Most people have never made an injury claim, and a lot of what they’ve heard about it isn’t true. As a Kirkland personal injury lawyer, Rich Martin has seen those myths cost people money. He’s worked on more than 2,000 injury cases over 28 years, from an office about 6 miles south in Bellevue. Here’s what you should know, starting with five common myths.
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).
Why Kirkland clients call us
- Close by. About 12 minutes from Kirkland without traffic.
- One lawyer. Rich works on your case himself.
- Courtroom tested. Over 30 cases taken to a jury.
- Paid only if you are. No fee, and no case costs, without a recovery.
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.
Five myths about injury claims
Myth 1: “If I was partly at fault, I can’t recover.”
Washington uses pure comparative fault. Your recovery goes down by your share of the blame, but it doesn’t disappear (RCW 4.22.005).
Myth 2: “My own insurance won’t help because I didn’t cause the crash.”
Your PIP coverage pays medical bills early, regardless of fault (RCW 48.22.085). If the other driver has too little insurance, your UIM coverage may pay the difference (RCW 48.22.030).
Myth 3: “I have to talk to the other side’s insurance company.”
You don’t. You can decline a recorded statement and refer them to your lawyer.
Myth 4: “A lawyer will cost more than I’d get.”
Our fee is a share of the money we recover for you. We front the case costs. If the case brings in nothing, neither of us gets paid and you don’t owe us a cent. See how injury lawyer fees work.
Myth 5: “There’s no rush.”
The lawsuit clock usually runs out three years after the injury (RCW 4.16.080). Claims against a city, county, or transit agency need a claim form and a 60-day wait first (RCW 4.96.020). And evidence like video can disappear in days.
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).
Crashes on the road
Each kind of road crash has its own page: Kirkland car crashes, truck collisions, and rider injuries. Rideshare passengers and drivers can start with our Uber and Lyft page. If you lost someone, see Kirkland wrongful death.
Walking in Kirkland
From 2019 to 2023, people walking or biking were in just 6% of Kirkland crashes, but 46% of the crashes that killed or seriously injured someone: 20 involving pedestrians and 10 involving cyclists (City of Kirkland). The city’s plan calls for 20 mph limits in school zones and on neighborhood greenways.
At any intersection, marked or not, drivers must stop for people in the crosswalk (RCW 46.61.235), and every driver must use due care toward people on foot (RCW 46.61.245). PIP can pay a pedestrian’s medical bills (RCW 48.22.005). Read Washington jaywalking rules.
Biking in Kirkland
The Cross Kirkland Corridor is a 5.75-mile gravel trail from the South Kirkland Park & Ride through Totem Lake, part of the 42-mile Eastrail. Off the trail, cyclists share busy streets: Kirkland’s plan found 10 crashes that killed or seriously injured a cyclist from 2019 to 2023 (City of Kirkland).
State law requires a safe passing gap for cyclists (RCW 46.61.110) and lets a rider roll through a stop sign as a yield when no one is coming (RCW 46.61.190). Our Bellevue cycling page goes deeper.
Falls on someone else’s property
A property owner’s duty depends on why you were there, with customers getting the most protection (Tincani v. Inland Empire Zoological Society). Most fall cases turn on notice: did the owner cause the danger, or know (or have reason to know) it was there?
Kirkland’s code makes owners of property next to a sidewalk responsible for keeping it safe, “including but not limited to ice and snow” (KMC 19.20.020), and the city points to that rule in its snow and ice plan. Whether an owner, a tenant, or the city is responsible for a particular fall depends on the facts.
See our Bellevue slip and fall page.
What to have ready for your first call
- The date, time, and place of the injury.
- The police report or incident report number, if there is one.
- Photos of the scene, vehicles, or hazard, and of your injuries.
- Names and numbers of witnesses.
- Your insurance information, and any letters from insurers.
Missing some of it? Call anyway. We can help gather the rest.
How long injury cases take
A case with a quick recovery can settle in a few months. If you need surgery or long treatment, it usually makes sense to wait until your doctors understand your outlook. Settling too early can leave future care unpaid. If the insurer won’t be fair, a lawsuit adds time, but often leads to a better result.
What a claim can include
Medical care now and later, lost income and earning power, property damage, help at home, and the harder-to-measure losses: pain, stress, and the activities you’ve had to give up. See our results.
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).
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.
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.
Learn about Rich Martin or read client reviews.
Talk to a Kirkland personal injury lawyer
Have a question you’d like a lawyer to answer? Phone (425) 635-2000 or use our online form. Neighbors in Redmond and Seattle have pages too.
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 →Injury cases we handle in Kirkland
Car Accidents
Rear-ended on I-405 or hit at a light? We take over the calls with the insurance company.
Truck Accidents
Trucking companies call their lawyers the same day. We start working on your case just as fast.
Motorcycle Accidents
Insurers often assume the rider was speeding. We find the proof of what really happened.
Pedestrian Accidents
Hit in a crosswalk or a parking lot? These injuries are serious. So is the way we handle them.
Bicycle Accidents
Hit by a car or a car door? We know Washington's bike laws and use them for you.
Uber & Lyft Accidents
Several insurance policies may cover you. We find every one of them.
Wrongful Death
Lost someone you love? We hold the people responsible to account, so your family doesn't have to.
Slip & Fall
Fell because a store or landlord ignored a hazard? They may owe you for your injuries.
Questions about Kirkland injury cases
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.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault?
Yes. Washington reduces your recovery by your share but doesn't erase it (RCW 4.22.005).
How far is the drive to your office?
From Kirkland city hall, around 6 miles south to Bellevue.
Which courthouse handles Kirkland lawsuits?
The King County Courthouse in downtown Seattle, in most cases.
A driver hit me in a crosswalk. Whose insurance covers my doctor?
PIP usually goes first, from the driver's policy or one in your own home.
Do you charge to look at my case?
No. The review is free, and fees only apply if we recover money.
Talk to a lawyer today. The call is free. Call (425) 635-2000.
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