Car Accidents

Being involved in a car accident is traumatic and can cause serious injuries. At Campbell Miller Law, we have represented car accident victims since 2015, and we know how to ensure that your case is properly handled so that you can focus on your treatment and recovery. We take the time to understand the full extent of your injuries and other losses to best support your legal claim and recover the most money possible for you.

Insurance companies will try to dissuade you from hiring an attorney and offer to settle your car accident claim as soon as possible without knowing the full extent of your injuries and treatment needs. Settling your case quickly is an insurance company tactic to pay you far less than you deserve. After a car accident, it is common for a sore neck or back to turn into a more serious injury that can require treatment from medical specialists. Insurance companies know this, so they will act sympathetic and offer you some money up front if you sign a release so you cannot seek full compensation for your injuries. We protect our clients from deceptive insurance company practices by managing all aspects of the claim and handling communication with the insurance company so you can focus on healing.

Our clients are often surprised to find that they do not just have a claim with the other driver’s insurance company to deal with, but rather, they have multiple claims, often as many as three or four, that require immediate attention and communication following a car accident. We routinely deal with claims against the other driver’s insurance company, your car insurance company, your heath insurance provider, and Medicare.

The result of having multiple claims is that an injured person may receive several phone calls per day from insurance adjusters requesting sensitive information, including personal statements, injury status and treatment updates, your social security number, and information about your damaged vehicle. Similarly surprising is that often an injured person’s own car insurance will take an adversarial position regarding the circumstances of the collision, the value of your vehicle, your injuries and treatment and the payment of your medical bills. When you work with us at Campbell Miller Law, we immediately take over communication with all insurance companies so you can focus on your recovery.

Paying Medical Bills

Obtaining proper medical treatment should always be the first priority following a car accident in which someone is injured. An issue often arises following treatment as to which insurance company should pay for the treatment. At Campbell Miller Law, we ensure that our clients’ medical bills get paid by the proper insurance company when they are incurred, which benefits our clients at the conclusion of their case when matters of subrogation and reimbursement are vitally important.

Types of Compensation

Insurance adjusters are experts at making unrepresented injured people feel like the settlement they are getting is fair and reasonable. In reality, 100% of the time the offered settlement is unfair and leaves the injured person undercompensated. We have had many people come to us near the conclusion of their case to review the terms of a proposed settlement, and every time we have been able to show how the settlement is unfair and how we can help them recover significantly more money.

Without attorney representation, people always fail to recover money they are entitled to because they are unaware of what their recovery could include and insurance adjusters are not honest about the types of compensation that are available. If you are involved in a car accident, you could be entitled to damages for the following forms of compensation:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Loss of business opportunities 
• Impairment of working capacity 
• Property damage
• Loss of use of your vehicle
• Diminished value of your vehicle
• Loss of society or companionship of another person ("loss of consortium")
• Pain and suffering (past, present and future)
  Inconvenience and loss of enjoyment of life
• Mental anguish and anxiety
• Disability 
• Loss of sleep and leisure activities 
• Out of pockets costs such as house cleaning and yard maintenance 

Why You Should Hire an Attorney

People injured in a car accident are often hesitant to hire a lawyer on a contingency fee basis because they believe that after paying an attorney to handle their case, they will receive less money than they would if they just handled it themselves, even if it means taking less money from the insurance company. In reality, our clients always receive more money when they hire Campbell Miller Law to represent them, even after the attorney fee, because the case is handled properly and we do not let insurance companies take advantage of our clients and settle their cases for less than they are worth. Also, it does not cost our clients anything out-of-pocket to hire Campbell Miller Law for their injury case, because our fee comes out of the recovery, which creates an incentive for us to recover as much money as possible for our clients. 

At Campbell Miller Law, your car accident case will be handled by Dan from start to finish, never by a paralegal or assistant. As your attorney, Dan will always know the exact status of your case and will always be available to speak with you on the phone or through email or text message at any time, even on weekends.

All car accident cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means that you never have to pay anything out of pocket, and if we do not succeed with your case, you do not pay anything. We are available to come to you for a free consultation, seven days a week, even if you are in the hospital, or we are available to meet in our comfortable Gig Harbor office, whichever you prefer.

If You Are Involved In A Car Accident, You May Be Entitled To The Following:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Loss of business opportunities
• Impairment of working capacity
• Property damage
• Loss of use of your vehicle
• Diminished value of your vehicle
• Loss of society or companionship of another person
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish and anxiety
• Disability
• Loss of sleep and leisure activities
• Out of pockets costs such as house cleaning and yard maintenance

Car accident cases are never straightforward, and almost always require extensive communication with more than one insurance company, medical providers, other attorneys, and often legal or medical experts. It is extremely common for car accident victims to miss out on a variety of forms of compensation when not represented by an experienced car accident attorney.

At Campbell Miller Law, your car accident case will be handled by an attorney from start to finish, never by a paralegal. Your attorney will always know the exact status of your case, and will always be available to speak with you on the phone or through email or text message at any time. All car accident cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means that you never have to pay anything out of pocket, and if we do not win your case, you do not pay anything.

Finally, we are always available to come to you for a free consultation, seven days a week, even if you are in the hospital, or we are available to meet in our comfortable Gig Harbor office, whichever you prefer.

Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Accidents

Uninsured/Underinsured motorist insurance provides coverage in the event that you are involved in a car accident with someone who is uninsured or underinsured.  This coverage applies if you are injured as a pedestrian or riding a bicycle as well.  Additionally, it applies to members of your household, and to other people riding in your car.

Washington law requires insurance companies to offer uninsured/underinsured coverage to their customers, but drivers are not required to purchase it.  It is extremely important to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage as part of your insurance policy for a number of reasons.

First, 16.1% of drivers in Washington are uninsured (as stated by the Insurance Information Institute).  That means that nearly 1 in 6 car accidents will involve a driver that is uninsured. When the at-fault driver is uninsured, the other driver must rely on his or her own insurance, for property damage and injuries.

Second, the minimum insurance limit in Washington for uninsured/underinsured coverage is $25,000 per person for bodily injuries, and $10,000 for property damage. Given the high cost of medical care, and the cost to repair a damaged vehicle, even if the at-fault driver has insurance, it is very common that it is not enough coverage to fully compensate the injured driver. When the at-fault driver’s insurance limits are exhausted, the other driver usually must rely on his or her underinsured motorist coverage for additional compensation.

Finally, if you are involved in a hit and run accident, or if the other at-fault driver’s insurance company is not able to pay the claim, the other driver must rely on his or her uninsured motorist coverage.