The greatest danger in waiting to get an experienced injury attorney involved, of course, is missing the statute of limitations deadline for filing a lawsuit. If this happens, the value of your claim will drop to zero. In Washington, the deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is usually three years after the date of the injury, while the deadline for filing a wrongful death lawsuit is three years from the victim’s date of death.
Even if you don’t miss the statute of limitations deadline, waiting until the last minute could force your attorney to rush matters, resulting in lower quality representation. In addition, evidence tends to deteriorate over time – witness memories fade, for example, and physical evidence is degraded or gets misplaced.