It’s Not Just an Accident. It’s Your Life.

An accident doesn’t only happen to your body. It happens to your life. Your paycheck stops, but your medical bills don’t. The insurance company—with its adjusters, attorneys, and decades of claims-handling experience—starts working against you almost immediately. You’re left trying to recover, physically and financially, without a clear picture of what comes next.

At Rush, Hannula, Harkins & Kyler PLLC, we’ve been standing between injury victims and the institutional forces positioned against them since 1959. As Tacoma personal injury attorneys with deep roots in Pierce County, we know this community, these courts, and the obstacles our clients face. We also know the stakes couldn’t be higher. Your health, financial stability, and family’s future may all be riding on how this case gets handled. If you’ve been hurt because of someone else’s negligence, we’re here to make sure it gets handled right.

Why Tacoma Injury Victims Need Local Advocacy

There is a practical difference between hiring a personal injury law firm that happens to take Washington cases, and hiring one that is embedded in your community. For accident victims in Tacoma and the surrounding South Sound region (from Lakewood and Puyallup to Federal Way and Olympia), that difference matters more than most people realize until they’re in the middle of a claim.

Pierce County Courts and Local Legal Procedures

Personal injury law is not administered in the abstract. It plays out in specific courtrooms, before specific judges, under local procedural rules that can differ meaningfully from one county to the next. An attorney who primarily practices in King County or handles cases remotely from out of state may know Washington law in general terms, but general terms don’t win cases.

RHHK’s attorneys have spent decades navigating Pierce County Superior Court. We know how cases move through the system here, how to prepare evidence that meets local standards, and how to avoid the procedural friction that can slow or sink a case.

Local Investigation, Quickly

When an accident happens on the Nalley Valley Viaduct, near the Port of Tacoma, or along the SR-16 interchange, the window for preserving evidence is short. Skid marks fade. Surveillance footage gets overwritten. Witness recollections drift.

A law firm in another city can’t get eyes on a scene the same day, but we can. Our legal team deploys investigators quickly, identifies relevant traffic camera footage, and documents the conditions of the accident site before critical evidence disappears. In complex cases involving industrial equipment, commercial vehicles, or disputed liability, that early investigative work often makes the difference between a compelling case and one built on incomplete facts.

Washington Injury Laws and Comparative Negligence Rules

Washington is a pure comparative negligence state. Even if you share some portion of fault for the accident, you can still pursue fair compensation, though your recovery will be reduced proportionally by your percentage of fault.

This rule sounds straightforward, but in practice it gives insurance adjusters significant leverage. They are trained to find ways to assign you a higher share of fault, because every percentage point they add to your side of the ledger reduces what they owe. Our Tacoma personal injury lawyers know how to anticipate and counter that strategy, building a factual and legal record that protects your interests from the moment we take your case.

Tacoma Personal Injury Claims We Handle

RHHK represents accident victims across a wide range of personal injury claims throughout Western Washington. Our practice areas include:

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Car accidents, truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents form the largest share of personal injury cases in Pierce County, and for good reason. I-5 through Tacoma is a near-constant construction zone with tight lanes and high-speed merges. SR-16 near Cheney Stadium is among the most collision-prone interchanges in the region. There are countless other high-risk stretches of road in our region.

When a crash happens, the injuries can be devastating and the legal landscape complex, particularly when commercial vehicles or multiple parties are involved. Truck accident cases, for instance, often require investigation, not just of the driver but of the trucking company, including their maintenance records, hours-of-service compliance, and hiring practices. Our car accident attorneys and motorcycle accident lawyers have handled hundreds of motor vehicle cases and understand the distinct demands each type presents.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

As Tacoma grows more walkable and more people commute by bike, the friction between motor vehicles and unprotected road users has grown with it. When a person on foot or on a bike is struck by a vehicle, the resulting injuries are rarely minor. Fractures, traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage, and internal injuries are common outcomes.

These cases hinge on establishing that the driver failed their duty of care, and that failure is often clearest in high-pedestrian corridors like Pacific Avenue or the Ruston Way Waterfront—areas where drivers have an elevated obligation to be alert. RHHK’s personal injury lawyers have the investigative resources and trial experience to build that case and present it persuasively, whether at the negotiating table or before a jury.

Workplace Injuries

The Port of Tacoma, the construction boom reshaping the downtown skyline, and the region’s significant industrial base mean workplace injuries are a grim and persistent reality for Pierce County workers.

While Workers’ Compensation may cover your immediate medical expenses and a portion of lost wages, it has limits. It doesn’t account for pain and suffering, and it doesn’t capture third party liability. When a subcontractor’s negligence, a manufacturer’s defective equipment, or a property owner’s failure to maintain a safe site contributes to your injury, a personal injury claim runs beyond what Workers’ Comp can provide. Understanding where those two tracks intersect is something RHHK’s attorneys have navigated for injured workers for decades.

Wrongful Death

When negligence costs someone their life, the people left behind face a particular kind of devastation, with grief compounded by financial uncertainty, unanswered questions, and decisions that can’t wait. 

RHHK handles wrongful death claims with the gravity they demand, pursuing compensation for lost income, medical expenses incurred before death, funeral costs, and the profound loss of a loved one’s presence. We have represented families across Pierce County who deserved not just a fair settlement, but accountability, and we’ve pursued both with equal commitment.

