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The Seattle Law Firm of Dixon & Cannon, Ltd.
CAR AND MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS
If you have suffered injuries in a car or motorcycle accident, you may have a claim for negligence against the other driver. Typically, you begin a claim process by contacting your insurance company, and the other driver's insurance company.
In most cases, to receive compensation you must make a claim against:
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Your insurance company
and/or
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The other driver's insurance company
This Web page offers you overview information about car and motorcycle accidents, but we have prepared more detailed information about these types of accidents in our topic:
What to Know About Car Accidents.
COMPENSATION FOR YOUR INJURY
The extent of your compensation for a personal injury claim depends on
many factors including but not limited to whether you caused the accident, the severity of the accident, the extent of your injuries, and the specific insurance policies involved.
- If you are injured and the accident was your fault, then you can only receive compensation from your insurance company, and then only if your policy contains personal injury protection coverage.
PERSONAL INJURY PROTECTION COVERAGE provides compensation for economic damages such as your medical expenses, wage loss, and loss-of-use expenses, but it does NOT compensate for pain and suffering.
- If you are injured and the accident was NOT your fault, then you can receive compensation from the negligent party's insurance and your insurance company. Typically, you receive compensation for general pain and suffering damages from the negligent party's insurance carrier.
IF THE NEGLIGENT PARTY DOES NOT HAVE INSURANCE or has insufficient insurance, then you are entitled to make a claim against your own insurance company for all of your injuries (including pain and suffering), if you have uninsured or underinsured coverage on your policy.
IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER DRIVER, there may be other negligent parties responsible for your injuries. Although less common, the accident may be the result of a poorly designed intersection, a dangerous road condition, or inadequate lighting. In such cases the city, county or state may bear some responsibility for your injuries. You should be aware, however, that there are special rules that apply whenever a claim is made against a government entity, and that the failure to follow those rules can result in the dismissal of your case against the government.
TIME AND THE INSURANCE CLAIM PROCESS
If you have been injured in a car accident, the insurance claim process can be extremely complicated and time consuming. The insurance company will often attempt to reach a quick settlement with you before the full extent of your injuries are known. It is very important for you to take your time settling your claim, and that you are not in a rush to to do so.
You have three years from the date of your injury to settle with an insurance company. Make sure you do not settle your claim until your injury is resolved completely. Or, if you have a permanent injury, then do not settle your claim until your doctors indicate that your condition is stable.
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IMPORTANT:
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Even if you are not injured in a car or motorcycle accident, you may want to make a claim against a negligent driver to be compensated for any property damage.
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For a more detailed explanation of what you can do if you are in a car accident, see our topic:
What to Know About Car Accidents.
Dixon & Cannon, Ltd. attorneys provide experienced, compassionate, and aggressive representation for people injured in car and motorcycle accidents.
If you have questions about a car and/or motorcycle accident, call us for a FREE 30-minute initial consultation at 206-957-2247. We can help!
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE LAW
Dixon & Cannon, Ltd. is licensed to practice law in the States of Arizona and Washington. This Web site is created for your general information only and does not represent legal advice. An attorney-client relationship between you and our law firm is not created by you reading this information or calling us. If we decide to work together, we sign a contract to establish our attorney-client relationship.
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