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Your Ellensburg 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.
Recovering from an injury is hard enough without legal confusion on top of it. If someone else’s carelessness hurt you in Ellensburg, you are allowed to take your time understanding your options before you sign or say anything.
Nothing on this page is legal advice, and NeedAnAttorney.net is not a law firm. It is a service that connects injured people with attorneys. The rules described here are quoted or summarized from Washington’s own statutes so that you can check them yourself.
Questions Worth Asking In Ellensburg
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.
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly responsible would change the numbers (RCW 4.22.005).
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
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 Ellensburg? 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.
How Damages Are Measured
The law of Washington restricts limits on damages for injury. What you can recover turns on the bills, the missed work and the lasting effects.
The amount is a question of proof.
Filing Deadlines For Injury Claims
Most injury claims in Washington must be filed within 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). Records fade and witnesses move, so an early start helps even well inside the limit.
Local Courts and Hospitals in Ellensburg
The Census Bureau places Ellensburg in Kittitas County. Kittitas County’s superior court is listed in Ellensburg, at 205 W 5th Ave, Ste 207, Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887. The state list of trauma centers shows Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg as a Level IV trauma center.
In the federal Hospital General Information file, the closest hospital to Ellensburg is Kittitas Valley Community Hospital in Ellensburg, 1.0 miles, a critical access hospital (603 South Chestnut, Ellensburg, WA 98926). After it come Yakima Valley Memorial in Yakima, 28.1 miles, an acute care hospital; then Confluence Health Hospital in Wenatchee, 32.1 miles, an acute care hospital. All distances are straight line miles from Ellensburg.
A straight line is shorter than the drive from Ellensburg. Ask each provider for your complete records and an itemized bill, and note the date of every appointment.
Fourth and fifth on the list are Quincy Valley Medical Center in Quincy, 35.7 miles, and Cascade Medical Center in Leavenworth, 41.5 miles. Within 10, 25 and 50 miles of Ellensburg the file shows 1, 1 and 6 hospitals, by straight line.
The nearest places in Washington that this site has pages for, by the same coordinates, are Cle Elum (23.3 miles northwest), Yakima (28.3 miles south) and Wenatchee (31.8 miles north). Seattle is 95 miles northwest of Ellensburg and Spokane is 153 miles east.
Starting Your Claim Review In Ellensburg
Fill in the form at the top of this page. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Washington. The form is free to use, and sending it does not mean you have hired anyone.
Until someone calls, make a simple record: what happened, the date and time, names of anyone who saw it, the treatment you have had, and the days you missed from work. Keep every bill and letter in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there limits on an injury award in Washington?
It depends on the facts of your claim, so ask an attorney whether any rule limits it in your case. How fault is assigned can also change the amount. Lasting effects and missed work are part of what is proved.
How much insurance does the other driver have to have?
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 (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.
How far is the closest hospital from Ellensburg?
In a straight line it is 1.0 miles to Kittitas Valley Community Hospital in Ellensburg, a critical access hospital; Yakima Valley Memorial in Yakima is 28.1 miles and Confluence Health Hospital in Wenatchee is 32.1 miles. Call 911 in an emergency; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which other places near Ellensburg does this site cover?
By Census coordinates the nearest are Cle Elum, 23.3 miles northwest; Yakima, 28.3 miles south; and Wenatchee, 31.8 miles north, all in a straight line from Ellensburg.
What if a city, county or other government body caused my injury?
Possibly. 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. For a city or county, the claim form goes to the entity’s designated agent (RCW 4.96.020).
What decides how long a claim takes?
It varies with the injury and the insurer. Insurers usually want records of the whole course of treatment. It can take months, and longer if a lawsuit is filed.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Washington?
For most injury claims, three years (RCW 4.16.080(2)). A child can have extra time, and so can a few other limited situations (RCW 4.16.190). Write down the date of the injury now.
If I was partly responsible, can I still recover something?
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.
Help Elsewhere in Washington
NeedAnAttorney.net connects injured people throughout Washington with attorneys who handle cases in their area.
