Washington Car Accident

Washington Car Accident Fault

Washington has adopted the Pure Comparative Fault standard of negligence which means that if a person is partially at fault for causing his own injury, his damages will be reduced by his percentage of fault.

WASHINGTON CAR INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITS

Washington Bodily Injury Liability Minimum Coverage

Personal Injury (single passenger): $25,000 in coverage for injury to an individual.

Personal Injury (multiple passengers): $50,000 in coverage for the driver and passengers in the car at the time of the accident.

Property Damage: $10,000 of minimum coverage.

Washington Small Claims Limit: Car accident claims under $5,000 should be filed in Small Claims Court.

Washington Personal Injury Statute of Limitations: The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Washington is 3 years from the date the injury occurred, or the time the injury was discovered if it could not have been immediately discovered.

Washington Statutes Online: Chapter 4.16.080 RCW (Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury); Chapter 46.29 RCW (Insurance Requirements); Chapter 12.40 RCW (Small Claims Procedure).

WASHINGTON CAR ACCIDENT REPORTS

Washington Police Reports: You can request a copy of a car accident report made by the police or by another driver by completing a Request for Copy of Collision Report form and mailing it to the Washington State Patrol.

DMV: Washington requires that you notify the police if the car accident results in injury, death, or more than $700 in property damage. If the police do not file a report, you should file a car accident report using the State of Washington Vehicle Collision Form with the Washington State Patrol within 4 days of the car accident.

Insurance Notification: You should promptly notify your auto insurance company of a car accident as soon as possible. In addition, your insurance company may have specific notification requirements, so you should check your insurance policy for these notice requirements.