Filing a personal injury lawsuit is tricky business. That is why you need to hire a competent personal injury lawyer with a lot of experience in the industry. If you live in Washington State,or want to file a personal injury lawsuit in the state,you will need to hire a local with a valid license to practice law in Washington State. This is because you want a lawyer with in-depth knowledge of local laws pertaining to personal injury claims. Read on to learn more about Washington State’s negligence laws and personal injury claims.
Washington State’s Negligence Laws
Negligence can loosely be defined as failure to practice or observe an appropriate level of care. If someone gets injured or killed as a result of your failure to practice an appropriate level of care,you can get sued for negligence in a medical malpractice,car accident,wrongful death or a personal injury lawsuit.
Contributory Fault Laws
In Washington State,contributory fault laws are normally applied in personal injury cases. This means that if both the defendant and plaintiff contributed to the incident that led to the injuries,the damages recovered by the plaintiff will be reduced by a factor equivalent to their contribution to the incident. For instance,if a patient fails to notify a doctor about an allergy or a special medical condition they have,but the doctor also fails to ask or check their medical records,both are deemed to be at fault,so their contribution to the resulting injuries will be taken into consideration during determination of damages that can be recovered by the plaintiff.
Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
In Washington State personal injury lawsuits,the plaintiff has to prove a number of things. The first is duty. The plaintiff must prove the defendant owed them a duty of care. Secondly,the plaintiff must prove that there was breach of duty. Thirdly,they must prove that the breach of duty led to injuries. Lastly,the plaintiff must show the injuries that they suffered. Having competent by your side during the personal injury case will make all these easy for you.