Miscellaneous

• Holland America--More Risks at Sea

  Michael Myers | August 05, 2006 9:50 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  A Princess cruise ship listed heavily while at sea on its way to New York Tuesday, injuring some of the passengers aboard. The Crown Princess, owned by Princess Cruises, had just departed from Port Canaveral at when it experienced problems with its steering equipment and rolled heavily to one side. The ship, which began sailing a month ago, listed to the portside of the vessel. Princess Cruises...

• Runaway Juries? Jackpot Justice? Tort Reform Needed?

  Michael Myers | August 04, 2006 10:48 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Safeco reported strong second-quarter results, reflecting consistent, profitable underwriting performance across all major lines of business. The Seattle company produced net income for second-quarter 2006 of $199.7 million. This compares with net income of $187.3 million for the same quarter last year.Think about that next time a claims adjustor tries to low-ball you on a personal injury...

• Florida Cruise Ship Accident Injures Dozens, Some Seriously

  Staff Writer | July 19, 2006 12:02 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  The Crown Princess cruise ship listed severely to one side Tuesday afternoon about 11 miles east of the Florida city of Port Canaveral. Officials say a rudder issue caused problems with the steering which resulted in the ship rolling sharply before slowly righting itself.The ship, run by Carnival Cruise Lines out of Miami, was bound for New York after cruising the Western Caribbean for nine days...

• Hiring a New Personal Injury Attorney

  Michael Myers | June 13, 2006 11:37 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  There are lots of qualified personal injury attorneys. But they all have different styles. Some may be right for you. Others may not. It's really a question of fit. If your attorney isn't a "good fit" you should think about discharging the first attorney and hiring a second. Your second attorney will agree to divide the fee--based on the amount of work performed--with the first attorney. ...

• First Crabbing Season With New Rules

  Michael Myers | June 12, 2006 6:40 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  The Seattle Times recently ran an article about the first crab season completed under a new harvest system intended to create a more profitable, less wasteful and safer crab fleet. According to the Times, the results are mixed. Perils still remain in harvesting crab in some of the world's most treacherous waters. And some crews were upset by a lower pay scale.Between 1980 and the winter of...

• Child Dies--Mother Did Not Use Car Seat

  Michael Myers | June 11, 2006 6:49 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  I read a story in the Seattle times about a child who died because her mother didn't use a car seat. The storymade me think right away about the recent entries in this blog about injuries to children. While there isn't a wealth of caselaw, I think that a child injured because his or her mom did not use a carseat has a claim against the mother. And what this really translates to is having a...

• Injuries to Childrent--Part II

  Michael Myers | June 11, 2006 6:13 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  I mentioned yesterday that children potentially have much longer to bring personal injury claims than adults. Other specific rules apply to personal injury claims brought by children. Historically children were not allowed to sue their parents. Over the years this rule changed. Now, with some exceptions, children can sue their parents for (1) intentional or reckless injuries and, much more...

• Injuries to Children--Part I

  Michael Myers | June 10, 2006 6:09 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  In Washington, most people have three years to bring a personal injury lawsuit. If they don't, the "statute of limitations" bars their claims. But injuries to children are treated differently. In most cases the statute of limitations does not start running against childrent until they turn 18 years old. Even if children were injuries a long time ago, it may be possible to bring claims for...

• Injured Outside the United States?

  Michael Myers | June 06, 2006 12:26 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Many people think that personal injury claims must be brought in the country where the injury occurred. Not the case. In many instances the claims can be brought where the negligent or at-fault person lives. For instance, if you are injured in British Columbia in an accident involving a Washington driver, you can pursue your claim in Washington. The same is true if you are in Europe and are...

• Preparing for Depositions

  Michael Myers | June 05, 2006 10:50 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Depositions are important events in a personal injury case. A deposition has been explained (somewhat formally) as follows: A deposition is the sworn testimony of a witness taken before trial held out of court with no judge present. The witness is placed under oath to tell the truth and lawyers for each party may ask questions. The questions and answers are recorded. The most important...