Personal injury law involves injury which is caused accidentally, not intentionally, by another’s failure to use reasonable care. This type of law covers situations in which a person’s body, mind, or emotions are hurt, usually due to someone else’s negligence or carelessness. It includes wrongful death and situations where an injury results in a fatality.
A person may be liable for the injury due to negligent or reckless action. The resulting injury must have been caused by the at-fault party, and must have been a foreseeable result of the at-fault party’s negligent action. So even if someone who commits a negligent action didn't intend for someone to get injured, that negligent party may still be the defendant in a personal injury claim.
Types of personal injury lawsuits often arise from automobile, bicycle, pedestrian, boating, aircraft, commercial trucking, and other kinds of vehicle accidents. Personal injury claims can also arise from medical malpractice, defective products, and slip-and-fall claims.
A successful personal injury claim may recover monetary funds for medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, emotional pain and suffering, burial costs, and other financial costs that result from the injury. Typically, a personal injury lawyer is hired to oversee the claim, to let an injured person focus on healing without the stress of dealing with the legal side of the accident. Injury lawyers typically offer a no-cost consultation, so there is no downside to speaking with a lawyer about your potential claim.
You’ve heard about people in other lawsuits who seek money for “pain and suffering.” You know the stereotypes associated with those damages.
So should you, in your unique situation, be entitled to recover damages for “pain and suffering?”
Don’t fall for these tricks from insurance companies after an accident! They’ll try anything they can to reduce or eliminate your accident settlement.
Don’t worry, you won’t be writing it. Your lawyer will because it’s critical to present all the facts and circumstances in a way that positions you well.
We’re not talking about manipulation or exaggeration here. This is a settlement tool we need to use on your behalf to make sure you don’t get run over by the insurance company.
Despite the unfavorable venue, I was able to convince the insurance carrier for the at-fault motorist to pay the full liability policy limits. I was also able to get the client’s automobile insurer to pay substantial monies under her underinsured motorist policy.
Adjusters almost always want to make cases about bills instead of about people. Even though this client’s medical bills were relatively low, that did not change the fact that she undeniably experienced significant mental anguish as a direct result of the auto accident.
Making any of these 4 mistakes can take away money from your final settlement amount, or eliminate it entirely. Learn what to do in this post.
About the size of a cell phone, an ignition interlock device is wired into the ignition system of a drunk driver's car. To go anywhere, the driver must blow into the device and register no alcohol on his or her breath. If there's a measurable amount, the car will not start. Does this device work? Yes, and here's how.
Since it's formation in 1980, Mothers Against Drunk Driving has made leaps in the education of Americans about drunk driving. Even today there are more and more studies and statistics available to highlight the dangers. From Whatcom County lawyer Bill Coats, here is a summary of statistics on drunk driving.
Everyone by now knows that drinking and driving is dangerous. Yet more and more facts come out based on current research that highlight this problem even more. From Bellingham car accident and personal injury law firm Bill Coats Law, learn more about the dangers of drinking and driving.
Personal injury attorneys have a list of special considerations to make in every case they take on. Here are twelve things to consider when you are searching for a lawyer to help you with your claim.
If you've been injured and it was not your fault, you most likely have a personal injury case. What do you do this situation? Here are twelve tips and considerations in beginning a personal injury claim.
Without an attorney on your side, it can be like playing football without a helmet or much knowledge of the rules and plays versus an NFL team. When it's yours and your family's financial future on the line, this is not the kind of strategy you want to use. A personal injury attorney is a game changer.
A recent catastrophic accident involving two semi tractor trailers and six cars or pickup trucks showed how clearly large trucks have the advantage in an accident. However, does this mean cars are always going to lose in accidents with bigger vehicles? Increasingly, materials and engineering have leveled the field. Read more from Bill Coats Law in Bellingham, WA about top safety ratings for cars.
Imagine driving down the road and suddenly getting popped in the back of the head with a flying Sponge Bob. Kids are 12 times more distracting to a driver than talking on a cell phone. While it's doubtful laws won't make driving with children illegal anytime soon, here are some statistics on the dangers of distracting driving, plus tips on helping kids learn to behave in cars.
660,000. Recent statistics show that's how many people are on their phones while driving at any given moment. Not only is this becoming increasingly illegal by state law, it also means that a texting driver is 25 times more likely to get in an accident. Click here to learn more staggering statistics on distracted driving from Bellingham, WA lawyer Bill Coats.
It should not be a surprise to anyone anymore - distracted driving is a factor in one out of four car accidents. Whether its from texting, talking on the phone, using GPS, eating, or parenting, distractions while driving are deadly behaviors. Here are latest statistics on this epidemic problem from Bellingham, WA lawyer Bill Coats.
It's no news that distracted driving is a problem, but recent reports show how pervasive it is. Personal injury law firm Bill Coats Law in Bellingham, WA compiles this comparison of common driving distractions and how dangerous is one is.
In the State of Washington, you can be pulled over if an officer thinks you're driving while distracted - even if you are doing everything else right. This is because this behavior is so incredibly dangerous - as much if not more so as driving drunk. For recent research on how risky distracted driving is and what not to say if you're busted for it, click here.
It may feel overwhelming to dig through all the complexities and bills at such a difficult time, but this short article by Bill Coats Law, a personal injury firm in Bellingham, WA, guides survivors through the morass. Click here to learn what survivors need to know about recoverable damages in wrongful death cases.
Bill Coats Law, a personal injury firm in Bellingham, WA, specializes in wrongful death lawsuits and the complexities of car accident cases. A common question when family members come out of the fog and trauma of losing a loved one in a car accident is what kinds of damages are available to help them dig out of the financial tragedy. Click to read about your rights in wrongful death lawsuits.
Sometimes the accidents and injuries are minor, but often, someone is seriously hurt or killed in a crash. It is a terrifying experience to go through, and afterwards, many crucial decisions need to be made to ensure the physical and financial recovery of the victims. Click here to learn more about what kinds of damages are recoverable losses after being hurt in a car accident.
Even a fairly minor car accident can cause long-term injuries requiring extensive medical treatment – it is crucial to know how to estimate the cost of future medical treatment. Bill Coats Law represents car accident victims and writes on next steps to take if you are hurt by someone else's negligent driving.
Negotiation, strategy, experience and skill - all of these qualities make a personal injury claim reach a successful verdict or settlement. But here is one key aspect that can easily be overlooked by personal injury attorneys working with injured people. Bill Coats Law, of Bellingham, Washington, is the top car accident law firm in the fourth corner and writes on this basic human quality that wins cases.
How could you sue a driverless car! Once these vehicles hit the road en masse as projected - 10 million by 2050 - accidents may go down but they won't go away. Bill Coats Law of Bellingham, Washington writes on issues for car accident claims where fault is disputed by the machines.
Empathy. Bellingham, WA car accident attorney Bill Coats writes about how even the toughest lawyers win cases using emotion and empathy.
