Seattle Personal Injury Attorney

Passion for justice. Compassion for people.

Sometimes life reminds us just how much we take for granted. The simple things we enjoy doing. Quality time with the people we care about. When these things are taken away we realize how precious they are. That is what your personal injury case is "worth." We never forget this and channel these thoughts into a zealous pursuit of justice for you.

A personal injury case is ultimately not about law. It is about people. It is about needless suffering. Personal injury law is as much about genuine empathy as it is about lawyering. A big part of our philosophy is to treat clients as people, not mere cases.

As part of that commitment, an experienced personal injury attorney will personally handle your case from start to finish. You will never be handed off to a newbie or unlicensed "negotiator."

Safety and Convenience.

Home and hospital visits are available. If you prefer or feel safer meeting remotely, we can meet speak on the phone and/or meet remotely. An office visit is not required.

No settlement, no attorney fee.

We do not get paid until you do. We handle personal injury claims on a contingency fee basis. That means you never pay an attorney fee unless and until the case is resolved in your favor and you receive monetary compensation for your injuries.

Statute of limitations.

Any claim, no matter how meritorious, must be initiated in court by filing and proper legal service of process before the applicable statute of limitations runs. Also, it is important to start gathering and preserving evidence early. Contact a personal injury attorney for a no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation today.

 

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Advocate Designation

National Institute for Trial Advocacy

775
$775,000 result in multi-car collision.

$775,000 result in multi-car collision after about two years of litigation.

(The background photo is from the accident scene.)

ABA-CAL
175 minor settlment
$175,000 settlement in mediation after offer of $50,000.

$175,000 settlement for a minor ejected from a vehicle in a car accident.

475
$475,000 at mediation. Original offer of $150,000.

$475,000 settlement in mediation for client who lost her spleen and suffered other injuries in a motor vehicle accident. Original offer of $150,000.

do yourself a favor
“Do yourself a favor and use Travis Scott Eller as your attorney.”

Comment from former client.

$82,500
$82,500 settlement after client offered only $8,000 before hiring our attorney.

The insurance company offered only $8,000, an amount well less than his medical expenses.

He hired us. We settled the case for $82,500 without having to go to court.

travis works hard
"Travis works hard for his clients and is a bright lawyer."

Colleague endorsement.

attendees rated your presentation as Excellent
"The attendees rated your presentation as Excellent."

- Feedback from a continuing legal education seminar.

slip fall supermarket
$52,500 slip and fall in supermarket.

The supermarket offered only $4,000.

We filed a lawsuit and the store ultimately settled for $52,500--more than ten times their offer before we sued.

Free personal injury case evaluation.

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation personal injury case evaluation.

No attorney fee until you receive compensation for your injuries.

206-801-1188

Personal Injury Practice Areas

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Personal Injury FAQs

Possibly.

Although a driver of an emergency vehicle has a privilege to violate certain traffic laws in emergency situations, those privileges are not absolute. The emergency vehicle driver must operate the emergency vehicle with due regard for the safety of all persons.

Whether the driver of a police, fire, ambulance, or other emergency vehicle violated legal duties to act with due regard for the safety of others is often far from clear.

Consult with an attorney if you have been injured in a collision with an emergency vehicle.

The primary duty to avoid a collision is on the disfavored driver.

But the right of way is not absolute. The favored driver must also exercise reasonable care for their own safety. Fault may be divided between drivers if the facts support it, even though one driver clearly had the right of way. The driver with the right of way may sometimes be held to be partly at fault.

It is important to contact an attorney as early as possible. Waiting may make it more difficult to prove the insurance company is wrong if they try to blame you.

Possibly.

Minors are held to an adult standard when operating powerful machines, such as driving a car.

Minors are otherwise usually held to the standard of a minor of similar age, experience, and maturity, such as when they are riding a bicycle or when they are a pedestrian.

Minors under age six cannot be negligent as a matter of law.

Parents are not automatically responsible for the actions of their children, but may be liable for accidents caused by minors under legal doctrines such as negligent entrustment and the family car doctrine.

For insurance coverage purposes, “using” a vehicle is not limited to driving. Sometimes when using a vehicle we get out temporarily: to change a tire; get something out of the trunk; assist another motorist; etc.

There may still be insurance coverage under Washington law if you are in close proximity to the vehicle and engaged in an activity essential to the use of the vehicle.

Consult with an attorney if you have been denied coverage, even if you were not in the vehicle.

Even though there are no fees unless and until there is a settlement, how personal injury attorneys handle subrogation and other liens differ and can have a big impact on how much compensation you receive from the personal injury settlement.

You have a right to understand the fee agreement before signing it, and attorneys have legal and ethical obligations to treat you fairly and answer your questions about how the settlement fees work.

What a personal injury attorney can do for you.

A personal injury attorney can help in many ways, some of which need attention as early as possible.

