Lacerations and abrasions are some of the common types of wounds that victims suffer in personal injury accidents. Depending on the location and severity of these injuries, they may have lasting impacts, creating deep, visible scars that are a constant reminder of this trauma.

Jacobs and Jacobs Personal Injury Law understands the suffering that victims endure in accidents. With a combined experience spanning over 100 years, we are deeply committed to advocacy for victim rights to serve justice while seeking fair compensation. If you have suffered lacerations and abrasions in a car accident or other scenario caused by another person’s negligent actions, contact us today for injury law services in WA.

Understanding Lacerations and Abrasions in Personal Injury Accidents

Lacerations and abrasions are common injuries in motor vehicle accidents and workplace accidents. Lacerations are caused by sharp objects that pierce the skin, while abrasions result from scraping against a rough surface.

Lacerations may occur when pieces of metal and car parts break off during impact in a car or truck accident. Heavy machinery or tools may cause them on a construction site. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists are most vulnerable to abrasions when they are dragged or flung across the pavement.

Some lacerations and abrasions may be minor and require minimal recovery time to heal. However, for many, the lasting impacts of these wounds can be lifelong when deep lacerations or abrasions cause damage to the underlying muscles and tissues. Depending on their location, they may cause facial disfigurement or impact other visible parts of the body, causing psychological impacts that wage war on one’s self-esteem.

The physical pain of these injuries can be extreme, and when healing has finished and scars remain, it can affect your daily life in profound ways. After an accident that leaves you with these wounds, talk to a Washington State injury attorney to get the legal assistance you need to move forward.

Legal Implications of Lacerations and Abrasions

In accidents that result in lacerations and abrasions for victims, if harm was suffered from another person’s negligent actions or inactions, personal injury law allows for the pursuit of compensation. However, it can be complicated to navigate the legal landscape without a personal injury lawyer in Washington State.

Choose a car accident attorney to help you calculate the full extent of your damages before you attempt to file your claim. Insurers are hoping you’ll file the claim yourself because then they can get away with offering a low payout.

What you may not realize is that you could be owed much more money for the extent of your medical expenses to treat these painful injuries. You may have needed surgery, prescriptions, or other out-of-pocket medical costs. Your lacerations and abrasions may have made it impossible for you to go to work until you healed, costing you your income and putting your family in a precarious financial situation.

You may also be entitled to recover the losses that are intangibly related to your injuries, such as your pain and suffering or mental anguish. Additionally, if these injuries left you permanently scarred or disfigured, you can also seek those as part of your compensation award.

Why It’s Important to Hire a Washington State Injury Attorney

You’ll want an advocate who can help you get the full value of your injury claim. Here’s why it’s so important to hire a personal injury lawyer in Washington State:

Proving Fault

Washington State follows an at-fault model, which holds the party who caused the accident responsible for the injuries and damages sustained by the victims. Proving fault requires showing that the other party behaved negligently in the circumstances of the event.

You must show that the defendant owed you a duty of care, that they breached this duty through negligent actions, and that the breach caused you to suffer injuries and financial damages. While some cases may be easier to prove, others may have multiple parties involved or other complex issues that can make it a greater challenge.

Comparative Negligence Rules

There is also the potential to incur some of the blame for your own injuries. Washington State follows a pure comparative negligence rule, allowing for up to 99% fault to claim compensation. However, if you are assigned some of the blame, your compensation will be reduced by your own percentage of fault.

This can become extremely problematic, as insurance companies use various tactics to try to shift some or all of the blame onto victims. They can then justify offering a lower settlement or denying the claim.

Statute of Limitations

Even if you can prove that the other party was negligent, you must make sure you do so within the time limits known as the statute of limitations. In Washington State, you have three years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit with the courts or you will be barred from seeking compensation.

Understand that time is of the essence when another person has caused you to suffer painful lacerations and abrasions. When you hire an attorney to represent you throughout your personal injury matter, you will have someone who is well-versed in the tricks insurers use to lower settlements and deny you the compensation you deserve.

Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group works to protect your legal rights by conducting investigations to uncover the evidence, negotiating for maximum compensation, and standing by your side through the entire process.

How Jacobs and Jacobs Personal Can Assist with Injury Law Services in WA

A personal injury lawyer in Washington State plays a vital role in helping you get your life back to as normal as possible after this horrific event. At Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group, our injury law services in WA are client-focused to prioritize your needs.

We take over a century of combined experience and use it to fight aggressively on your behalf by:

Offering Free Initial Consultations and Client Assessments

You may not be sure of whether or not you have a valid case or the extent of your damages. After suffering these painful injuries, contact us for a free initial case review. We will examine the factors of your case and explain the potential outcomes that may arise. We provide you with legal options, allowing you to decide how you want to proceed at no obligation.

Building a Strong Case for Maximum Compensation

After your accident, you may have been able to get some of the evidence on the scene, such as photos or videos. However, many injured victims don’t think about getting witness contact information. In many cases, they have suffered injuries that require urgent medical treatment and are transported from the accident scene.

In those circumstances, you will need someone who can step in and gather relevant evidence to build a strong case. At Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group, we dive deep into investigations to obtain footage from traffic cameras or nearby businesses. We get your police report and contact the witnesses to get their statements. We also hire expert witnesses who can further demonstrate the defendant’s fault with accident reconstruction as well as medical experts who can provide valuable testimony about the impact of your injuries on your daily life. By providing all of these key pieces of evidence, we can command a higher level of compensation in your case.

Using Our Deep Understanding of the Local Legal Landscape

The local and state laws that may apply in your case tend to be complex. Understanding them deeply and knowing precedents can help turn a case around. Additionally, our familiarity with the local courts and legal staff gives us a leading edge in representing our clients.

Managing Your Claim from the Start

You may be inclined to try to take your injury claim directly to the insurance company. This is where one of two things tends to happen – either they issue you a quick settlement check or they issue a denial of the claim. It may seem like good news to get a settlement offer so quickly, though beware that they do not have your best interests at heart.

Start with Jacobs and Jacobs Injury Law Group, and let us handle all communications with the insurance company. If you’ve already received a settlement offer, let us review it to ensure that you receive the full and fair amount you deserve.

Representing You Through Negotiations and in the Courtroom

Since insurance companies will be trying everything they can to diminish the value of your claim, having a Washington State injury attorney from our law firm will restore the balance needed in your case. We will use facts and evidence as leverage in our negotiations and work to get you a favorable outcome. In the event that they refuse to provide a fair settlement, we’ll be ready to proceed to trial where we can command the courtroom with our powerful case strategies.

When you are hurt through no fault of your own and left with lacerations and abrasions, contact us to engage our injury law services in WA.