Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer

Why Work with Boohoff Law’s Injury Attorneys for Your Seattle Personal Injury Claim

Tatiana Boohoff is an experienced personal injury attorney. She and her talented team of colleagues at Boohoff Law have advocated for the rights of injured clients for more than a decade. She and the rest of the firm bring with them a clear and focused mission of helping innocent victims of other people’s careless and reckless actions.

Under Tatiana’s leadership, the firm takes special pride in its commitment to 24/7 client service. We know how difficult it is to contend with an unexpected injury, and we want to help. Our attorneys have earned consistent recognition from prominent legal organizations for our remarkable professionalism, including top lawyer designations from the National Trial Lawyers and Best of the Bar designations. We have also earned memberships in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum for having secured many settlements and verdicts in excess of a million dollars for our clients. Contact Boohoff Law today at (877) 999-9999 to schedule a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation with our Seattle personal injury lawyer.

Find out what your case is worth.

Common Causes of Personal Injuries in Seattle

Still, there are some scenarios in and around the Seattle area that lead to injury far more often than others. Here are some of the categories of cases we routinely handle:

Motor vehicle accidents. Accidents involving cars, trucks, boats, and motorcycles, injure millions of Americans annually, including right here in the Seattle area. According to Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) data, there were 111 fatalities and 580 serious injuries on King County roads in 2018. Motorists, businesses, and government entities may face liability in these cases.

Bicycle and pedestrian accidents. Cyclists and pedestrians face serious injuries (or worse) in crashes involving motorists. In 2018, the WTSC data show that 32 pedestrians and 5 bicyclists died in vehicle-related accidents on King County roads, while 137 pedestrians and 38 cyclists sustained serious injuries. Distracted drivers increasingly face liability for these types of accidents.

Premises liability incidents (a.k.a. slip and fall). Slipping and falling is just one of the many ways a person can get injured on someone else’s property. Property owners who fail to meet their duty of care often have liability to visitors who sustain an injury on their properties.

Workplace and construction accidents. Similar to premises liability, employers and others in a workplace or others on a job site have a duty to keep workers safe. Catastrophic injuries can happen when they fail to fulfill that duty, leading to liability.

Defective products. According to the National Safety Council, consumer products injured approximately 10.5 million people in 2017. Under Washington law, when a product has a defect in its design, construction, or lack of warnings to users, the manufacturer and others involved in producing and distributing it may have liability to anyone the product injures.

Medical malpractice. Seattle residents have every right to expect their medical service providers—doctors, nurses, therapists, etc.—will deliver the appropriate standard of care for their needs. Sometimes, however, those same providers fall short. When they do, injured patients have the right to seek compensation through the legal process.

Nursing home abuse. Elderly people who live in Seattle-area nursing homes have an absolute right, guaranteed by state law, to live in dignity and free from abuse. The law also gives those residents and their representatives the right to seek compensation from anyone who enables or fails to prevent nursing home abuse.

Dangerous drugs. Prescription drugs have lifesaving qualities, but they can also cause severe harm. Injured consumers can seek to hold drug makers and prescribers accountable when drugs lack adequate warnings or harmful contaminants.

Dog bites. Dog owners in Seattle can be held strictly liable for any injury their dog causes when it bites someone. If the dog was deemed dangerous at the time of the attack, those same owners could face civil and criminal penalties, too.

Seattle Accident Statistics

Seattle is a major city with a population of more than 730,000. It is also part of the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region which has more than 4 million people living in the area. As such, traffic accidents are a regular occurrence throughout Seattle. The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reported the following accident statistics for Seattle for 2022:

• 8,192 total traffic-related accidents, resulting in 243 serious injuries and 36 fatalities
• Distracted driving was cited in 1,431 crashes
• 579 alcohol-involved crashes occurred, injuring 29 and killing 6

Although you can get into a vehicle accident virtually anywhere in Seattle, certain roads see more accidents than others, including:

• Mercer Street
• Northeast 45th Street
• Aurora Avenue North
• East Marginal Way South

Additionally, more than 90,000 drivers cross the West Seattle Bridge each day, and I-5, I-405, and I-90 experience a lot of congestion and traffic accidents, particularly near the Sea-Tac Airport and downtown.

King County Total Serious Injuries from 2008 to 2017

Source: wtsc.wa.gov

Common Personal Injuries in Seattle

Every personal injury case is unique in its facts and circumstances. Some people walk away from multi-car accidents with barely a scratch. Others suffer severe health complications from seemingly mundane falls.

