Seattle Car Accident Lawyer
Reviewed by Michael Gustafson, founding attorney, Emerald Law Group. Seattle University School of Law, J.D. 2004 (magna cum laude); six-time Washington Rising Star. Last updated October 29, 2026.
If you were hurt in a crash on I-5, Aurora Avenue, Rainier Avenue or any other Seattle street, Washington law lets you recover your medical bills, lost income and the harm the injuries have done to your life from the driver who caused it. The insurance company on the other side will start building its case against you within days. Emerald Law Group has represented people injured in car accidents in King County and across Washington since 2010, and our attorneys spent the early part of their careers defending insurance companies, so we know how adjusters value these claims and where they cut corners. The consultation is free, there is no fee unless we recover compensation for you, and you can talk to a Seattle car accident lawyer today at 206-826-5160.
What should I do after a car accident in Seattle?
- Call 911 if anyone is hurt, and get the police report number. Seattle Police handle crashes on city streets; the Washington State Patrol handles I-5, I-90, SR-520 and SR-99.
- Get medical care the same day. Harborview Medical Center is the region’s Level I trauma center; urgent care or your own doctor is fine for less serious injuries. Gaps in treatment are the first thing an adjuster uses against you.
- Photograph everything: the vehicles, the intersection, skid marks, signals and your injuries. Get witnesses’ names and phone numbers before they leave.
- Open a PIP claim with your own insurer (see below). It pays your medical bills regardless of fault.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company, and do not accept an early settlement offer.
- Call a lawyer early, before intersection camera footage is overwritten and vehicle data is lost.
Who pays my medical bills after a Seattle car accident?
Usually your own coverage first. Washington insurers must offer Personal Injury Protection (PIP) with every auto policy under RCW 48.22.085, and it can only be declined in writing. PIP pays medical bills and some lost wages regardless of who caused the crash, with at least $10,000 in medical coverage under RCW 48.22.095. Your health insurance may also pay. Those insurers are reimbursed from your settlement, and part of our job is negotiating those reimbursement claims down so you keep more of the recovery.
The at-fault driver’s liability insurance pays your full damages, but Washington’s minimum liability limits are only $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash under RCW 46.29.090. A serious injury can exceed that quickly, which is why your own underinsured motorist coverage matters.
What if the other driver was uninsured, underinsured, or fled the scene?
Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage steps into the at-fault driver’s shoes. Washington insurers must offer it under RCW 48.22.030, and many policies include it. UM coverage can also apply to hit-and-run crashes, but the law sets conditions, including reporting the crash promptly and having evidence of the other vehicle beyond your own account, so report a hit-and-run to police right away and call us. We review every policy that might apply, including policies held by members of your household and umbrella coverage. Your own insurer still works to pay as little as possible on a UM/UIM claim, and we handle it the same way we handle the other driver’s insurer.
What if I was partly at fault?
You can still recover. Washington follows pure comparative fault under RCW 4.22.005: your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, not eliminated. Insurers assign fault aggressively in rear-end, lane-change and left-turn crashes. We answer with the police report, witness statements, intersection and traffic camera footage, vehicle event data and, where needed, accident reconstruction.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Washington?
Generally three years from the date of the crash under RCW 4.16.080. If a City of Seattle vehicle, a King County Metro bus, a Sound Transit vehicle or another local government vehicle was involved, a pre-suit claim and a 60-day waiting period are required first under RCW 4.96.020. Claims involving state vehicles, including WSDOT and Washington State Patrol, go through RCW 4.92.100. Evidence disappears long before any deadline, so call early.
What is my Seattle car accident case worth?
It depends on your injuries, your medical bills and lost income, how clear fault is, and how much insurance is available. Washington allows recovery of:
- Medical expenses, past and future, including surgery, therapy and medication
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering, emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life
- Vehicle repair or replacement and other property damage
- Long-term care and home modifications for serious injuries
Washington does not cap non-economic damages in ordinary injury cases, and punitive damages are generally not available. When a crash is fatal, the family may bring a wrongful death claim. No honest lawyer can give you a number on the first call, but we can tell you which of these factors will drive your case.
Where do car accidents happen in Seattle?
