Federal Way sits between Seattle and Tacoma, with I-5 and Pacific Highway running through the middle of it. When someone’s carelessness hurts you here, the path forward depends on what kind of injury it was. Rich Martin is a Federal Way personal injury lawyer with 28 years of experience. Our Tacoma office is about 17 miles away. This page gives you a starting point for each type of case.
Federal Way: local facts
- County
- King County
- Court
- King County Superior Court, Maleng Regional Justice Center, 401 Fourth Avenue North, Kent (crashes in the Kent case area)
- Major roads
- I-5, SR 99 (Pacific Highway South), SR 18, SR 161, South 320th Street
- Hospitals
- St. Francis Hospital (Level IV trauma center)
- Population
- 103,000 (Washington OFM estimate, April 1, 2026)
- Our office
- Our Tacoma office is about 17 miles away (about 25 minutes without traffic).
How we help
- Rich handles your case himself, from start to finish.
- We’ve taken more than 30 cases to a jury, and insurers know it.
- We deal with every insurer so you can focus on recovering.
- You pay no fee and no case costs unless we win.
Federal Way crash data
Federal Way’s Comprehensive Traffic Safety Action Plan studied crashes on city streets from 2020 to 2024. It counted 4,374 crashes, including 23 fatal crashes and 123 crashes that caused serious injuries. The city’s goal is zero fatal and serious crashes by 2044.
Crashes on Federal Way city streets, 2020–2024
The plan lists the corridors with the most fatal and serious crashes. They include Pacific Highway South, 21st Avenue SW, and SW 312th, 320th, and 356th Streets. The city uses this data to plan safety work. Federal law keeps this data out of injury lawsuits. Your case rests on evidence from your own crash.
Your type of case at a glance
| Type of case | The first question | A key Washington rule |
|---|---|---|
| Car crash | Who caused it, and whose insurance pays first? | PIP pays medical bills early, regardless of fault (RCW 48.22.085) |
| Truck crash | Which companies are involved, and is the evidence saved? | Federal trucking rules apply |
| Motorcycle crash | Did the driver fail to look? | Helmets are required, but going without one doesn’t excuse the driver (RCW 46.37.530) |
| Hit while walking | Were you in a crosswalk? | Drivers must stop for people in crosswalks (RCW 46.61.235) |
| Bike crash | Did the driver give you room? | Drivers must pass at a safe distance (RCW 46.61.110) |
| Slip and fall | Did the owner know about the hazard? | Tincani (1994) |
| Wrongful death | Who will serve as personal representative? | The estate’s representative brings the case (RCW 4.20.010) |
Two rules apply to every case. Shared fault lowers a recovery but doesn’t erase it (RCW 4.22.005). And most lawsuits must be filed within three years (RCW 4.16.080).
Motorcycle crashes
Motorcycles show up in several of Federal Way’s fatal crashes from 2020 to 2024. Two were angle or turning crashes. In two more, a car rear-ended a stopped motorcycle (City of Federal Way).
Many rider crashes happen when a driver turns or changes lanes without seeing the motorcycle. Motorcycle policies often lack PIP, because the PIP law is written for cars (RCW 48.22.005). Riders lean on medical payments coverage, health insurance, and UIM (RCW 48.22.030). Riding between lanes isn’t allowed in Washington (RCW 46.61.608). See our Tacoma motorcycle page for more.
Pedestrians
People walking and biking were involved in 32% of Federal Way’s fatal and serious-injury crashes from 2020 to 2024. Eight pedestrians were killed (City of Federal Way). New light rail stations at Star Lake and downtown bring more people walking to and from trains and buses.
Outside a crosswalk, a pedestrian must yield, but every driver still has to use due care (RCW 46.61.245). PIP from the driver’s policy, or from your household’s own auto policy, can pay a pedestrian’s medical bills (RCW 48.22.005). Read what to do after a pedestrian accident.
Cyclists
The city counts about 93 miles of bike facilities (City of Federal Way). The BPA Trail runs 3.64 miles. A downtown extension is planned for 2029 (City of Federal Way). The safety plan reported no cyclist deaths from 2020 to 2024, but riders were part of the serious-crash total.
Riders may treat stop signs as yield signs when it’s safe (RCW 46.61.190). PIP can cover a cyclist, too, because the law counts anyone outside a motor vehicle as a pedestrian. Read the stop-as-yield rule.
Falls on unsafe property
Customers in stores and other businesses get the strongest protection under Washington premises law (Tincani). The key is usually notice. Did the owner cause the hazard, know about it, or have reason to find it?
The city tells property owners to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice, with at least a 42-inch path (City of Federal Way). It also says its code requires owners to keep nearby sidewalks fit and safe (City of Federal Way). Whether that makes an owner responsible for your fall depends on the facts.
Read what to do after a slip and fall and how long you have to file.
When a family loses someone
From 2020 to 2024, Federal Way’s city streets saw 23 fatal crashes. Eight of the people killed were walking (City of Federal Way). Each one left a family behind.
In Washington, the estate’s personal representative brings a wrongful death claim for the family (RCW 4.20.010). A spouse or registered domestic partner and children share first; parents and siblings share if there are none (RCW 4.20.020). The estate is usually opened in the county where the person lived (RCW 11.96A.050). See who can file a wrongful death lawsuit and our Tacoma wrongful death page.
Claims against government and transit
Claims against the city go to the City Clerk at 33325 8th Avenue South. Bring it in or mail it. The form must be notarized, and the city won’t accept claims sent by email or fax. State law then requires a 60-day wait before a lawsuit (RCW 4.96.020).
Light rail reached Federal Way on December 6, 2025. The 7.8-mile extension added three stations: Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way Downtown (Sound Transit). King County Metro buses also serve the city. Claims involving Metro go to King County, and Sound Transit has its own claims process.
Court
Federal Way lies south of I-90, which puts it in King County Superior Court’s Kent case area. Injury cases go to the area where the injury happened (LCR 82). So a Federal Way lawsuit is usually handled at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way is a Level IV trauma center. Serious trauma patients are often taken to a Level II center in Tacoma, Tacoma General or St. Joseph, or to Harborview in Seattle, the state’s Level I center (state Department of Health).
Fees
No upfront cost. Our fee is a share of what we recover. No recovery means no fee and no bill for costs. See how contingency fees work and our case results.
Meeting with us
Federal Way sits between our two offices. Tacoma is closer: about 17 miles south of city hall, or 25 minutes without traffic. The address is 10116 36th Ave Ct SW, #206, Tacoma, WA 98499, and the office line is (425) 449-1005. Our Bellevue office is also an option. Many clients start by phone.
Learn about Rich Martin or read client reviews.
Talk to a Federal Way personal injury lawyer
Call (425) 635-2000 or send us a message. Nearby: our Tacoma and Kent injury pages.
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 Federal Way
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 Federal Way 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.
Which of your offices is closest to Federal Way?
Tacoma, about 17 miles from Federal Way city hall. Our Bellevue office is also available.
Where would a Federal Way case be heard?
If it goes to court, usually at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Most cases settle first.
Do you handle motorcycle and pedestrian cases in Federal Way?
Yes. We handle crashes of every kind, plus falls and wrongful death claims.
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).
What does a case review cost?
Nothing. There's no fee unless we win.
Talk to a lawyer today. The call is free. Call (425) 635-2000.
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