All Topics

• Accidents on the Way to and Back from the Mountain

  Michael Myers | February 11, 2008 10:19 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Ski and snowboard accidents are a frequent focus of this blawg. However, even more frequent than skiing or snowboarding accidents meriting legal attention are accidents that happen on the way to and from the mountain.On the way to Crystal mountain last weekend we saw a truck on it's side in the middle of the road and another upside down in the ditch. Last night on the way to Whistler we saw a...

• Motorcycle Manufacturers Liable for Single Vehicle Accidents

  Michael Myers | February 10, 2008 8:27 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Motorcycle accidents happen for a variety of reasons. We've written about several (including the most common: drivers making left hand turns in front of motorcyclists). However, a frequently overlooked cause of accidents relates to the negligent design, repair or manufacture of motorcycles.A recent case involved Honda motorcycles and allegations that the company's Gold Wing motorcycles has a...

• Pedestrian Fatality in Othello Highlights Importance of Accident Investigation

  Ryan Nute | February 02, 2008 6:35 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Accidents involving serious injuries or death need to be investigated promptly so that the facts surrounding the accident can be determined before memories or evidence fades.Early Sunday morning Department of Transportation crews were trying to clear snow and ice off major highways in Eastern Washington when one of the snow plows hit and killed a pedestrian. The plow was clearing snow off the...

• Passengers Injured in Wrong-Way Crash on I-5 in Arlington

  Ryan Nute | February 01, 2008 8:15 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  A man driving south in the Northbound lanes of I-5 was killed when he collided head-on with another vehicle at freeway speed. The wrong-way driver, Jason French, 33, died at the scene. Two Sedro-Woolley women were in the car French collided with. They both suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital. The accident is under investigation. One of the subjects of the investigation...

• Driver Charged in Death of Bicyclist in South Kitsap

  Ryan Nute | January 31, 2008 11:48 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Delores Magneson, 59, has been charged with the death of bicyclist Craig Hatt, 41. Magnesson allegedly hit Hatt last September on Mile Hill Drive in South Kitsap. Magneson claimed that her windshield had fogged up, as a result of just behind washed and glare from the sun, obscuring her vision. However, upon investigation it was discovered that Magneson's driver's license had been canceled...

• Liability for Driver Who "Waves Through" Vehicle or Pedestrian

  Michael Myers | January 29, 2008 8:03 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  We see it all the time. A driver waves another car to "go ahead". Or signals to a pedestrian that it's okay to cross. But what happens if an accident happens? In the following story the injured pedestrian could have a claim against not only the driver who hit him but also the driver who signaled that it was safe for him to cross. A 40-year old pedestrian was hit on Route 99 in Federal Way on...

• Bus Carrying Special Olympians Crashes on Icy Highway

  Michael Myers | January 28, 2008 11:26 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  It's easy (if not easy, at least straightforward) to show a jury how an accident's affected the life of a dad who works at Boeing, or a mom who drives her kids to soccer or a teenager who's about to graduate from high school. That's because most jurors can related to plaintiffs from these demographical groups. But it's more difficult to show a jury what an injured person is different than most...

• Products from China Continue to Harm American Consumers

  Michael Myers | January 25, 2008 10:07 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Retailers selling products from China have been beleaguered by claims arising from defects in the Chinese-made products. One of the most publicized cases involved dog and cat food. We filed the first nationwide class action lawsuit in that case against Menu Foods and the companies that sold tainted pet food. Now another Chinese-made product is harming American consumers, the seemingly...

• Lawsuit Over Taser Use on Epileptic Settles for $90,000

  Jenny Albano | January 23, 2008 6:55 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  A lawsuit for tasing and punching a man who had just had an epileptic seizure has been settled for $90,000. In addition, the settlement mentioned a new policy on Taser use in Lakewood in the $300,000 lawsuit brought against the municipality, the police department, Chief Larry Saunders and four other officers. According to Lt. David B. Guttu, the Taser policy changes listed in the settlement...

• Grates: The Bicyclist's Nemesis

  Ryan Nute | January 17, 2008 4:58 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Well, all right; bicyclists have multiple nemeses. But a recent front page article in the Seattle PI has brought attention to a problem many cyclists have been battling for years: unsafe street drains. Drains covered with grates that have slots parallel to the roadway are dangerous to cyclists as bicycle wheels can get caught - and stuck - in the slots. In 2004 one biker was biking through...