If you were injured in an accident in Kent, you have the right under Washington law to seek payment for your injuries from the person who caused them. But knowing you have that right and getting a fair result are two completely different things.
The road to getting paid is walled off by deadlines, complicated paperwork, and insurance companies that are built to protect their bottom line. Taking all that on while you're trying to recover from an injury is no easy task, which is why many injured people turn to a Kent personal injury lawyer to handle the process and keep their claim on track.
Our job is to take that burden off your shoulders. We handle the entire legal process so you can focus on one thing: getting better.
If you’re wondering what your options are, we can give you clear answers. Call Pendergast Law for a straightforward, no-cost discussion about your case at (425) 228-3860.
Why Do People in Kent Trust Pendergast Law?
Three Decades of Advocacy
For over 30 years, our firm has represented the injured in Washington. We started as Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S., and though the name is now Pendergast Law, our core team and mission have never changed.
That consistency is our foundation. We’ve always focused on one thing: representing people, not corporations or insurance companies. This means every bit of our experience is aimed at helping you put your life back together after a serious injury, including guiding you through what to expect for a personal injury case to settle so the process feels less overwhelming.
Results That Speak for Themselves
J.P. Pendergast, our firm’s owner, brings a distinct advantage to your case. Before dedicating his career to helping the injured, he was a King County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. He saw firsthand how the other side builds cases, how they negotiate, and how they operate in court. That background gives him the insight to anticipate their moves and build a stronger case for you.
His commitment to his clients has been recognized by his peers. He’s been named one of the "Top 100 Trial Lawyers" by The National Trial Lawyers and is a recipient of "America’s Top 100 Attorneys Lifetime Achievement Award."
A Record of Results
We’ve secured well over a hundred million dollars in verdicts and settlements for our clients. While every case is different and past results don't guarantee a future outcome, these examples show our commitment to pursuing the maximum compensation available:
- $1.925 Million Recovery: We represented a Federal Way family in a wrongful death claim after a tragic freeway rollover.
- $1.625 Million Recovery: Our firm secured this result for an Ellensburg family in a wrongful death claim involving a highway design defect.
Our Commitment to You
When you work with our firm, you get a clear set of promises:
- A Free, No-Strings-Attached Consultation: We'll go over your case, answer your questions, and lay out your options in plain English. There’s no fee and no obligation to work with us.
- Our No-Fee Guarantee: You pay absolutely nothing unless we win your case. We work on a contingency fee, which means our fee is a percentage of the money we recover for you. If there’s no recovery, there’s no fee. Simple as that.
- Direct & Personal Attention: You will work with a dedicated team, including attorneys Pamela Whitney and Shane Moriarty, known for their diligent and compassionate approach with every client.
How Is a Personal Injury Settlement Calculated in Washington?
The goal of a personal injury settlement is straightforward: to cover every single cost and loss the accident forced on you. In Washington, this compensation is broken down into two main types: economic damages and non-economic damages, which is the foundation of what you must document when you file a personal injury claim.
What Are Economic Damages?
Economic damages are the tangible losses you can stack up and count. Think of them as the pile of receipts, bills, and pay stubs that exist only because you were injured. They are meant to restore what was taken from you financially.
- Medical Bills (Current and Future): This includes everything from the ambulance ride and ER visit to future surgeries, physical therapy, medications, and any medical equipment you might need.
- Lost Wages: This is direct repayment for the income you lost while you were physically unable to work.
- Loss of Earning Capacity: If your injuries are permanent and prevent you from returning to your old job or earning what you used to, you can be compensated for this future loss of income.
- Property Damage: In a crash, this covers the cost to repair or replace your vehicle and anything else that was damaged.
What Are Non-Economic Damages?
Non-economic damages compensate you for the human cost of the injury. These losses don't come with a receipt, but they are just as real and frequently more disruptive than the financial ones. Our job is to paint a clear picture of how your life has been altered.
- Pain and Suffering: This compensates you for the physical pain, discomfort, and mental distress your injuries have caused.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: If your injuries prevent you from participating in hobbies, sports, or family activities you once loved, this seeks to place a value on that loss.
- Emotional Anguish: This addresses the psychological toll of an accident, such as fear, anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
How Does Washington's "Comparative Fault" Rule Affect Your Claim?
Washington follows a rule called pure comparative negligence. It's a legal concept that means you can still recover money even if you were partly at fault for the accident. However, your final award will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Insurance companies know this rule inside and out. They will conduct a thorough investigation looking for any piece of evidence to argue that you were at fault. Our role is to build a case that keeps them accountable and ensures no amount of blame is unjustly put on you.
Where Do Serious Accidents Happen in Kent?
While an accident can happen anywhere, certain spots in Kent are well-known collision magnets due to traffic volume and road design. Drawing from our experience and traffic data from sources like the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), a few hotspots stand out.
