Insurance Claims
After an injury, the insurance company's job is to pay as little as possible, and it has adjusters and lawyers working toward that from day one. We handle the claim for you, first-party and third-party, so the people who caused the harm and the insurers behind them pay what the claim is actually worth.
Talk to an attorneyFounded
1965
Attorneys
11
AV-rated
Martindale-Hubbell
Office
Bellevue, WA
Founded
1965
Attorneys
4
AV-rated
Martindale-Hubbell
Office
Bellevue, WA
Insurance claim attorneys for Bellevue and Seattle injury clients
Oseran Hahn handles the insurance side of an injury claim from start to finish. That means the first-party coverages on your own policy, like personal-injury protection and underinsured-motorist coverage, and the third-party liability claim against the person who caused the harm and their insurer. We deal with the adjusters, keep you from the early recorded statement that gets used against you, document the claim so it can't be lowballed, and push it toward a fair number. The first conversation is free.
An injury usually triggers more than one insurance claim, and the insurers on the other side are not neutral. We sort out which coverages apply, your own first-party benefits and the at-fault party's liability policy; we take over the adjuster contact so an early recorded statement or quick offer can't sink the claim; we document the medical and wage losses that set the claim's real value; we coordinate the coverages so one doesn't wrongly offset another; and we escalate to suit or a bad-faith claim when an insurer won't deal fairly.
First-party and third-party claims
An injury claim usually runs on two tracks. The first-party track is your own insurance: personal-injury protection (PIP) under RCW 48.22.085, which pays early medical bills regardless of fault, and underinsured-motorist (UIM) coverage under RCW 48.22.030, which steps in when the at-fault driver carried too little insurance. The third-party track is the liability claim against the person who caused the harm and their insurer. The two interact, and which one pays what, and in what order, changes the net recovery. We map all of it at the start.
Dealing with the adjuster
The adjuster is friendly and is not on your side. Early in a claim, the other insurer often asks for a recorded statement and floats a quick settlement before the injuries are fully known. You are not required to give the at-fault insurer a recorded statement, and a fast offer is usually a low one. We take over the contact so nothing you say gets turned against you. Washington's unfair-claims-settlement-practices rule, WAC 284-30-330, sets standards an insurer has to meet, and we hold them to it.
Documenting and valuing the claim
A claim is worth what you can prove, so we build the file: complete medical records and bills, the treating providers' view of recovery and future care, wage-loss documentation, and the day-to-day effect of the injury. Insurers run claims through software that pays what the file supports and not a dollar more. A thoroughly documented claim is the difference between an adjuster's first number and what the claim is actually worth.
Coordinating multiple coverages
Several policies can apply to one injury, and getting the order and the offsets right matters. PIP usually pays first, then the liability settlement, with the PIP carrier sometimes seeking reimbursement out of the recovery. UIM coverage can stack in some situations and is often overlooked. We line up every coverage that applies, your own and others', and keep an insurer from using one policy to wrongly reduce what another owes.
When a claim needs more than a claim
Most claims settle once the file is complete and the insurer sees you are prepared to sue. Some do not. When an insurer ignores the proof, delays without reason, or refuses to pay what is owed, the next step is a lawsuit, and sometimes a separate bad-faith claim under Washington's Insurance Fair Conduct Act, RCW 48.30.015, and the Consumer Protection Act, RCW 19.86. The deadline on the underlying injury claim is generally three years under RCW 4.16.080, so escalation can't wait indefinitely.
Insurers keep track of which firms prepare a file like it's headed to a jury and which ones take the first offer. We're in the first group, and it changes what your claim is worth.
You pay nothing unless we recover.
We handle injury cases on a contingency fee. The consultation is free, we advance the costs of building the case, and our fee comes out of the recovery, not your pocket. If there's no recovery, you owe no attorney fee.
Built for trial, which is why most settle.
Every file is prepared as if a jury will see it: evidence preserved, experts lined up, damages documented. That preparation is exactly why the other side settles, and settles higher. The firm's trial group has been in Washington courtrooms for decades.
Senior attorneys, straight talk.
You work with experienced attorneys, not a rotating case manager, and you'll get an honest read on your claim, including when a case isn't worth bringing. Communication is steady and in plain language, so you always know where things stand.
The attorneys behindthe work.
Our business and corporate attorneys handle this work alongside our litigation team, so you have coverage whether your matter stays transactional or becomes something more.
What clientsask us first.
Should I give the insurance company a recorded statement?
You're generally not required to give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver's insurer, and you shouldn't before talking to a lawyer. Adjusters use those statements to lock in answers that get used against you later. Your own insurer is different, since your policy requires cooperation, but we can handle that contact too.
What's the difference between a first-party and a third-party claim?
A first-party claim is against your own insurance, like PIP or underinsured-motorist coverage. A third-party claim is against the person who caused the injury and their liability insurer. Most serious injury cases involve both, and coordinating them is part of getting the full recovery.
The adjuster already offered me a settlement. Should I take it?
Be careful. Early offers usually come before anyone knows the full extent of the injury, and once you sign a release you can't reopen the claim if you need more treatment. We review any offer against the documented value of the claim before you accept, and the review costs nothing.
What does it cost to have you handle my claim?
Nothing up front. We handle injury insurance claims on a contingency fee: the consultation is free, we advance the costs, and our fee comes from the recovery. If we don't recover anything, you owe no attorney fee.
How long do I have?
The underlying injury claim generally must be filed within three years under RCW 4.16.080. First-party coverage claims can carry their own contractual deadlines and notice requirements under your policy, which are sometimes shorter, so it's worth checking early.
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Tell us what happened. The consultation is free, and an attorney from our personal-injury group will follow up within one business day.
Oseran Hahn P.S. · 11225 SE 6th St, Suite 100 · Bellevue, WA 98004
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