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Washington injury rights, deadlines, and help

Are you in an emergency right now?
Check yourself and others for injuries, breathing, and bleeding.
Call 911 if anyone is hurt or the road is not safe.
Move away from traffic if you can do it safely.
Get medical care even if you feel fine. Some injuries hide for days.
This page is for after you are safe.

This page covers Washington injury deadlines and what to do right now. We are the injured person's advocate. We connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves. Always free. Talk to an advocate. We usually reply within minutes, at most one business day.

The deadlines that matter in Washington

Personal injury lawsuit: 3 years. Washington gives you three years from the date of injury to file most personal injury lawsuits. This is called the statute of limitations (the legal deadline to file a lawsuit). The rule is RCW (Revised Code of Washington) 4.16.080. Read the statute.

Work injury, telling your employer: right away. Washington does not set a day count for the worker. The law says report the accident to your employer forthwith, which means immediately, and the employer must then report it to the Department of Labor and Industries at once. Treat "forthwith" as today, in writing. The rule is RCW 51.28.010. Read the statute.

Work injury, filing the formal claim: 1 year. File your workers' compensation claim within one year of the date of injury. Telling your boss is not the same as filing the claim. Occupational disease claims run on a different clock, generally two years from written notice of the disease. The rule is RCW 51.28.050. Read the statute.

Injured by a government entity: present the claim, then wait 60 days. Washington does not add a short notice deadline the way many states do. Instead, you must present your claim to the right office first (for the state, the Office of Risk Management; for local governments, their designated agent) within the ordinary three-year period, and then wait 60 calendar days before filing suit. The three-year clock pauses during that wait. Miss the presentment step and a lawsuit can be thrown out. The rules are RCW 4.92.110 for the state and RCW 4.96.020 for local governments. Read the state rule and the local rule.

Warning: don't wait! The government-claim two-step is a trap: present the claim, then wait 60 days before suing. Miss the presentment step and the case can be thrown out, and waiting kills cases. The longer you wait, the fuzzier memories get and documents get lost. Collect and save what you can, then talk to an advocate immediately. And important: medical claims can have different, often shorter deadlines and extra requirements. Do not assume the standard rule covers a hospital or doctor case.

Protect your case

Report the injury the same day. At work, tell your supervisor immediately and follow up in writing.
If it is a work injury, file the claim with the Department of Labor and Industries well inside the one-year window.
Write down what happened. Date, time, place, names of witnesses, and photos if you can take them.
If a government entity was involved, remember the two-step: present the claim, then wait 60 days before suit.
Talk to an advocate at WeHelpInjured. It is free. Talk to an advocate.

If this feels like a lot, you are not alone.

Talk to an advocate.

Never do these

Never give a recorded statement to an insurance company, even your own. Talk to an advocate first.
Never admit fault or say "I'm sorry" about the injury. Stick to facts only.
Never sign a release or accept a first settlement offer without talking to an advocate first.
Never post about the injury or your recovery on social media. Insurers use these posts against you.

Common situations in Washington

Hurt at work

Washington runs its own state workers' compensation fund through the Department of Labor and Industries, so most claims go through the state rather than a private insurer. The two steps still matter. Step one is reporting to your employer immediately. Step two is the formal claim, due within one year.

Doctors' offices in Washington often help file the claim at your first visit, so tell every provider the injury is work related from the start.

Hurt on the road

Car crash claims follow the three-year lawsuit deadline. Washington uses pure comparative fault, which is friendlier to injured people than most states. Your own carelessness does not bar your claim. It only reduces your recovery by your percentage of fault. The rule is RCW 4.22.005. Read the statute.

Even so, fault percentages are argued dollar by dollar, so be careful with recorded statements and get advice first.

Hurt on someone's property, including dog bites

Washington has a strict liability dog bite statute. The owner is liable if the dog bites you while you are in a public place or lawfully on private property, including the owner's. This applies regardless of whether the dog ever showed viciousness before or the owner knew of any danger. The rule is RCW 16.08.040. Read the statute.

For falls and other property injuries, the three-year deadline and pure comparative fault apply.

A story worth knowing

Hiring a lawyer is a strong move, but it is not the finish line. On December 23, 1995, Teresa Schmidt slipped and fell at a grocery store in Tacoma. Two weeks later she did the right thing and hired a lawyer, Timothy Coogan, to bring her injury case. He never properly filed her lawsuit before the statute of limitations ran out. Her case against the store died, not because of anything she did, but because of her own attorney. Her only path left was to sue him for malpractice. That fight dragged through a 2003 jury verdict, a 2010 retrial, and a 2012 appellate reversal. The Washington Supreme Court finally ruled in her favor in October 2014, almost 19 years after her fall. Read the decision.

The lesson is direct. Ask your lawyer, in writing, when your lawsuit will be filed, and get proof. If the deadline is blown, you inherit a much harder second case. Talk to an advocate. They will introduce you to a lawyer who tracks the calendar with you and helps prevent exactly this.

What we can help with

We are on your side, and only your side. We help injured people in Washington:

Understand which deadlines apply to your situation, in plain language
Understand how the Labor and Industries claim gets filed and what keeps it moving.
Understand the calendar, including the government claim two-step
Know what records, bills, and letters to keep so nothing gets lost
Help you connect with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves

We do not charge injured people anything. Ever. We explain your rights and options in general terms and connect you with licensed professionals for legal advice.

Talk to an advocate. Share your story in a few sentences and we will help you understand your next step. Start the form or open the chat.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-08-17

This is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines can change or vary with the facts. A licensed attorney can confirm the rule for your situation.

Injury types we cover in Washington

Pick what happened to see what applies.