Kent's Toughest Roads and Intersections
We see a number of cases that come from Kent’s main arteries:
- SR 167 (Valley Freeway): As the main north-south commuter route connecting Kent with Renton and Auburn, this freeway is a breeding ground for high-speed rear-end and lane-change collisions, especially during rush hour.
- Intersections along Kent-Kangley Road (SR 516): This primary east-west road is choked with businesses and residential access points. Intersections like the one at 132nd Ave SE get dangerously clogged, raising the risk of T-bone crashes.
- Central Avenue: Cutting through the heart of Kent's commercial district, this road is a chaotic mix of cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and buses, making it a hotspot for all types of accidents.
- James Street and Washington Avenue: This intersection is a central hub in downtown Kent that handles a huge volume of traffic and can be a nightmare for drivers during peak hours.
Local Accident Factors
Several local conditions contribute to accidents around Kent:
- Weather: The Puget Sound region’s constant rain, morning fog, and occasional black ice can slash visibility and turn roads slick in an instant.
- Time of Day: It’s no surprise that weekday rush hour traffic packs Kent’s roads, leading to a spike in collisions.
- Road Construction: With Kent's continuous growth, construction projects create sudden lane shifts and unexpected hazards that can easily catch drivers off guard.
What Is PIP Coverage and How Does It Affect My Claim?
One of the most immediate financial pressures after a crash comes from medical bills and lost paychecks. This is where Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, comes in. It's a type of no-fault insurance coverage available on your own auto policy, and understanding how it works is part of what helps you choose the right personal injury lawyer who can coordinate your benefits and protect your claim.
Here’s what that means: PIP pays for your initial medical bills and some lost wages regardless of who was at fault for the accident. In Washington, insurers are required to offer you PIP coverage, and you have to reject it in writing if you don't want it.
Standard PIP coverage in Washington typically provides:
- Up to $10,000 for medical expenses.
- Up to $10,000 in wage loss benefits (often capped at $200/week).
- Coverage for things like prescriptions, physical therapy, and even essential services like house cleaning if your injuries prevent you from doing them.
PIP acts as your primary insurance, paying your doctors directly without co-pays until the limit is reached. Once your PIP benefits are used up, your private health insurance would then take over.
Using your PIP coverage does not stop you from pursuing a claim against the at-fault driver. In fact, it provides a financial cushion that allows you to get the medical care you need right away while we build your case against the other driver’s insurance for the remainder of your damages.
We Handle a Wide Range of Kent Personal Injury Claims
Common Types of Accidents We See
- Car Accidents: The most common claims we handle, frequently caused by distracted driving, speeding, or impairment.
- Commercial Truck Accidents: These cases are much more involved than a typical car crash. They involve federal regulations, multiple parties who could be at fault (the driver, the trucking company, the maintenance shop), and often result in devastating injuries.
- Motorcycle Accidents: We understand the unfair stereotypes motorcyclists face. We fight to make sure the facts, not bias, determine the outcome.
- Bicycle & Pedestrian Accidents: Our firm is dedicated to protecting the rights of the most vulnerable people on our roads who have been hit by a vehicle.
- Slip and Fall (Premises Liability): We hold property owners accountable when their failure to maintain safe conditions (like cleaning up spills, fixing broken stairs, or providing good lighting) causes a preventable injury.
- Dog Bites: Washington has a strict liability dog bite law. This means an owner is responsible for bite injuries even if the dog has never shown aggression before.
Common Injuries That Result From These Accidents
- Soft Tissue Injuries: Conditions like whiplash from a rear-end collision, which can cause chronic pain if not properly documented.
- Broken Bones: Fractures that might require surgery and months of rehabilitation.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): These can range from a "mild" concussion with lasting cognitive issues to severe injuries causing permanent disability.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Damage that may lead to partial or full paralysis, requiring a lifetime of medical care.
The Washington State Statute of Limitations
You have a limited time to take legal action. In Washington, you generally have three years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. This is called the statute of limitations.
While three years might sound like a long time, the practical deadline is much shorter. Every week that passes, witness memories fade, surveillance videos are erased, and physical evidence disappears. Acting quickly gives us the best shot at building the strongest case for you.
How Do You Prove the Full Value of a Claim?
Getting a fair settlement comes down to proving the total impact the injury has had on your life, and what it will cost you in the future. For serious injuries, this sometimes requires us to bring in a team of experts.
- Medical Experts: We work with trusted physicians and specialists who can review your medical records and provide a professional opinion on the extent of your injuries, the future treatment you’ll likely need, and the long-term physical limitations you may face.
- Accident Reconstructionists: When fault is disputed, these experts use physics and engineering to analyze the crash scene. They examine skid marks, vehicle damage, and debris patterns to create a scientifically based model of how the accident actually happened.
- Vocational Experts: If your injuries prevent you from returning to your job, a vocational expert assesses how your physical and mental limitations affect your ability to work. They analyze your skills, work history, and the job market to determine your loss of future earning capacity.
