Colburn Law

Tacoma Personal Injury Attorney

A personal injury lawsuit is a type of civil claim that can help an individual recover his or her damages caused by another party’s negligence or intentional harmful actions. If you or a relative recently sustained any type of personal injury in the Tacoma area due to the actions of a negligent party, contact Colburn Law today to schedule a free consultation with a Tacoma personal injury attorney.

Why Choose Our Firm?

• Attorney Greg Colburn spent two years in a wheelchair after another party’s negligence caused severe injuries. He understands the civil claims system from the perspective of an injured client.
• Our firm leverages our experience and resources to fully explore every available type of compensation for our clients so we can help them maximize their recoveries after personal injuries.
• We have experience with alternative case resolution such as mediation and arbitration if such options are in our client’s best interests, but we are not afraid of taking a case to trial to ensure a fair verdict for a client.
• Our firm offers free consultations so potential clients can understand their legal options before making any financial commitments.

How Can an Attorney Help?

Even a seemingly simple personal injury claim can evolve into a very complex legal battle unexpectedly. Navigating the court system is more difficult than most people realize. The average person with no legal experience or formal training would likely miss a court filing deadline or other procedural step and have a case thrown out before it even reaches trial.

A personal injury attorney can not only help a client avoid missteps in the court system but also help a client manage personal affairs throughout a case, such as dealing with difficult insurance claims adjusters or assisting with workers’ compensation claims for workplace injuries.

It is also possible for an at-fault party to attempt to deflect liability back to an injured victim. A personal injury attorney will gather evidence, subpoena witnesses, and help a client avoid absorbing undue liability. In states like Washington that follow comparative negligence laws, a plaintiff’s fault can reduce his or her recovery amount, or even bar recovery if the jury finds the plaintiff more at fault than the defendant.

Proving Negligence in a Personal Injury Claim in Tacoma

The central issue in any personal injury lawsuit is negligence. There are four elements of negligence a plaintiff’s attorney must prove to succeed with a personal injury claim.

• Duty. The plaintiff’s attorney must prove the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff in the situation in question.
• Breach. Next, the plaintiff’s attorney must prove how the defendant breached this duty of care.
• Damage. The plaintiff’s attorney must prove the extent of the plaintiff’s damages. If a plaintiff incurred no harm or measurable damage, there is no claim, even if the defendant was negligent in some manner.
• Causation. The plaintiff’s attorney must also prove that the plaintiff’s claimed damages were the direct result of the defendant’s negligence and not some other cause.

If a plaintiff’s attorney can successfully prove these four elements, the plaintiff will likely win the case. Some personal injury claims may only lead to an insurance settlement, but more substantial claims with severe damages will likely exceed the scope of any insurance coverage a defendant has, leaving him or her personally responsible for the remainder.

Collecting Compensation for a Personal Injury

Plaintiffs in personal injury cases can secure compensation for their immediate and future medical expenses, lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering. If a defendant engaged in any criminal or intentionally harmful actions that exceed the definition of typical negligence, the defendant could face punitive damages and criminal charges as well. If you or a loved one recently sustained any type of injuries in Tacoma due to the actions of another party, contact Colburn Law today to schedule a free case evaluation with a Tacoma personal injury attorney.