  • Gather and preserve evidence including vehicle black boxes, witness statements, and surveillance videos, store and preserve the vehicle, and issue subpoenas.
  • Retain medical experts, accident reconstructionists, and other experts.
  • Negotiate a settlement with strategies to maximize your personal injury compensation, gleaned from years of experience and training.
  • If settlement negotiations fail, file the personal injury case in court with appropriate motions and other litigation strategies to put you in the best position to continue negotiations or if need be successfully litigate the personal injury claim.
    • Most cases settle even if filed in court. Hiring an attorney does not always mean you will have to go to court.
    • Being treated unfairly by insurance companies causes you to have to go to court. If you have an attorney, they fear you.
  • Review all insurance coverage (including your own) to ensure you are treated fairly and are fully compensated. Even though you do not pay the attorney until you are financially compensated, as part of the settlement you may be entitled to partial reimbursement from your own insurance company for the attorney contingency fee.

Personal injury attorneys do not charge fees upfront, but how is the money split when there is a settlement?

Almost all personal injury attorneys (including our office) charge a contingency fee, meaning you pay no attorney fee unless and until the attorney successfully recovers money damages for the injury claim. There are other factors in personal injury attorney fees to consider.

In most personal injury cases there are liens for medical bills, even if your insurance paid the medical bills. This is called "subrogation" in legal speak, and will often by law and/or your insurance contract come out of the settlement. Some attorneys charge an additional fee on these liens. How the personal injury attorney handles liens varies from one attorney to the next, and can make a big difference in how much ends up in your pocket. It can quite literally pay to ask.

Each side usually pays their own attorney but in some litigation scenarios, the at-fault party or their insurance company may be required to reimburse you for attorney fees--even if the fee is a contingency fee. The fee agreement with your attorney should spell out how this money is allocated, and this varies from one personal injury attorney to another.

Even though an attorney charges no upfront fees, how the details are handled vary from one law firm to the next and can make a big difference in how much of the personal injury settlement goes to you. When choosing a personal injury attorney, before signing the fee agreement read it carefully and ask questions about how liens and fee-shifting are handled in the fee agreement.

Personal Injury Law Pocket Briefs

Short Outlines on Personal Injury Law

Personal injury law varies a great deal from state to state and sometimes even at the local level. These summaries of Washington personal injury law are meant to be informative, and hopefully even entertaining (or at least not boring) but by no means exhaustive or comprehensive.

It is of course no substitute for legal advice. This disclaimer is ubiquitous on personal injury websites for a reason. While it is helpful to educate yourself, always consult with an attorney before acting (or failing to act).

Updates

Greater Issaquah Toastmasters Celebrates Anniversary

As president of Greater Issaquah Toastmasters it is a pleasure to announce that we recently celebrated the 24th anniversary of our chartering. We had a short meeting followed by food and social time.

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Slip and Fall Leaves Woman Unconscious

A woman in a grocery store slipped and fell, hitting her head a losing consciousness for several minutes.  When she regained consciousness she realized she had slipped in a clear liquid – presumably water. The puddle was about three feet in diameter. There were no foot tracks or cart tracks through the liquid. There were […]

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But Do You Swear it was Malpractice?

  John Doe goes to the dentist. The dentist does a lot of work on John’s teeth. Later John goes to a second dentist. The second dentist concludes the first dentist did some work wrong, and now John needs some corrective work done.

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One Drove Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Mentally Disturbed Woman’s Estate Sues Hospital

A mentally disturbed woman died in a single-car accident after admitting herself for psychiatric treatment, then being released.

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Racially Charged Statements in Medical Malpractice Case

A woman who suffered from kidney disease had a disagreement with her doctor and stopped receiving medical care. She relocated and changed doctors.

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Lost Chance for a Better Outcome

Suppose because of medical negligence the patient’s chances of survival – or other better outcome – are significantly reduced, but perhaps still less than even. The doctors might argue that even though they were negligent, their negligence did not cause the patient’s death.    That argument fails in Washington. Washington courts recognize the cause of […]

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Snow Blind

In the winter of 2009 a near-record six-and-half feet of snow fell in Spokane, Washington.  Snow-plowing created snow berms throughout the city. Mr. Todd came to an intersection. A large snow berm blocked the view to his left. Mr. Todd stopped, looked both ways, then inched into the intersection to try to see if it […]

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Filing Bankruptcy May End Your Personal Injury Claim

J.B. rear-ended L.L., injuring L.L.  L.L. filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy petition. He failed to list the injury claim as an asset. Later he sued J.B. for the personal injury claim. J.B. moved to dismiss the personal injury claim because L.L. had failed to disclose the injury claim in his bankruptcy.

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Burger King Employee Spits in Sheriff Deputy’s Burger

A Clark County Deputy Sheriff drove his marked police cruiser through the drive-thru of a Burger King in Vancouver, Washington. The deputy ordered a Whopper with cheese and drove away with an uneasy feeling after receiving his burger. He pulled into another parking lot down the street, lifted the top bun, and observed what appeared […]

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