Here are some of the most common injuries that bring clients to Boohoff Law seeking our help to obtain compensation for their personal injury claim:

1. Traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI happens when the brain sustains damage from a sudden impact or shaking, from a penetrating injury, or from oxygen deprivation. TBIs can leave their victims living with severe cognitive deficits, physical impairments, and in the worst cases, in permanent states of unconsciousness or semi-consciousness. Motor vehicle accidents and falls often cause TBIs.
2. Spinal cord injury. A blow or penetrating injury to the spinal column can result in damage to the passageways and structures through which the brain communicates with the body. The most common disability associated with a spinal cord injury is paralysis, either partial or total, including paraplegia and tetraplegia. Common causes of spinal cord injury include motor vehicle accidents, workplace, and construction accidents, and falls.
3. Burns. Accidental exposure to flames, chemicals, and electricity can cause the burning of human tissue, sometimes severe and life-threatening. Burns are extremely painful and notoriously difficult for doctors to treat. Recovery takes months or more and often involves a series of excruciating surgeries. Even after full recovery, burn victims may have to live with disfiguring scars and painful disabilities.
4. Crushed or amputated limbs. In violent car accidents and accidents involving heavy objects or machinery, people’s limbs can get trapped, crushed, or severed. These are horrific accidents that permanently alter the victims’ lives, forcing them to re-learn basic tasks and to live with often debilitating pain.
5. Organ failure/health complications. Some injuries result from people taking the wrong medications or receiving improper medical care. As often as not, medical mistreatment can cause life-threatening health complications, such as the failure of internal organs or systems, or the progression of a disease that should have been diagnosed. Victims of nursing home abuse often suffer from these sorts of injuries.
6. Broken bones and orthopedic injuries. Any sort of violent impact can break bones and twist limbs. While these injuries tend to heal, they can leave victims with permanent disabilities.

Of course, this is nothing close to a complete list. Personal injuries are as diverse as the circumstances that cause them. Regardless of what kind of injury you have, if you sustained it because of someone else’s wrongful conduct, then you may have the right to compensation.

Consulting with an experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer is the best way to learn about your rights under Washington state’s personal injury law.

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Contact us today – call (877) 999-9999 or email us. We’re available 24/7!

Common Damages for Seattle Personal Injuries

As in most other states, in Washington when someone’s negligence or intentional misconduct causes harm to another person, that person has rights to seek compensatory damages from the wrongdoer.

Generally speaking, lawyers classify these damages into two categories: economic (or special) damages, and non-economic (or general) damages.

Economic damages reimburse victims of personal injury for their out-of-pocket costs stemming from the injury. Economic damages typically include:

Unreimbursed medical bills. When you suffer an injury, getting the medical care you need should be your top priority, and you should never put off a medical evaluation or treatment because you have concerns about the cost.

If someone else caused your injuries, they should be responsible for covering all of your medical expenses, so you should never hesitate to seek treatment to ensure the best possible prognosis. You can include all types of medical bills in your claim, including:

• Ambulance transportation
• Emergency room treatment
• Diagnostic testing
• Hospitalization and ICU admission
• Surgical procedures
• Medication
• Medical equipment
• Rehabilitation facilities
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Home health care

You can include all of these unreimbursed bills in your claim. Chronic or long-term care costs. Some injuries result in lasting medical issues and complications that require ongoing care. Some patients might need to reside in a long-term care facility because their injuries prevent them from caring for themselves, which is common with broken hips in senior adults. If you require regular doctor’s visits or other continuing treatment for a chronic condition that stemmed from your injuries, you can seek damages for those future losses, as well. These losses can be difficult to calculate, and our legal team often employs the help of medical experts to estimate your long-term care costs. Assistive medical devices and home modifications. Injuries that result in permanent disfigurement or disabilities might require that you use assistive medical devices, such as custom wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, and more. You might need modifications to make your home or vehicle accessible, including the installation of ramps, assistive equipment for bathing, custom vehicle fittings, among other things. These can all be costly and might require replacements in the future, which your lawyer should consider as part of your claim. Property damage. While it can be natural to focus on your physical injuries and medical treatment, it is also important to consider property damage. Did an accident total your car? Did a defective product cause a fire and damage your home? Many times property damage can accompany personal injuries, and you can include compensation for it in your claim. Lost wages from time off from work while recovering or helping a loved one recover. Injuries can cause you to miss work for different reasons. Your doctors might instruct you to refrain from all work activities to help your recovery, especially following surgeries. Your injuries might also cause movement restrictions that prevent you from performing your job. Many people lose significant wages following a serious injury. You can also lose income if you need to take unpaid family and medical leave to care for a close family member who sustained a personal injury and needs assistance. Lost earning ability or employment opportunity due to injuries. Sometimes, a break from work due to your injuries is not temporary. If your injuries resulted in lasting impairments, you might never return to your previous job or line of work. For example, if you were a contractor and you suffered paralysis below your waist, you likely cannot perform the functions of the occupation anymore. If you are a medical researcher, the cognitive effects of a traumatic brain injury could force you to switch professions. If your injury resulted in lost earnings and opportunities, you can seek financial recovery for those future losses. Under Washington law, the party with legal liability for economic damages may have the right to pay them to the person harmed in periodic installments instead of in a lump-sum. Your attorney can give you an idea of what to expect when it comes to compensation for your economic damages. Non-economic damages provide a remedy for more intangible harms that are more difficult to calculate. These may include:

