Seattle and Bellevue Car Accident Attorney

Traffic accidents happen every day in Washington, and a lot of times, there is nothing one can do to avoid a negligent driver. The injuries that can result from these car accidents, whether big or small, deserve to be compensated for by the insurance company of the driver that caused it. At Premier Law Group, we understand that accident victims have questions, and we are here to give you all of the information you need. Dealing with insurance companies can be a very difficult and stressful matter, but along with that, you can virtually ruin your case if you make mistakes when talking with them. Our experienced Seattle and Bellevue car accident attorneys offer free initial consultations to help you figure out exactly what you should do with your claim. Car accident cases can be very complicated, and need the representation of experienced injury attorneys. If you have been injured as a result of a Washington auto accident, Premier Law Group can help you no matter where you are. We routinely make home and hospital visits. We truly go the extra mile for our clients and we believe our experience, past results, and personal attention make us different than most other Washington attorneys. Below you will find all of the information you need about car accidents. If you decide you would like to speak with one of our Seattle car accident lawyers at any time, feel free to call our office at (206) 285-1743, or fill out the contact information on the right.

Check out our city-specific auto accident pages:

Washington Car Accidents

In 2009, there were nearly 103,000 car accidents reported in the state of Washington. This number is actually 20,000 less than the number of officer reported car accidents from 2005, but it is a very high amount nonetheless. About 35% of the total accidents resulted in an injury for someone involved, with 2,241 people that were seriously injured as a result. The scary thing about car accidents is that even the safest drivers are not completely safe from being hit by another car. About 95 people are injured due to Washington car accidents every day, and while organizations such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and TADD (Teens Against Distracted Driving) are working hard to reduce the causes behind that number, it is a reality that we all must deal with. Unfortunately, sometimes the result of an accident is more than just an injury and actually results in the death of someone involved. If the victim of a Seattle auto accident dies, then the case becomes what is known as wrongful death. Our experienced Seattle and Bellevue accident attorneys have fought for the rights of many family members who have to deal with this travesty. For more information, click on the wrongful death link above. At Premier Law Group, we fight the insurance companies who seek to reduce or deny claims of car accident victims, because we firmly believe that people should not be punished for the negligence of others.

So what factors play a role in these accidents?

Geography: The three highest counties in terms of car collisions per capita are San Juan County, King County, and Yakima County. All three of them may have different reasons for being high, but it is noteworthy to point out that they are 4-5 times higher than the rate of Lincoln County, which has the lowest rate in the state. Representing mostly victims from King and Pierce County, it is safe to say that the amount of cars on the road plays a big factor. The populations are high, and a lot of people commute to and from work. Because of this, as Pierce and King County injury lawyers, we want everybody to be aware of the dangers involved in driving, and be as careful as possible on the road. For more geographically specific Washington auto accident statistics, click the preceding link.

Age and Gender: There is a common belief that younger drivers get into more accidents than more experienced drivers, and this is backed up by statistics. Over 27% of car accidents involve drivers between the ages of 16 and 25, and the most fatalities involve drivers 21-25 as well. The ratio of male to female fatal car accidents is a striking number as well. 70% of fatal accidents in 2009 involved male drivers.

Unsafe Driving: There are three major causes of collisions in the state of Washington: exceeding reasonable speed, not yielding the right of way, and following too closely. These three acts also played a role in the vast majority of car accident injuries. Although there can be a number of things a negligent driver does to cause an accident, these three were a factor in over 19,000 car accident related injuries in 2009 alone. There are a lot of drivers out there that are making these mistakes, and putting you in danger of a car accident. If someone injures you by hitting your car due to their unsafe driving, it is important that you speak with experienced Seattle injury attorneys to receive advice on what to do with your case.

Alcohol and drugs: People who drive under the influence are making a decision that may not only result in their own death, but the death of an innocent driver as well. The statistics show overwhelming evidence that being drunk significantly impairs one’s ability to drive. Almost 6,600 collisions involved drunk drivers in 2009, which despite being the lowest number in the last five years, is dangerously high. The worst part about drunk driving is that when collisions do occur, they tend to be much more damaging than other car accidents. Over 550 people were seriously injured, and 199 died as a result of drunk driving accidents. At Premier Law Group, we believe that one injury caused by alcohol impaired driving is one too many. When this results in a fatality, it is known as a wrongful death, in which case the victim’s family should consider hiring an experienced Seattle wrongful death attorney to seek damages for their devastating loss.

Distracted Driving: With new laws in Washington that make non-hands free cell phone use while driving a primary offense, it is obvious that more and more people are realizing the dangers of distracted driving. Texting while driving has been found to be just as dangerous as drunk driving – resulting in more than 16,000 fatalities nationwide between 2002 and 2007. Jason Epstein, one of the attorneys here at Premier Law Group founded TADD (Teens Against Distracted Driving) last year to spread awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. Check out our Teens Against Distracted Driving page to learn more.

What Can We Do For You?

At Premier Law Group, we understand that figuring out what to do after you have been in a car accident can be very confusing, and are here to help you through the process. If you have been in a car accident, check out these Steps to Remember and for further information, go to our car accident FAQ page.