- Economists: These experts take the information from medical and vocational experts and calculate the total financial impact of your injury over your lifetime. This includes future medical costs, lost wages, and inflation.
Using experts sends a clear message to the insurance company: we are prepared to prove every dollar we are demanding for you.
Dealing With the Insurance Company After a Kent Accident
Shortly after an accident, you’ll probably get a call from the other party's insurance adjuster. It’s useful to remember that insurance companies are for-profit businesses. They have a duty to their shareholders to control costs, which puts them in direct conflict with your goal of being fully and fairly compensated, and this dynamic often shapes how an accident affect your personal injury claim when they look for ways to limit what they pay.
Here’s What to Be Mindful Of
Insurance adjusters are skilled negotiators. Here are a few common tactics they use, not to paint them as villains, but to help you understand the process:
- The Recorded Statement: The adjuster might ask for a recorded statement about the accident. While it sounds routine, the purpose is to find anything you say that could be used to blame you or downplay your injuries. It's best to politely decline until you've spoken with a lawyer.
- The Quick Settlement Offer: You may get an offer right away, sometimes before you even know how serious your injuries are. It's tempting to take it as bills start to mount, but accepting it means you sign away your right to any future compensation—even if your injuries get worse.
- Requests for Broad Medical Authorizations: An adjuster may ask you to sign a form to get your medical records. These forms are typically written to give them access to your entire medical history, so they can hunt for pre-existing conditions to blame for your pain. We make sure they only get the records directly related to the accident.
- The Slow-Down: Sometimes, the claims process moves at a snail's pace, buried in paperwork. This can be a tactic in itself. As your bills get higher, the pressure to accept a low offer just to be done with it can become intense. Our team handles all of this communication to keep the pressure on them, not you.
What Should You Do From Home to Strengthen Your Claim?
While we manage the legal work, there are simple but powerful steps you can take to protect your rights and strengthen your own case.
- Follow Your Doctor's Orders: Your health comes first. Go to all your appointments, complete your physical therapy, and take your medications. This not only helps your recovery but also creates a clear medical record that proves the extent of your injuries.
- Keep a Journal: Each day, jot down your pain levels on a 1-10 scale. Note any physical tasks you couldn’t do ("couldn't lift the laundry basket," "pain flared up after 10 minutes of walking") and how the injury is affecting your mood and daily life. This journal becomes a powerful tool for proving your non-economic damages.
- Track Your Expenses: Keep every single receipt related to the accident in one file. This includes co-pays, prescription costs, gas mileage for driving to the doctor, and any other out-of-pocket expense.
- Stay Off Social Media: Insurance companies hire people to look at your social media. A single photo or comment, even if taken out of context, can be used to argue your injuries aren't as bad as you say. The safest move is to not post anything about your accident, your recovery, or your daily activities.
- Let Us Handle Communications: Once we represent you, you don't have to talk to the insurance company ever again. Refer any calls or letters directly to our office. This protects you from saying something that could accidentally damage your case.
Frequently Asked Questions for a Kent Personal Injury Lawyer
What if the at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured?
This is a tough, but common, scenario. If the driver who hit you has no insurance or not enough to cover your damages, we look to your own auto policy for Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage. In Washington, insurers must offer this coverage, though you can decline it in writing. We can help you file a UIM claim with your own insurance company to cover your losses.
What if my injuries didn’t seem serious right after the accident?
Adrenaline can mask pain, and some serious injuries, like concussions or whiplash, don’t show symptoms for hours or even days. It is very important to get a medical evaluation after any accident, even if you feel fine. Delaying treatment can not only be bad for your health but can also make it easier for an insurance company to argue that your injuries weren't caused by the crash.
How long will it take to resolve my personal injury case?
There's no single answer as every case is unique. A straightforward case with clear fault and minor injuries might settle within a few months. A case involving serious or permanent injuries, disputed liability, or multiple parties could take a year or more, especially if a lawsuit is necessary. Our goal is always to secure a fair result for you, not a fast one.
I was a passenger in a friend’s car. Do I have to sue my friend?
This is a very common concern. The answer is no, you are not suing your friend personally. You are making a claim against an insurance policy—either your friend's, the other driver's, or even your own. You are seeking payment from a large corporation that was paid premiums for exactly this situation. The goal is to make sure your medical bills are covered by the insurance that was purchased for this very purpose, not out of your friend's pocket.
You Don't Have to Face This Alone
The time after an injury is filled with pain, confusion, and financial stress. You might feel pressured to just accept whatever the insurance company offers you.
You have another choice.
Let us give you the clarity and support you need. For over 30 years, our team at Pendergast Law has guided people in Kent through this exact process. We handle every legal detail from start to finish so you can focus your energy on what truly matters: your health and your family.
Take the next step. Contact our Kent personal injury team for a free, confidential case review at (425) 228-3860.