Suffering a serious personal injury in the Tacoma area can be a life-changing experience. In an instant, you may find yourself facing mounting medical bills, lost income from missing work, and significant physical and emotional pain and suffering.
It’s a lot for anyone to handle on their own. But with the help of a skilled Tacoma personal injury lawyer, you don’t have to go through this challenging time alone.
At Walton Law, we’re dedicated to fighting for the rights of accident victims in Tacoma and throughout Washington state. Our experienced attorneys have helped countless clients secure the full and fair compensation they deserve for their injuries.
With offices conveniently located in Bellingham and Snohomish, we’re well-positioned to serve personal injury victims across the Puget Sound region. If you’ve been hurt due to someone else’s negligence, we’re here to help you demand justice.
Tacoma Personal Injury Guide
Why Choose Our Tacoma Personal Injury Attorneys?
When you’re dealing with a serious injury, you need a law firm with the experience, dedication, and resources to effectively pursue your claim. The personal injury lawyers at Walton Law offer the skilled representation you need to hold the responsible parties accountable and fight for the maximum compensation you’re owed.
Our legal team is led by founding attorney Christopher C. Walton, who has earned a reputation as one of the top trial lawyers in the region.
Chris was honored with the Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award by the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego and named among the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys by The Daily Transcript. He has been selected to the Super Lawyers list every year since 2013, a distinction reserved for just 5% of attorneys in each state.
Under Chris’s leadership, our firm has secured numerous multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts for our deserving clients.
At Walton Law, we have the skills and resources to handle even the most complex personal injury claims. Our attorneys have taken on powerful insurance companies, large corporations, and government entities on behalf of our clients – and won.
Senior Trial Attorney Seana Scholtemeyer, Trial Attorneys Candace T. Lam and Matthew Burgess, and the rest of our exceptional team are committed to providing the highest quality legal representation to injury victims and their families.
We understand how an unexpected injury can impact every aspect of your life. That’s why we strive to shoulder the legal burdens for you so you can stay focused on your health and recovery. With Walton Law in your corner, you’ll have a fierce legal advocate fighting to protect your rights and interests at every turn.
What Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
It’s one of the first questions on most injury victims’ minds: “How much is my case worth?” The value of a personal injury claim can vary widely depending on factors like the severity of your injuries, the circumstances of the accident, and the available insurance coverage.
In general, Washington law allows personal injury victims to seek compensation for damages such as:
Medical Expenses
A serious accident can leave you with substantial medical bills for emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, and more. You may also require ongoing care for your injuries far into the future.
Our personal injury lawyers work with medical experts to ensure your settlement accounts for the full scope of your medical expenses – both now and in the years to come.
Lost Income and Earning Capacity
If your injuries forced you to miss work while recovering, you can seek compensation for your lost wages. In cases of catastrophic injuries that prevent you from returning to your previous job – or working at all – you may also be entitled to damages for your lost future earning potential.
We collaborate with vocational experts and economists to calculate the lifetime income losses you’ve suffered due to your injuries.
Pain and Suffering
Washington law recognizes that the physical pain and emotional suffering caused by an accident can be immense. While no amount of money can erase what you’ve been through, you can recover compensation for the pain and suffering you’ve endured.
Our skilled attorneys will gather extensive evidence of the physical and mental anguish you’ve experienced to build the strongest possible claim for non-economic damages.
Emotional Distress
A traumatic accident can inflict serious psychological wounds in addition to physical injuries. Many victims find themselves grappling with depression, anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, and other mental health challenges after a personal injury.
At Walton Law, we understand the heavy emotional toll an accident can take. We’ll fight to get you compensation for the emotional distress you’ve suffered as a result of your injuries.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
When a serious injury robs you of the ability to do the things you love most, the loss can be devastating. Under Washington law, you have the right to seek damages for this loss of enjoyment of life.
If your injuries have forced you to give up hobbies, limited your ability to spend time with family, or diminished your overall quality of life, our personal injury lawyers will work to secure compensation for the toll your accident has taken.
Determining the value of a personal injury claim is a complicated process that requires the knowledge and skills of an experienced attorney.
At Walton Law, our Tacoma personal injury lawyers have a proven record of success in securing maximum compensation for our clients. We’ll investigate your case, gather compelling evidence, and consult with leading experts to build the strongest possible claim for damages.
Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle
At Walton Law APC, we have extensive experience handling all types of personal injury claims, including:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Construction site injuries
- Defective product injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Catastrophic injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Wrongful death
No matter what type of accident caused your injuries, our skilled Tacoma personal injury attorneys are ready to help you fight for the full and fair compensation you deserve.
We’ll work quickly to investigate your accident, preserve valuable evidence, and identify all potentially liable parties. With Walton Law in your corner, you can feel confident that your case is in capable hands.
Common Accident Injuries
Accidents can inflict a wide range of serious injuries, from broken bones to life-altering brain damage.
Some of the most common injuries we see in the personal injury cases we handle include:
- Fractures and broken bones
- Soft tissue damage
- Whiplash
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Burn injuries
- Crush injuries
- Amputations
- Organ damage
- Lacerations and puncture wounds
The road to recovery after a serious accident can be long and challenging. You may require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitative care, and time away from work.
