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Your Olympia 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 Thurston County sits in Olympia, at 2000 Lakeridge Dr SW, Bldg 2, Olympia, WA 98502-6001. 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 Olympia because of another person’s actions, this page explains how Washington treats injury claims so you can plan your next step.
This page is general information, not legal advice. NeedAnAttorney.net matches people with attorneys and does not represent anyone. The legal points below come from Washington’s statutes, and the form at the top of the page is how you reach an attorney.
Before You Hire: Questions For An Olympia Attorney
Whoever you speak to, a few answers tell you a lot:
- The date. Ask for the specific last day to file in your case. The general rule is three years (RCW 4.16.080(2)).
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly responsible would change the numbers (RCW 4.22.005).
- Limits on damages. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Washington.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
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 Olympia? Get matched with an attorney now.
When You Were Partly At Fault
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.
Limits On What You Can Recover
There is no general ceiling on pain and suffering for an ordinary injury claim in Washington. What you can recover turns on the bills, the missed work and the lasting effects.
Lasting effects and missed work are part of what is proved.
When The Clock Starts And Stops
A lawsuit for most injuries in Washington must be started within three years (RCW 4.16.080(2)). Extra time can be available for a child and in some other limited situations (RCW 4.16.190).
A claim against a government body usually has its own claim or notice steps that must be followed before you sue, so ask early (RCW 4.92.090, 4.92.100, 4.92.110). If someone died, the personal representative brings the claim and the general three year period of RCW 4.16.080(2) applies (RCW 4.16.080(2)). The type of claim decides the date, so do not wait.
The Court and Hospitals Behind an Olympia Claim
Olympia lies in Thurston County, according to Census Bureau place and county names. Thurston County’s superior court is listed in Olympia, at 2000 Lakeridge Dr SW, Bldg 2, Olympia, WA 98502-6001. The state list of trauma centers shows Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia as a Level III trauma center.
The three hospitals nearest Olympia in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file, measured in a straight line from the town’s coordinates, are Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, 2.5 miles, an acute care hospital; Capital Medical Center in Olympia, 2.6 miles, an acute care hospital; and Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics in Shelton, 16.5 miles, a critical access hospital. The street address of Providence St. Peter Hospital is 413 Lilly Road Ne, Olympia, WA 98506.
These figures are straight line distances, so the drive from Olympia is longer. Whichever provider treated you, request your complete records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every appointment.
The file also lists St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood at 20.0 miles and Providence Centralia Hospital in Centralia at 23.1 miles. Counting hospitals in a straight line from Olympia: 2 within 10 miles, 6 within 25 miles, 24 within 50 miles.
The nearest places in Washington that this site has pages for, by the same coordinates, are Shelton (16.0 miles northwest), Lakewood (19.2 miles northeast) and Centralia (22.3 miles south). Seattle is 47 miles northeast of Olympia and Spokane is 259 miles east.
Starting Your Claim Review In Olympia
Use the form at the top of the page to tell us what happened. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Washington. There is no charge to submit it, and submitting it does not hire anyone.
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)). 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.
How does shared fault change what I can recover in Washington?
Short answer: 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.
Can I recover the full value of my injury in Washington?
Pain and suffering is proved by the facts of your case, so ask which rules, if any, apply to your claim. Medical bills and lost income are handled separately from pain and suffering. An attorney can tell you which rules apply to your facts.
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 Olympia?
Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia is closest on the federal hospital list, 2.5 miles away in a straight line, an acute care hospital. Capital Medical Center in Olympia is 2.6 miles away and Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics in Shelton is 16.5 miles away. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which other places near Olympia does this site cover?
By Census coordinates the nearest are Shelton, 16.0 miles northwest; Lakewood, 19.2 miles northeast; and Centralia, 22.3 miles south, all in a straight line from Olympia.
What if a public employee caused my injury?
Possibly. Special claim or notice steps can apply (RCW 4.92.090, 4.92.100, 4.92.110). Skipping a required notice step can end a claim. An early start protects your rights.
Where do I start after an injury?
Seek medical attention before anything else. Report what happened to the police or the property owner as appropriate. Photograph the scene and your injuries, and write down what happened while you remember it.
Serving Injured Clients Across Washington
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