Personal Injury

The most common types of personal injury claims are traffic accidents, accidents at work, tripping accidents, assault claims, accidents in the home, and product defect accidents (product liability). If the negligence of another party can be proved, the injured party may be entitled to monetary compensation. In Western Washington, this system can be complex and controversial. Having an attorney on your side is essential. Wolfe Law Offices have been helping clients with their personal injury cases since 1997. Put our 30+ years of combined experience to work for you. You can make one phone call and have a successful, experienced personal injury attorney fighting for your rights. We will insure that:

• You don’t have to fight with an insurance company.
• You don’t have to settle for less than what you need for full recovery.

Areas of Personal Injury Law

• Auto [Motor Vehicle] Accidents – Negligence or carelessness is often the cause of motor vehicle accidents, with distracted drivers accounting for an estimated 80 percent of automobile accidents. Distracted behaviors such as texting and driving accidents are very closely associated. To learn more, visit our section on motor vehicle accidents.
  
  
• Animal Bites – Domestic animals are responsible for the vast majority of animal bites in the United States. While many dogs are well-behaved, they are involved in far more biting incidents than any other animal. Each year, approximately 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Although very few people die from dog bites, around 800,000 seek medical attention each year, and over half of them are children. In fact, children between 5 and 9 years of age are affected more than any other age group.
  
  
• Assault and Battery – Assault and battery are offenses in both the criminal and civil law arenas. In a criminal case, assault and battery are often part of a single case. However, in civil matters they are separate. Assault is an attempt to physically harm another person, and battery is the actual infliction of harm. In addition to having the perpetrator locked up, victims of assault and battery may be able to collect damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering and other expenses.
  
  
• Defective Drugs – Defective drugs have side effects that can harm people. While drugs undergo extensive clinical trials and the FDA recalls those that are considered dangerous, some drugs are found to be dangerous even after release to the public.
  
  Pharmaceutical companies that knowingly withhold information regarding a drug's potentially harmful effects may be held liable in a court of law. FDA approval does not absolve a drug company of its responsibility to inform consumers and their physicians of a drug's dangerous potential. Drugs that may be defective include Vioxx, Fen-phen and Paxil.
  
  
• Defective Products – A defective product poses an unreasonable risk of causing harm to consumers. Products that have been found defective include certain types of airbags, seatbelts, tires and medical devices, as well as consumer products such as appliances, clothing and toys.
  
  Product manufacturers are held to strict liability standards. This means that the plaintiff in a defective products case need not show negligence or intentional wrongdoing on the part of the manufacturer. Proving that the product is defective and that the plaintiff was harmed is usually sufficient to win the case.
  
  
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – Car accidents are the leading cause of TBI. Other causes include sports, slips and falls and, sadly, child abuse. As with victims of other types of personal injury, victims of traumatic brain injuries that occur due to negligence or willful wrongdoing (and their families) are sometimes able to gain compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, loss of income and other expenses associated with the incident.
  
  
• Wrongful Death – Wrongful death lawsuits are brought on behalf of individuals who died as a result of another person's negligence or wrongful actions. Only the executor of the decedent's estate can file suit, and only designated distributees can receive compensation. If someone you love was killed in a car accident or other tragic situation due to someone else's actions, it is very important that you contact a personal injury lawyer immediately.

Have you or a loved one been seriously injured? A personal injury attorney from Wolfe Law Offices can help you obtain the compensation that you are entitled to. Contact Wolfe Law Offices today to discuss your case in a free consultation. Call 360-782-4200.