At Walton Law, we’re committed to helping you get the resources you need to get your life back on track. Our dedicated personal injury attorneys will be with you every step of the way, fighting for your right to maximum compensation.
Dealing With Insurance Companies After an Accident
Dealing with insurance companies after a serious personal injury can be one of the most challenging and frustrating aspects of the recovery process. While you’re focused on healing from your injuries and putting your life back together, insurers are often more concerned with protecting their own financial interests.
It’s a sad reality that insurance companies are not on your side, even when their own policyholder is clearly at fault for your injuries.
When you file a claim with an insurance company after an accident, you’ll likely be contacted by an insurance adjuster. These individuals may come across as friendly and sympathetic, expressing concern for your well-being and assuring you that they’re there to help.
However, remember that insurance adjusters are employees of the insurance company. Their primary job is to protect their employer’s bottom line.
One common tactic insurance adjusters use to minimize the value of your claim is to ask you to provide a recorded statement about the accident. They may frame this as a routine part of the claims process and assure you that it will help expedite your claim.
In reality, agreeing to give a recorded statement without consulting with an attorney first can seriously damage your ability to recover the full compensation you deserve.
In a recorded statement, the insurance adjuster may ask you questions designed to elicit responses that can be used to undermine your claim.
For example, they may ask about your medical history, trying to uncover pre-existing conditions that they can blame for your current injuries. Or they may ask you to speculate about how the accident happened, hoping you’ll say something that can be construed as an admission of fault.
Another way insurance companies try to limit their financial exposure after an accident is by offering quick settlement offers. The adjuster may contact you shortly after the incident, expressing sympathy for your situation and offering you a sum of money to resolve your claim.
While it can tempt you to accept this offer and put the whole ordeal behind you, these initial settlements may not cover your losses.
When you accept a settlement offer from an insurance company, you’ll be required to sign a release absolving them of any further liability for your injuries.
This means that if you later discover that your injuries are more severe than you initially realized or require more extensive medical treatment than anticipated, you cannot seek additional compensation from the insurer.
Have an experienced Tacoma personal injury lawyer from Walton Law on your side after a serious accident. Our attorneys understand the tactics insurance companies use to minimize and deny valid claims, and we know how to fight back against them.
When you work with our firm, we’ll handle all communications with the insurance companies on your behalf. This includes fielding calls from adjusters, responding to correspondence, and negotiating for a fair settlement. We’ll make sure the insurers treat you with the respect you deserve and don’t take advantage of you during this challenging time.
Our Tacoma personal injury attorneys will investigate your accident to gather evidence of the other party’s liability and the full extent of your damages.
We’ll review your medical records, consult with experts, and calculate the total cost of your injuries, including future anticipated expenses. Armed with this information, we’ll advocate for a settlement that fully and fairly compensates you.
In some cases, insurance companies simply refuse to negotiate in good faith. They may deny liability altogether or make settlement offers that are far below the true value of your claim.
When this happens, our seasoned trial attorneys are fully prepared to take your case to court. We’ll present a compelling case to the judge and jury, fighting tenaciously to secure the maximum compensation you need to rebuild your life.
At Walton Law PC, we understand how overwhelming it can be to deal with insurance companies after a serious accident. You’re already coping with so much – painful injuries, mounting medical bills, time away from work, and the emotional trauma of the incident itself.
The last thing you need is to go toe-to-toe with powerful insurers who don’t have your best interests at heart.
That’s why our Tacoma personal injury lawyers are committed to shouldering your legal burdens so you can stay focused on your health and recovery. We’ll deal with the insurance companies, the paperwork, and the legal wrangling while you concentrate on getting better.
With our skilled attorneys in your corner, you can feel confident that we will protect your rights.
Protecting Your Rights After a Tacoma Accident
The actions you take after an accident can have a significant impact on your health and your legal rights.
Here are some steps you should take to protect yourself:
- Seek medical attention right away, even if you don’t think you’re seriously injured. Some injuries may not be immediately apparent, so get checked out by a doctor. Follow your medical providers’ treatment recommendations and attend all follow-up appointments.
- Notify relevant insurers that you’ve been in an accident, but do not give any recorded statements or accept settlement offers without speaking to a lawyer first.
- Keep copies of all expenses and losses related to your accident, including medical bills, repair invoices, and proof of missed work.
- Consult with an experienced Tacoma personal injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal options for recovering compensation.
Remember, the insurance companies have teams of lawyers looking out for their interests after an accident. You deserve to have a skilled legal advocate in your corner, too. The sooner you get an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side, the better you’ll protect your rights.
Contact a Tacoma Personal Injury Lawyer Today
Christopher C. Walton, Tacoma Personal Injury Lawyer
After an accident in Tacoma or the surrounding areas, the dedicated legal team at Walton Law is here to help you. We have the knowledge, experience, and resources to aggressively pursue the full compensation you need to rebuild your life after a serious injury.
Don’t let the insurance companies take advantage of you after an accident. Contact Walton Law today at (360) 543-1010 for your free consultation with an experienced Tacoma personal injury attorney. We’re ready to fight for you.