Recent Blog Posts
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 »
10 THINGS TO DO IMMEDIATELY AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT
Car accidents never happen at a convenient time. When they do happen, you can sometimes be so overwhelmed that you forget the steps that must be taken. We have gathered 10 things that you MUST do immediately after getting into a car accident and even created a printable that you can place inside your… Read More »
SPRINGTIME IN THE CITY
Two deer walk through the “city” within the “city” Attorneys have a soft side too. As I write this, the temperature outside is 45 degrees. One day a couple weeks ago (during an early sunshine phase), we actually had a 60 degree high. The air smells clean. Newly washed, and full of the promise of… Read More »
OREGON STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS EXTENSIONS
As civil litigators, we must be mindful of an approaching statute of limitations. If we need to file to protect our clients’ claims, we need to know when the time will expire. As it has for many other aspects of life, Covid-19 has created uncertainty around filing in the courts. In direct response to… Read More »
