Most people feel pretty safe in any large vehicle, right? I mean between a car and a bus the bus wins. If you drive a heavy duty pickup and it flips, you’re in a better spot than if you drove a Miata. Right?
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Seattle car accident deaths continue to rise to levels not seen in more than a decade. Pedestrians and bicyclists are particularly at risk for personal injury and death in areas of inadequate crossing zones and bike lanes. Speeding, driving under the influence, and other risky behavior also continue to trend upward since the pandemic began.
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The Seattle Times Mike Reicher reports that on Saturday May 14 a military veteran participating in a civilian Scuba dive class drowned in American Lake on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
As a PADI Scuba Divemaster and a wrongful death lawyer, I’ve handled and investigated a number of Scuba death cases .
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Wrongful death claims are unlike any other personal injury lawsuits. There are special rules at every stage, dealing with the nature of the claims, who can bring them, and ethical issues involved.
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Amazon has announced that it will pay consumers up to $1,000 for products sold by third parties that cause damage or injury. This is a slight shift from its position that as merely a “marketplace” for other sellers, it bears no responsibility for dangerous products sold on the site.
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Powerful people and businesses often send threatening “cease-and-desist” letters to people merely exercising their First Amendment rights. We have seen this repeatedly in the #MeToo movement with sexual assault cases, and other whistleblower situations where victims face a powerful wrongdoer.
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December 28, 2020
The Stritmatter Firm and Layman Law Firm represent dozens of people in a lawsuit against Seattle Children’s Hospital for its admitted Aspergillus exposure over two decades. When infections mounted again more than a year ago, multiple news organizations began asking questions of our health oversight agencies, namely King County Public Health, which is responsible for “Protecting and improving the health and well-being of King County.”
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The criminal justice system is constrained by the conduct it addresses and the system it operates in. The civil justice system is where everyday people—Public Prosecutors—enforce laws that keep people safe from corporate greed and government misconduct.
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Why wait for people to get hurt to make roads safer? Technology can identify dangerous roads before car accidents happen.
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The civil justice system depends on jurors from the community. What happens when the jury system is suddenly fraught with danger? Jurors at higher risk for infection and severe outcome (death) are likely to be excused from service.
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Uber and Lyft have long claimed that their drivers are “independent contractors,” even though their entire business depends on drivers completing rides and they control how drivers do their work. This allows Uber and Lyft to enjoy all the profits and benefits of having a fleet of drivers all over the world, without any responsibility for employment benefits or the impact on city roadways, highways, and other drivers.
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The Seattle area has seen the deadliest August in years when it comes to water rescue and safety. Due to COVID restrictions on groups, travel, and pools, Lake Washington and other lakes have seen a spike in boaters and swimmers.
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October 7, 2019
Eric Tegethoff, Public News Service - WA
SEATTLE — Most renters facing eviction lack access to legal counsel, and because of that, are set up to fail, says a new analysis.
Seattle attorney Andrew Ackley said even with favorable state laws on their side, renters still struggle to afford representation in Washington.
Because HaRam Kim was a single adult with no children, just starting her life in college, and because her parents did not live in the United States, the loss of her as a person is worth nothing under current Washington law. In contrast, the sons of Claudia Derschmidt, killed on the same bus and in the same crash, could make a claim for the loss of their mother.
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By Andrew Ackley and Garth L. Jones
Published in the July/August edition of WSAJ Trial News.
For years, plaintiffs’ attorneys have routinely asked their opponents to admit the reasonableness of the amounts billed for an injured party’s medical and household expenses. And for years, the defense bar has routinely admitted such bills, unless there was a specific problem with a bill that warranted a denial or an objection.
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Probably for generational reasons, I have written and spoken at CLEs quite a bit about discovery of social media in civil litigation, in particular personal injury litigation. At the extremes, defense lawyers want an entire Facebook account, and plaintiff’s lawyers want a privilege that doesn’t even exist for personal diaries.
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In a previous post I addressed the limitations on tenants’ legal remedies against landlords. Today the Washington Supreme Court unanimously found that “actual damages” under RCW 59.18.085 does not include emotional distress damages in connection with tenant relocation from a condemned dwelling. The Court’s decision is based on its interpretation of the legislative intent of the Residential Landlord Tenant Act (“RLTA”).
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If you are confused about what auto insurance benefits are and what you might need, you are not alone. Many law students and lawyers do not understand the types of insurance available. Here are the basics on the types of insurance, how they apply, and why you should consider buying the coverage.
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