09/21/2026
PSA: Even If You’re At Fault in an Accident, You Can Still Recover Compensation
There are lots of actions that can contribute to a car crash: speeding, distracted driving, vehicle malfunctions, etc. That means that, in many car accident cases, multiple people may be partially to blame—sometimes even people who aren’t at the scene, like vehicle manufacturers or trucking companies.
This matters because when someone gets hurt in an accident in an at-fault state like Washington, they can recover compensation from the at-fault party. But what if they’re also partially responsible? Can they still get paid?
In Washington, the answer is clear: anyone hurt in an accident is eligible for compensation, so long as they are not 100% at fault.
Here’s how it works:
An injured person can recover compensation, even if they are 99% at fault! The compensation you can receive is reduced by your percentage of fault—so if you would normally get $100,000 but you’re 30% at fault, you would only get $70,000. If you are partially at-fault, other injured parties may also be able to recover compensation from your liability insurance.
What this means is that you shouldn’t be discouraged from pursuing compensation, even if you think you might end up with a small percentage of fault. However, the distribution of fault still matters—the other party may try to assign more fault to you than you deserve, so they can pay you less in compensation.
At Senft Legal, we help defend against these tactics by gathering thorough evidence to strengthen your case and utilizing our legal experience to better represent you in negotiations.
To learn more about factors that can influence your final compensation amount, visit our blog:
https://www.senftlegal.com/en/resources/blog/calculating-compensation
