Personal Injury Laws

Washington State Personal Injury Laws

Statute of Limitations on Injury Cases in Washington State

In Washington, as in the case of other states there is a time limit on when you are legally able to file a claim against another party that caused your injury. This is called a statute of limitations. If you do not file your case within the time limit, you may be not be able to recover compensation for your injuries.

The statute of limitations in Washington State is 3 years from the date of your accident or injury. It is critical to file your case within the 3 year time limit, otherwise your case will almost certainly be disallowed.

Comparative Fault Rules in Washington

Washington state is a “pure comparative negligence” state, which means that whatever amount you recover will be reduced by the percentage of fault attributed to you.

So, if you recover $100,000, and you are determined to be 30% at fault, your settlement would be reduced to $70,000.

No Damage Limits in Washington Personal Injury Cases

Some states limit the amount of compensation you can be awarded for certain types of injuries, but there are no limits under Washington state laws. Washington courts have held that personal injury damage limits are unconstitutional.

Liability of Government Workers and Entities in Washington State

Special rules and limitations apply to personal injury cases filed against government entities and employees. You must file a formal notice of claim with the state or municipality involved within the 3 year statute of limitations. You cannot file a lawsuit until 60 days after you have filed the formal notice of claim with a state or local government entity.

More information and online resources are available below

Nursing School Enrollment On The Rise

The pandemic seems to be driving a new surge in nursing school enrollment, which is a good sign that people are dedicated to helping provide medical services during these difficult times.

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 1, 2021 – According to new data released today by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), student enrollment in baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral nursing programs increased in 2020 despite concerns that the pandemic might diminish interest in nursing careers. In programs designed to prepare new registered nurses (RNs) at the baccalaureate level, enrollment increased by 5.6% with 251,145 students now studying in these programs nationwide. AACN’s annual survey findings are based on data reported from 956 of the 1,035 nursing schools in the U.S. (92.4% response rate) with baccalaureate and/or graduate programs.

“AACN is pleased to see across-the-board increases in nursing school enrollments given our commitment to encouraging all nurses to advance their education as a catalyst for improving patient care and keeping communities safe,” said Dr. Susan Bakewell-Sachs, Chair of the AACN Board of Directors. “With the pandemic ushering in a period of unprecedented change and innovation in higher education, schools of nursing moved decisively to adapt their programs to ensure a steady supply of nurses needed to join the fight against COVID-19.”

Based on findings from AACN’s latest annual survey conducted in Fall 2020, significant increases in enrollment were found in entry-level baccalaureate (5.6%), master’s (4.1%), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (8.9%) programs. In fact, nursing programs offered at each of these degree levels have seen more than 15 years of continuous enrollment growth.

Though interest in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs is strong, thousands of qualified applicants are being turned away from four-year colleges and universities. In 2020, 80,521 qualified applications were not accepted at schools of nursing due primarily to a shortage of clinical sites, faculty, and resource constraints. Within this total, applications turned away included 66,274 from entry-level baccalaureate, 1,376 from RN-to-baccalaureate, 8,987 from master’s, and 3,884 from doctoral programs. Given the persistent shortage of nurse faculty, AACN remains concerned that 12,871 applications were turned away from graduate programs, which limits the pool of potential nurse faculty.  Read the full article here.

 

NURSING DEGREE PROGRAMS IN POPULAR CITIES

What is Social Security?

What is Social Security?

Social Security helps millions of Americans make ends meet every month.  Social Security helps retirees, disabled persons, and families of retired, disabled or deceased workers. President Franklin Roosevelt signed The Social Security Act into law in 1935 to help provide financial security to a broad range of Americans. The Social Security Act was part of FDR’s New Deal to lift the United States out of the Great Depression of the 1930s. The goal was to provide a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers age 65 or older an income after retirement.

The program expanded in 1939 to include survivors insurance for families of deceased workers and again in 1956 with disability insurance for disabled workers and their family
members. In 1965, Medicare began providing health insurance for Social Security beneficiaries. Since 1972, Social Security has administered the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. It is a needs-based program, funded by the U.S. Treasury general fund, not Social Security with holdings, to provide payments to people with limited income and resources who are age 65 or older, blind, or disabled. Children with disabilities can get SSI, too.

Social Security is the most successful anti-poverty program in our country’s history.

About one in every five Americans receives a Social Security benefit. Most SSA beneficiaries are retired individuals. Almost one third are disabled, dependents of those with disabilities, or survivors.Currently, over 63 million people receive a monthly Social Security benefit, including:

  • Over 47 million retired workers and dependents
  • Over 10 million disabled workers and dependents
  • About 6 million survivors of deceased workers.

Currently, over 8 million people receive a monthly SSI benefit, including about 1.3 million children under the age of 18.

Social Security’s website includes 20 online services, information in 18 languages, and a presence on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Young adults age 18 and older can open a my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount/ to keep track of their earnings and get estimates of future benefits. They can also use their account to request a replacement Social Security card online in many states.

You can find local Social Security office locations at several online resources, including the ones mentioned below:

Social Security Office Locations in Large U.S. Cities

Other Online Resources

Social Security Offices Near Me Directory
Social Security Disability Attorney
Post Office Locations
Nursing Schools