When a person causes you physical, emotional, or financial loss, you may have the legal right to pursue compensation for the damages they create. The personal injury claim process involves holding those who caused these damages accountable for their actions. Though complex, with the help of our slip and fall accident attorney, we can help you navigate the entire process confidently.
As a trusted and experienced personal injury law firm in Seattle, WA, our team is here to guide and help you through the process. We will help you calculate your losses, determine who is at fault, and negotiate with the insurance companies to maximize your settlement. When there is a need to do so, we will go to trial to further advocate for you.
If you need to file a claim, our bodily injury lawyer at The Ledger Law Firm is ready to work with you. Contact us now to learn what steps we can take to protect your rights.
What is the personal injury claims process?
The personal injury claims process involves calculating the losses you suffered due to the negligence or recklessness of another person or business. After determining all parties responsible for your losses, we submit a claim for the damages to the responsible insurance company. The insurance company will often negotiate this value and try to make you answer questions. Their goal is to reduce the compensation paid out.
Our goal, as your slip and fall accident attorney, is to ensure there is evidence to back up your claims so we can fight for full and fair compensation. If the insurance company does not settle fairly, our personal injury law firm in Seattle, WA, will then seek legal action by filing a claim in court. This often leads to a settlement, but if not, we will proceed with the claims process through trial to maximize the compensation owed to you.
What is a personal injury claim?
In short, it is a written statement submitted to the at-fault party or their insurance company demanding compensation for the losses that person or company caused to you. You can expect negotiations, but with variable evidence, we can hold them accountable for the losses you have held.
What should you do right after an accident to preserve your right to compensation?
A personal injury may include:
- Car accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Truck accidents
- Slips and falls
- Premise liability
- Dog bites
- Medical Mistakes
- Product liability
- Military injury claims
In each of these situations, someone’s negligence causes you to suffer financial losses due to injury and property damage. If you are involved in an accident like this, your priority is to get medical care. Report the incident to the police or, for a work-related accident, report it to your employer. Follow up with all of the care you need.
Here are a few other steps to take at the time of the accident and just after, if it is safe to do so, to help you with your case:
- Gather information: Get everyone involved’s name and contact information. Take photos of the accident, the surrounding area, and any other evidence in the case.
- Stay off social media: Avoid making statements about your injuries or losses, posting photos, or commenting about your incident.
- Avoid speaking to the insurance company: You can report the incident to the insurance company but wait to file a claim until you have an attorney to guide you.
Then, contact our bodily injury lawyer. The sooner you begin working with an attorney, the better. Your attorney’s job is to help you gather evidence in the case and build a strong strategy for recovering the losses you have.
First-party benefit-claiming process
Claiming first-party benefits means filing no-fault benefits against your insurance company. This applies when you have personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. In Washington, the insurance company must offer this coverage. However, only some have it.
As car accident injury attorneys, we often recommend PIP insurance. It helps minimize your financial losses in many situations. These benefits may cover:
- Medical expenses up to $10,000 in necessary medical care (at the minimum)
- Wage losses up to $300 per week for up to a year if you are unable to work
- Home assistance of up to $200 a week
- Funeral expenses up to $2,000 for each person who dies in a related car accident
Filing a personal injury claim through your PIP policy applies when you have this coverage for a covered type of incident, like road traffic accident claims. Our legal team at The Ledger Law Firm can help you even if you face other injuries and losses.
Third-party benefit-claiming process
Another type of personal injury claim is a third-party benefits claim. In these situations, your damages exceed PIP limits, which means you may be able to seek out compensation against the at-fault party’s insurance. These benefits may cover:
- The cost of your medical needs
- Lost wages
- Home assistance
- Pain and suffering
- Death benefits in fatal situations
- Damage to property
These claims are fault-based. That means it is critical to prove that the losses are the fault of another person’s actions. Our car accident injury attorneys will work with you to find the evidence to file this claim. These types of personal injury claims are often more complex and, as a result, benefit from our experience.
We may also seek these claims in other types of accidents, such as industrial illness claims, food poisoning claims, workplace accident claims, product liability claims, military injury claims, and accidents in public places.
What Happens During the Personal Injury Claims Process?
If you are facing an injury due to another person’s negligence, you must understand what happens when filing a personal injury claim. Here is what you can expect from this process.
With evidence to back up any claim of loss you have, it is possible to start the claims process then. In some situations, such as road traffic accident claims, the insurance company may fully expect that their driver is responsible. However, even then, it is up to you to prove how much your claim is worth based on the evidence available. In more complicated cases, for example, accident and illness abroad claims, it may be critical to prove who is at fault as a first step.
When you contact our attorneys, we will provide insight into the steps based on the types of personal injury claims you wish to file. After gathering data about your losses, the following process is likely to occur:
- We negotiate the initial settlement. We take your estimated losses and request that the insurance company pay them. The insurer is likely to wait to agree.
- If negotiations cannot progress, we file a personal injury lawsuit. This does not mean the case will go to trial, but it sets up the process and forces information sharing during the discovery process.
- Typically, insurers realize during this step that they need to settle your case since going to court will be more expensive.
- If they do not, the case will go to court, where a judge and jury will determine the required fair compensation.
How can an experienced slip-and-fall accident attorney help you?
Depending on the types of personal injury claims, your attorney can offer a wide range of help to you, including:
- Determining who is at fault
- Determining if you should file a PIP claim or a third-party claim
- Estimating the losses you have
- Filing a claim
- Filing a lawsuit
- Negotiating a settlement
- Supporting you throughout a trial if necessary
At The Ledger Law Firm, we take your case seriously and advocate for you in the best way possible.
Some FAQ’s
How much money is your personal injury claim in Washington worth?
The value of your claim is dependent on the amount of loss you have, the evidence you have to prove that loss, and any impact the incident has on your future. Our goal is to maximize the compensation paid to you.
Why shouldn’t I just settle with the insurance company?
Insurance companies will do anything to reduce the amount of compensation they pay, including trying to prove they are not at fault. We encourage you to work with our attorneys to handle your claims to avoid this.
How do I know if I have a case?
Set up a free consultation with our legal team to discuss your case with us. Allow our attorneys to exhaustively pursue compensation owed to you after gathering the facts in your case.
Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm in Seattle, WA Now
You are suffering due to another person’s negligence, and our team can help you. Allow our car accident injury attorneys to work closely with you to estimate your losses, file your claim, and fight for the compensation you are owed.
Contact The Ledger Law Firm now to set up a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case. Find out what your case is worth and what your legal rights are.
