Automobile and truck collisions
In Washington we drive a lot — for work, and to reach everything the state is good for. A crash brings a cascade of pain, uncertainty and financial pressure that arrives long before anyone decides who was at fault.
What you're actually up againstInsurance companies bring in their own so-called experts to minimize injuries and rewrite what happened — particularly in lower-impact collisions, where the argument is always that a small dent means a small injury. That argument is answered with documentation, not indignation.
What we build the case from- Vehicle damage, documented properly
- Photographs of the crash site
- The full medical record
- Diagnostic imaging
- Bills and wage loss
- Police and incident reports
- Private investigators where needed
- Experts to rebut theirs
Causes we see most: distracted driving, speeding, impairment, and plain carelessness. The cause matters less to your claim than the proof — which is why the first weeks, when the vehicle still exists and the footage hasn't been overwritten, do more for a case than anything that happens later.
Concussion, TBI and post-concussion syndrome
You don't have to black out to have a concussion. Brain injuries are often invisible ones, and medical bills alone don't show how headaches, light sensitivity or cognitive fatigue affect work, parenting and daily life.
Where they come fromAccording to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, motor vehicle crashes account for more than 13% of all TBI diagnoses made in emergency-room visits, nearly half were caused by falls, and another 17% by being unintentionally struck by or against an object.
Symptoms worth reporting- Headaches
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Balance problems
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Sleep changes
- Light or sound sensitivity
- Blurred or double vision
- Trouble reading or tracking
- Difficulty seeing up close
- Memory lapses
- Slowed thinking
- Trouble concentrating
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Sadness or mood swings
Get emergency care now- Severe or worsening headache
- Repeated vomiting
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Weakness or numbness
- Slurred speech
Emergency rooms and urgent care don't always catch every symptom on the first visit, so be persistent about follow-up. Ask about specialty care — neurology, sports medicine, vestibular or vision therapy, neuropsychology — and keep short notes on headaches, sleep, screen tolerance and triggers. This is medical information, not medical advice; talk to a provider.
Washington dog bite cases
A bite is not “just” a puncture wound. It can leave disfiguring scars, nerve damage, infection and PTSD — and for children the impact is often lifelong, with scars that stretch and distort as they grow.
The rule in WashingtonWashington follows a strict liability rule. If a dog bites you in a public place, or while you are lawfully on private property, the owner is responsible — regardless of whether the dog had shown aggression before. In plain English: you don't have to prove the owner should have known their dog was dangerous. Provocation, though, can be a complete defense.
What helps a claim- Photographs of the injuries and the scene
- Witness names
- Animal-control or police reports
- ER and urgent-care notes
- Specialist consults
- Counseling or therapy records
Recovery usually comes through homeowner's or renter's insurance rather than out of the owner's pocket, which is worth knowing when the owner is someone you know. The general deadline is three years, and special rules apply to claims involving children.
Hurt in a fall
Falls cause broken bones, concussions, spinal injuries and lost wages. They happen because a step wasn't fixed, a railing wasn't secured, or a spill wasn't cleaned up. These aren't harmless accidents — they're preventable injuries with real consequences.
An example of the kind of case we handleA client was leaving a local business when the stair railing gave way beneath him. He fell and suffered a serious injury that required surgery and months of therapy. Details are changed to protect identity, and past results don't guarantee similar outcomes.
First five things to do- Report the incident to the property owner or manager
- Get medical care, even if the pain seems minor
- Photograph the hazard before it's repaired
- Collect witness names
- Call a lawyer before you give anyone a statement
Property owners and their insurers move quickly to blame the person who fell. Evidence moves quickly too — the hazard that injured you is often fixed within days, which is exactly why photographs matter more here than in almost any other kind of case.
Boating and watercraft injuries
Being hurt on the water because of someone else's carelessness can have devastating consequences, and these cases are less routine than road collisions — different rules, different evidence, and often a gap where you expected insurance.
What these cases involveReckless or negligent operation of a vessel, boating under the influence, collisions between boats, and jet-ski and personal-watercraft injuries. Operators owe duties on the water the way drivers do on the road, but coverage is far less predictable and uninsured operators are common.
Where we see them- River and lake collisions
- Jet ski and personal watercraft
- Wake injuries
- Boating under the influence
- Uninsured operators
- Coastal and commercial waters
Shellie Dalton grew up on and around boats, with a commercial fisherman in the family, and is the firm's presence in Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties. That's why this is a practice area rather than a line on a list.
Civil recovery after an assault, a drunk driver, or domestic violence
When violence or someone's reckless choice leaves you hurt, life tilts in an instant. You deserve more than sympathy and more than a verdict in a criminal courtroom — you deserve the resources to rebuild.
Why a criminal case isn't enoughIf there is a criminal investigation, that process is about punishment and public safety. It is not about you getting medical care, lost income, or counseling paid for. A civil claim is separate, runs on its own track, and is the only one of the two aimed at compensating you. Both can proceed at the same time.
Where recovery can come from- The responsible person's homeowner's or renter's insurance
- A commercial policy where a bar overserved
- Premises coverage where security failed
- Auto coverage in a drunk-driver crash
- Your own UM/UIM coverage
- Other entities whose negligence contributed
In domestic violence matters the civil claim has to be coordinated with a safety plan, not pursued in isolation — timing and disclosure can carry real risk. In drunk-driver cases the priority is immediate evidence preservation, because the criminal process will not preserve what your civil claim needs.
Preserving evidence after an injury
Evidence fades fast, and your recovery depends on it. Cars get repaired or crushed. Cameras overwrite footage. Memories blur. By the time you feel ready to deal with any of this, much of it is already gone.
The sentence that decides most claimsInsurance companies decide what a case is worth based on what you can prove today — not on what you remember months from now. That single fact is why acting quickly is often the difference between a lowball offer and a fair recovery.
What to protect, and fast- The vehicle itself — don't authorize salvage yet
- Event data recorder information
- Dashcam and surveillance footage
- Photographs of the scene and your injuries
- Witness names and numbers
- Clothing and damaged equipment
- Medical records from the first visit onward
- A written symptom timeline
Don't let a totaled vehicle be crushed before it's been examined — the event data recorder can settle a dispute about speed or braking that would otherwise come down to whose story a jury believes. Where footage sits with a third party, a preservation letter needs to go out before the retention window closes. Preserving evidence isn't busywork; it's the foundation. When the proof is solid, insurers know we're ready for court, and that's usually what produces a fair settlement without one.