Whether your crash happened an hour ago or three months ago, there’s still a lot you can do to protect yourself. Rich Martin is a Kirkland car accident lawyer whose Bellevue office is about 6 miles from Kirkland city hall. After 28 years of injury work, he’ll talk with you for free about where your claim stands.
Kirkland: local facts
- County
- King County
- Court
- King County Superior Court, King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, Seattle (crashes in the Seattle case area)
- Major roads
- I-405, NE 85th Street, NE 116th Street, NE 124th Street, Market Street
- Hospitals
- EvergreenHealth Medical Center (Level III trauma center)
- Population
- 98,860 (Washington OFM estimate, April 1, 2026)
- Our office
- Our Bellevue office is about 6 miles away (about 12 minutes without traffic).
What a Kirkland car accident lawyer handles
- The insurance calls, from every company involved.
- The evidence: police report, photos, video, and witnesses.
- Your medical bills, starting with PIP.
- The full value of the claim, including future care and lost earning power.
- The fee: nothing unless we win, costs included.
Kirkland crash data, in brief
Kirkland adopted a Transportation Safety Action Plan in December 2025 (City of Kirkland). It found that total crashes fell over the past decade, from 1,032 in 2014 to 609 in 2023, but serious-injury crashes went up. From 2019 to 2023, the city counted 2,911 crashes, including 6 fatal crashes and 59 serious-injury crashes.
Who was involved in Kirkland crashes, 2019–2023
The city uses this data to plan safety projects. Federal law generally keeps traffic-safety planning data out of injury lawsuits, so a case is built on the evidence from your own crash.
Where are you right now?
You’re still at the scene
Get to safety and call 911. Ask for police and medical help. Take photos of every vehicle, the plates, the intersection, and anything on the road. Get the other driver’s insurance and the names and numbers of anyone who stopped. Don’t argue about fault. Just gather information.
You’re home, and you’re sore
Get checked within 24 hours, even for mild pain. Then call your own insurer to open PIP, which covers treatment no matter who was at fault (RCW 48.22.085) and starts at a $10,000 medical minimum (RCW 48.22.095).
The other driver’s adjuster just called
You don’t have to give a recorded statement or sign anything. You can say your lawyer will be in touch. Adjusters are often friendly, but their job is to close the claim for as little as possible.
The other driver drove away
Get a police report on file within 72 hours. UIM can still respond to a hit-and-run, provided something other than your own account backs up the facts: a bystander, a dash cam, a store camera (RCW 48.22.030, subsection 8).
It’s been weeks or months
It’s usually not too late. Washington gives you three years to sue in most crash cases (RCW 4.16.080). Public agencies are the exception that needs early action: a claim form, then a 60-day wait (RCW 4.96.020). Video may be gone, but medical records, photos, and witnesses can still carry a case.
You were driving for work
On-the-job crashes usually open an L&I claim. When someone outside your company caused it, Washington lets you go after that driver too (RCW 51.24.030). Let us know about both from day one.
Kirkland roads where crashes happen
- 124th Avenue NE between NE 104th and NE 90th Streets, a city hotspot with two fatal and two serious-injury crashes.
- NE 68th / NE 70th Street from State Street to the I-405 interchange, the segment with the most fatal and serious crashes in the city’s plan.
- Juanita Drive NE, with four serious-injury crashes in one stretch.
- NE 132nd Street, Lake Washington Boulevard NE, and NE 85th Street, where serious crashes cluster.
- I-405, where express toll lanes have run between Bellevue and Lynnwood since 2015 (City of Bellevue), with a toll-lane ramp at NE 128th Street (WSDOT).
Construction is reshaping the NE 85th Street interchange with I-405. The $234.4 million project adds a third level and a bus rapid transit station, and WSDOT lists completion for winter 2027 (WSDOT). Lane shifts, new roundabouts, and detours mean drivers need extra care, and work-zone traffic control can matter in a crash claim.
Who writes the report
A crash on a Kirkland street usually gets a Kirkland Police report; one on I-405 usually gets a State Patrol report. Either can contain errors. When it does, the vehicles, the photos, and the people who saw it can set things straight.
