Tacoma Car Accident Lawyer

The screech of tires, the jolt of impact—a car accident is a violent and terrifying disruption to your life. One minute you are driving on I-5 or heading home across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and next you are standing on the side of the road, trying to process what just happened.

Now, back at home, you are dealing with the pain, stress, and confusion that follows. If you were injured in a collision caused by another driver's actions, a Tacoma car accident lawyer helps you manage the overwhelming process ahead. Your focus should be on your recovery, not on a stressful battle with insurance companies.

The days following a wreck are filled with challenges. You are in pain, your vehicle is damaged, and you are likely missing work. The financial and emotional pressure mounts quickly, leaving you with more questions than answers.

• How will you pay for the ambulance ride and hospital visit?
• What happens if you need ongoing physical therapy or future medical care?
• Who is responsible for covering your lost wages while you cannot work?

These are serious concerns that demand clear answers. Pursuing a car accident claim is the legal path to holding the at-fault driver accountable and securing the financial resources you need to heal and move forward.

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First Steps to Take After a Tacoma Car Accident

Once you are home from the accident scene and have received initial medical attention, the actions you take are important for protecting your health and your legal rights.

The adrenaline has likely worn off, and you are now feeling the full physical and emotional effects of the crash. This is the time to be organized and methodical.

Your top priority is your well-being. Some injuries, especially whiplash and certain back injuries, have symptoms that worsen or appear days after the collision.

Following through with all recommended medical care is the most important thing you can do for your recovery.

1. Document Your Experience: Begin a dedicated notebook or digital file for everything related to the accident. Keep all medical records, bills, and receipts. Write down the claim number from the insurance company and the police report number.
2. Keep a Daily Health Journal: Each day, make notes about your physical pain, emotional state, and any limitations. Document how the injuries affect your daily life—for instance, if you are unable to carry groceries, drive your kids to school, or enjoy a walk at Wapato Park. This detailed record is a powerful tool.
3. Preserve All Evidence: Do not delete any photos or videos from the accident scene. Save any contact information you have for witnesses. If your car is damaged, do not have it repaired until the insurance company has had a chance to inspect it.

It is also wise to be cautious in your communications. An insurance adjuster from the other driver's company will likely call you. Their goal is to settle the claim for the lowest amount possible. You are not required to provide them with a formal recorded statement.

Common Causes of Car Wrecks in the Tacoma Area

Tacoma and Pierce County roads present unique challenges, from the heavy traffic around the Port of Tacoma to the wet, slick conditions we see so often. While any collision is possible, most are caused by predictable and preventable driver errors. 

Identifying the cause of your crash is the first step in establishing who is at fault. Driver negligence is the root cause of the majority of traffic accidents.

• Distracted Driving: This is a leading cause of collisions nationwide. In Tacoma, this includes drivers texting while navigating the busy intersections downtown, changing a playlist while on SR-16, or being otherwise preoccupied instead of focusing on the road.
• Speeding and Aggressive Driving: Exceeding the speed limit or driving aggressively—such as tailgating or making unsafe lane changes on I-5—dramatically reduces a driver's reaction time and increases the severity of a crash.
• Driving Under the Influence (DUI): A driver impaired by alcohol or drugs has slowed reflexes, poor judgment, and blurred vision. They are a danger to everyone on the road.

Other common causes include drivers who fail to yield the right-of-way, run red lights, or drive while fatigued. A thorough investigation uncovers the specific acts of negligence that led to your injuries.

How a Tacoma Car Accident Lawyer Proves Fault

To secure compensation for you, a Tacoma car accident lawyer must prove that the other driver was legally at fault for the crash. The legal concept for fault in these cases is "negligence."

Negligence means that someone had a responsibility to act with reasonable care, they failed to do so, and their failure caused you harm. Your legal team works to build a case that establishes four specific elements of negligence.

1. Duty: The other driver owed you a duty of care. Every person operating a vehicle on a public road has a legal duty to drive safely and obey traffic laws.
2. Breach: The driver breached, or violated, that duty. Examples of a breach include speeding, texting while driving, or running a stop sign.
3. Causation: The driver’s breach of duty was the direct cause of the accident and your injuries. Your lawyer must draw a clear line from their careless action to the harm you suffered.
4. Damages: You incurred actual damages as a result of the accident. These damages include your medical bills, lost income, vehicle damage, and pain and suffering.

