Negligence

Under Washington law, a person is “negligent” if they fail to exercise the care a reasonably prudent person would exercise in similar circumstances. If you have been injured in a car accident, to collect damages, you must prove the other person acted with negligence.

Insurance companies defend their policyholders to save themselves money. Oftentimes they will claim that the injured person was negligent, or guilty of “contributory negligence,” meaning they claim the injured person was partially responsible for his/her injuries. If a person who is injured is found to have committed "contributory negligence", the damages they are entitled to receive will be reduced by the percentage of their own negligence.

Any disputes regarding negligence should be handled by an attorney.