Recent Blog Posts
TECHNOLOGY VS. TRADITION: WORKING FROM HOME
“Necessity is the mother of invention” is one of my favorite sayings. We don’t “need” to do something until we really “need” to figure it out. I’ve often used it to explain some mild procrastination. Scott Edwards recently mused over how technology might change personal injury law. With the recent outbreak of coronavirus, I got to… Read More »
PER GOVERNOR’S ORDERS, SCHAUERMANN THAYER WORKING REMOTELY
CLOSURE NOTICE Please be advised our physical office has CLOSED to the general public, including our current clients, in light of the novel corona virus (COVID-19) outbreak. We are incredibly sorry for any inconvenience this might cause. Please call (360) 695-4244 or send the appropriate attorney or staff an e-mail so that we may address any question… Read More »
TECHNOLOGY AND THE LAW
Today I’m not working at the office. Instead, I am sitting on hard wooden bleachers at the Clackamas Academy for Industrial Sciences—a middle school in Oregon City Oregon. I’m here watching my oldest son, Caden, compete in his first Robotics team competition. I have been absolutely amazed by the technology these kids have been… Read More »
WHAT ELSE TO WATCH FOR AFTER AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT
A recent Columbian newspaper article headline read: “21% in ‘17 fatal crashes had THC in system”. It went on to explain that since marijuana has been legalized, the incidence of Washington drivers impaired by marijuana causing fatal crashes has increased significantly. Actually, the numbers practically doubled, comparing the averages of drivers testing positive for… Read More »
CASE UPDATE: PACHECO V. OREGON MUTUAL
The Washington Court of Appeals recently clarified that insurers cannot exclude diminished value claims when an innocent person has his or her car damaged by an uninsured driver. Pacheco v. Oregon Mutual Ins. Co., 447 P.3d 207 (2019). To help explain what that means, its useful to take a detour into property damage insurance claims. Generally,… Read More »
OREGON REQUIRES LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR AUTO INJURY CLAIMS
If you drive, you need to carry auto insurance, liability at a bare minimum. It’s the smart thing, the responsible thing, and it’s the law. But for any driver venturing into Oregon, there’s an added incentive to carry insurance: if you’re injured in an auto collision in Oregon due to someone else’s negligence, and… Read More »
IS MY PERSONAL INJURY SETTLEMENT SUBJECT TO TAXATION?
NOTE: I AM A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER, I AM NOT A TAX PROFESSIONAL. EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT TAX LAW I LEARNED 12 YEARS AGO DURING A SINGLE SEMESTER OF TAX WHILE IN LAW SCHOOL. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS BEYOND WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS POST, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSULT A LEGAL OR… Read More »
WHO IS ATTICUS FINCH?
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is perhaps my favorite book—it certainly holds a place among my top three novels. Authored in 1960 by Harper Lee, it tells the fictional story of Atticus Finch, his six-year old daughter Jean Louise Finch—nicknamed Scout, and her older brother Jeremy—nicknamed Jem. Atticus is a middle-aged lawyer appointed to defend… Read More »
VALENTINE’S DAY REMINDER
With Valentine’s Day approaching fast, I thought it would be wise to remind all of our Washington-driver lovebirds out there about the legal requirement that they save their affections for non-driving situations. Brad Thayer touched on this a while back here as part of his review of interesting statutes. RCW 46.61.665 prohibits “embracing another while driving”…. Read More »
THE “RIGHT” TO PRIVACY: AN ELUSIVE AND EVOLVING CONCEPT
In our business as trial attorneys representing victims of car, truck, motorcycle and bicycle crashes, dog bites, construction site injuries, and families stricken by the wrongful death of a loved one, we are often asked in the discovery part of the litigation process by opposing parties and their attorneys to have our clients disclose… Read More »
