Personal Injury Lawyers

The immediate aftermath of an accident can be extremely stressful and overwhelming. You should focus on healing, but that’s easier said than done when you face mounting medical bills, lost income, and emotional distress. Fortunately, the Central Washington personal injury lawyers at Calbom & Schwab Law Group, PLLC are here to help. Our law firm has proudly represented the little guy in Central Washington since 1954. No matter who you are or where you come from, you can count on our personal injury attorneys to give you the time of day and make sure you’re heard.

We’re here to review your case, determine fault, calculate damages, and, most importantly, to listen to you. To request a free consultation with our personal injury lawyers in Washington, contact our law firm today.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Washington?

In the state of Washington, you generally have three years from the date of an accident to file a personal injury claim. Once that three-year statute of limitations has passed, you will no longer be able to seek legal action. The deadline to file a personal injury claim may be shorter depending on the circumstances of your case.

While three years sounds like a fair amount of time, it’s best to contact our Washington personal injury attorneys as soon as possible. The lawyers at Calbom & Schwab Law Group, PLLC will help you understand your legal rights and what options you have to seek compensation. The sooner you reach out to our law firm, the better.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

Our team of lawyers handles all types of personal injury cases throughout Washington. If you’ve been seriously hurt because of someone else’s negligence, you can count on Calbom & Schwab Law Group, PLLC for help.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Our personal injury attorneys are ready to help survivors of all kinds of vehicle collisions, whether you were in a high-speed crash in Moses Lake, got hit by a drunk driver in the Tri-Cities, or got into a crash while visiting the Puget Sound.

• Car Accidents: When accidents happen, our lawyers can help you seek compensation for vehicle damage and your medical bills. It doesn’t matter if you were hurt on I-90 while commuting in Central Washington or got into a crash on I-5 while visiting family in Seattle. We’re here to help.
• Motorcycle Accidents: Riding a motorcycle can be thrilling, whether you’re taking in the sights along the Puget Sound or riding with old friends in the Tri-Cities. When crashes happen, motorcyclists can suffer catastrophic injuries that can take months of recovery.
• Pedestrian Accidents: When pedestrians are struck by cars and other motor vehicles, the aftermath is often devastating. If you’ve been injured as a pedestrian, our personal injury lawyers are here to help.
• Bicycle Accidents: Cyclists are afforded very little protection from outside elements, especially compared to those in other motor vehicles, such as cars or trucks. If you’ve been injured due to another driver’s negligence, our firm stands ready to fight for the compensation you deserve.
• Commercial Truck Accidents: Semi-trucks travel all over Washington and are essential for keeping the economy going. Yet truckers may experience fatigue after long hours on the road, and the major blind spots around a big rig mean there’s a high risk of underride crashes or drivers getting unintentionally run off the road.
• Uber & Lyft Accidents: Rideshares have made getting around more convenient, especially if you’re planning a night out or need to get somewhere in a hurry. If you’re in a crash with a rideshare vehicle, or are hurt while riding in an Uber or Lyft, our lawyers can help untangle the tricky liability laws.
• Boating Accidents: In addition to collisions involving cars, pickups, and SUVs, our lawyers also help boating accident victims throughout Washington. We can help seek damages after any sort of water vessel accident, whether it was on Moses Lake or the Puget Sound.

Workplace Injuries and Industrial Accidents

Many of our friends and neighbors here are blue-collar workers or have careers in the agricultural industry. Our law firm is here to help hard-working people throughout Washington discuss the potential for a third-party personal injury claim.

• Work Injuries: When you get hurt or get sick while doing your job, workers’ compensation alone may not be enough to cover your expenses. Our personal injury attorneys can help determine if you qualify for a third-party claim to help seek additional damages on top of what you receive from L&I.
• Construction Site Injuries: Injured construction workers could suffer long-term or permanent disabilities after a major fall or other kinds of accidents. Calbom & Schwab Law Group, PLLC is here to help construction workers and their families recover and hold negligent third parties accountable for causing harm.
• Farm-Related Injuries: Farmers and ranchers face plenty of dangers doing their jobs. Our law firm can provide legal help after injuries due to farm equipment, animal attacks, heat exhaustion, and exposure to dangerous chemicals or substances.

Other Causes of Serious Injuries

Accidents can happen at any time and anywhere, so our Washington personal injury lawyers are ready to provide legal representation for anyone injured at a local store, in an assisted-living facility, or while out and about in the neighborhood.

• Nursing Home Negligence: We trust people who care for our elderly loved ones to do the right thing. Sadly, there are many instances of abuse and neglect at assisted-living facilities throughout Washington. Our lawyers look out for people who are vulnerable, and we’re ready to protect senior citizens from mistreatment.
• Premises Liability Claims: All kinds of injuries can occur at a business or while visiting someone’s home. Our lawyers can help with everything from slip, trip, and fall cases due to wet floors at a local Fred Meyer to a lack of security around events and venues in the Seattle area.
• Dog Bites and Attacks: Washington’s strict liability laws hold dog owners responsible when their pet bites others. If you or your child was attacked or mauled by a dog, our attorneys can hold the dog owner liable. We’ll also consider local leash laws and other ordinances that may apply to the attack.
• Defective or Dangerous Products: When a vehicle, a toy, work equipment, or an electronic device fails and causes harm, the makers of that product should be held responsible for your injuries. Calbom & Schwab Law Group, PLLC can level the playing field and help you take on major companies that put profits over safety.
• Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI): Serious injuries to the spine can cause paralysis and permanent changes in your quality of life. If you were in a serious accident that resulted in paraplegia or quadriplegia, our Washington personal injury attorneys are ready to advocate for you.
• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): Major head trauma can have lasting effects on your memory, your mood, your motor skills, and your ability to concentrate. When your life has been changed because of brain damage in an accident, our law firm is here to make sure the negligent party is held accountable.

