Miscellaneous

• Industry Tries to Reduce Motorcycle Injuries and Deaths

  Michael Myers | August 20, 2006 8:00 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  As motorcycle makers report record sales 14 years in a row, the industry and the government are looking to curb a rising number of injuries and deaths. They are encouraging motorcyclists to ride sober, wear protective gear such as helmets, take training courses and get licensed. Motorcycle accidents almost always result in broken bones or more serious injuries. If you have been invovled in a...

• Disclaimers May Not Be Effective

  Michael Myers | August 18, 2006 9:45 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Recreational facilities - including ski resorts - the attempt to limit their liability for injuries. For instance, they frequently utilize disclaimers. Disclaimers are usually included in fine print on their tickets. This fine print typically says the facility will not be liable for an injury suffered by a patron.Many courts, however, have held that these limitations of liability are...

• Dangers of Settling with the Doctor Before the Hospital

  Michael Myers | August 17, 2006 9:43 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  The West Virginia Court of Appeals held in 2002 that even though an injured person settled his medical malpractice suit against the negligent doctor, the hospital where the doctor worked could be sued. In the case, the plaintiff settled with the doctor for a confidential amount. The hospital then argued that the claim against it should be dismissed because it was only vicariously liable for...

• Comparative Fault or Comparative Negligence in Medical Malpractice Cases

  Michael Myers | August 16, 2006 9:14 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Comparative fault and comparative negligence the two are frequently used interchangeably defenses used when the person alleging that he or she suffered personal injuries also bears some responsibility. The most common application of comparative fault come when two cars collide and both drivers played a roll in the collision. Comparative fault is also used in less obvious circumstances.For...

• Pedestrian Hit on Highway 99

  Michael Myers | August 15, 2006 9:08 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  A pedestrian was hit by a car in the 19500 block of International Boulevard at 2:20 p.m. Monday. He was knocked under a Metro bus, but does not appear to have been injured by the bus, the sheriff's office said. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in serious to critical condition, police said. A sheriff's spokesman said there was no further informatio on the cause of the accident...

• Defamation in Washington

  Michael Myers | August 15, 2006 8:33 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  There is a two year statute of limitations in Washington for bringing defamation claims. Defamation is the "catch all" term used in Washington to describe both libel and slander.Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. There are also instances where the otherwise defamatory statement is considered "privileged". One frequent privilege invoked is the litigation privilege. It prevents...

• The California Bar Considers What Should be an Easy Decision: Should Attorneys Be Required to Disclose Whether they have Malpractice Insurance?

  Michael Myers | August 13, 2006 7:58 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  No one knows for sure how many California lawyers lack malpractice insurance, but estimates run as high as 20 percent. That means almost 31,000 of the state's nearly 153,000 active lawyers have no way of compensating clients if they mess up a case. Tough luck for the consumer. But that could change under a proposal now being circulated by the State Bar to enact rules requiring attorneys to tell...

• Woman Receives $1.6 Million--Lack of Informed Consent

  Michael Myers | August 13, 2006 7:01 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  King County Superior Court Judge Jim Rogers presided over a case where jurors awarded $1.75 million to a 26-year-old woman who said she did not give proper consent when a Centralia osteopathic doctor performed a hysterecomy on her three years ago. Medical malpractice laws in Washington were recently rewritten. You should contact an attorney about these changes.

• Doctors Can Be Sued for Overstating Their Qualifications

  Michael Myers | August 13, 2006 6:59 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Resume fraud is a pervasive issue in the Seattle and throughout the state. Many people tend to exaggerate their accomplishments on their resumes. This is problematic in its own right but takes on especially significant proportions when the exaggeration is made by a physician. In a decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court, it was held that doctors can be sued for misrepresenting their...

• Emotional Distress--Fear For Safety

  Michael Myers | August 13, 2006 6:51 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Accidents treat people differently. Two people can be in the same car during a crash. One is severely injured. The other one isn't. But that doesn't mean only the injured person has a claim. The uninjured person has a claim of his or her own if (1) they were in fear of being injured themselves and/or (2) witnessed injury to a close family member. If you or a person close to you has a claim...