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Your Anacortes Personal Injury Attorney
The short answer. In Washington most injury claims must be filed within three years (RCW 4.16.080(2)). The trial court for Skagit County sits in Mount Vernon, at 205 W Kincaid St, Rm 202, Mount Vernon, WA 98273-4225. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
An injury changes the pace of your days. Medical visits, paperwork and worry about money can crowd out everything else. If you were hurt in Anacortes because of another person’s actions, this page explains how Washington treats injury claims so you can plan your next step.
A quick note on what this page is: general information about Washington injury law, written from the statutes, from a matching service that does not practice law. It is meant to help you ask good questions, not to decide your case.
Before You Hire: Questions For An Anacortes Attorney
Ask these in any first conversation:
- The date. Ask for the specific last day to file in your case. The general rule is three years (RCW 4.16.080(2)).
- If you were partly to blame. Ask what happens to your award if a jury finds you share the blame (RCW 4.22.005).
- Limits on damages. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Washington.
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
Personal Injury Types of Cases
Motor Vehicle Accidents
As long as the person that was operating the vehicle that injured you was negligent in some way, you can could have a claim for compensation. This can include.
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- 18 wheeler Accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Drunk Driving
- Distracted Driving
- Aggressive Driving
- and other types of motor vehicle accidents
Work Place Accidents
These types of personal injury lawsuits involve more that just a employee and employer. If you feel like your place of employment was negligent in some way, you might have a claim for compensation. These types of accidents can include.
- Slip and Fall
- Unsafe working conditions
- Unmaintained equipment
- Auto Accidents
- Death
- Electrical Hazards
- Occupational illnesses like COPD, contagious diseases, and asbestosis
- personal injuries at work
Premises Liability
Many premises liability claims are from a property owner’s duty to maintain a property in the way that does not endanger others. There are may ways a property owner can violate this duty.
- Broken Stairs
- Unlit alleyways
- Slippery Floors
- Surfaces that are uneven
- Places to receive burns
- Places to receive chemical exposure
- Dog bites
- and other dangerous conditions
Wrongful Death
When negligence leads to fatal injuries, a wrongful death suit can help the surviving family members hold the negligent company, persons, and or person accountable for what was done. A wrongful death case can involve different types of compensation from other personal injury claims. After a fatal accident, family members can ask an attorney to review what compensation the surviving loved ones may have a right to. These types of accidents can include.
- Auto Accident
- Maritime Accident
- Drowning
- Electrocution
- Falls
- Helicopter Accident
- Fire
- Firearm
- and other types of wrongful deaths
Injured in Anacortes? Get matched with an attorney now.
What Shared Blame Means For You
If an insurer says you were partly responsible, that does not decide the case in Washington. The source is RCW 4.22.005.
Your own share of the fault reduces your award in proportion to that share, and no fixed percentage ends the claim by itself, though a few narrow statutory exceptions can still bar a claim (RCW 4.22.005). Insurers often press this point first, so keep notes about how the injury happened.
What The Law Says About Damages
The law of Washington restricts limits on damages for injury. How fault is assigned can also change the amount.
The facts of your claim drive the amount.
When The Clock Starts And Stops
The general time limit for an injury claim in Washington is three years (RCW 4.16.080(2)). A child may have more time, and a few other limited situations extend the period too (RCW 4.16.190).
A wrongful death claim is brought by the personal representative, and the general three year period of RCW 4.16.080(2) applies (RCW 4.16.080(2)). If a government body may be responsible, the steps can differ (RCW 4.92.090, 4.92.100, 4.92.110). Missing the date usually ends the case, so ask any attorney to name the exact last day for yours.
Local Courts and Hospitals in Anacortes
Skagit County is the county the Census Bureau assigns to Anacortes. For Skagit County, the Washington court directory shows the superior court in Mount Vernon, at 205 W Kincaid St, Rm 202, Mount Vernon, WA 98273-4225. Island Hospital in Anacortes appears on the state list of trauma centers as a Level III trauma center.
The three Washington acute care and critical access hospitals nearest Anacortes in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file, measured in a straight line from the town’s coordinates, are Island Hospital in Anacortes, 1.0 miles, an acute care hospital; Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon, 14.6 miles, an acute care hospital; and PeaceHealth United General Medical Center in Sedro-Woolley, 15.9 miles, a critical access hospital. The street address of Island Hospital is 1211 24th Street, Anacortes, WA 98221.
These figures are straight line distances, so the drive from Anacortes is longer. Whichever provider treated you, request your complete records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every appointment.
Fourth and fifth on the list are PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center in Friday Harbor, 18.7 miles, and Whidbeyhealth Medical Center in Coupeville, 19.2 miles. Within 10, 25 and 50 miles of Anacortes the file shows 1, 6 and 11 Washington acute care and critical access hospitals, by straight line.
Closest to Anacortes among the places this site covers are Oak Harbor, 13.5 miles south; Mount Vernon, 15.1 miles east; and Sedro-Woolley, 18.0 miles east. The reference cities are 61 miles south (Seattle) and 246 miles east (Spokane).
What To Do Once You Are Ready To Talk In Anacortes
Start with the form at the top. It asks a few questions about the injury. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Washington. Using it is free, and it does not create an attorney client relationship.
While you wait, write down what happened and when, who saw it, what treatment you have received and how many days of work you missed. Put bills, letters and insurance messages in one folder.
Frequently Asked Questions
When must an injury lawsuit be filed in Washington?
Within three years for most injury claims (RCW 4.16.080(2)). A child may have more time, and a few other limited situations extend the period too (RCW 4.16.190). A wrongful death claim is brought by the personal representative under the general three year period of RCW 4.16.080(2) (RCW 4.16.080(2)).
What happens to my claim if I share some of the fault?
Washington answers this directly. Your own share of the fault reduces your award in proportion to that share, and no fixed percentage ends the claim by itself, though a few narrow statutory exceptions can still bar a claim (RCW 4.22.005). How the facts are described matters from the start. Details from the day of the accident can matter.
Does Washington limit how much I can recover?
Ask an attorney whether any rule limits the amount for your kind of claim; the facts and the records drive the number. The amount depends on the facts of your claim. Ask an attorney whether any rule reaches your claim.
Does Washington require drivers to carry liability insurance?
Liability coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries (RCW 46.30.020(1)(a) and RCW 46.29.090(1)). Those figures are floors, not a measure of what a claim is worth. Ask an attorney to check every policy that may apply.
Which hospital is closest to Anacortes?
Island Hospital in Anacortes is the closest Washington acute care or critical access hospital on the federal hospital list, 1.0 miles away in a straight line, an acute care hospital. Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon is 14.6 miles away and PeaceHealth United General Medical Center in Sedro-Woolley is 15.9 miles away. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which nearby places does this site cover besides Anacortes?
Closest by straight line are Oak Harbor (13.5 miles south), Mount Vernon (15.1 miles east) and Sedro-Woolley (18.0 miles east).
What if the injury happened on public property?
There are special steps. Special claim or notice steps can apply (RCW 4.92.090, 4.92.100, 4.92.110). The notice step can come before any lawsuit. Ask an attorney at once if a public body may be responsible.
What comes first after an injury?
Seek medical attention before anything else. Make sure the incident is reported. Write down names of witnesses and keep every record in one place.
Injury Attorney Pages For Other Washington Communities
People are hurt in every part of Washington. These pages cover other communities.
