Settlement Negotiation
Most injury cases end in a settlement, and the number depends on how the case was built and negotiated long before any check is cut. We prepare every claim as if it's going to trial, document its full value, and negotiate from that strength, so a settlement reflects the harm and not the adjuster's opening guess.
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
Settlement attorneys for Bellevue and Seattle injury clients
Oseran Hahn negotiates injury settlements from a position of preparation, not pressure. We don't open talks until your medical picture is clear, because settling early almost always means settling low. We build a demand package that documents the full claim, push back on the comparative-fault and causation arguments insurers use to discount it, and protect what you actually keep after liens and taxes. When the right number isn't on the table, we're ready to file. The first conversation is free.
A good settlement is built, not bargained for at the end. We assemble the demand package that proves the claim's full value once your treatment has stabilized; we negotiate against the adjuster's discounts and comparative-fault arguments; we protect your net recovery from medical liens and the tax and Medicare rules that affect it; we use structured settlements and good-faith determinations where they help; and we tell you honestly when the offer is fair and when it's time to file instead.
Building the demand package
A settlement is only as strong as the file behind it. We wait until you reach maximum medical improvement, the point where your condition has stabilized, so the demand reflects the whole injury rather than a guess. Then we assemble it: the complete medical records and bills, the treating providers' prognosis and future-care needs, wage-loss documentation, and a narrative that puts the human cost in front of the adjuster. A documented demand is what moves a claim off the insurer's opening number.
Negotiating against the discounts
Insurers evaluate claims to pay as little as the file allows, and they discount for everything: a gap in treatment, a pre-existing condition, a comparative-fault theory. Washington's pure comparative-fault rule, RCW 4.22.005, does let a defendant argue your share of fault to reduce the recovery, but it never erases it, and we answer those arguments with evidence rather than concede them. We anchor the negotiation to the documented value and hold it there.
Protecting what you keep: liens, taxes, and Medicare
The settlement number and the money you keep are not the same thing. Medical providers, health insurers, and L&I may assert liens against the recovery, and we negotiate those down so they don't consume it. A settlement for physical injuries is generally tax-free under Internal Revenue Code section 104(a)(2), but the interest part and certain other components may not be. If Medicare has paid or will pay, the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, 42 U.S.C. 1395y, has to be addressed. We handle the net, not just the gross.
Structured settlements and multi-defendant deals
Some settlements are better taken over time than in a lump sum. A structured settlement can spread payments and preserve needs-based benefits, which matters in larger or catastrophic cases. When more than one defendant is involved, a settlement with one can be presented for a good-faith reasonableness determination under RCW 4.22.060, which bars contribution claims and lets the case against the others proceed cleanly. Smaller-value cases may run through mandatory arbitration under RCW 7.06 before any trial.
Knowing when to settle, and when to file
Most cases settle, but only the prepared ones settle well, and some shouldn't settle at all. We give you an honest read on each offer against the documented value, and we tell you when the insurer's number is fair and when it isn't. A signed release ends the claim for good, so the decision has to be right. And because the filing deadline under RCW 4.16.080 doesn't pause for negotiation, we protect it, filing suit when the talks stall rather than letting a clock decide the case.
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.
How long does it take to settle an injury claim?
It depends mostly on your treatment. We don't settle until you reach maximum medical improvement, because settling before then risks leaving out future care you'll need. Once the medical picture is clear, a documented claim often resolves in a few months; if the insurer won't be reasonable, filing suit takes longer but raises the value.
Should I take the insurance company's first offer?
Usually not. A first offer is an opening position, typically made before the full extent of the injury is documented, and it's almost always low. Once you sign a release you can't reopen the claim, so we evaluate any offer against the claim's documented value before you decide. The review costs nothing.
Will my medical bills and liens come out of my settlement?
Often, yes, but not at full value. Medical providers, health insurers, and L&I can assert liens against your recovery, and part of our job is negotiating those down so the lien doesn't eat your net. What you keep matters more than the headline number, and we manage both.
Is my settlement taxable?
Generally, a settlement for physical injuries isn't taxable under Internal Revenue Code section 104(a)(2). Some components, like interest or punitive damages, can be taxable, and structured settlements have their own treatment. We flag the tax issues during negotiation rather than after, and recommend a tax professional where the situation calls for it.
What if we can't reach a fair settlement?
Then we file. We prepare every claim for trial from the start, so moving to a lawsuit isn't a reset, it's the next step. The filing deadline under RCW 4.16.080 doesn't pause while you negotiate, so we protect it and let the strength of the case, not a clock, drive the timing.
Recentarticles.
Tell us what happened and what you've been offered. 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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