Recent Blog Posts
PERSONAL INJURY CASE: HOW CAN I STOP THEM FROM DOING IT AGAIN?
At times I get calls from prospective clients who just want to know how to stop it from happening again. They were hurt. Somebody was careless or reckless. “The next time,” they say to me, “They might kill someone.” MOTIVATION TO HIRING COUNSEL FOR THEIR PERSONAL INJURY CASE Occasionally, that consideration ends up being… Read More »
THE RESCUE DOCTRINE IN WASHINGTON & OREGON
It is no doubt universally agreed that our laws should encourage people to act when the need arises as “Good Samaritans”. Coming to the aid of someone at risk, or injured, certainly fits that bill. Let’s say John negligently crashes his car into Jane’s, leaving her in a disabled car dangerously exposed in the… Read More »
WHY ARE INSURANCE COMPANIES SO CHEAP?
Why are Insurance Companies so Cheap? I am often asked this question or some variation of it. Many times by unrepresented people calling our office regarding the offer an insurance company has made to them, or by my own clients when we get the opening offer from the insurance company against which their claim has been… Read More »
CROSSWALK SAFETY IN WASHINGTON & OREGON
This summer and fall, with nicer weather and folks emerging in public from COVID-induced hibernation, pedestrian/crosswalk safety is vitally important. A good summary of many areas of the law can be found in the pattern jury instructions that we lawyers use when in trial. These are often given, verbatim, by the judge to the… Read More »
EVALUATION OF TOBIN VS DEPARTMENT OF LABOR INDUSTRIES
Bill Thayer wrote in 2018 a fairly comprehensive summary of the law in Washington/Oregon regarding when and how much a personal injury claimant would owe out of their settlement or verdict to the worker’s compensation carrier that has paid their time-loss and medical expenses. I follow on that post briefly now to emphasize one… Read More »
DOGS & HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE IN WASHINGTON & OREGON
DOGS AND HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE In February my family welcomed a new puppy, a first for us. Just now, halfway through the year, I got around to calling my insurance agent to ask if my homeowners insurance needed to be updated to take this pooch into account. As we’ve written about before, dog owners are… Read More »
SHOULD I SEE MY PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT?
As we’ve discussed on this blog before, we stay in our lane as attorneys and don’t unduly influence our clients’ course of medical care. We are attorneys, not doctors, and we know that. Our clients are, more often than not, though, benefited greatly by having one particular medical provider at the helm of their medical… Read More »
SHARE THE ROAD WITH BICYCLISTS – 3 FEET IS NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK!
A recent article in the Columbian newspaper highlighted a Washington State law protecting bicyclists which it seems like driving folks could use a refresher on. So, here goes (please excuse me while I step up onto my soapbox)! GIVING THREE FEET OF SPACE FOR BICYCLISTS As of 2020, motor vehicles on the roadway must give bicyclists at… Read More »
¿TENGO QUE USAR PARTE DE MI LIQUIDACIÓN O VEREDICTO PARA DEVOLVER LOS BENEFICIOS RECIBIDOS DE PIP?
¿Tengo que usar parte de mi liquidación o veredicto para devolver los beneficios recibidos de PIP? En ocasiones, cuando un caso está por terminar, ya sea por medio de una liquidación o por el veredicto de un jurado, los clientes piensan que el caso se ha acabado. Para muchos clientes es triste darse cuenta… Read More »
SEATBACK FAILURES & THE SAFETY CONCERNS IT HAS FOR CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT
As a father of two young boys—a three-year-old and a seven-week-old, both of whom are in car seats—a trend that was recently brought to my attention by a client is troubling and I wanted to share it more broadly. Although I found newspaper articles on the topic from multiple publications, I don’t feel like… Read More »
