Yakima has its fair share of car accidents. Whether on I-82 during rush hour or heading up Hwy 12 to Rimrock Lake, the winding mountain roads of the Yakima Valley can be very dangerous. If someone injures you or a family member in a car accident because they were driving distracted or driving under the influence, you may be entitled to compensation. The Yakima personal injury lawyers of Tamaki Law can help you get financial compensation for your injuries and get your life back on track.
Contact us today at (509) 248-8338 for a free, no-obligation consultation, and see how we can help you file a personal injury claim against the driver who caused your accident and get you and your family on the road to recovery.
In order to recover compensation for damages due to your accident, you have to be able to prove a few things. You must be able to prove that the accident was caused by another person or entity’s negligence and that this negligence led to your injuries. The burden of proof for these two things, fault and negligence, is on the claimant, the person requesting compensation.
You also must have suffered some losses, or damages, due to the accident that are substantial enough to warrant compensation. For example, say someone hits your car on Washington Ave. The accident is low-speed with little damage to either vehicle and only minor injuries. If your health insurance covers your hospital stay and the other driver’s car insurance takes care of the damage to your vehicle with no out-of-pocket expenses on your end, you may not have a valid injury claim.
On the other end of the spectrum, say you collide with a vehicle that was driving too fast in icy conditions on I-82 and sustain serious injury as well as extensive damage to your vehicle. Your health insurance deductible is high, and the at-fault driver’s insurance company tries to blame the accident on road conditions and not on the driver’s negligent behavior. They won’t approve your insurance claim, so you’re paying for medical bills and property damage directly out of your own pocket. You may have a valid injury claim against the other driver, and you should get legal assistance.
Technically, no. You’re certainly able to pursue a personal injury claim on your own, but there are several reasons why having an experienced attorney can help.
Tamaki Law has been helping Yakima residents obtain compensation for nearly four decades. We have a diverse team of seven attorneys and nine legal staff that are dedicated to getting you and your family the help and peace of mind that you deserve. Since 1994, Tamaki Law has helped thousands of clients across Washington obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation, and we’re ready to put that experience to work for you. Have a look at our testimonials page to hear directly from our past clients, and judge for yourself.
Every personal injury case is different, and we handle each one with professionalism, compassion, and integrity. We will take the time to listen to your story and your needs and build an ironclad personal injury case that is backed up by evidence. We will keep you informed through the entire process and do all we can to make sure you’re justly compensated for your injuries, physical or mental.
We help accident victims all over Washington, and we believe in supporting our communities. That’s why we support a number of businesses, charitable organizations, and causes in Yakima and elsewhere through monetary donations. Have a look at our Giving Back page for more information.
The most important reason you should choose Tamaki Law for your injury claim is that we get positive results for our clients. We have a proven track record of getting our clients the compensation they need to move with their lives, and we can do the same for you and your family.
If you’ve just been in an accident, here are some quick tips to help keep you safe and start building your injury claim:
Determining liability for a car accident can sometimes be more difficult than just deciding who was driving safely and who wasn’t. Washington state law RCW 4.22.005 dictates that in any action seeking to recover damages for injuries or damage to property, a comparative negligence or contributory fault doctrine applies. This means that all parties involved in a car accident can potentially share responsibility and that any amount of compensation awarded to a claimant seeking damages will be reduced by their percentage of responsibility for the crash.
For example, if you’re driving up Hwy 12 and get injured in an accident because a drunk driver pulls out in front of you, but it’s later discovered that you were checking a text message at the time of the accident, you may be found partially responsible. If a judge finds that you are 20 percent responsible in this scenario, any compensation you are found to be owed would be reduced by 20 percent.
Personal injury attorneys understand that hiring a lawyer can be expensive, and no one plans to be in a car accident. No one saves money for the day that they might need a lawyer to represent them. That’s why Tamaki Law works on a contingency fee basis. This means that we take payment for our services out of any settlement or award our clients receive, and they pay nothing up front. If we aren’t successful in getting you compensation, you don’t pay a dime. This arrangement allows you to utilize our services without paying anything out of pocket, and it gives us incentive to get you the best outcome possible.
Each injury claim is unique. The type and amount of damages you may receive varies widely depending on how severe your accident and injuries are, whether you are found to have any portion of contributory fault, and the circumstances surrounding the accident. In general, the more severe your injuries, the more compensation you should seek, though there are numerous exceptions.
“Compensatory damages” are compensation intended to cover your losses from an accidental injury. They can cover the following:
You can request compensation to repair or replace your damaged vehicle or any other property that was damaged in the accident, such as a laptop.
If the accident causes you to miss work and lose a paycheck either due to your own injuries or assisting a family member while they recover, you can seek damages to cover the financial loss.
You can request compensation to cover any medical bills, including surgery, ER visits, prescription medication, or rehabilitation.
If your vehicle is damaged or totaled and you’re forced to pay for alternate transportation, you can request compensation to cover the loss.
If your injuries mean that you’re no longer able to perform the same functions at work and lose earning power as a result, you can seek damages to make up for the lost income.
Damages for medical bills or lost wages are considered economic damages, but a serious accident can hurt more than your pocketbook. Damages for pain and suffering, emotional anguish, or loss of enjoyment of life are designed to make up for these immaterial losses that can follow a traumatic experience. These are non economic damages.
If a car accident should end in the loss of a family member, you or other family members who are financially dependent upon the deceased may be eligible to seek compensation to cover the financial and emotional impact of their loss.
Tamaki Law is standing by to take your call. Don’t let a car accident determine the course of your family’s future. Call us toll-free at (509) 248-8338 for a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation, and let us show how we can help get you compensation for your injuries and restore your peace of mind. Don’t wait any longer. Call today.
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