Proving these elements requires gathering and analyzing evidence, such as the police report, witness interviews, traffic camera footage, and expert testimony.

Dealing with Insurance Companies After a Collision

After a crash, you will quickly discover that insurance companies are not necessarily on your side, not even your own. Insurance is a business, and adjusters are trained to protect the company's profits by minimizing claim payouts. They use specific tactics to achieve this goal.

An adjuster for the at-fault driver may contact you and sound very concerned and helpful. It is their job to build rapport with you while looking for information that weakens your claim.

• Requesting a Recorded Statement: They will ask to record a conversation with you about the accident. They hope you will say something that downplays your injuries or inadvertently admits some fault. You have the right to decline this request.
• Making a Quick, Low Settlement Offer: If it is clear their driver was at fault, they may offer you a fast check. This offer is almost always a lowball amount that will not cover the full, long-term cost of your injuries. Once you accept it, you lose the right to ask for more.
• Disputing the Severity of Your Injuries: They may go through your medical records and argue that your treatment was excessive or that your injuries are not as serious as you claim.

Having a lawyer handle all communication with the insurance company protects you from these strategies and ensures your claim is taken seriously.

Compensation You May Be Entitled to Receive

When you are injured because of another driver's negligence, you have the right to seek financial compensation for all of your losses. This compensation is referred to as "damages" in a legal context.

The purpose of damages is to restore you to the financial position you were in before the accident and to compensate you for the physical and emotional ordeal you have been through.

Damages in a car accident claim are generally divided into two main types: economic damages and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

These are the tangible, out-of-pocket financial losses you have suffered. They are calculated using bills, receipts, and other financial documents.

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost wages and income from missed work
• Loss of future earning capacity if you have a long-term or permanent disability
• Vehicle repair or replacement costs
• Other out-of-pocket expenses, like prescription costs

Non-Economic Damages

These damages compensate for the significant, non-financial ways the accident has negatively impacted your life. They are real and substantial losses that deserve to be recognized.

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and mental anguish
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Permanent disability or disfigurement

A dedicated lawyer ensures that both the immediate and the long-term consequences of the accident are fully documented and included in your compensation demand.

Why Choose Pendergast Law as Your Tacoma Car Accident Lawyer?

In the aftermath of a car accident, the lawyer you choose to represent you is one of the most significant decisions you will make. At Pendergast Law, we are committed to providing exceptional legal advocacy for the injured people of Tacoma.

We live and work in this community, and we are passionate about helping our neighbors get the justice and support they need to rebuild their lives.

Our firm is built on trust, communication, and an unwavering commitment to our clients' well-being.

• A Focus on Client Success: We have a long and successful history of standing up to insurance companies and securing favorable results for our clients. Our track record demonstrates our ability to handle complex car accident claims and our determination to fight for the maximum compensation possible.
• Personalized Attention for You: You are not just another file number to us. We take the time to get to know you, to listen to your story, and to understand the full impact the accident has had on your life. We provide the personal attention and guidance you deserve throughout the entire process.
• Our No-Fee Promise: We handle all car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will never pay any upfront costs or attorney's fees. We only get paid if we win a settlement or verdict for you. Our success is tied directly to your success.

We are ready to put our experience and resources to work for you, providing the strong legal support you need during this challenging time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tacoma Car Accidents

Regaining Your Footing After a Wreck

A car accident throws your life into chaos, but you have the power to take a positive step toward recovery. Learning about your legal rights and options is the first move in holding the negligent driver accountable and securing the resources you need to heal and provide for your family.

You should not be forced to accept a lowball offer from an insurance company that does not have your best interests at heart. We won't let that happen.

Let the dedicated team at Pendergast Law carry the legal burden for you. We will manage the investigation, the paperwork, and the aggressive negotiations so that you can focus all your energy on getting better.

• Contact us today for a completely free and confidential case evaluation.
• We will listen to what happened and give you straightforward answers to your questions.
• Let us help you understand the path forward and fight for justice.

You need a strong advocate in your corner. Call Pendergast Law today at (253) 238-2410 or visit our contact page to get started.