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Your Cle Elum 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 Kittitas County sits in Ellensburg, at 205 W 5th Ave, Ste 207, Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
Getting hurt rarely comes at a convenient time. You may be in pain, missing work and answering calls from an insurance company while trying to learn what you are owed. If your injury in Cle Elum was someone else’s doing, start with the basics below and go at your own pace.
We match people with attorneys; we do not advise on cases. Treat what follows as a plain language guide to Washington law drawn from the statutes. When you want to talk to an attorney, the form at the top of this page is the way to start.
Questions To Ask A Cle Elum Injury Attorney
Bring these to your first call, whoever it is with:
- The deadline. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file for your claim. The general limit for injury claims in Washington is three years (RCW 4.16.080(2)).
- Any ceiling. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Washington.
- If you were partly to blame. Ask what happens to your award if a jury finds you share the blame (RCW 4.22.005).
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
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 Cle Elum? Get matched with an attorney now.
Sharing Blame And Your Claim
Being partly at fault is common, and in Washington it changes the amount rather than ending the claim. RCW 4.22.005 sets the rule.
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). Photographs, witness names and medical records help show where the fault lies.
The Deadline To Sue
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). The type of claim decides the date, so do not wait.
What Auto Policies Must Cover
Under RCW 46.30.020(1)(a) and RCW 46.29.090(1), an auto liability policy in Washington must provide at least $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident and $10,000 for property damage.
Those figures are floors, and a serious injury can cost more than the other driver’s policy pays. They are minimums, not a measure of what your claim is worth.
Local Courts and Hospitals in Cle Elum
The Census Bureau places Cle Elum in Kittitas County. The Washington court directory lists the superior court for Kittitas County in Ellensburg, at 205 W 5th Ave, Ste 207, Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887. In Kittitas County, the state list of trauma centers shows Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg as a Level IV trauma center.
The three Washington acute care and critical access hospitals nearest Cle Elum in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file, measured in a straight line from the town’s coordinates, are Kittitas Valley Community Hospital in Ellensburg, 24.2 miles, a critical access hospital; Cascade Medical Center in Leavenworth, 31.0 miles, a critical access hospital; and Confluence Health Hospital in Wenatchee, 33.0 miles, an acute care hospital. The street address of Kittitas Valley Community Hospital is 603 South Chestnut, Ellensburg, WA 98926.
These figures are straight line distances, so the drive from Cle Elum 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 Yakima Valley Memorial in Yakima, 45.8 miles, and St. Elizabeth Hospital in Enumclaw, 48.6 miles. Within 10, 25 and 50 miles of Cle Elum the file shows 0, 1 and 6 Washington acute care and critical access hospitals, by straight line.
The nearest places in Washington that this site has pages for, by the same coordinates, are Ellensburg (23.3 miles southeast), Wenatchee (33.6 miles northeast) and North Bend (43.2 miles northwest). The reference cities are 72 miles northwest (Seattle) and 168 miles east (Spokane).
Making Your First Contact In Cle Elum
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.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where would a lawsuit about my injury be heard?
The answer turns on the people involved and the amount in dispute. Your attorney can confirm the right court for your claim. The courts named in the section above are the ones listed by the state judiciary for this area.
When must an injury lawsuit be filed in Washington?
Within three years for most injury claims (RCW 4.16.080(2)). The period can be longer for a child, and a few other situations extend it too (RCW 4.16.190). An early start protects the evidence.
Can I still recover if the accident was partly my fault?
Under Washington law, 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). Photographs and witness names help show where the fault lies. Do not guess about fault when you talk to an insurer.
Does Washington put a ceiling on pain and suffering?
It depends on the facts of your claim, so ask an attorney whether any rule limits it in your case. The amount depends on the facts of your claim. Ask an attorney whether any rule reaches your claim.
What are the minimum auto insurance limits in Washington?
$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $10,000 for property damage (RCW 46.30.020(1)(a) and RCW 46.29.090(1)). Several policies can apply to one crash. Before you accept a payment, check for every policy that may apply.
Which hospital is closest to Cle Elum?
Kittitas Valley Community Hospital in Ellensburg is the closest Washington acute care or critical access hospital on the federal hospital list, 24.2 miles away in a straight line, a critical access hospital. Cascade Medical Center in Leavenworth is 31.0 miles away and Confluence Health Hospital in Wenatchee is 33.0 miles away. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which other places near Cle Elum does this site cover?
By Census coordinates the nearest are Ellensburg, 23.3 miles southeast; Wenatchee, 33.6 miles northeast; and North Bend, 43.2 miles northwest, all in a straight line from Cle Elum.
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 rules for public bodies differ from the rules for private parties. Do not wait to ask.
Help Elsewhere in Washington
People are hurt in every part of Washington. These pages cover other communities.
