Hit & Run Accident Lawyer in Seattle
Over $1 Billion Recovered. A Seattle Office Ready to Fight for You.
Alvandi Law Group, P.C. has represented injured accident victims for over 20 years. Founded by Gil Alvandi, the firm has recovered over $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for clients across California and Washington. We maintain a Seattle office, giving injured drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists throughout the area direct access to the firm’s resources without coordinating across state lines.
Gil Alvandi personally litigated or supervised thousands of injury cases while building the practice in California. That foundation now extends to Washington clients through the Seattle office.
If a driver hit you and fled, contact Alvandi Law Group, P.C. at (800) 980-6905 for a free consultation. Available 24/7.
What the Fleeing Driver Violated Under Washington Law
Under RCW 46.52.020, every driver involved in a collision must stop and provide identifying information to the other parties. Leaving without doing so is a criminal offense, and the penalty depends on the outcome of the crash.
Criminal Penalty Tiers
Leaving the scene of a crash that caused injury is a class C felony in Washington. Leaving after a fatal crash is a class B felony. When an accident caused only property damage, a driver who leaves without stopping or exchanging information can generally be charged with a gross misdemeanor. Washington law also generally requires a written accident report within four days when no police officer investigated the crash and it involved an injury or property damage amount exceeding a statutory dollar threshold.
Criminal Case vs. Civil Claim
Any criminal case against a hit-and-run driver is handled by the prosecutor, not the victim. Pursuing compensation for injuries and losses is a separate civil matter, and that responsibility falls to the injured person.
How Seattle Hit-and-Run Victims Can Recover Compensation
Washington is an at-fault insurance state. When the driver who caused the crash is identified, that driver’s liability coverage is the first source of recovery. When the driver is never found, a different path applies.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage & PIP
Washington insurers are required to offer uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, though drivers may reject it in writing. When a hit-and-run driver is never identified, UM coverage is generally the primary avenue for compensation. Optional personal injury protection (PIP) coverage is also available in Washington and pays medical costs regardless of fault.
Comparative Negligence & Filing Deadlines
Washington follows a pure comparative negligence rule: a victim can still recover damages even if they were partly at fault, with any award reduced by their percentage of fault rather than eliminated. The statute of limitations for filing a personal injury or property damage lawsuit arising from a car accident in Washington is three years from the date of the crash.
Hit-and-Run Injuries on Seattle Streets
Between 2019 and 2022, Seattle averaged more than 27 traffic deaths per year, with a significant share involving people outside of vehicles, including pedestrians and cyclists. These are the victims most exposed in a hit-and-run: someone on foot or a bike has no crumple zone and no airbag, and the driver who caused the crash can disappear before anyone gets a plate number.
When a fleeing driver is caught and charged with a hit-and-run resulting in death and has no prior felony history, Washington sentencing guidelines can call for a range of 31 to 41 months in prison, depending on the offender score and specific circumstances, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. That criminal outcome, if it occurs, runs parallel to any civil claim for damages and does not automatically produce compensation for the victim.
See Our Success Stories
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$5,400,000 Tree Trimming AccidentSecured $5,400,000 for a client injured following a tree trimming accident.
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$4,400,000 Construction Site Accident
Achieved $4,400,000 for a client harmed in a construction site incident.
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$1,500,000 Construction Site Accident
Won $1,500,000 for a client involved in a worksite accident.
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$850,000 Roofing Injury
Obtained $850,000 for a client involved in a roofing injury case.
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$700,000 Office Work Injury
Obtained $700,000 compensation for a client who suffered an office-related injury.
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$700,000 Chemical Exposure
The Clinical Advisory Board: Documenting What Insurance Companies Dispute
UM and UIM claims are contested most aggressively on injury severity and causation. When a hit-and-run victim has no identified driver to pursue and the claim rests entirely on their own coverage, the insurer’s incentive to challenge the extent of injuries increases. Alvandi Law Group, P.C. addresses this directly through its in-house Clinical Advisory Board.
Led by Dr. Nancy Alvandi and Dr. Shadi Gholizadeh, with backgrounds in neuropsychology and psychological assessment, the Clinical Advisory Board provides strategic clinical insight to help document the full scope and long-term impact of a client’s injuries. Most firms rely solely on outside medical professionals retained after the fact. Having this clinical resource integrated into the firm means complex injury documentation is built into how cases are constructed from the start, not added as an afterthought.
What Alvandi Law Group, P.C. Handles Once a Client Engages the Firm
A hit-and-run case in Seattle involves a number of moving pieces at once. The firm handles claim filing, medical record gathering, paperwork management, negotiations with insurance carriers, and trial preparation if a fair resolution isn’t reached at the settlement stage. Clients don’t need to coordinate between a lawyer, an insurer, and medical providers on their own.
Start with a Free Consultation With Our Hit & Run Accident Lawyer in Seattle
Alvandi Law Group, P.C. works on a contingency fee basis. Clients owe nothing unless the firm recovers compensation on their behalf, and there are no fees if the case doesn’t resolve in the client’s favor.
Contact Alvandi Law Group, P.C. at (800) 980-6905 to discuss your case with our hit-and-run accident lawyer in Seattle and understand the options available.
