A serious car crash in the Tacoma area can suddenly derail your life, leaving you struggling with painful injuries, growing medical debt, lost income, and an uncertain future.
In the chaotic aftermath of a wreck, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn for help. Fortunately, you don’t have to go down this difficult road alone. The trusted Tacoma car accident lawyers at Walton Law are here to guide you every step of the way.
With conveniently located offices in Bellingham and Snohomish, our law firm is well-positioned to serve car crash victims across the greater Puget Sound region.
Our seasoned attorneys have a long track record of successfully standing up to insurance companies and securing full and fair compensation for our clients. If a crash that wasn’t your fault hurts you, we’re ready to put our knowledge, experience, and resources to work for you.
Tacoma Car Accident Guide
- Why Choose Walton Law for Your Tacoma Car Accident Claim?
- Understanding the Value of Your Tacoma Car Accident Case
- Where Do Car Accidents Happen in Tacoma?
- Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in Tacoma
- Common Injuries in Tacoma Car Accidents
- Dealing with Insurance Companies After a Tacoma Car Accident
- Protecting Your Rights After a Tacoma Car Accident
- Talk to a Trusted Tacoma Car Accident Lawyer Now
Why Choose Walton Law for Your Tacoma Car Accident Claim?
After a serious car accident, your choice of legal representation matters immensely. You need a law firm with the skills, experience, and commitment to client service necessary to fight for your rights and interests. At Walton Law, we believe our results speak for themselves.
Founding attorney Christopher C. Walton is widely recognized as one of the top personal injury trial lawyers in Washington state.
Chris’s exceptional advocacy has earned him the prestigious Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, as well as consistent recognition on the Super Lawyers list, an honor reserved for only 5 percent of attorneys statewide.
He was also named among the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys by The Daily Transcript in both 2013 and 2014.
Under Chris’s leadership, our skilled legal team – which includes Senior Trial Attorney Seana Scholtemeyer and Trial Attorneys Candace T. Lam and Matthew Burgess – has taken on powerful insurance companies and achieved numerous substantial settlements and verdicts.
We know firsthand the tactics insurers use to minimize and deny claims, and we have the knowledge and tenacity to hold them accountable.
At Walton Law APC, our Tacoma personal injury lawyers understand that the days and weeks after a serious wreck are an incredibly stressful time for victims and their loved ones. We shoulder the legal burdens for you so you can keep your focus where it belongs – on healing and putting your life back together.
Our Tacoma car accident attorneys will be by your side through every phase of your case, from your free initial case evaluation through the resolution of your claim. We’re committed to providing the personalized service and tireless advocacy you deserve.
Understanding the Value of Your Tacoma Car Accident Case
We know that one of the first questions on most car accident victims’ minds is, “How much is my case worth?” There’s no simple, universal answer. Each car accident claim is unique, and the potential value depends on a variety of factors specific to your situation.
Generally speaking, Washington law allows car crash victims to pursue compensation for damages, including:
Medical Expenses
The costs of treating serious car accident injuries can be astronomical, encompassing emergency care, surgeries, hospital stays, medications, physical therapy, assistive devices, and more.
If your injuries will require extensive treatment into the future, you may also be entitled to compensation for your projected care needs.
At Walton Law APC, our skilled attorneys work with medical experts to fully document the extent of your injuries and pursue money damages for all your accident-related healthcare expenses – both now and down the road.
Lost Earnings and Diminished Earning Capacity
Serious car accident injuries often force victims to miss substantial time from work. You may be able to recover compensation for the wages and benefits you’ve lost during your physical recovery and rehabilitation.
And if your injuries result in lasting impairments that diminish your ability to earn a living, you can seek money damages for your reduced earning potential over the course of your lifetime.
Our knowledgeable legal team frequently works with vocational experts and economic specialists to calculate the full scope of our clients’ lost earnings and advocate for maximum compensation.
Pain and Suffering
Washington law recognizes that the physical pain and suffering endured by car accident victims is immense. While no sum of money can undo that pain, you have the right to seek compensation for the physical distress you’ve experienced due to the at-fault driver’s negligence.
Determining a fair monetary figure for pain and suffering is complicated, but the skilled attorneys at Walton Law have the knowledge and experience to build strong, persuasive cases for these non-economic damages.
Emotional Anguish
The trauma of a sudden crash can impact victims on a deep psychological and emotional level. Many individuals struggle for months or years after their accidents with challenges like depression, anxiety, mood swings, sleep disturbances, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more.
If you experience mental health challenges stemming from your crash, our compassionate lawyers will fight for your right to compensation for it.
Diminished Quality of Life
A catastrophic car wreck can impact your life in profound and far-reaching ways, robbing you of the ability to participate in favorite hobbies, causing strain in your personal relationships, and preventing you from living the life you once enjoyed.
While these effects are more difficult to quantify than economic losses, they are no less real – and you deserve to be compensated for them.
Car Repairs and Replacement
If your vehicle was damaged or totaled in the crash, our Tacoma car accident attorneys can help you pursue money for the costs of repairs or the fair market value of your car. We can also seek compensation for any valuable personal possessions damaged in the wreck, such as laptops, cell phones, or car seats.
At Walton Law, our seasoned Tacoma car accident attorneys know how to thoroughly investigate these cases to determine the full extent of the damages. We frequently bring in experts like doctors, accident reconstructionists, economists, and more to help us build powerful claims for maximum compensation.