We are aggressive Seattle personal injury attorneys with years of experience in successfully representing people who have been injured due to someone else’s negligence. We have won millions of dollars for our past clients and we will do whatever we can to help you recover the maximum possible compensation. If you have been injured in a traffic accident and someone else was to blame, call us today for a free consultation and case evaluation. In fact, if we handle your case, you pay absolutely no legal fees unless we win.

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Seattle and Bellevue Truck Accident Attorney

Trucking accidents can be especially dangerous to those involved, due to the sheer size of large trucks these days. In Washington, we are fortunate enough to have natural harbors that serve as some of the most important trading ports in the nation. With the cargo that comes through these ports, it makes sense that there is a lot of trucking that goes in and out of the state. Because of this, Washington drivers are more at risk for being in a trucking accident than most other states west of the Mississippi. Washington trucking accidents are more common than you may think, and if you have been injured as a result of one of these accidents, you have come to the right place. The damages involved with trucking accidents are oftentimes very high, and in order to recover the money you need to pay for the injuries and harm you receive, it is crucial that you hire an experienced trucking accident attorney. At Premier Law Group, we are experienced Bellevue and Seattle trucking accident lawyers that have spent our entire careers fighting insurance companies on the behalf of accident injury victims. We offer free initial consultations to anybody that has questions about hiring a lawyer for their trucking accident case and will give you honest and experienced advice on what you should do next.

Washington Trucking Accidents

There were 1,428 trucking accidents last year in the state of Washington, meaning that there were almost 4 per day. This may not seem like a high number when compared to ordinary car accidents, but imagine the damage that can occur to you and your car if a negligent trucker hits you. 160 serious injuries resulted from these crashes, and 55 led to fatalities. 12% of all traffic fatalities nationwide are caused by trucking accidents, and 98% of the time it is someone in the vehicle that is not the truck, which dies as a result. If the truck driver was at fault for an accident that resulted in the death of someone in the other vehicle, this would likely be considered a wrongful death case. Our experienced Washington wrongful death attorneys understand the devastating loss that this is to family members of the victim, and would like to do whatever we can to help you out. Check out our Washington wrongful death page for more information. If a negligent truck driver hits you, it is likely that there is not much you can do to avoid it. Most truck drivers are insured by the company they work for, but those insurance companies will fight as hard as they can to lower or deny your case. At Premier Law Group, our experienced trucking accident lawyers know how the insurance companies work, and have been very successful in the past at getting our clients the money they deserve.

So, what are some of the leading factors involved in Washington trucking accidents?

The Type of Truck: The majority of trucking accidents in Washington State involve enclosed box trucks and flatbed trucks. The main reason for this is fairly obvious: there are a lot more of these types of trucks on the road than any other type. But they are particularly notable in Washington trucking accidents, because the ratio of enclosed box and flatbed truck crashes to other truck crashes is far higher than the national average. Other types of trucks to look out for are logging trucks and dump trucks. The logging industry is huge in this state, which is part of the reason that logging truck accidents are 800% higher here than the national average. Dump trucks rank as the second highest type of truck that causes fatalities in the state, having caused 13 in 2008.

Weather Conditions: There is no doubt that Washington provides a tougher location to drive a large truck than most other states. The slick roads caused by rainfall west of the Cascades, and snowy conditions that occur in Central and Eastern Washington during the winter make it very difficult to operate large vehicles. Statistics back this up, showing that in 2008, the ratio of bad weather to good weather trucking accidents were almost 50% higher than the national average. Even so, the vast majority of trucking accidents actually occur in good weather conditions – just over 71% of all trucking accidents in Washington State occurred when it was not raining or snowing. It is a truck driver’s responsibility, just like any other driver, to drive safely regardless of the weather outside.

Time of Day: Trucks are out on the road at all times of the day, including late at night and early in the morning when there are relatively few other cars driving. The majority of Washington truck accidents occur during the day, but nearly 18% of all trucking accidents in Washington State happen between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. When vision decreases at night, truck drivers do not have as much time to correct a mistake if they make one. If you have been hit by a negligent truck driver at any time of the day and have sustained a personal injury as a result, give our office a call at (206) 285-1743.

How Can Our Experienced Seattle Trucking Accident Attorneys Help You?

At Premier Law Group, we understand that knowing how to handle accident cases can be very difficult and confusing. To help you through the process, we are doing whatever we can to make as much information available to you as possible. Check out books on Washington auto accidents, written by our experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys and offered free of charge for Washington residents. For more information on what to do following a trucking accident, follow these Steps to Remember, and check out our trucking accident FAQs.

We are aggressive Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and Bellevue injury lawyers that have years of experience fighting insurance companies on the behalf of our injured clients. If you have sustained a trucking accident injury and would like some free advice on what you should do next and how to deal with the insurance company, fill out the contact form on the right side of the screen, or call us at (206) 285-1743. We have a long history of bringing injured victims the money they deserve to compensate for their accident damages. If you have been injured in a trucking accident and someone else was to blame, call us today for a free consultation and case evaluation. In fact, if we handle your case, you pay absolutely no legal fees unless we win.