Where would a Des Moines injury claim be filed?
Des Moines sits in King County. South King County civil matters are generally handled at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent (401 Fourth Avenue North) rather than the downtown Seattle courthouse, which usually means a shorter drive and an easier building to deal with on the days it matters.
There is an important exception. If a city vehicle, a county vehicle or a poorly maintained public road contributed to your crash, the claim is against a government entity and runs on a different track. Washington requires a formal tort claim notice and a 60 day waiting period before suit (RCW 4.96.020). Missing that step can end an otherwise strong case on procedure alone.
Who pays the medical bills in the meantime?
Wherever you were treated after a Des Moines collision, the billing question usually arrives well before anyone has recovered enough to think about it.
In Washington, your own PIP coverage is primary after a car collision. It pays before your health insurance, whatever health plan you carry. This is not a choice between the two: you generally use PIP first, and a health insurer can hold off on accident related care until PIP is exhausted. PIP carries no deductible, copay or network restriction, so that order usually works in your favour, and coordinating it properly at settlement is what protects your net recovery.
How long do I have to bring a claim?
As a general rule, Washington allows three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (RCW 4.16.080). That is the default rather than a universal rule. Claims involving a city or county run on the shorter notice track described above, claims involving a federal employee or facility fall under the Federal Tort Claims Act with its own two year administrative deadline, and cases involving injured children follow different timing.
Because more than one deadline can apply to the same crash, the date in your case is worth confirming early rather than assuming.
Talk to an attorney about a Des Moines claim
Call or text (206) 429-5227 or contact us here for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win.
If you would rather understand the process before you call, our guide to hiring a personal injury lawyer in Washington walks through what to expect, or read more about car accident claims in Washington.
