the defendant was acting negligently at the time of the crash.
- Medical negligence and malpractice: Most people don’t realize that medical malpractice is the nation’s third-leading cause of death – more than all vehicle accidents combined. Expert medical witnesses are typically required to win a medical malpractice claim.
- Product liability: It is possible to win a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer or distributor of a defective product without even proving that the defendant acted negligently.
- Railroad accidents: Railroad accidents are typically devastating. They are often (but not always) the fault of the motorist hit by a train.
- Recreational vehicle accidents: Rollover accidents involving RVs are particularly common, and an RV can crush an economy car.
- Slip and fall accidents: The owner or renter of a commercial establishment or a construction site is quite often the party that is held liable for a slip and fall accident.
Who Are Our Seattle Personal Injury Lawyers Who Secure Financial Future For Our Clients?
- Dean Brett offers 40+ years of experience handling all types of injury claims across the entire Seattle metropolitan region.
- Paula McCandlis uses her 20 years of legal expertise and vast courtroom experience to obtain top settlements and verdicts for her Seattle personal injury clients.
- David Brown possesses focused experience in both plaintiff and defense law, enabling him to negotiate effectively with insurance adjusters and secure full claim values.
- Matt Conner has devoted his entire career to work with his personal injury and wrongful death clients to attain the financial support they need to recover.
How Our Seattle Injury Lawyers Have Helped Their Clients
Through the 40+ years, our Seattle injury attorneys have been practicing personal injury and wrongful death law, they have handled hundreds of claims for clients in Seattle and across Washington State, including:
- $5.5 million for a seriously injured victim of a drunk driver;
- $450,000 for a woman who suffered a broken leg in a fall at a race track;
- Almost $450,000 for pedestrian’s multiple fractures;
- $1 million for the wrongful death of a teenage pedestrian struck by a tow truck.
While not every case will yield compensation in the millions, we are often able to help our clients pursue a claim to the fullest extent of the law while they recover from their injuries, pain, and suffering as they try to deal with the difficult journey ahead of them. Because we are so frequently able to assist our clients in their recovery in the midst of terrible, sometimes even tragic, situations, we take immense pride in our firm’s results and our Seattle community.
What You Should Do After Being Injured in an Accident
Perhaps you can’t work or drive and have mounting medical bills. Perhaps you were injured by an uninsured motorist and need your insurance company to pay your medical bills. Perhaps an insurance company is pressuring you to immediately settle your claim.
All injured people seeking a lawyer need to ask themselves these questions:
- Do I have the knowledge and skill to effectively resolve my claim myself?
- Will hiring an attorney worth the expense and enable me to achieve a larger settlement?
For less serious injuries and smaller claims, it may be possible to effectively handle your insurance claim yourself. The problem is that most people don’t know how much their claim is worth.
How do you evaluate the cost of future medical treatment?
What is the monetary value of pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life?
Furthermore, claims that involve accidents or injuries (or both) can become incredibly nuanced. More often than not, victims are not aware of legislation that may entitle them to additional damages. Or, if they are aware, they may not be sure when such entitlement is applicable and how these damages should be pursued.
Though investing in an attorney may not seem necessary at the beginning of a claim, working with a legal team throughout your case is often the more financially prudent choice to make.
In our view, the most important thing Seattle personal injury attorneys can offer clients is access to accurate information about their rights and choices regarding their claims.
While we pride ourselves in our legal knowledge, our ability to negotiate a full settlement with insurance companies, and our willingness to take a case to court if the negotiation results are unsatisfactory, our trusted Seattle personal injury attorneys think the key to a good outcome is enabling our clients to make the best decisions based upon their unique needs and interests.
Common Personal Injuries in Seattle
Some people may walk away from a car accident with minor injuries, while a slip and fall might result in permanent damage. Some of the most common personal injuries in Seattle include:
- Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis;
- Traumatic brain injuries;
- Soft tissue neck and back injuries;
- Broken or fractured bones;
- Crushed or amputated limbs;
- Internal organ damage;
- Burns; and
- Lacerations.