Seattle’s crashes concentrate on a handful of corridors. I-5 through downtown and over the Ship Canal Bridge produces chain-reaction rear-end crashes whenever traffic stops suddenly. I-90 and SR-520 see high-speed merges and bridge congestion. SR-99, including Aurora Avenue North and the downtown tunnel approaches, combines high speeds with frequent turning traffic. Surface arterials such as Rainier Avenue South, Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, Lake City Way and 15th Avenue West see left-turn, red-light and pedestrian crashes. The City of Seattle’s Vision Zero program focuses on many of these streets. Whatever the location, the first records we obtain are the Seattle Police or Washington State Patrol collision report and any available traffic or business camera footage.
How we build a car accident case
- Obtain the collision report, 911 recordings and body or dash camera video
- Preserve intersection, traffic and business surveillance footage before it is overwritten
- Download vehicle event data where it matters
- Interview witnesses and, in disputed cases, retain accident reconstruction experts
- Subpoena phone records when distracted driving is suspected
- Document every medical bill, missed workday and the effect of the injuries on your daily life
- File in King County Superior Court when the insurer will not pay fair value
How much does a Seattle car accident lawyer cost?
Nothing up front. Emerald Law Group works on a contingency fee: the consultation is free, we advance the case costs, and our fee is a percentage of the recovery. If there is no recovery, you owe no attorney fee. Washington’s Rules of Professional Conduct require that agreement in writing, and we go over it with you before you sign.
Why people choose Emerald Law Group
- Insurance-defense experience. Our attorneys used to represent insurance companies. We know their playbook because we used to run it.
- Lawyers, not case managers. Michael Gustafson, Donna Mack or Justin Dale handles your case, and you can reach them directly.
- Trial-ready. Adjusters pay more to firms that file in King County Superior Court and take cases to trial. We do.
- Service in Spanish. Our intake staff speaks Spanish.
- Two offices. Downtown Seattle at 605 First Avenue, Suite 325, and Tacoma at 524 Tacoma Ave S.
Car accident case results
Past results do not guarantee a future outcome, but they show the kind of cases we handle:
- $2.4 Million – Insurance bad-faith verdict arising from a T-bone collision
- $781,000 – Car accident
- $1.74 Million – Pedestrian accident
- $420,000 – Drunk driving injury
- $450,000 – Motorcycle accident
Specific types of car accidents
- Seattle Uber Accident Lawyer — Rideshare crashes involving Uber drivers, insurance and the claims process.
- Rear-End Collisions — What to do after being rear-ended in Seattle.
- Drunk Driving (DUI) Accidents — Holding impaired drivers, and sometimes the bars that overserved them, accountable.
- Distracted Driving Accidents — How phone use and other distractions cause crashes.
- T-Bone Collision (Case Study) — A Seattle T-bone crash and the insurance bad-faith verdict that followed.
- Hit-and-Run / Uninsured Driver (UM/UIM) Claims — Options when the at-fault driver flees or lacks insurance.
- Head-On Collisions — Among the most dangerous crashes on the road.
Seattle car accident FAQs
Should I talk to the other driver’s insurance company?
No. You are not required to give them a statement, and anything you say will be used to reduce your claim. Refer them to us.
I didn’t go to the hospital right away. Can I still make a claim?
Yes. Many injuries, including concussions and neck and back injuries, show up hours or days later. Get evaluated as soon as you notice symptoms; the sooner treatment starts, the harder it is for an insurer to argue the injury came from something else.
I was a passenger. Who pays?
A passenger is rarely at fault, so the claim is usually against the at-fault driver’s insurance, and sometimes against more than one driver. PIP and UM/UIM coverage, including the policy covering the car you were in, may also apply.
Do you handle Uber and Lyft crashes?
Yes. Rideshare policies carry up to $1 million in coverage while a ride is in progress. See our Seattle Uber accident lawyer page.
How long will my case take?
Straightforward claims often settle six to twelve months after treatment ends. Cases that require a lawsuit in King County Superior Court usually take one to two years.
Will my case go to court?
Probably not. Most car accident cases settle. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial, because that is what produces fair offers, but a trial only happens if the insurer refuses to pay what the case is worth and you choose to proceed.
Is my consultation confidential?
Yes. What you tell us is privileged and confidential whether or not you hire us. For more answers, see our car accident FAQ page.
Talk to a Seattle car accident lawyer today
If you were injured in a car accident in Seattle or anywhere in King County, call Emerald Law Group at 206-826-5160 or request a free consultation online. We answer the phone, we return calls, and we don’t get paid unless you do.
