Personal Injury Attorneys in Arizona, California, & Washington

Wattel & York

11320 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle, Washington 98125 USA

 (206) 268-5528 or (877) 333-9545

www.wattelandyork.com
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Law Firm Overview Free Consultation

Wattel & York is a highly successful personal injury and property damage law firm in the United States, boasting more than 50 years of combined experience in litigation. While our primary office is located in Chandler, Arizona, we have several offices located throughout the country including California, Florida, Washington, and Arizona. Our firm can help you with the following legal issues: personal injury, automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, boating injuries, slip and falls, product liabilities, dog bites, nursing home neglect cases, and diminished value claims.

We pride ourselves in being aggressive litigators who work hand-in-hand with clients to dictate the value of each individual case rather than let it be dictated by an insurance company. If the company refuses to pay what the case is worth, we will file suit and fight until they do so, whether by settlement or judgment. We have a sparkling record in gaining appropriate settlements: more than 95% of our clients have gotten more money offered or awarded than what the insurance company initially presented. That fact should convince you that litigation is the smart way to go and Wattel & York is your vanguard in being treated fairly.

Not every law firm fights as aggressively as we do. If you want an aggressive stance taken against an insurance company that may be trying to take advantage of you, we are the right firm for you. We believe strong communication with a client fosters a smooth process and a sufficient settlement. It is instrumental to our philosophy and keeps the client updated. And, of course, it is simply the right way to do business.

David Wattel, one of our founding attorneys, travels the United States teaching other attorneys and physicians the best ways to establish, develop, and enhance their personal injury businesses. His expertise also extends to diminished value and other property-damage issues, topics he addresses when he speaks to auto body shops and related professional associations.

Practice Areas

Additional Practice Areas: Property Damage; Diminished Value.

Practice Areas Description

Our practice includes:

- Automobile Accidents

At Wattel & York, Attorneys At Law, we have extensive experience in handling automobile accident cases and make it a point to investigate every possible contributing cause of an accident to make sure you receive full compensation. You take the time you need to recover from the trauma of your injuries while we take over the investigation. We will help you find the right medical specialist for your injuries, and will work with the specialists so that any payment to them can be delayed until your case is completed, whether it is by settlement or trial.

- Personal Injury

It is important to understand the terminology involved in a personal injury claim. A claim of personal injury refers to a variety of tort lawsuit (a lawsuit that addresses civil wrongs) alleging that a plaintiff’s injury has been caused by one type of negligence or another. In other words, personal injury law grants you compensation when another person’s intentional misconduct, recklessness, or carelessness injures or damages you or your personal belongings. Injuries in personal injury claims can refer to any damage to the body, mind, or emotions. Medical and dental accidents also fall under personal injury and usually lead to medical negligence claims.

- Property Damage

It is important to know that your insurance “policy” is actually a legally binding contract with specific terms and conditions governing you and the insurer. As it relates to property damage, there are two important parts of the insurance contract – liability coverage and collision coverage (damage to your automobile). Liability coverage pertains to damage done to someone else’s property in the event you are at fault in an accident. Under the liability coverage portion of your insurance contract, your insurer promises to either pay for the damage on your behalf or defend you (the policy holder).

- Diminished Value

The financial consequences of an automobile accident can last long after your automobile is repaired. An automobile involved in an accident is permanently diminished in value. Diminished value happens when a vehicle involved in an accident suffers physical damage structurally, cosmetically, or both. Even if the vehicle is repaired to an immaculate, like-new condition it is still worth less money than it was before the automobile accident occurred. The diminished value of a vehicle becomes apparent when an individual attempts to sell it. Many states require full disclosure of any and all accidents in which a vehicle may have been involved. As most buyers prefer vehicles that have not been involved in an accident, an owner of a vehicle involved in an accident will receive less money for his or her vehicle than if the vehicle were never involved in any accidents at all.

- Product Liability

Product liability is the area of law dealing with liability on the part of the manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer of a product that causes injury or harm. Other parties that can be held responsible for your injuries include the maker of component parts of the product, the assembler, the store or other seller of the product, and/or possibly even other parties in the distribution chain. You can file a claim of product liability even if you weren't the purchaser of the product.