These aren’t the only injuries we can represent you for, just some of the more common ones we see. If someone else’s actions harmed you, you have the right to pursue compensation from the responsible parties.
Proving Negligence in a Seattle Personal Injury Claim
Before you receive any money, you must prove who is responsible. To successfully prove negligence, you must show evidence of these four elements:
- Duty—the defendants must have owed you some type of legal duty;
- Breach—the defendants must have breached this legal duty;
- Causation—the breach of duty must be directly responsible for your injuries; and
- Damages—you must have financial losses, such as medical expenses or lost wages.
Failure to meet the burden of proof for negligence means you will not recover any compensation for your personal injury claim.
It’s important to note that Washington is a pure comparative negligence state. That means you can be partially at fault for the accident and still collect some of your damages. Your percentage of fault will reduce the amount of compensation you receive.
Is There a Statute of Limitations for a Personal Injury Claim in Washington?
Yes, all personal injury claims are subject to legal deadlines, such as the statute of limitations. You typically have three years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit.
Failure to file within the deadline means the court will likely dismiss your case. You will not be allowed to proceed, no matter how strong your claim is. The deadline can vary for different types of personal injury claims.
In Washington, personal injury claims are subject to a statute of limitations, typically granting victims three years from the accident date to file a lawsuit. Missing this deadline can lead to dismissal of the case, regardless of its merits. It’s crucial to act promptly and consult a lawyer to ensure timely legal action.
Other circumstances can reduce or extend the amount of time you have to file. Don’t risk losing the right to file a claim. Hire a skilled Seattle personal injury lawyer to ensure all legal deadlines are met.
Compensatory Damages in a Seattle Personal Injury Claim
Compensatory damages in a personal injury claim compensate you for your losses, both tangible and intangible. There are two main categories of damages—economic and noneconomic.
Economic damages are your tangible financial losses. These are usually easier to calculate than noneconomic damages because evidence such as doctor bills or invoices will show how much your costs are. Examples of economic damages include medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage.
Noneconomic damages are your intangible and more subjective losses. They can be more challenging to calculate but can also make up the largest portion of your potential settlement. Examples include pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium, and more. When you meet with our team, we will explain what damages apply in your case and how much compensation you may be eligible to receive.
How the Claims Process Works
Personal injury claims typically proceed in accordance with the following sequence. The vast majority of cases do not proceed through all seven of the phases listed below, however, because they are usually settled earlier than that.
The claims process for personal injury cases typically involves several phases, starting with investigation and evidence gathering. This is followed by issuing settlement demands, potentially filing a lawsuit, and engaging in the discovery process. Negotiations often intensify post-discovery, leading to a trial if a settlement isn’t reached. In rare cases, an appeal may follow.
Phase I: Investigation and Evidence Gathering
The first phase of a personal injury case involves investigating to determine the facts and gathering admissible evidence to support them. It might involve, for example:
- Reviewing documentary evidence such as medical records and police reports;
- Interviewing witnesses;
- Researching the law to find out if any previous cases resembled yours (courts will look to these cases for guidance, and they can be persuasive if they are favorable); and
- Obtaining expert medical opinions (on the viability of a malpractice claim).
Phase II: Issuing Settlement Demands
After the investigation and evidence-gathering phase has been completed, it is usually time to issue a settlement demand to the other side. In fact, the settlement demand might be the other side’s first indication that you are filing a personal injury claim.
Ideally, your claim will be resolved at this stage. If the case is complex or involves high compensation claims, however, you can expect the other side to be too stubborn to settle at this stage.
Phase III: Filing a Lawsuit
Filing a lawsuit is a common tactic used by personal injury victims. Its main purpose at this stage is to:
- Stimulate the defendant to negotiate in good faith (to issue a reasonable settlement offer); and
- Allow the victim to demand evidence in the defendant’s possession through discovery proceedings. Even claims that reach this stage are more often than not settled before trial.
At this stage, both sides usually remain hopeful that a trial can be avoided.
