Frequently Asked Questions

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Stevens Law PLLC represents clients in a wide range of personal injury cases, including car collisions, slip and falls, dog bites, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, assaults, wrongful death, and civil rights violations. We typically do not handle property damage claims unless the client also suffered bodily injury, and only when liability is in dispute.

A valid claim typically involves proving that someone else’s negligence or intentional act caused your injury. Contact us for a free consultation, and we’ll evaluate the details of your case, including liability and damages.

Seek medical attention right away, document the scene (if possible), gather witness information, and avoid discussing the incident with insurance companies. Contact Stevens Law PLLC as soon as you can to protect your rights.

In Washington State, the statute of limitations is generally three years from the date of injury, but this can vary by case type. It’s crucial to act promptly—contact us to understand your specific deadline.

Generally, we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no upfront costs. Our fees are a percentage of the settlement or award, payable only if we obtain any recovery for you. However, with medical malpractice cases, we typically request clients to pay around $3,000 for us to use to hire medical experts to review the client's medical records and determine whether the client has a viable medical malpractice claim. The reason for this is because medical malpractice cases require medical expert testimony as evidence that the defendant healthcare provider breached the relevant standard of care and such breach caused the injury complained of. We do not move forward with medical malpractice cases unless we first have an expert opinion that the case is viable. If the client has a viable claim and we choose to move forward with the case, we advance the rest of the litigation costs. The $3,000 the client initially paid gets reimbursed to the client when there is recovery.

Compensation may include medical expenses, lost wages, lost future earnings, pain and suffering, and, in some cases (if allowed by statute) punitive damages. The amount depends on the specifics of your injury and case—let us assess your situation for a tailored estimate.

There are basically two types of damages in personal injury cases -- special damages (or economic damages) and general damages (or non-economic damages). Special damages are the economic damages you suffered -- lost wages, medical bills, transportation costs, etc. General damages are the non-economic damages you suffered -- pain and suffering, humiliation, inconvenience, trauma, etc. While the amount of economic damages are more easily measured because they are supported by bills and receipts, the amount of general damages is harder to value because pain and suffering does not have a price.

Sometimes, the court may award punitive damages. Unlike economic and non-economic damages, which are compensatory damages intended to compensate the plaintiff for their loss and make them whole again, punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant for intentional or wanton conduct. However, unless authorized by statute, Washington law does not allow punitive damages.

The duration varies based on case complexity, severity of injuries, and negotiation or trial processes.

As a general practice, before submitting a demand to the defendant's insurance company, we wait for you to finish with all of your medical treatment. We want you to heal 100% to where you were before the injury-causing incident. If you are not back to 100%, then we want you to be at maximum medical recovery. When you are finished with your treatment, we order your medical records and bills from all of your treating providers, and we put together a demand package to submit to the defendant's insurance company. If we are unable to settle with the insurance company, then we file a lawsuit.

Some cases resolve in months, while others may take a year or more. We’ll keep you informed every step of the way.

Sometimes liability is disputed. We’ll conduct a thorough investigation, gather evidence, and, if needed, work with experts to prove liability. Stevens Law PLLC is prepared to fight aggressively to establish the other party’s responsibility.

Washington follows a comparative negligence rule, meaning you can still recover damages even if you were partially at fault, though your compensation may be reduced. For example, if the jury finds your damages to be $100,000, but finds you 60% at fault and the defendant 40% at fault, the defendant would only have to pay you $40,000. Bear in mind, under Washington law, if the jury were to find you are more than 50% at fault because you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the defendant does not have to pay you anything.