Our Bellingham Car Accident Attorney is Here to Help

If you or a loved one was injured in a motor vehicle accident because of the reckless or  negligent behavior  of another driver, you may be suffering from physical and emotional pain as well as experiencing financial losses. As experienced car accident attorneys, we understand what you are going through. For almost five decades, we have helped thousands of people injured in motor vehicle accidents recover compensation for their injuries and helped families recover damages after the wrongful death of a loved one.

We provide peace of mind to our auto accident clients by:

• Taking over the burden of gathering evidence on your claim.
• When necessary, hiring expert witnesses who can assist in recovering full and fair compensation.
• Protecting your rights and fighting on your behalf with medical and other lienholders so you can keep more of your settlement monies.
• Fighting for the full and maximum monetary compensation you deserve through a negotiated settlement.
• Representing you in court, if necessary, when a fair settlement cannot be reached to ensure that you receive the maximum monetary compensation needed to fully and fairly compensate you for your injuries and other financial losses.

Statute of Limitations for Car Accident Claims

In Washington State, people injured in a car accident typically have three years from the date of the accident to open an injury claim because all personal injury cases have a statute of limitations. However, it is not a good idea to wait until close to the deadline to contact a car accident attorney. A car accident claim should be pursued as soon as possible after the accident because important evidence can be lost, memories can fade, and witnesses may become difficult to locate, making it harder to build a strong case.

Note: While injured persons should open a claim as soon as possible, they should never accept a settlement before they know the true value of their claim. In many cases, it can take a year or two to understand the extent of medical treatment that will be necessary and the cost of the medical bills is an important part of the settlement. Contacting a car accident lawyer soon after the accident is the best way to determine the value of your case and ensure you complete the injury claim process successfully.

What To Do If You Are In a Car Accident

If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, follow these steps to increase your chances of receiving a fair settlement. If you are too injured to take steps 1-5, you should begin at step 6:

1. Call the police so they can write a police report.
2. Never admit fault to the other driver or the police officer.
3. Take pictures of the scene, your vehicles, and any visible injuries.
4. Exchange insurance and contact information with the other driver.
5. Take contact information for witnesses.
6. Seek medical care and follow all medical advice.
7. Contact your insurance company to let them know about the accident.
8. Do not post anything about the accident on social media.
9. Contact a car accident lawyer.
10. Do not accept a settlement offer or speak to the at-fault driver’s insurance company until you have reviewed your case with a car accident attorney.

Determining Who is at Fault for Your Accident

Determining fault after a car accident involves looking at what each driver did – or failed to do – that contributed to the crash. Insurance companies, attorneys, and courts may consider evidence such as police reports, witness statements, photographs and video footage, vehicle damage, traffic laws, and the statements of the drivers involved. In some cases, accident reconstruction experts may also be used to help determine how the collision occurred and who was responsible.

Under Washington State Law, fault may be shared in car accidents. An injured person may only recover monies for the share of the accident that was not their fault. For example, if you were responsible for 10% of the accident, you may only collect 90% of the settlement. An experienced car accident lawyer can help determine fault and fight to ensure that you receive a fair settlement, even if you were partially at fault for the accident.

Why Choose Tario & Associates, P.S.?

Because almost 50 year years of experience matters. Since  Michael Tario  opened his Bellingham personal injury law firm in 1979, the personal injury attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S.  have helped thousands of injured people in and around Whatcom County and throughout Washington State receive full and fair compensation and just treatment for their injuries. We fight tirelessly for you, our injured clients. Our goal is to help you get back on your feet, physically, emotionally, and financially.

We have the resources, experience, and knowledge necessary to represent you and achieve a maximum possible recovery for your injuries and your other financial losses. Our network of highly respected specialists in accident reconstruction, psychology, and engineering help us prove your claim and achieve a full and fair monetary award to fully compensate you for your injuries and monetary losses. With the Tario & Associates, P.S. accident lawyers you will have a strong team of trained professionals on your side with the experience and knowledge you need to get full and fair monetary compensation for your injuries; including pain and suffering, disability, mental and emotional harm, lost wages (past and future), medical expenses, and much more.

No out-of-pocket costs

If you need help with your personal injury claim, do not worry about paying large sums of money out-of-pocket. This is because we represent our personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis and our firm advances many out-of-pocket costs for our injury clients. When cases are concluded with a monetary recovery, our firm is repaid for the out-of-pocket costs we have advanced from the proceeds of a settlement or judge or jury verdict.

Free consultations & hospital and home visits

Our law firm offers free consultations where we discuss your injury claim and your legal rights. If you are unable to come to us, we will visit your home or hospital bed to see how we may be of assistance.  Contact us  today to schedule your appointment!

Testimonials

If you need help with a car accident claim, you can count on our Bellingham car accident lawyers. Reviews from some of Tario & Associates, P.S. satisfied car accident clients:

Mr. Tario represented me in a personal injury case against Allstate Ins. Co. After the accident I tried to resolve the injury claim with Allstate ins. co. . Their response was totally unacceptable. At that time I contacted Mr. Tario and asked him to represent me. What a perfect choice! Mr. Tario and his associates worked hard on my behalf and I was awarded an amount well over the policy limit. If I ever need legal assistance again, there is only one choice…..Tario & Associates. – Michael

I highly recommend Tario & Associates to help you if you are in a car accident. I was rear ended & Michael Tario made sure the responsible parties insurance company paid.

