Representing Injured Drivers and Passengers in Kent

Kent sits where SR-167, SR-18, and I-5 converge around the Kent Valley’s warehouse and distribution corridor. That produces a heavy mix of commercial vehicle traffic and commuter volume.

A collision is over in seconds. The consequences are not. Medical bills arrive before you are back at work, and the at-fault driver’s insurer often calls within 48 hours — before you have seen a specialist and before anyone knows what the injury will actually cost.

Sterbick & Associates has practiced law in Washington for more than 29 years. Attorney John Sterbick is a member of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA #17805) and the Washington State Association for Justice, and appears in both state and federal court.

Local Collision Context

The 140th Ave SE / 132nd Ave SE corridor running through Renton, Kent, and Auburn has been identified by the King County Target Zero Coalition as having a documented history of high-speed fatal collisions, with studies finding more than 85% of drivers exceeding the posted speed by 10 to 15 mph. Kent recorded 14 fatal crashes between 2016 and 2020.

Corridor safety data, prior collision history at a specific intersection, and signal or roadway design records are discoverable, and they can bear directly on who is responsible — including whether a municipality shares fault.

Where a Kent Claim Is Filed

Civil personal injury suits arising in Kent are filed in King County Superior Court — Maleng Regional Justice Center, 401 4th Ave N, Kent, WA 98032.

Washington Rules That Affect Your Claim

Three years to file. Most injury claims must be brought within three years of the collision under RCW 4.16.080(2). If a government entity is involved — a city vehicle, a transit bus, a road design claim — you must first present a tort claim form and wait 60 days before filing suit under RCW 4.96.020 or RCW 4.92.110.

Partial fault does not bar recovery. Washington applies pure comparative negligence under RCW 4.22.005. Found 30% at fault, you recover 70%. This is exactly why the early insurer phone call exists — every point of blame assigned to you comes off the check.

No cap on pain and suffering. In Sofie v. Fibreboard Corp., 112 Wn.2d 636 (1989), the Washington Supreme Court held that statutory caps on noneconomic damages violate the constitutional right to a jury trial.

Check your own policy. Underinsured motorist coverage under RCW 48.22.030 covers hit-and-run drivers and at-fault drivers carrying minimum limits. PIP under RCW 48.22.085 pays medical costs and income continuation regardless of fault, unless you rejected it in writing. Many injured people never learn they had either.

What Happens After the Settlement

Sterbick & Associates is also a tax and bankruptcy practice, so the issues that surface after a recovery are handled in the same office:

  • Hospital liens under RCW 60.44.010 are capped by statute at 25% of the total recovery and carry strict filing requirements. We audit each one before payment.
  • Settlement taxability under IRC § 104(a)(2) — compensation for physical injury is generally excluded from income, but punitive damages and interest are not. Allocation belongs in the negotiation, not next April.
  • Debt from time out of work. If bankruptcy becomes the right answer, Washington’s unlimited bankruptcy exemption for injury proceeds under RCW 6.15.010(1)(d)(viii) can protect your recovery — when it is claimed correctly.

Related: Personal Injury practice · Kent office page