While the value of every case depends on the unique facts involved, we have a history of securing multi-million dollar awards for clients with severe injuries.
Where Do Car Accidents Happen in Tacoma?
With heavily trafficked highways like I-5 and State Routes 16, 167, 509, and 512 crisscrossing the city, Tacoma sees its fair share of car crashes. Many wrecks also occur on busy surface streets like 6th Avenue, 12th Street, 19th Street, 38th Street, 56th Street, and Pacific Avenue.
Some of the leading contributing factors in serious crashes in Tacoma include:
- Speeding and reckless driving
- Distracted driving, including cell phone use behind the wheel
- Impaired driving involving alcohol and drugs
- Drowsy driving
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Following too closely
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Poor weather and road conditions
No matter where or how your crash occurred, if you’ve been hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault, the dedicated legal team at Walton Law is here to help you fight for the compensation you need to move forward with your life.
Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in Tacoma
With decades of combined legal experience, the car accident attorneys at Walton Law have the skills and resources to effectively handle all types of motor vehicle accident claims, such as:
- Rear-end collisions
- Head-on and wrong-way accidents
- T-bone and side-impact crashes
- Sideswipe accidents
- Rollover wrecks
- Multi-vehicle pileups
- Uber and Lyft rideshare accidents
- Crashes involving uninsured and underinsured motorists
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Accidents caused by defective auto parts
- Accidents resulting from negligent road design or maintenance
Regardless of the type of wreck you were involved in, you can count on our car accident lawyers to exhaustively investigate the crash and gather the evidence needed to build the strongest possible case for compensation.
Common Injuries in Tacoma Car Accidents
Even a seemingly minor car crash can inflict devastating injuries.
At Walton Law, we have experience helping Tacoma car accident victims pursue compensation for all types of injuries, including:
- Head and neck injuries, including whiplash
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- Back injuries, such as herniated discs and spinal cord damage
- Chest and abdominal injuries
- Fractures and crush injuries
- Soft tissue and ligament damage
- Burns, lacerations, and puncture wounds
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Amputations and disfigurement
- Catastrophic injuries resulting in paralysis
- Emotional and psychological trauma
No matter how you were hurt in your Tacoma car accident, you can count on our dedicated injury attorneys to aggressively advocate for the full compensation you need to cope with the physical, emotional, and financial aftermath of the crash.
Dealing with Insurance Companies After a Tacoma Car Accident
In a perfect world, getting fair compensation after a crash that wasn’t your fault would be simple. Unfortunately, car accident victims often face an uphill battle when dealing with insurance companies after a wreck.
Insurance adjusters work for the insurance company – not for you. No matter how friendly and sympathetic they may seem when they contact you after an accident, their primary goal is protecting their employer’s bottom line by paying out as little as possible on every claim.
To that end, insurance companies may use tactics like:
- Calling you shortly after a car accident and asking you to make a recorded statement before you’ve had a chance to speak with an attorney
- Pressuring you to accept a fast, lowball settlement offer that doesn’t account for the full extent of your injuries and damages
- Trying to use your own words against you to argue that your injuries aren’t that serious or that you were somehow to blame for the crash
- Dragging out the claims process in the hopes that you’ll get frustrated and accept less than you deserve
- Denying valid claims outright
The good news is that when you work with a knowledgeable Tacoma car accident lawyer from Walton Law, you have a dedicated legal advocate in your corner to handle all communications and negotiations with the insurance company on your behalf.
We know the tricks insurers use, and we don’t let our clients get taken advantage of.
Our attorneys will aggressively pursue the maximum compensation you deserve. If the insurance company refuses to play fair, we won’t hesitate to take your case to trial.
Protecting Your Rights After a Tacoma Car Accident
The days after a serious car crash can be chaotic and overwhelming, but the steps you take to protect your health and legal rights can make a big difference in the outcome of your case.
Here are a few important tips to keep in mind:
- Seek medical attention right away after the accident, even if you don’t think you were seriously hurt. Some car accident injuries may not show symptoms immediately, but prompt diagnosis and treatment are key. Be sure to attend all follow-up appointments and follow your doctor’s care plan.
- Notify your insurance company that you’ve been in a crash, but do NOT consent to give a recorded statement or accept any settlement offers until you’ve consulted with an experienced Tacoma car accident lawyer.
- Keep copies of all medical bills, auto repair invoices, pay stubs for missed work, and any other documentation of expenses related to your accident.
- Contact the skilled car accident lawyers at Walton Law right away for your free case review.
The sooner you get a knowledgeable car accident attorney on your side, the better your chances of recovering every dollar you deserve for your injuries and losses. With Walton Law, your initial consultation is always free, so you have nothing to lose by speaking with us about your legal options.
Talk to a Trusted Tacoma Car Accident Lawyer Now
At Walton Law, we know that life after a serious car crash is never easy. If you’ve been injured in an accident in Tacoma or the surrounding areas, our accomplished attorneys are here to provide the guidance and advocacy you need during this difficult time. We have the skills, experience, and commitment to client service to help you fight for maximum compensation.
Don’t let the insurance company take advantage of you. Contact Walton Law at (360) 543-1010 today for your free, no-obligation consultation with a top-notch Tacoma car accident lawyer. We look forward to making a difference for you.