There are some lawyers who disagree with me.  These lawyers will tell you that you should ALWAYS call a lawyer immediately after every accident — even before you go see a medical doctor for your injuries!  Some lawyers will go so far as to tell you that you should call a lawyer while sitting in your car waiting for the police.  That’s just bunk.

Those lawyers who tell you to call them within minutes after an accident are usually more interested in collecting a fee than on protecting your best interests.  Choosing a lawyer should be done thoughtfully and carefully.

So how do you know when you should contact a personal injury for your accident case?  Here are some questions to answer:

1. Will your injuries require more than just a few months of medical treatment?
2. Will your total medical bills exceed $3,000 to $5,000?
3. Are your injuries longlasting, permanent, or severely debilitating?
4. Are your injuries catastrophic (i.e., loss of limb, paralysis, brain injury, etc.)
5. Do your injuries involve loss of limb or body part, or is there permanent scarring?
6. Is there a dispute about who caused the accident?
7. Is the insurance company ignoring your calls, or acting rude and unhelpful to you during the claims process?
8. Does the case involve a claim for wrongful death?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then you may likely benefit from the assistance of a qualified personal injury attorney.  You should definitely talk to an attorney to hear how that attorney evaluates your claim. 

That’s why I decided to publish my first book nearly 3 years ago for Washington state accident victims.  Even though the book sells on Amazon for $20, I give the book to accident victims for FREE so they could have good and accurate information about the claims process and personal injury attorneys BEFORE the person actually decides to hire a lawyer.  Do not fall for the lawyer who SCREAMS hire a lawyer immediately after an accident, at least not if you want to make the best decision possible for your personal injury case.

We at the Davis Law Group usually turn down at least 25-35% of new accident cases because we believe the claim does not require the assistance of an attorney.  Sure, we could certainly sign these clients up and collect a fee.  But that wouldn’t be in the client’s best interest because the person could likely recover more compensation without an attorney.

If you’re looking for a Washington state personal injury attorney, do your homework.  Don’t choose the first lawyer you may see on TV.  Choose a lawyer that is more interested in protecting your best interest, and not the lawyer who is more focused on collecting a quick contingency fee.

Davis Law Group announces that it has settled a boating accident case for the sum of $600,000.  The settlement will be funded by two separate insurance policies – both carriers (Allstate and Farmers) tendered their $300,000 insurance policies to settle the claim.

The case involved a boating accident that occurred on July 4, 2006 on Lake Cavanaugh in Skagit County.  A 16 year old girl was being towed on an innertube behind a 17′ speedboat.  The owner of the boat allowed her 13 year old grandson to operate the boat while the young boy sat in her lap.

The 13 year old boy made  a sudden and sharp turn, causing the boat to make an 180 degree turn.  The boat then accelerated toward the girl on the innertube.  The girl was hit and knocked unconscious.  She was forced under the boat where she received severe injuries from the boat’s propeller.  The girl received deep gash wounds and lacerations to her upper thighs and lower legs.  Some ligaments and muscles were severed, which required emergency surgery.  The girl spent a few weeks in the hospital before being discharge with a walker.

The girl’s recovery from the injury was difficult.  She had difficulty walking for several weeks, and she experienced ongoing and sharp “nerve” pain.  She endured more than 14 mos. of medical treatment and therapy.  She was forced to take pain medication for nearly a year.  Her medical bills exceeded $70,000.  Although she made a full recovery (she can walk without difficulty), she now has severe scarring and some noticeable deformity to her upper thighs due to scar tissue and removal.

The grandmother blamed her grandson for causing the accident, thereby necessitating that both be sued and joined as defendants in the case.  Fortunately, DLG discovered that there were two insurance policies that covered the loss. 

The girl’s mother decided to fire their former attorney and hire Mr. Davis.  They claim the former attorney had done nothing on the case for two years, failed to communicate what was going on, and had also made some procedural errors that may have hurt the case. 

Mr. Davis was able to correct the procedural problems, join the grandson in the litigation as an indespensable party, perform more discovery and depositions of witnesses, consult with medical experts about the girl’s need for future care, discover the additional insurance policy, and then negotiate a very favorable settlement for the maximum insurance proceeds available in the case.