Personal injury lawyer help in Whatcom County, Washington

Whatcom County, Washington includes 13 named communities, the largest being Bellingham, Lynden, Ferndale. Whether an accident happened on a county road, in a small town or in one of the larger communities, the same Washington rules apply: a 3-year filing deadline for most injury claims, pure comparative negligence, and lawsuits filed in the Whatcom County Superior Court. This page is the county-wide guide, with links to a page for each community.

You describe what happened anywhere in Whatcom County using the free claim review form, and your request may be shared with participating attorneys or legal services partners who handle that type of matter in Washington. Submitting a request does not hire an attorney, and everything below is general legal information, not legal advice about your specific situation.

Each community below has its own guide with the local court, insurance rules and every type of injury claim.

• Bellingham, WApop. 85,146
• Lynden, WApop. 13,517
• Ferndale, WApop. 13,010
• Blaine, WApop. 5,056
• Everson, WApop. 2,600
• Nooksack, WApop. 1,480
• Sumas, WApop. 1,373
• Point Roberts, WApop. 1,314

Smaller communities in Whatcom County include Acme, Custer, Deming, Lummi Island, Maple Falls. Residents of these areas follow the same Washington rules, use the same Whatcom County Superior Court, and can request a free claim review from anywhere in the county.

Washington generally gives an injured person three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (RCW 4.16.080); medical malpractice claims generally must be filed within three years, and wrongful death claims typically run from the date of death. Claims against a city, county, school district or state agency require a formal notice of claim far sooner, sometimes within a few months. Once the deadline passes, the Whatcom County Superior Court will dismiss the case regardless of how clear the fault was, so the practical rule in Whatcom County is to get legal advice early.

Washington follows pure comparative negligence. In plain terms, you can recover damages even if you were mostly at fault, but your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance adjusters apply this rule from the first phone call, which is why the way an accident is described and documented in the days after it happens in Whatcom County has a direct effect on what a claim is worth.

After a crash in Whatcom County, the at-fault driver's liability insurance is the primary source of compensation. Washington requires drivers to carry only 25/50/10 in coverage (thousands of dollars for bodily injury per person, per accident, and property damage), which serious injuries quickly exhaust. Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy and claims against additional responsible parties often make the difference in Whatcom County cases.

Lawsuits arising from accidents in Whatcom County are typically filed in the Whatcom County Superior Court, the trial court of general jurisdiction for Whatcom County, although cases can sometimes be filed where the defendant resides or does business, and claims against out-of-state trucking companies or manufacturers may end up in federal court. Most claims settle before trial, but the credible ability to try a case in Whatcom County is what moves insurers to pay fair value.

Employees injured on the job in Whatcom County are generally covered by Washington workers' compensation, administered through the Washington Department of Labor & Industries. Report the injury to your employer immediately and file a claim within the state's deadline (generally about one year). Workers' compensation does not pay for pain and suffering, so when a third party such as a subcontractor, driver or equipment manufacturer caused the injury, a separate personal injury claim is often worth pursuing alongside it.

• Skagit County, WA
• San Juan County, WA
• Island County, WA
• Jefferson County, WA

See the Washington personal injury guide for every county in the state.