Seattle Auto Accident Attorney
What to Do After a Car Accident in Seattle
If you’ve been in a car accident and have sought the medical treatments you need, then it’s time to seek justice with Seattle’s most prominent car accident law firm – it’s time to contact the award-winning law firm of Gosanko, O’Halloran, Lepore PLLC.
Seattle’s dedicated attorneys and legal professionals of Gosanko, O’Halloran, Lepore PLLC will work to represent you in your car accident case with poise, honesty, integrity, and the highest professionalism.
Understating Car Accidents
According to data released from the Association for Safe International Road Travel, “Road crashes cost USD $518 billion globally, costing individual countries from 1-2% of their annual GDP.” They also add: “Road crashes cost low and middle-income countries USD $65 billion annually, exceeding the total amount received in developmental assistance.” Furthermore, the ASIRT warns that: “Unless action is taken, road traffic injuries are predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030.”
Washington State’s Office of The Attorney General adds measures that should be taken, should you succumb to a car accident: “As a precautionary measure, keep first aid supplies and an emergency kit in your car. Flares, a bright orange vest, a cell phone, and a disposable camera are all helpful objects to have in case of an accident.” The ATG.WA.GOV website further adds: “If you are in a moving vehicle when an accident occurs, immediately and safely pull over to the side of the road, turn off your car, and turn on your hazard lights. Check to see if anyone is hurt. If there is an injured person, do not move them until you take standard first aid measures. Place flares, cones, or triangles alongside the road a few hundred feet before the accident so traffic is aware that there is an accident ahead.”
Why Choose the Attorneys at Seattle’s Gosanko, O’Halloran, Lepore PLLC?
Seattle’s award-winning law firm of Gosanko, O’Halloran, Lepore PLLC operates with one principle: to keep the client’s well-being paramount. When you choose Gosanko, O’Halloran, Lepore PLLC as your law firm for representation for you in your car accident, you’re receiving service from a law firm known for experience, a thorough understanding of Washington State’s car accident laws, and a relentlessness to fight for justice, for you.
In the aftermath of a car accident, not only are you enduring physical pain, but perhaps you’re facing anxiety, emotional distress, job loss, significantly diminished wages, or complete loss of income and discord with friends and family. Washington state law allows an injured person to recover fair compensation for each of those damages.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Seattle
The first thing you need to do is preserve any evidence that might help your case. This includes photographing damaged vehicles and any signs of injury, such as bruising, cuts, abrasions.
Have your vehicle inspected for any hidden damage. Don’t take the insurance company adjuster’s evaluation as the full measure of your property damages, as they often don’t consider damage that may be hidden. If your vehicle was badly damaged, you may also be entitled to be compensated for the loss in the value of our vehicle, even if it is fully repaired. Of course, the insurer is also responsible for paying for your lost use of your vehicle up to the time that it pays for all of your vehicle damage.
You should also seek immediate treatment for any injuries. Delays in treatment, failure to obtain treatment, and failure to tell your healthcare providers about all of your injuries will affect the amount that any insurer will ultimately pay to compensate you for your injuries. You also need to follow through with the recommendations of your healthcare providers.
No matter what the other person’s insurance company adjuster tells you, the other insurer is not going to pay your medical bills as you are going through with your treatment. It will only pay for your bills when you reach a settlement with them for all of your damages. It will want to settle a soon as possible and have you sign a form that releases all of your claims – past and future – in exchange for paying for your medical bills. Don’t be fooled by the insurer’s attempts to settle your claim before you are fully recovered.
Be careful talking with the other person’s insurance company adjuster. What you say and how you say it will affect your ultimate recovery and could make it more difficult to obtain a fair settlement. There is a tendency for most people to down-play their injuries, to say that they are “Okay” or “fine.” If you are having any symptoms, you are not “Okay” or “fine.” Also, be aware that many injuries don’t become apparent right away. There can be delays in symptoms showing up. However, if you have told the insurer that you are “Okay” or “fine,” you will then have difficulty convincing the insurer that your symptoms are related to the collision and difficulty receiving fair compensation for your injuries.
You may not have to give a recorded interview to the other person’s insurer, and you may not need or want to give the other person’s insurer the right to obtain your medical records directly from your healthcare providers. If the insurer asks for these things, it may be time to consult with an attorney, and our initial consultation is free.
Gosanko, O’Halloran, Lepore PLLC is Your Car Accident Attorney Team
The legal specialists at Gosanko, O’Halloran, Lepore PLLC know that your car accident was an unexpected, traumatic, and devastating event. The top-rated attorneys will work to earn your trust and be the advocates you need to fight for your rights, as well as seeking the full compensation the law allows.
So, for the skilled and experienced legal representation you need and deserve, contact Seattle’s award-winning law firm, Gosanko, O’Halloran, Lepore PLLC – you’ll be glad you did!
