Recent Blog Posts
WHAT IS A “FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION”?
Often you might hear attorneys referred to as “counsel” or “counselors”—particularly in more formal courtroom-type settings. Merriam-Webster defines a “counselor” as first: “a person who gives advice or counseling”; and, second, within the context of a lawyer, specifically: “one that gives advice in law and manages cases for clients in court”. We actually take that term… Read More »
WHY IS THERE A TIME LIMITATION ON BRINGING MY PERSONAL INJURY CASE?
A statute of limitations is a law that varies by state or other jurisdiction, and it limits the time in which a person may bring an action. There are limitations on when the government can bring most criminal actions, with the exception being homicide. Similarly, there are limitations for when the parties to a… Read More »
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT COWLITZ COUNTY’S COURTS
Cowlitz County’s courthouse is located at 312 SW First Avenue in Kelso, Washington, about 50 minutes up the Interstate 5 freeway from Portland, Oregon. Construction of it was completed in 1975. The Hall of Justice overlooks the Cowlitz River. This blog is a continuation of a series published earlier entitled, “What You Should Know… Read More »
COLLECTING WASHINGTON PIP IN OREGON CRASHES
This post is aimed more at practitioners than the public, and addresses an issue we see come up with some frequency when handling cross-border cases in Oregon and Washington. When I’m handling a case for a Washington-resident client who gets into a car crash in Oregon, I will sometimes get a letter from my… Read More »
GUIDELINES FOR THE LAWYER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
This is a “how to practice” blog that you may want to read and think about if you are a young lawyer. It might be of interest to clients and prospective clients as well, offering insights against which can be measured attorney-client relationships being forged or already formed. While it is pertinent to the… Read More »
SCHOOL DISTRICT SAFETY: PROTECT THE STUDENTS
A good public school system is one of the principal building blocks for American society. School is special in many respects. Attendance is mandatory, up to a certain age. Once there, participation is hard to enforce, and the expectations are demanding on teachers, administrators, staff, bus drivers, coaches, and others. Still, the one expectation… Read More »
AM I GREEDY FOR HIRING AN ATTORNEY?
“Would anyone in the world ever ask for this?” This is a question I ask my clients all the time as they sit across from me and explain to me how someone else’s carelessness (negligence) caused them injury. Another thing I tell them is, no matter what amount of money we might ultimately recover… Read More »
WHAT OUR WASHINGTON AND OREGON CLIENTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FEDERAL COURTS
I’ve had clients tell me they don’t want to make their situation a “federal case.” They of course refer to the fact that alongside our state courts (where most of our law practice occurs), there exist a network of federal trial and appellate courts that handle certain types of legal matters. Most people have… Read More »
WHAT IF I’M IN A WRECK AND DON’T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE?
I’ve seen this scenario play out too many times with my clients to not address this important question on our firm’s blog. In fact, just today I spoke with a woman who, even though she had liability insurance, she had neither health insurance nor personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. She was injured in a collision… Read More »
HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN IT MAKES SENSE TO SETTLE OR FILE A LAWSUIT?
Settling a personal injury case at the right time and for the right amount is a probably the most common and the most difficult question we deal with as personal injury attorneys. We try to minimize risk to our clients, and maximize the damages they can collect. The way we conceptualize that is a… Read More »