Phase IV: The Discovery Process
The discovery process takes place only after you have already filed a lawsuit. This process allows you to gather evidence in several different ways, including:
- Cross-examining the defendant under oath (a deposition);
- Submitting written questions to the defendant; and
- Demanding that the defendant produce certain documents.
If the defendant refuses your demands, you can petition the court to order the defendant to comply with the pain of contempt of court charges if he fails to obey the order. Of course, the defendant can also gather evidence from you in the same manner.
Phase V: Further Negotiation
Once the discovery process is complete, negotiations typically intensify because most of the evidence is known to both sides.
Phase VI: Trial
A trial typically takes place several weeks after the lawsuit is filed. Although, in some cases, it can take months. Most trials are completed within a day. Although the parties can agree to a bench trial (decided by the judge), the defendant has the right to demand a jury trial.
Phase VII: Appeal
On rare occasions, the losing side at trial appeals an adverse decision. The appeals court usually (but not always) confirms the trial court’s decision. Find knowledgeable Seattle personal injury attorneys who can help you through the process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I file a claim against a negligent driver and a negligent doctor for the same injury?
Yes, you can, although the claims will be different from each other. Suppose, for example, you were injured in an auto accident caused by a negligent driver, and suppose the emergency room doctor was negligent in his treatment of you as well – in other words, you were having a very bad day. You could then file an ordinary personal injury claim against the driver, and a malpractice claim against the doctor.
Will I lose my claim if the accident was partly my fault?
Not necessarily. Under Washington’s comparative fault law, your damages will be reduced by your percentage of fault. If you were 30 percent at fault, for example, you will lose 30 percent of your damages, and you will have to pay the other driver 30 percent of his damages, while the other driver will lose 70 percent of his damages and must pay 70 percent of your damages. Setting these amounts off each other tells you how much you won or lost.
If I miss the statute of limitations deadline to file a lawsuit, can I still negotiate an insurance settlement?
Not unless the defendant doesn’t realize that the deadline has already passed. Your ability to file a lawsuit is usually your only leverage in settlement negotiations.
Why do I need a Seattle personal injury lawyer?
Unless you have significant legal experience, you risk jeopardizing your case in multiple ways without an experienced attorney representing you. You might miss important deadlines, fail to preserve evidence, or neglect to include all your damages in a settlement demand. The defendant’s insurance company might trick you into admitting fault during a recorded statement that can cost you compensation you’re entitled to receive. Many personal injury cases involve complex legal issues and multiple defendants. You need an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you identify all avenues of recovery.
Experienced Seattle Personal Injury Lawyers Worth The Cost
It is in your best interest to speak with a highly experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer who knows what your claim is worth, how to manage insurance adjusters, and has the experience to obtain a full settlement for you.
Many studies show that an injury attorney is typically able to obtain significantly more in settlement than an injured person can alone. Typically, an attorney-negotiated settlement will not only cover the cost of lawyer fees but will also secure a larger settlement sum for clients.
After a serious accident or wrongful death has affected your family, you should ask yourself the following: What’s stopping you from contacting an experienced Seattle personal injury attorney? We know your situation is probably full of questions and the jarring reality of many sudden unknowns.
This is why we believe our legal services are especially important for you and your family. Our Seattle injury attorney can offer two things that you may deeply miss at this time: peace of mind and the confidence of knowing your case is being handled professionally by legal experts.
Reach Out To Winning Seattle Personal Injury Lawyers
Reach out to Paula, Dave, Matt, and Dean if you are struggling with the aftermath of an accident and need some support and advice. A knowledgeable Seattle injury lawyer knows what you are dealing with now, and they know what you will need to deal with in the future. You will know what to expect, you will know what your rights and options are, and you will not have to deal with insurance companies alone.
If you or a loved one is reeling from a personal injury or wrongful death in the Seattle area, call us today at (206) 985-9600 or fill out our online contact form. Once you contact our Seattle personal injury attorneys, we can schedule your free case evaluation. Let the Seattle legal team at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC, fight for you.
Our Seattle main office:
- Location: Columbia Tower, 701 5th Ave 42nd Floor, Seattle, WA 98104
- Open hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Phone number: 206-985-9600
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