Recent Blog Posts
WHAT I LEARNED AS AN INSURANCE DEFENSE ATTORNEY
When I was just a puppy lawyer, I worked for one of the largest, most influential insurance defense law firms in the Northwest. I later worked for one of the most popular insurance companies in the United States. In each of these positions, I was employed as an insurance defense attorney. As an insurance… Read More »
ARE YOU A BUSINESS OWNER? THEN YOU NEED PERSONAL INJURY PROTECTION A.S.A.P
WHAT IS PIP? In general, personal injury protection is a no-fault medical payments policy. Personal injury protection covers the driver and passengers involved in a car accident. PIP also protects pedestrians or bicyclists who are involved in a collision with that car. Most policies exclude owners of the business from coverage. Up to the policy limit,… Read More »
DO YOU KNOW THE LEADING CAUSES IN BOATING FATALITIES?
In what is becoming an annual tradition on this blog, I write to you today about boating safety. We have discussed boating safety before in other blog posts; Boating Safety Refresher, Boating Age Requirments, Keeping Safe While Having Fun: Boat Safety & Refresher. The waterways are looking a lot more appealing now that the sun is out,… Read More »
FINANCES OF A PERSONAL INJURY CASE & THE COST OF COUNSEL IN WASHINGTON STATE
DOES THE OTHER SIDE HAVE TO PAY ATTORNEY FEES AND COSTS IF WE WIN? Generally, each side pays its own attorney fees and costs. In a Washington personal injury case, that means the costs and fees come out of the settlement or verdict. However, if your case goes to trial or arbitration and you win,… Read More »
WAIT, I HAVE TO PAY BACK PIP OR HEALTH INSURANCE AFTER A SETTLEMENT? ISN’T THAT MY MONEY?
This question was posed to me in response to a prior blog about paying back PIP benefits. In general, PIP and Health Insurance benefits have to be paid back at the end of a personal injury case. In short, the concern was why a consumer pays premiums for protection, and then when they get injured,… Read More »
THE COST TO COMMUNICATE: ATTORNEYS RESPONSE TO LANGUAGE BARRIERS
Recently my partner, Ben Melnick, wrote a blog post in titled Language Barriers and Connecting With Clients. Ben’s post details a very real challenge that we grapple with and that is the difficulty with communicating with those of other languages. OUR CLIENTS HAVE MANY LANGUAGES I can’t even begin to list all of the different… Read More »
CAN ATTORNEYS PRACTICE LAW OUTSIDE OF THEIR JURISDICTION DUE TO COVID-19?
Many attorneys have wondered if they could leave their jurisdiction while working remotely. I’m a licensed attorney in Washington and Oregon. Can I appear in a Washington matter from Oregon? Can I appear in an Oregon matter while in Washington? Yes! Times are different. COVID has affected the way we interact with friends and… Read More »
DID YOU KNOW THAT TEENAGERS CAN’T DRIVE THEIR FRIENDS FOR 6 MONTHS?
Talking with my dad not long ago, he recounted the helplessness and anxiety he felt watching me head down the driveway in my car on my 16th birthday, realizing his life had forever changed. Looking back, I can’t believe I was allowed to drive at that age. Sixteen-year-old me doesn’t seem that smart, careful,… Read More »
RESPONDING TO CASES OF UNDERINSURED MOTORISTS IN WASHINGTON & OREGON
Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM) exists to provide additional insurance coverage for accident victims where the at-fault driver’s liability insurance limits are insufficient to cover the injured person’s damages. The UIM benefits are limited by the coverage limits purchased by the policy insured. CAN A PASSENGER ACCESS THE UNDERINSURED MOTORIST COVERAGE? Typically when we deal with… Read More »
UNDERESTIMATED DISTRACTIONS: TEXTING ISN’T THE ONLY DANGER
As personal injury attorneys, we’re familiar with Washington’s prohibition on driving while using electronic devices, RCW 46.61.672. Police officers are diligently seeking out drivers who are texting because they know that 1 in 4 car accidents are caused by cell phones. TEXTING WHILE DRIVING ISN’T THE ONLY DISTRACTION Although cell phone use is extremely dangerous we often… Read More »
