Although Grandview isn’t a big city like Seattle or Tacoma, accidents still happen here, and people get hurt.
Being in an accident and suffering an injury is difficult, but it is even more difficult if the injury is not your fault. On top of the financial cost of getting hurt, the psychological toll of the bills, lost wages, and trauma of the incident compound quickly.
Grandview personal injury lawyers John Kapuza and Greg Lighty know how much an injury can disrupt your life and how frustrating it can be, especially if the injury isn’t your fault. If you suffer from an injury caused by someone else’s actions, you deserve compensation. The primary goal of the Grandview lawyers at Kapuza Lighty is to help ease the strain of this difficult time.
Cases We Typically Cover
At Kapuza Lighty we help clients recover from any type of injury. We know that injuries can happen at any time, for any number of reasons, so we do not limit ourselves to one specific type or cause of injury. Still, we see some types of cases more often than others. Some of the most common causes of injury we help people recover from are those caused by:
- Car accidents,
- Motorcycle accidents,
- Trucking accidents,
- Tractor accidents,
- Boat accidents,
- Nursing home abuse and neglect,
- Defective products,
- Slip and falls,
- Wrongful death, and
- Dog bites.
If the cause of your injury is not on this list, don’t worry—if it’s an injury from a Grandview accident, we’ll fight tooth and nail to get you the maximum compensation we can and protect your legal rights in the process.
Damages in Washington
Washington’s government recognizes that injuries can hurt people in more than one way. Because of this, like most states, Washington State law splits compensatory damages into two main categories: economic and noneconomic damages. These two categories are very different, and it is important to distinguish between them.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are those that are tangible and objectively verifiable. They have an identifiable monetary value and include things like:
- Lost wages,
- Medical costs,
- Rehabilitation costs,
- Repair costs, and
- Loss of business.
In some cases, just one of these types of economic loss occurs, but this often is not the case. The different types of economic damages can combine to add up quickly.
Noneconomic Damages
Noneconomic damages are more subjective than economic damages. They are losses and costs that are intangible and don’t have a set monetary value. Noneconomic losses can include:
- Loss of consortium,
- Injury to reputation,
- Pain and suffering,
- Mental anguish,
- Permanent disfigurement, and
- Disability.
As a result of their subjective nature, some noneconomic damages can be difficult to prove. Because of this, they are often contentious issues of dispute in personal injury claims. Still, noneconomic damages are just as real as economic damages, and you deserve compensation for them.
In some states, there is a cap on the amount of claimable noneconomic damages. This is not the case in Washington. The Washington State Supreme Court found a statutory limit on noneconomic damages unconstitutional in 1989.
Assessing Fault in Washington
With minimal exceptions, Washington uses a doctrine called comparative fault, also known as contributory negligence, to assess fault in civil cases, which affects compensation. A system that uses contributory negligence to assess fault looks at the degree of fault of both parties and adjusts a claimant’s compensation accordingly. If a claimant is found to contribute 15% of the fault for a given injury, their total compensation will be reduced by 15%. If a client claims damages of $10,000 and is found 15% at fault, for example, they will recover only $8,500.
How Can a Lawyer Help?
If you suffer from an injury after an accident, a Grandview accident lawyer can help you in a number of ways. First, a lawyer will hear your story and help you assess your case. They will help assess any degree of fault that you may have and fight to ensure the other party does not exaggerate that fault. In addition, a lawyer will help you identify, keep track of, and prove damages. Most importantly, your lawyer will be your advocate—they will guide and fight for you through every step of the claims process.
Contact Us Today
If you have been injured in a Grandview accident, don’t hesitate—contact us at Kapuza Lighty as soon as possible. If you look at Kapuza Lighty’s case results page, you will see that we have experience successfully advocating for people with many different types of injuries. With us on your side, you will have peace of mind knowing that we will do everything we can to fight for you, and do so in a way that makes the claims process as pain-free as possible. Call us today!