Guide to Finding Washington Personal Injury Lawyer

The District of Columbia has the highest population density of lawyers in the entire United States. If you have been hurt in an accident, you may be wondering if you need a personal injury lawyer in Washington to represent you. Washington personal injury lawyers can help you to negotiate with an insurance company after an accident. If no reasonable settlement cannot be reached, a Washington personal injury lawyer can help you to file a lawsuit so that you can recover the damages you are entitled to by law.

What Is My Washington Personal Injury Lawyer's Role?

When you have suffered an injury, it is easy to be overwhelmed. Insurance companies may try to give you a lowball offer of a settlement just to see if you'll back down. Hiring personal injury lawyers in Washington means that you no longer have to take on the insurance company by yourself. Having a Washington personal injury lawyer represent you to insurance companies means that you can negotiate a significantly higher settlement.

Washington personal injury lawyers can help you to sort out and fully understand your legal situation. If there are legal terms or concepts in insurance documents that you find yourself confused by, a personal injury lawyer in Washington can explain them. Washington personal injury lawyers can also advise you as to the likely outcome of your case, and once you find a personal injury lawyer in Washington to take your case, you may feel much more in control of your legal future.

While these roles are important, it is equally important to remember what personal injury lawyers in Washington can't do. Washington personal injury lawyers can give you legal advice, but no personal injury lawyer in Washington can make legal decisions for you. The only role your Washington personal injury lawyer should have in your decision-making process is to help inform your choice. If you want to settle, or to sue, the choice is ultimately up to you, not your Washington personal injury lawyer.

Types of Personal Injury Lawyers in Washington

Many Washington personal injury lawyers practice in the district, and while some accept all types of cases, other personal injury lawyers in Washington specialize in a particular type of personal injury.

If you have been bitten by a dog, for instance, you may want to find a specialist personal injury lawyer in Washington who has experience with dog bite cases. Your Washington personal injury lawyer should be familiar with similar cases so that you can have the advantage of their experience.

Other personal injury lawyers in Washington specialize in auto accidents, medical malpractice, or product liability law. With so many lawyers in the DC area, it should be easy to find a personal injury lawyer in Washington who can help with your case.

What Can I Be Compensated For?

Many states cap damages for various types of personal injury, but Washington personal injury lawyers are not bound by damage caps. While you may only be thinking of your medical bills, a personal injury lawyer in Washington can help you to assess the full extent of your damages.

You may have doctor bills that are expected to continue for the rest of your life due to your injury, or be suffering from psychological issues as a result of being hurt. Perhaps you can no longer do the things you used to do. Your Washington personal injury lawyer can break down your injuries and tell you what similar cases have settled for. Personal injury lawyers in Washington are experienced in investigating your injury fully to make sure you are adequately compensated.

A personal injury lawyer in Washington can tell you that your medical bills are only the beginning of the awards you can seek. In addition to damages directly relating to your bills or suffering, Washington personal injury lawyers can help you to seek out punitive damages if the person or organization you are suing needs to be punished to stop them from doing similar things in the future.

When Do I Need to Hire a Washington Personal Injury Lawyer?

It is best to find a personal injury lawyer in Washington as soon as possible after you have been injured. The reason for this is simple: legal claims are complex and time-consuming, and Washington personal injury lawyers need time to negotiate your case for the maximum award. If you wait too long to seek out personal injury lawyers in Washington, you may run into a problem: the statute of limitations.

The statute of limitations is a law that regulates how long after an injury you can sue. The statute of limitations that your Washington personal injury lawyer must abide by is three years. This means that your personal injury lawyer in Washington must file within three years of your injury (or discovering your injury, if this discovery happened later). If personal injury lawyers in Washington file a suit after this time has expired, the suit will be thrown out, so it is very important to keep the statute of limitations in mind.

Don't wait too long to contact Washington personal injury lawyers, even if you may feel intimidated. You improve your chances of successfully suing by contacting a personal injury lawyer in Washington as soon as you realize you need one.

Fees of Personal Injury Lawyers in Washington

After an injury, you may have medical bills piling up, and you may not even be able to work. Because of this, hiring personal injury lawyers in Washington can seem out of reach—you may be wondering, “where will I find the money?” If you think you can't afford a Washington personal injury lawyer, think again.

Many Washington personal injury lawyers will take cases on a contingency fee basis. When your Washington personal injury lawyer accepts a case “on contingency,” it means that you pay nothing upfront. Instead, Washington personal injury lawyers take a portion of the proceeds of the lawsuit—usually between 33 and 40 percent. Your Washington personal injury lawyer may vary this fee based on whether you settle out of court or go to trial.

Personal injury lawyers in Washington understand that you may not have the money to pay legal fees upfront. The biggest advantage of the contingency fee arrangement is that if you lose your case, you do not owe your Washington personal injury lawyers anything. You pay only if you win, and only a portion of your award. With a contingency fee arrangement, anyone can afford to hire a personal injury lawyer in Washington to help represent them.