Personal injury and Wrongful Death Lawyers for Sequim and Clallam County

Sunny Sequim, Washington, a hamlet of nearly 7,000 people, is a popular retirement destination for people from all down the West Coast. Retirement arrivals have swollen the population of the metro area in recent years – which is no small feat, when you consider the spectacular alternatives of nearby competitors.

Despite its location in rainy Washington state, Sequim itself experiences less rainfall than many locations, thanks to its location inside the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. Nevertheless, the Juan de Fuca Strait keeps Sequim’s climate humid, and the town is little more than a stone’s throw from some of the lushest rainforests in the world.

In Sequim, the snow-capped peaks in the distance can make you feel like you’ve walked into a postcard, except that the surroundings are anything but still-life. Watch out when you cross US 101, because you may have to stop and wait for the crossing of the herd of Roosevelt elk that live in the area. Meanwhile, nature lovers can enjoy the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and the Sequim Bay State Park at their leisure.

The Dark Side of Utopia

An idyllic landscape does much for the soul, but it cannot eliminate the dangers that bedevil any town – a truck hits a pedestrian, a drunken driver causes a head-on collision, or a swimmer drowns in the Dungeness River. There is simply no way to be “ready” for a catastrophic accident because they so often strike without warning. Even the most prudent of safety precautions can become useless when an accident is caused by someone else’s carelessness rather than your own. When this happens, life may seem to be hitting you with everything at once – pain, shock, grief, and crushing financial difficulty to name but a few.

Get the Help You Need – Personal Injury Lawyers Serving Sequim

At Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC, we sympathize with how overwhelmed you must feel because we have represented many previous clients in much the same position as you find yourself. Our personal injury attorneys have helped thousands of victims obtain fair compensation for the losses that they have suffered, and we can do the same for you. Fighting for our clients’ right to compensation against greedy insurance companies and deadbeat defendants is what we do on a daily basis, and we will not rest until you receive every dime that the law entitles you to.

We practice in the following areas, among others:

When fighting for your rights, your choice of lawyer is absolutely critical. Few if any personal injury law firms in Washington State possess the experience that our injury attorneys enjoy, or have resolved as many claims as we have. Contact us today at 1-800-925-1875 or fill out our online contact form so that we can schedule your free initial consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who should I claim against in an auto accident?

Since Washington is a “fault” auto insurance state, you have three main options:

  1. You can file a third-party claim against the at-fault driver’s liability insurance policy.
  2. You can file a claim against your own uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance, if the other driver is uninsured or underinsured and if you have chosen to carry this form of insurance.
  3. You can file a lawsuit directly against the at-fault driver, if he or she does not carry liability insurance and if you have no insurance policy that will cover your losses. If you win, your recovery will have to come out of the at-fault driver’s own pocket.

Do I need uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance?

Although Washington auto insurance law does not require drivers to carry uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance, Washington insurers are required to offer it and drivers are well-advised to purchase it. The Insurance Research Council reports that about 16 percent of Washington drivers do not carry auto liability insurance, even though the law requires it. If you get into an accident with an uninsured driver and you have no uninsured motorist insurance that will cover your losses, you will probably end up having to bear your own losses if the at-fault driver cannot afford to pay your claim. Likewise, you could end up unable to cover part of your claim if its value exceeds the limits of the at-fault driver’s insurance policy.

Can I recover if the accident was partly my fault?

Yes, you can. Under Washington’s “pure comparative fault” rule, you can recover the amount of your damages minus the percentage of fault that the court assigns to you. If the court rules that you were 35 percent at fault, for example, you can recover 65 percent of your damages from the other driver (likewise, the driver can recover 35 percent of his or her own damages against you). In out-of-court settlement negotiations, the parties will seek to reach an agreement on what percentage of fault a court would likely assign to each driver, and calculate the settlement value accordingly.

What Damages Can I Recover After A Dog Attack?

You deserve to receive just compensation after suffering injuries in a dog attack. Washington law permits you to recover economic and non-economic damages in personal injury cases, like dog bites. Economic damages represent those tangible and calculable losses, including:

  • Medical expenses to date, including any hospitalizations,
  • Physical therapy, and
  • Lost wages and future lost earnings.

However, some of the most lengthy and permanent dog bite injuries suffered after a dog attack are not physical, but emotional. These non-economic losses represent intangible and subjective harm, including:

  • Pain and suffering,
  • Emotional distress,
  • Disfigurement or disability, and
  • Loss of consortium.

With no cap on recoverable compensatory damages, it’s vital to recover all the compensation you need to get your life back on track. Some damages in dog bite cases may be severe. Sequim dog bite lawyers analyze the facts of your case to determine what type of damages you may be entitled to recover.

What Are Common Injuries After a Dog Attack?

Dog bite injuries may cause severe injuries, including permanent disfigurement. Dog bites create a high risk of infection due to high bacteria levels existing in dog saliva. Common dog bite injuries include the following:

  • Puncture wounds,
  • Broken bones,
  • Eye injuries,
  • Nerve damage, and
  • Muscle and ligament damage.

Sequim dog bite attorneys understand that each dog attack case is different. Additionally, resulting dog bite injuries may range from minor to severe. These facts impact the nature of your case and the amount of compensation you may receive.

Contact Our Sequim, Washington Injury Attorneys!

We are here for you! If you or your loved one suffered an injury and it was someone else’s fault, call us today! Let our experience and expertise work for you.