Mr. Tario did an excellent job handling my recent auto accident claim. He was quite easy to talk and work with. He explained the process and then kept us up to date on what was happening as it went along. He negotiated a satisfactory settlement with a minimum of stress for us. We would highly recommend him. – Lyle

If you are looking for the  most experienced car accident lawyer Bellingham  has; look no further. Our personal injury attorneys are ready to offer legal advice and fight for the settlement you deserve. The sooner we can begin gathering information about your claim, the better. Contact us  today for your FREE consultation.

A settlement is often a more desirable solution since a trial typically takes longer with increased costs and there is a certain amount of risk inherent in any jury trial. Juries are often unpredictable so it is better to reach a fair out-of-court settlement when possible. Even if an injured person receives a significant monetary award from a jury, there is always the chance that the other party will appeal any monetary award made by a jury.

Personal Injury FAQs

How do I know if I should pursue a personal injury claim for my car accident?

The only way to know if you have a case is to meet with one of our experienced car accident associates for a FREE consultation. We will fully evaluate your accident and injuries and discuss your legal rights.

Do I really need a lawyer if I am injured in a car accident?

In most cases, hiring an injury attorney will yield much better results than you would ever be able to achieve on your own, even for seemingly minor accident claims. At Tario & Associates, P.S., we stand by our injured clients every step of the way and have been rated as one of the best personal injury lawyers Bellingham and the State of Washington has to offer!

If you were severely injured, hit by an uninsured motorist, or involved in a multi-vehicle accident, you may especially benefit from having an experienced attorney on your side. However, anyone who receives a low-ball settlement offer can benefit from legal advice before accepting it.

Our personal injury services begin with a conversation about your accident, your legal rights, and the potential value of your claim. We stay by your side throughout the process and fight to help you recover the full compensation you may be entitled to.

Should I work with the at-fault insurance adjuster to settle my auto accident claim?

Remember this key point: an insurance adjuster works for the insurance company, not you. Insurance companies are in business to make money. Insurance adjusters are trained and go to special classes to learn how to convince people not to hire an attorney and are often taught how to be friendly and give the impression they want to give fair compensation. Most of the time this is far from the truth. If the insurance adjuster for the at-fault party has already presented you with a proposed settlement offer, you need to know whether or not it is fair.

Since you are not an experienced personal injury attorney, it would be hard to have an idea whether or not any offer is fair or how much your case might actually be worth. This is something that you need to discuss with an experienced and knowledgeable attorney from Tario & Associates. Our attorneys have evaluated thousands of cases and they are on the cutting edge with regard to current and up to date knowledge as to what a case like yours might be worth. It is not unusual for our attorneys to be able to achieve monetary recoveries five to twenty times what an insurance company has offered.

How much do I have to pay to pursue a car accident claim?

There are no upfront costs or fees paid by our clients to pursue an injury claim; we provide representation on a contingency fee basis for personal injury cases, which means we don’t get paid unless you receive monetary compensation. Our fees are a percentage of what we get for you on personal injury cases and you will not incur any attorney fees if we are unable to win your case and recover money for you. Washington law requires clients to reimburse the law firm for out-of-pocket expenses. Our firm advances out-of-pocket costs for our injury clients and does not require our clients to pay any of these costs up front. When cases are concluded with a monetary recovery, our firm is repaid for the out-of-pocket costs we have advanced from the settlement monies received.

What kind of compensation may I get from a car accident settlement? 

Depending on the severity of your injury, medical expenses and other financial losses such as lost wages can be devastating. The severity of your injury will affect the damages awarded in your personal injury case. A plaintiff may recover damages for pain and suffering (both physical and emotional), medical expenses, lost wages, disability, disfigurement, in-home care, rehabilitation, and loss of enjoyment of life. Your attorney will calculate the value of the damages you have suffered in your case. Injury settlements can range between $15,000 for a small case to $1 million plus for very serious cases.

Washington State is a comparative fault state, which means that fault can be shared among multiple wrong-doers on injury cases. Damages may be awarded based upon contributory fault law which provides that you may only be awarded damages proportionate to the percentage of fault caused by the defendant. You cannot be awarded any damages for the amount of fault that you caused.

How is pain and suffering calculated in a Washington car accident case?

Putting a number on someone’s pain and suffering is often one of the most difficult tasks facing a jury or judge. Jury instructions don’t usually go into much detail about how the jury should calculate damages for pain and suffering. Jurors must draw upon their own life experience and common sense and try to determine what amount of money fairly compensates an injured party for their damages. A jury will determine the exact economic losses for medical expenses, lost wages, and other monetary damages that a person has suffered. These are called special damages, which are separately set forth by a judge or jury. In addition, a judge or a jury may award a separate amount for “general damages”, which are pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and in some cases, loss of consortium. Loss of consortium is damage to the marital and family community. 

Read more car accident FAQs here.