personal injury attorney Bellingham | Tario & Associates, P.S.

by Michael TarioJuly 10, 2026Personal Injury Attorney Blog Bellingham0 comments

What is Tort Law and How is it Related to My Personal Injury Claim?

After an accident, understanding your legal rights can feel overwhelming when you are focused on attending medical appointments and recovering from your injuries. But, for most people, the financial losses and expenses that come along with an injury – including medical bills and lost wages – make it necessary to start looking for financial compensation through a personal injury claim.

Personal injury claims are based on a specific area of law called tort law, which provides the legal framework for determining when a person or company may be responsible for the harm they caused. In this blog post we answer what is tort law.

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by Michael TarioMay 28, 2026Personal Injury Attorney Blog Bellingham0 comments

Understanding the Timeline for Personal Injury Lawsuit

When a person suffers an injury because of the negligent behavior of another, they may be entitled to pursue a settlement through a personal injury claim. Personal injury attorneys represent injured clients, working to gather evidence to support their claim and negotiate the maximum settlement possible. In about 95 percent of cases, personal injury claims are settled without ever going to trial. Settlements typically fall into two categories:

Pre-suit settlements where the claim is resolved directly with the insurance company through demand letters and negotiations before any formal lawsuit is filed.
In cases where the insurance company refuses to agree to a fair settlement, a personal injury attorney typically files a lawsuit in court to apply legal pressure. The vast majority of these personal injury lawsuits are settled before a judge or jury ever gets involved through renewed negotiation or a mediation or arbitration process.

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by Michael TarioMay 5, 2026Personal Injury Attorney Blog Bellingham0 comments

Recovering Damages for Mental Health Issues in Personal Injury Cases

When most people think about personal injury cases, they picture physical injuries, hospital bills, future medical expenses, and time away from work to recover. Those losses are real and they do typically make up the bulk of a personal injury settlement but they are not the whole story. Many injuries leave behind something less visible but just as serious: emotional and psychological harm.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which makes this a great time to discuss the link between personal injury claims and mental health. If you or a loved one has been injured by another person’s actions, personal injury laws allow you to seek compensation for all damages. This includes the less visible effects of an injury, such as stress and loss of enjoyment of life.

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by Michael TarioApril 7, 2026Personal Injury Attorney Blog Bellingham0 comments

Understanding Liability for Outdoor Injuries Claims

With spring in full bloom in the Pacific Northwest, more people are taking advantage of the warmer weather to spend time outside. Whatcom County is home to countless beautiful public outdoor locations from parks, to trails, boardwalks, docks, and beaches. As these outdoor spaces get busier, there is inevitably more crowding and debris that can lead to outdoor injuries.

If you or a loved one was injured in a public outdoor space, you have enough to deal with. Contact a local, experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your legal rights. An attorney can evaluate your case, explain your options, and handle the legal process so you can focus on recovery.

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by Michael TarioApril 3, 2026Car Accident Attorney Blog Bellingham0 comments

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. What To Do If You Are Hit by a Distracted Driver.

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a month dedicated to reducing fatalities caused by behaviors like texting and eating while driving. Law enforcement will increase “Put the Phone Away or Pay” patrols, with high-visibility enforcement from April 6–13, 2026. Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on our roads with cell phone use – including texting, talking, and social media browsing – being the most common distraction. In 2024, thousands were hit by a distracted driver, killing over 3,200 people and accounting for eight percent of all fatal crashes.

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by Michael TarioMarch 19, 2026Car Accident Attorney Blog Bellingham0 comments

Spring Increases Risk of Car Accidents in the Rain

In Washington State, Spring often comes as a great relief after months of cold weather, even though early Spring is associated with rain. As we transition to Spring 2026, we are experiencing a very wet and gray period of weather in the Pacific Northwest, which brings a unique set of driving hazards with wet and slippery roads at the top of the list. Drivers can reduce their chances of being involved in Spring car accidents in the rain by understanding the dangers and taking safety precautions.

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by Michael TarioMarch 16, 2026Car Accident Attorney Blog Bellingham0 comments

What to Know About a Car Accident Claim Against a Drunk Driver

Drunk drivers are responsible for thousands of crashes every year, contributing to about 12,429 traffic deaths in the United States in 2023 alone. Driving under the influence can lead to criminal charges, but injured victims can also pursue compensation through a civil claim. When a drunk driver causes a crash, the driver’s impairment often provides strong evidence of negligence and can significantly strengthen an injury claim.

However, even with clear evidence of intoxication, cases involving drunk drivers can be complex and contested. Injury lawyers who have experience handling personal injury claims against drunk drivers know how to gather evidence to build a favorable case. If you or a loved one was injured in a collision involving a drunk driver, hiring an experienced local car accident attorney can greatly improve your odds of receiving a full and fair settlement.

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by Michael TarioMarch 9, 2026Car Accident Attorney Blog Bellingham0 comments

Drowsy Driving Accidents After Daylight Savings Time Change

Driving while sleep deprived happens far more often than drivers want to admit. When clocks move ahead an hour for Daylight Saving Time each March, people lose an hour of sleep and face darker mornings. This sudden shift can disrupt sleep schedules and leave many drivers feeling more tired than usual, which may lead to an increase in drowsy driving on the road. Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reveals how dangerous drowsy driving really is. Previous Foundation research points directly to sleep loss as a key culprit in drowsy driving accidents.

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by Michael TarioMarch 6, 2026Personal Injury Attorney Blog Bellingham0 comments

National Ladder Safety Month: Understanding Injury Claims for Ladder Accidents at Home

March is National Ladder Safety Month. As personal injury attorneys, we speak with injured individuals every day, and ladder accidents at home are a common source of serious injuries. Ladders are used for everyday household tasks such as cleaning gutters, decorating for the holidays, trimming trees, and clearing debris from roofs. But when a ladder fails or is unsafe, a routine chore can quickly turn into a serious fall that results in broken bones, head injuries, or long-term disability. In many cases, these accidents are not simply “user error.” Faulty ladder design, defective locking mechanisms, or unsafe conditions on someone else’s property may make another party legally responsible.

If you or a loved one is suffering because of a home ladder accident caused by the negligence of another, you may be able to recover a settlement for your losses, pain and suffering. Do not delay. Contact a local personal injury lawyer as soon as possible; there is a limited window of time to process a claim.

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by Michael TarioFebruary 24, 2026Personal Injury Attorney Blog Bellingham0 comments

Is Negligence a Tort? What It Means for Your Personal Injury Claim

If you’ve been hurt in an accident, you may hear the term “negligence” when you call your insurance company or speak to a personal injury attorney and wonder what it means. Negligence has occurred when someone does not act with reasonable care and that lack of care causes another person to get hurt. The concept of reasonable care is often explained in terms of what an ordinary, sensible person would do in similar circumstances. For example, when a driver runs a red light or a shop owner fails to put up a wet floor sign when they knew there was liquid on the ground, they are not behaving how an ordinary, sensible person would have behaved in those circumstances.

Another term that you may hear is tort law. What is a tort? In simple terms, a tort is a civil wrong that causes harm or loss to someone, for which the injured party can seek compensation through a lawsuit. But, is negligence a tort?

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