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Protect
your rights.
When you have been injured in an accident or collision, you
are worried about who is going to pay your medical bills,
lost wages, and other damages. The last thing you want is
to be taken advantage of by an insurance company. If you don’t
protect your rights, you may not be able to make a claim.
Insurance companies have attorneys and adjusters whose goal
is to pay you as little as they can. You need a Vancouver,
Washington personal injury lawyer to fight for you.
I am dedicated to helping your recover as much money as possible
under the law.
Why
should you hire Vancouver, Washington attorney Tom Patton?
You need an attorney who will work hard to protect your rights,
maximize your insurance settlement and minimize the hassles
of dealing with the insurance companies. You need an experienced
and aggressive Vancouver Washington trial lawyer who will
fight for you. Having an experienced Vancouver Washington
personal injury lawyer can make the difference between getting
what you deserve and getting nothing.
Without
the threat of a lawyer who is willing to go to trial and seek
a big jury verdict, why would an insurance company pay you
what your claim is really worth? Lawsuits can be expensive,
and many people do not have the money to pursue their claim.
In every case, I advance all costs associated with pursuing
your case and I do not ask you for a penny until we recover
from the other side.
An
experienced Vancouver Washington trial attorney can make the
difference.
I am an experienced aggressive trial lawyer who has tried
many jury trials. I am not afraid to take your case to trial
if that is what it takes to maximize the amount of money you
recover for your personal injury. I offer personal, one-on-one
service, and I will not hand your case off to another lawyer
or a paralegal.
Reduce
the stress of making a claim.
Personal injury accidents can turn your life upside down.
Making a personal injury claim can be difficult and time consuming.
Once I take your case, you can stop worrying about dealing
with the insurance companies and focus on recovering from
your injuries. I take care of all of the paperwork, phone
calls, and negotiations, so you can get on with your life.
Through my Vancouver Washington law practice I handle
Washington personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis.
This means:
YOU DON’T OWE ME A LEGAL FEE
UNLESS I RECOVER MONEY FOR YOU.
Frequently
Asked Questions
Q:
What type of Washington personal injury claims do
you handle from your Vancouver office?
A:
I handle all types of Washington personal injury claims from
my Vancouver law office: airline aviation accidents, private
aviation accidents, commercial aviation accidents, auto injury
accidents, motorcycle injury accidents, bicycle injury accidents,
dog bite injuries, ATV injury accidents, boating injury accidents,
and any other case where someone else causes you personal
injury.
Q:
How soon after personal injury accident should I call you?
A:
Call me immediately. Do not give the other
person’s insurance company a statement until you have consulted
with a lawyer. I make a point of returning all calls and e-mails
promptly. If you have suffered a personal injury, you need
to know right away what insurance coverage is in place to
cover your medical expenses and lost wages.
Q:
What is my claim worth?
A:
The value of your car accident injury claim depends on the
severity and permanency of your injuries. Contact me now for
a free consultation so I can assess your claim and tell you
what I think it is worth.
Q:
Should I accept the offer that the insurance company
has given me?
A:
Oftentimes I can get insurance companies to substantially
increase the amount of their personal injury settlement offer.
If you have already received an offer for your injuries, contact
me and I will let you know if I think it is a fair offer.
I will not charge you for this consultation. If I
do not beat their original offer to you, I will not charge
you an attorney fee.
Q:
Can I recover if the other driver had no insurance,
or not enough insurance?
A:
Yes. With your uninsured motorist coverage,
you can recover money for your medical bills and pain and
suffering even if the other driver had no insurance. Your
underinsured motorist coverage also covers any loss above
the other driver's insurance.
Q:
Does my Washington auto insurance cover accidents when I am
on my bike?
A:
Many auto policies will cover you if you are injured in a
bicycle accident or while on foot.
Q:
How do I know if I have a good auto accident or personal injury
case for Washington law?
A:
You need to contact me and we can discuss your case. My consultation
on a personal injury case is always free.
Q:
How long does it take to settle most Vancouver Washington
personal injury cases?
A:
It depends on the nature of your personal injury claim. I
have settled smaller personal injury claims for the full amount
my client wanted within 10 days and I have settled policy
limits cases in as little as a few months. Larger personal
injury cases typically take longer to settle
Q:
Will pursuing my Vancouver Washington personal injury case
take up a lot of my time?
A:
No. Oftentimes I only meet with clients for the initial interview
and then we can just talk over the phone. If we do have to
go to court, it will take more time. I realize your time is
important, so I don’t waste it.
Q:
Will I have to go to trial?
A:
The vast majority of Washington personal injury cases don’t
go to trial. However, I treat each case as if it is going
to be a trial, because you have to be willing and prepared
to go to trial to maximize your settlement.
Q:
Why is it so important to hire an experienced Vancouver
Washington trial attorney?
A:
Most personal injury cases settle before trial, but you want
to maximize your settlement. If you hire a Vancouver or southwest
Washington personal injury attorney who has little trial experience,
oftentimes they will be afraid to go to trial. Insurance companies
know who these lawyers are, and they oftentimes offer them
less than the case is worth. I have 10 years of courtroom
experience and I have tried well over 100 cases. I have had
much success in the courtroom and I will not advise you to
settle for less than your case is worth.
Q:
Do I need a Vancouver Washington personal injury lawyer?