• Pain and suffering. Injuries result in much more than financial losses for many people. Injuries can cause extreme—and sometimes, chronic—pain. This pain can wear on you and cause depression, anxiety, and many other emotional disorders. While pain and suffering have no quantifiable dollar value, there are formulas that your lawyer can use to determine the value of these non-economic losses.
• Damage to personal relationships (a.k.a. loss of consortium/companionship/parent-child relationship). Having an injury not only hurts you but also those who you love. An injury can put great pressure on a marriage, parent-child relationship, or other close companionships. Some people can no longer be intimate with a spouse or play with their children, and this can damage everyone involved.
• Negative impacts on quality of life. Injuries can disrupt your life in many ways and cause you to lose much enjoyment in your life. The daily impacts of your injuries add up. If you cannot participate in sports or other recreational activities you enjoy, work in the garden, coach your child’s sports team, or even care for yourself, your damages should reflect this.

Non-economic damages have a reputation in popular culture as being very large. That is not necessarily the case in Washington, however. Washington law subjects non-economic damages to a cap. The plaintiff may recover a maximum of 43 percent of the average annual wage in Washington (an amount set by law) multiplied by his or her life expectancy at the time of the personal injury (but no less than 15 years). Washington law also does not generally allow for punitive (or exemplary) damages.

How Do I Know If I Have a Seattle Personal Injury Case?

If you’ve been injured as a result of somebody else’s negligence, you may have a personal injury case. There’s no way to determine your case’s validity unless you meet with a seasoned personal injury attorney. Many victims find themselves surprised when they learn that their experience does, in fact, qualify them to receive damages. Empathetic personal injury lawyers work hard to help as many victims as possible seek the compensation that they deserve.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit in Seattle?

According to Washington state law, personal injury victims must file a lawsuit within a certain time frame following their injury. This law, known as the statute of limitations, states that victims have three years from the date of their accident or injury before they may be permanently barred from recovering compensation. Making decisions based on this time limit is crucial—if you decide that you deserve compensation for your experience too late, you could be left without the ability to recover damages at all.

What If I Was Partially at Fault for My Seattle Injury?

Some personal injury victims carry some of the fault for their accident. If you are one of these victims, this does not mean that you’re wholly responsible for your injuries and suffering; sharing responsibility for the circumstances that led to the event is common. This does not disqualify you from seeking the compensation you deserve.

How Long Until My Seattle Personal Injury Case Is Resolved?

The answer to this question is highly dependent on the circumstances surrounding your injury. The extent of your injuries, the time it took to file your claim, and the information you were able to provide your attorney all have an impact on the length of time it may take to resolve your case. Personal injury claims and lawsuits may be resolved in two different ways. In some cases, victims and the other involved parties settle during the negotiation stage of the case. This can result in a relatively quick legal experience. Other cases proceed to trial, where the final decision is left up to a jury or a judge. These cases last longer than those that end in settlements. There is no way to predict the exact length of time that will pass before your claim is resolved. If you experienced especially grievous or long-lasting injuries, your claim will likely take longer than it would if you had only sustained minor injuries. You may be able to get a sense of how long your claim will be active based on your medical wellbeing. The longer it takes you to reach maximum medical recovery, the longer your case is likely to be open.

How Much Does a Seattle Personal Injury Attorney Cost?

Most personal injury law firms partner with clients on a contingency fee basis. That means that victims never need to worry about paying for our services unless the attorney wins or settles their cases. You want an attorney whose commitment to helping personal injury victims seek the compensation they deserve comes before any concern over funds or finances. This is one excellent example of how helpful partnering with a personal injury attorney can be.

What Is a Personal Injury Claim in Seattle?

Cornell Law School defines personal injuries as those occurring to the “body, mind, or emotions.” It is an entirely separate concept from injury to property. 

Oftentimes, personal injuries occur as a direct result of someone else’s negligence or harmful actions. Many individuals believe that personal injury law only covers injuries incurred through a physical altercation or some other kind of human contact. This is not true.

Victims of personal injury may experience mental or bodily harm as the result of many circumstances, including:

• Car accidents;
• Motorcycle accidents;
• Truck accidents;
• Medical malpractice;
• Product liability;
• Workplace accidents; and/or
• Pharmaceutical negligence.