Brain Injuries and Catastrophic Harm

Few injuries carry the long-term weight of a traumatic brain injury. The immediate symptoms (headaches, confusion, memory gaps) can mask damage that won’t fully reveal itself for days or weeks, and the permanent effects can reshape every aspect of a person’s life.

TBI cases, along with spinal cord injuries and other catastrophic harm, require a level of legal sophistication that goes beyond a standard personal injury claim: life-care planning, complex expert testimony, and damages calculations that account for decades of future medical expenses and lost earning capacity. RHHK has the resources and the track record to handle these high-stakes claims.

Medical Malpractice

We extend significant trust to our healthcare providers, and when that trust is violated—through a misdiagnosis, a surgical error, a medication mistake, or nursing home negligence—the consequences can be life-altering.

Medical malpractice cases are among the most technically demanding in personal injury law, requiring detailed review of medical records, coordination with expert witnesses, and a thorough understanding of the standard of care that was owed and breached. Our attorneys have built and won these cases for clients across Pierce County, and we have the relationships with medical experts needed to do it well.

What Damages Can Be Recovered in Washington Personal Injury Claims

“Damages” is the legal term for the compensation you’re entitled to pursue. In Washington personal injury cases, that typically falls into two categories:

Economic Damages

The quantifiable losses: every medical bill, future treatment and therapy session, and paycheck you didn’t receive because you couldn’t work. These figures are documented and calculable, but that doesn’t mean insurance companies present them accurately or completely. Adjusters routinely challenge the necessity of certain treatments, dispute the connection between an injury and the accident, and push back on projections for future medical expenses. An experienced Tacoma personal injury attorney knows how to document these losses in a way that holds up under that scrutiny.

Non-Economic Damages

What the bills don’t capture: the pain and suffering, emotional distress, and ways a serious injury disrupts the life you had before. The fact that you can no longer sleep through the night. The activities with your family you’ve had to give up. The anxiety that now follows you into the car every time you drive. These losses are real, they are legally compensable, and they are often where the most significant gap exists between what an insurance company initially offers and what a case is actually worth.

RHHK builds claims that account for both dimensions—not just the stack of invoices, but the full human cost of what happened to you.

What to Do After an Accident in Tacoma, Washington

The steps you take in the hours and days after an accident have a direct effect on your personal injury claim. We’ve put together a more detailed guide to what to do if someone is injured at the scene, but at a minimum:

1. Seek medical attention immediately. Even if you feel relatively okay, adrenaline can mask a great deal. Get evaluated at MultiCare Tacoma General, CHI Franciscan, or your nearest urgent care. A medical record dated the day of the accident is important evidence, and a gap in treatment is one of the first things an insurance adjuster will use to argue your injuries weren’t serious.
2. Document the scene. If you’re physically able, photograph everything, including vehicle positions, road conditions, visible injuries, and street signs. Don’t assume the police report will capture every detail you might need later. When in doubt, snap a picture, as you’ll only get one chance to do so.
3. Get the police report. Contact the Tacoma Police Department, or other local law enforcement, for a copy of the official accident report. It contains the responding officer’s assessment and the other party’s insurance information, which are both foundational to your claim.
4. Don’t speak to insurance adjusters without counsel. The other driver’s insurance company may call within 24 hours. They’ll sound friendly and reasonable. They’re also gathering information to use against you. Before making any statement, consult with a personal injury attorney.
5. Know the statute of limitations. In most negligence claims in Washington, you have three years from the date of the accident to file a claim. Some exceptions, particularly claims involving government entities, carry much shorter deadlines. Don’t wait to understand where your case falls.

Why Work With RHHK 

There’s no shortage of personal injury lawyers in Washington—firms with billboards on I-5, ads during the evening news, or jingles you can’t get out of your head. What those law offices can’t offer is what six-plus decades of practice in Tacoma and the South Sound actually looks like: attorneys who have argued before Pierce County judges, professional relationships built over careers rather than ad campaigns, and a record of results that speaks for itself.

RHHK’s personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win. That means our commitment to maximizing your recovery is inseparable from our own. From the first free consultation through every step of the legal process, you’ll work directly with the attorney handling your case. We stay engaged and proactive, because the people who come to us have already been through enough, and they deserve legal representation from advocates who take that seriously.

If you or a loved one has been injured in Tacoma or anywhere in the South Sound region, contact RHHK today. Call (253) 383-5388 or reach us through our online contact form to schedule your free consultation.

FAQ Section

What qualifies as personal injury?

A personal injury case arises when someone is harmed because of another party’s negligence or wrongful conduct. Common personal injury claims in Tacoma include car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, slip and falls, workplace injuries, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases.

How much does a personal injury lawyer cost?

Most Tacoma personal injury lawyers, including RHHK, work on a contingency fee basis. This means there are no upfront legal fees, and attorneys’ fees are only collected if compensation is successfully recovered through a settlement or verdict.

What damages can be recovered?

Depending on the circumstances of the case, recoverable damages may include medical expenses, future medical treatment, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, property damage, and loss of enjoyment of life. In wrongful death claims, surviving family members may also recover funeral expenses and loss of financial support.