A:
In order to settle your personal injury and auto accident
cases you will have to deal with insurance companies. Their
goal is to pay you as little as you will take. It is tough
for someone who is not familiar with personal injury cases
to know what a fair settlement amount is. An experienced Washington
personal injury attorney can help you to determine that amount
and reach a fair settlement.
Q:
How do I pay your legal fees?
A:
I handle auto accident, dog bites and all of my other personal
injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means YOU
DO NOT OWE ME A LEGAL FEE UNLESS I RECOVER MONEY FOR YOU.
I do not ask for any attorney fees upfront. If there is no
recovery there is no fee.
Q:
What do you charge for recovering my medical expenses?
A:
I do not charge my clients a fee recovering their past medical
expenses. Many lawyers charge a percentage of the total recovery,
including your medical expenses. I base my fee on what is
recovered in
addition to your medical expenses. If your lawyer charges
you for
recovering your medical expenses it can significantly reduce
how much
goes in your pocket. For example, if you had $50,000 in medical
expenses and a $100,000 settlement, your lawyer would get
$33,000,
$50,000 would go to repay your medical expenses, and you would
be left
with around $17,000. In a case like that, I would base my
fee off of
the $50,000, putting $33,000 in your pocket instead of approximately
$17,000. The only time I charge a fee for recovering your
past medical
expenses is when someone other than you, usually your insurance
company or healthcare provider, pays me to recover your medical
expenses.
Q:
Are there any hidden fees?
A:
No. I do not charge you fees for consultations, opening your
file,
copies, long distance, etc. Before you hire a lawyer, make
sure you
find out what they will be charging you, as these hidden fees
can add
up.
Q:
Lawsuits can be expensive, will it cost me any money up front
for filing fees, court costs, expert witness fees, and any
other costs?
A:
Filing a lawsuit, paying court costs and expert witness fees
can be
very expensive. I know that most people cannot afford these
costs up front, so I forward these costs up front in every
case I take. Spending a few
thousand dollars on a good expert witness can make the difference
between getting thousands of dollars and getting nothing for
your
personal injury claim. You will not have to pay those costs
until your case is concluded. Before you hire a lawyer, make
sure that they are willing to forward the money to adequately
pursue your personal injury case. Otherwise, you may be forced
into taking a minimal settlement if you cannot afford to spend
thousands of dollars to pursue your Washington state personal
injury claim.
Q:
What qualifies Tom Patton to handle airplane accidents?
A:
In addition to being a skilled accident attorney, I am also
an
experienced aviator. I am a Lt Col in the Air National Guard,
and flew Air
Force cargo and rescue planes for 11 years. I was a C-130
Navigator, and have over 2,500 flying hours under every condition,
including combat.
Q:
What types of Vancouver and Southwest Washigton
accident cases do you handle?
A:
I handle all types of Vancouver and Southwest Washington personal
injury, wrongful death and products liability cases, including:
auto accidents, bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents, ATV
accidents, boating accidents, dog bites and all other types
of injury cases.
Q:
What parts of Washington do you handle cases in?
A:
Although I am located in Vancouver, Washington, I will handle
cases throughout the state of Washington including the following
counties and cities:
Counties:
Adams County, Asotin County, Benton County, Clallam County,
Clark County, Columbia County, Cowlitz County, Franklin County,
Garfield County, Grant County, Grays Harbor County, Jefferson
County, King County, Kittitas County, Klickitat County, Lewis
County, Lincoln County, Mason County, Pacific County, Pierce
County, Skamania County, Thurston County, Wahkiakum County,
Walla Walla County, Yakima County.
Cities:
Aberdeen,
Battle Ground, Benton City, Bingen, Bucoda, Burton, Calama,
Camas, Campbell Lake, Castle Rock, Cathlamet, Centralia, Charter
Oak, Chehalis, Cosmopolis, Crawford, Curtis Lake, Eatonville,
Ellsworth, Ellsworth, Felida, Fern Prairie, Fisher, Gig Harbor,
Goldendale, Good Hope, Grandview, Granger, Green Lake, Hazel
Dell, Hoquiam, Ilwaco, Ireland, Kalama, Kelso, Kennewick,
King Corner, La Center, Lake Shore, Lewisville, Little Elkhorn,
Livingston, Long Beach, Longview, Lucia, Mabton, Montesano,
Moxee, Naches, Napavine, Ocean Shores, Olympia, Pasco, Pioneer,
Proebstel, Prosser, Ranier, Raymond, Richland, Ridgefield,
Rye, Sacajawea, Salmon Creek, Sara, Scotton Corner, Seattle,
Selah, South Bend, Stevenson, Sunnyside, Tacoma, Tenino, Toledo,
Toppenish, Tumwater, Twin Harbors, Union, Vader, Vancouver,
Venersborg, Wapato, Washougal, West Richland, Westport, White
Salmon, Winlock, Woodland, Yacolt, Yakima, Zillah.
Referrals
If
you are looking for an experienced attorney in any other state,
please email
me as I may be able to refer you to an experienced
attorney at no charge to you.
Links
If
you have been charged with an Oregon
DUI or other Oregon criminal charge, I recommend
you contact David
Lesh through his web site. Mr. Lesh is an experienced
Oregon lawyer.
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