Should I See My Doctor?

Yes. You should always seek medical care as soon as possible after sustaining an injury. The most important thing is that victims are as comfortable and healthy as possible during the legal process. Do not sacrifice your wellbeing for the sake of speeding up your case or out of fear that you could be making a mistake. If you have been injured, you should visit a doctor as soon as the opportunity arises. Follow their instructions, copy down any pertinent information relating to the appointment (which doctor saw you, what they said), and make sure to get copies of any documents that you might need for medical evidence later. Not only does this benefit your health, but it also helps document your situation more clearly and may result in an easier claims process.

What Symptoms Should I Watch for?

Many accidents and circumstances cause injuries that are not immediately identifiable. Oftentimes, a medical professional can pick up on such injuries and help inform victims about how to stay safe and healthy during the time that follows their injury. Still, in some cases, an injury or condition may slip through the cracks. Personal injury victims need to know the potential pitfalls that can lurk in the shadows after an accident. If you or a loved one have suffered a personal injury, watch for the following symptoms and seek medical care immediately should they present themselves:

• Headaches and dizziness are often signs of neck injuries or concussions. Some victims even experience traumatic brain injuries or blood clots that can result in more serious long-term health consequences.
• Stomach pain can be a symptom of internal bleeding.
• Radiating pain or numbness may be relatively benign symptoms, but they can also indicate the presence of herniated discs or pinched nerves. These problems often prove manageable if victims receive prompt medical attention, but, if left untreated, they can lead to severe conditions such as paralysis.

How Can an Attorney Help Me?

Personal injury victims often contend with heightened emotions and a sense of anxiety around their injuries. They may worry about the validity of their case or what the experience of pursuing compensation for their injuries will look like. The days, weeks, and months that follow an injury can be a confusing and stressful time for victims. This is why it’s best to seek the advice of a trustworthy personal injury attorney. If you or a loved one has been the victim of personal injury, legal assistance could be essential to helping you return to everyday life. A personal injury lawyer can help you seek the benefits and compensation that you deserve after enduring a painful event.

What If the Insurance Company Tells Me I Don’t Need an Attorney?

Remember: your best interests and your insurance company’s best interests do not often align. Your insurance agent’s goal is to benefit the company that employs them; if it seems like you may be able to receive better benefits with the help of a lawyer, it’s not difficult to believe that an insurance agent could try to deter you from that path. Many insurance agents and adjusters also offer unsolicited, uninformed, and illegal advice regarding the legal factors pertinent to your claim. The law dictates that non-attorneys are not permitted to offer such advice. If you end up relying on an insurance agent to help you make legal decisions, you’ll be looking to an illegitimate source for some of the most important advice you’ll ever receive. An experienced and professional personal injury attorney can offer you an unbiased legal opinion of the circumstances around your injury and your pursuit of compensation. Even if your insurance company insists that you don’t need an attorney, it’s well worth it to seek trustworthy advice.

Consult Our Personal Injury Lawyers as Soon as Possible

At Boohoff Law, we appreciate how difficult it can feel to confront life after an unexpected personal injury. Suddenly, you face a long road to getting your health and mobility back. You have trouble with basic life tasks. Your expenses have skyrocketed while your income has fallen. This is a stressful, painful time. You may not have given much thought to hiring a Seattle personal injury attorney yet, but you should. The longer you wait to hire an experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer, the more difficult it may become to obtain the compensation you deserve under Washington law. That’s because the general statute of limitations on personal injury claims in Washington is three years, which isn’t as long of a time period as you’d think when it comes to investigating and filing a claim for damages. But, even more importantly, as time passes it becomes harder and harder to build a successful personal injury case. Evidence relating to your accident or illness goes missing, witnesses start to forget critical facts, and insurance companies place less priority on resolving your claim. Even though the statute of limitations is three years, the strength of your case could begin to decline in a matter of weeks and months. Seeking help from a lawyer is your best chance of stopping that decline. Moving quickly in seeking legal advice after a personal injury is also important because of the role insurance plays in personal injury claims. In many, if not most, personal injury matters, someone’s insurance policy covers at least some portion of the legal liability. Insurance companies want to try to keep the amount of that liability as small as possible. The moment insurers learn you’ve been injured and that their policyholder may face liability, they will begin building a case for why they should pay you the minimum. They may try to contact you directly, hoping you will say something that undermines your claim. Or, they may offer you a token settlement, hoping you will need the money so badly that you’re willing to give up much more valuable legal rights in return. Hiring an attorney can help protect you from these insurance tactics. You deserve to have someone on your side fighting for your right to receive every dollar available from insurance and other parties. Contact or call Tatiana Boohoff and her team at Boohoff Law today at (877) 999-9999 to schedule a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation.

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