Buses, transit, and public vehicles
King County Metro buses serve Kirkland, and Sound Transit is building the Stride S2 bus rapid transit line between Bellevue and Lynnwood, with Kirkland stations at Totem Lake and NE 85th Street. Construction is expected to finish by 2029 (Sound Transit). Claims involving Metro go to King County, and Sound Transit has its own claims process.
A claim against the City of Kirkland has specific rules. The city’s Claim for Damages form must be notarized (city staff will notarize it for free) and mailed or placed in the drop box at City Hall. Electronic and faxed copies aren’t accepted. State law then requires a 60-day wait before a lawsuit (RCW 4.96.020).
Who pays in the end
Ultimately, the careless driver’s liability carrier owes for your losses, because Washington assigns responsibility by fault (RCW 46.30.020). If their limits are too low, your UIM coverage can make up the difference. Read who pays your car accident claim.
When fault is shared
Common injuries
Whiplash and back sprains, herniated discs, concussions, broken bones, and anxiety about driving can all follow a crash. Read about delayed neck pain, headaches after a crash, and brain injuries.
EvergreenHealth Medical Center, right in Kirkland, is a state-designated Level III adult trauma center. Patients with the gravest injuries are often taken to Harborview in Seattle, which holds the Level I designation (Washington DOH).
Low-speed crashes can still hurt
Insurers sometimes argue that little car damage means little injury. Bodies don’t work that way. A rear-end bump at city speed can strain the neck and back, especially if you were turned or braced. What matters is what your doctors find, not how the bumper looks. Get checked, and keep your records.
When the crash made an old injury worse
Many people already have a sore back or an old knee injury before a crash. That doesn’t sink a claim. If the crash made the condition worse, the added pain and treatment can be part of what you recover. Be honest with your doctors about your history, so the records clearly show what changed.
Social media and your claim
Adjusters look at public posts. A photo of you smiling at a birthday party can be used to argue you weren’t really hurt, even if you spent the next day in bed. Until your claim is resolved, it’s safest not to post about the crash, your injuries, or your activities.
Where a Kirkland case is filed
Lawsuits from Kirkland injuries belong to King County Superior Court’s Seattle case area, which covers the county north of I-90 (LCR 82). Expect the case to be managed from the downtown Seattle courthouse, though most never get that far.
What your Kirkland car accident claim may be worth
That depends on your injuries, treatment, time off work, how clear the fault is, and the insurance available. In Rich’s car crash cases, juries have awarded $1.55 million for a brain injury and $850,000 in a parking lot crash. Past results don’t promise yours. See our results and Eastside car crash settlements.
Meeting with us
Kirkland is one of our closest neighbors. You’ll find us in Bellevue’s Eastridge Corporate Center (11811 NE 1st Street, Suite 303), roughly 6 miles and a 12-minute drive from Kirkland city hall. Meet us there, or keep things simple by phone and email.
Talk to a Kirkland car accident lawyer
Talk it over with Rich: (425) 635-2000, or send your question online. Crashed in a neighboring city? Try Bellevue or Redmond.
Car Accidents: results for our clients
Past results don't guarantee future results. Every case is different. See all results →
Your attorney: Rich Martin
28 years. More than 2,000 injury cases. More than 30 jury trials. When you call, you talk to Rich, and he handles your case himself.
About Rich Martin →Questions about Kirkland car accidents
What does No Win, No Fee mean?
You pay nothing up front. Our fee comes out of the money we win for you. No hourly bills. No retainer. If we don't win, you owe us nothing. Not even the case costs.
My crash was months ago. Is it too late?
Usually not. Most lawsuits can be filed within three years (RCW 4.16.080), though government claims have earlier steps.
Which police agency reports an I-405 crash in Kirkland?
Typically a State Patrol trooper. City streets get Kirkland Police.
Do I need to give the other insurer a statement?
No. You can decline and refer them to us.
How close is your office?
About 6 miles from Kirkland city hall, in Bellevue.
Can I get my treatment paid before the case ends?
Yes, through your own PIP, which doesn't wait for a fault decision.
Talk to a lawyer today. The call is free. Call (425) 635-2000.
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