- Nursing Home Abuse

Whether a caregiver physically or mentally abuses a resident or simply fails to meet his or her needs (defined as neglect), abuse in care facilities is not uncommon. The elderly are particularly susceptible to the risks of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. There are many common types of injuries and neglect suffered by the elderly in care facilities, including: Malnutrition or dehydration; Falls and fractures; Theft of money and belongings; Poor personal hygiene; Improper, incorrect, or over-medication; Untrained or insufficient staff; Bed sores; Lack of supervision (residents wandering away from the facility); Physical abuse or unexplained injury; Weight loss or gain; Physical or chemical restraints; Septic shock; Gangrene; Unexpected or wrongful death; Unsanitary conditions; Over-sedation; Abandonment; Substandard medical care; Defective equipment; and, Sexual assault.

- Slip & Fall

Slip and fall accidents are in the category of “premises liability” cases – which center on the responsibility of a property owner to care for the property – and are governed under negligence law. The key to winning a premises liability claim is having proof of negligence. It isn’t always easy to prove that a property owner knew – or should have known – about the danger on his or her property and failed to have it repaired or removed. Example: If you slip and fall on a piece of fruit in a grocery store, it would be difficult to prove when the piece of fruit first fell on the floor. Further, it would be hard to prove that the store “knew or should have known” about the hazard. As plaintiffs bear the burden of proof, you can see the difficulty in proving a particular case such as this.

- Dog Bites

In many states, dog bite liability is absolute: Should a dog bite another person, the owners of that dog have virtually no defense. Dog bite claims in many states are subject to statutory strict liability, which means that the owner of a biting dog is held responsible for any injuries his or her dog inflicts on a bite victim, even if negligence on the owner’s part is never established. In other words, when the person bitten is in or on a public place or lawfully in or on a private place -- including the property of the owner of the offending dog -- the owner is liable for damages suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the dog’s history of vicious behavior or the owner's knowledge of its viciousness.

- Boating Accidents

The main causes of boating accidents are attributable to the following acts of negligence: excessive speed, no proper lookout, operator inattention, and general carelessness. Not surprisingly, excessive alcohol consumption played a role in 17 percent of boating accidents. Boating accidents involve a multitude of different watercraft. Open motorboats were responsible for 43 percent of boating accidents, personal watercraft for 23 percent, and cabin motorboats for 15 percent. The United States Coast Guard requires operators of all watercraft defined as vessels to make an official report when a boating accident occurs.

- Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents can permanently, and often fatally, injure the victims involved. Safety measures like wearing a helmet or fluorescent clothing often prove ineffective if drivers of other vehicles fail to take proper care themselves. And injury to motorcyclists typically results from such carelessness. In fact, 98 percent of multiple vehicle accidents result in injury to motorcyclists, many of whom followed the appropriate traffic regulations. Injuries from motorcycle accidents can be minor but painful. Some of the most common injuries involve broken or fractured joints (shoulders, elbows, knees, wrists, and hips), and pelvic and shoulder injuries. Soft-tissue damage like scrapes and burns also frequently occur.

- Traumatic Brain Injury

Loss of consciousness is not necessary to sustain minor brain injury. However, longer loss of consciousness usually implies greater injury to the brain. Testing and evaluation by a neuropsychologist/neurologist is essential early on. Often times many providers, family physicians and otherwise, overlook the severity of these issues thinking you only have neck pain causing these headaches when in fact you have a traumatic brain injury. If not addressed and treat, TBI can cause ongoing problems. Without early attorney involvement, cases are not well documented which limits your ability to collect your settlement early. At Wattel & York, we understand how to present diagnostic information to give your case a greater chance of success.

- Wrongful Death

In most states, surviving children, parents and spouses may make a claim for wrongful death. Each individual has a claim, though often times they are brought jointly by other surviving family members. A wrongful death claim is created by statute. Often times, claims to be made are that for medical expenses prior to the death that lead up to the death and following the loss, lost wages past and future for those relying upon support such as wife, husband and/or children and loss of love, affection, society and companionship.

More Information on Wattel & York

Seattle, WA Personal Injury Law Firm
Car Accident Attorneys Seattle, WA
Seattle, WA Dog Bite Injury Attorneys
Wrongful Death Lawyers in Seattle, WA
Seattle, WA Property Damage Law Firm
Slip & Fall Injury Lawyers in Seattle, WA
Seattle, Washington Boat Accident Lawyer
Product Liability Attorneys in Seattle, WA
Wattel & York News and Publications
Contact Wattel & York

Other Offices

• USA - Arizona, Chandler - Main Office
• USA - Arizona, Glendale
• USA - Arizona, Tucson
• USA - Arizona, Yuma
• USA - California, Newport Beach
• USA - Washington, Fircrest