Fatal Accidents and Injuries

If you’ve lost a loved one in an accident, you have our condolences. In these tragic situations, our lawyers can help you file a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent party. The damages from a wrongful death lawsuit will help address some of the grief, pain, and loss associated with the preventable death of a loved one.

As with personal injury claims, there is a three-year statute of limitations to file a wrongful death lawsuit in the state of Washington.

Why Choose Our Lawyers for Your Personal Injury Case

There are many personal injury law firms to choose from based in Central Washington, but Calbom & Schwab Law Group, PLLC provides genuine attention and care to every client who comes to us. We have deep ties to the people who live in this part of Washington, and we make sure to listen carefully so we can give you useful advice and be the advocate you need during a difficult time.

• Se Habla Español: Our personal injury law firm is proud to help injured Spanish speakers throughout the state of Washington. We have Spanish-speaking staff at all of our office locations. Whether you contact us in Moses Lake, Pasco, Wenatchee, or Seattle, we’ll provide bilingual legal services so you can get the help you need.
• We Can Accommodate Injuries and Your Schedule: Accessibility is extremely important to us, and we know how serious injuries can affect mobility and transportation. Our personal injury lawyers can travel throughout Washington for consultations and meetings. We can also schedule morning, evening, and weekend consultations to accommodate your schedule.
• A Record of Legal Success: Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients. We don’t just consider the dollar value of a lawsuit. Our lawyers have also worked on complex cases that have gone all the way to the Washington Supreme Court, changing laws to benefit working people all over the state.
• If We Don’t Win, You Don’t Pay: In addition to free case reviews, our law firm works on a contingency fee basis. That means clients don’t pay us a dime unless and until we settle their case or win damages in court. If we don’t win, you don’t pay. It’s one of the many ways we look out for the little guy here in Central Washington.

If you need to tell someone what happened, our Washington personal injury lawyers are ready to listen. Remember: behind the suits, we’re regular people just like you. Contact Calbom & Schwab Law Group, PLLC to get a free consultation from people who care.

Damages in a Personal Injury Lawsuit

The type and amount of damages you can recover in a lawsuit will vary widely based on the unique circumstances of your case. When you meet with our personal injury lawyers, we can help you understand how much your case is worth based on what you’ve experienced.

Damages in personal injury cases typically fall into two categories: economic and non-economic. Some states also allow punitive damages to punish the defendant for particularly egregious behavior. Punitive damages are rare in personal injury cases in the state of Washington, however.

Common economic damages in personal injury cases include:

• Medical expenses
• Ongoing healthcare costs
• Lost wages
• Lost future earning potential
• Property damage
• Alternative transportation costs
• Travel expenses
• Funeral costs

Common non-economic damages in personal injury cases include:

• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Emotional distress
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of consortium
• Disability or disfigurement

Although non-economic damages are harder to calculate, they often account for the most substantial portion of the damage award. While listening to your story, our experienced personal injury attorneys here in Washington will make sure the full extent of your pain and suffering is considered. This includes the way lingering chronic pain affects your quality of life.

How Pure Comparative Negligence Could Affect Your Personal Injury Lawsuit

In Washington State, you can even recover compensation for an injury if you were partially at fault. This is a pure comparative negligence state, meaning that you can still collect some damages even if you are 99% at fault for what happened. The amount of shared fault in the accident will be deducted from the damages awarded.

Many people who come to us didn’t realize they could still seek damages even though they shared some blame for what happened. At Calbom & Schwab Law Group, PLLC, we’re always glad to let people know what their rights are and help them however we can.

An Example of Pure Comparative Negligence

Let’s say that Jane was seriously injured in a car crash because Mary was speeding and ran a red light. In the police report, the officer states that Jane was texting at the time of the accident, making her partially at fault. Despite her contribution to the accident, Jane can still bring a lawsuit against Mary. Any compensation awarded to Jane will be reduced based on her contribution to the accident.

The court decides that Jane’s texting made her 20% liable for the crash. If Jane is awarded $100,000 in damages, she will receive $80,000 because of her share of negligence in the accident.

Don’t Speak to the Insurance Company Without Legal Representation

Remember, the insurance company is not your friend. They will try to take advantage of you at your most vulnerable point to pay out as little as possible. This is one of the many reasons it is so important to have our Washington personal injury lawyers on your side.

Don’t Be Tempted by a Quick Settlement Offer

Insurance companies know you need a settlement check as quickly as possible. You may feel desperate, and we get it—your medical bills are piling up and your paychecks are no longer coming in. We understand why some accident victims are tempted by the first settlement offer, but they often sell themselves short.

At Calbom & Schwab Law Group, PLLC, we know how insurance companies think, and we are here to ensure you get every penny you deserve. Our personal injury attorneys want to make sure our neighbors in Washington are not taken advantage of. We will explain your rights and be your point of contact with the insurance company. We can negotiate a better settlement and help you understand your value.

Contact Our Central Washington Personal Injury Lawyers Today

After a serious injury, the last thing you want to do is fill out paperwork and have an endless back-and-forth with the insurance company. You need time to rest, to recover, and to be with the people closest to you.

Our personal injury attorneys can take that burden off your shoulders. We’ll go to the accident site, fill out the forms, have those tough conversations, and make sure you meet crucial deadlines. For a free case review from our Washington personal injury lawyers, contact our law firm today.