Miscellaneous

• Unpaid Wages--Rights and Remedies

  Michael Myers | November 29, 2008 12:50 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Happy Thanksgiving! Or at least it's a happy Thanksgiving for people who still have their jobs. But this Thanksgiving a lot of people have lost their jobs. And even worse, a lot of people haven't...

• American Safari Cruises--Smaller Vessels, Smaller Fleet, Same Issues

  Michael Myers | November 09, 2008 3:58 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  American Safari Cruises began operations in 1997. At that point it had one (leased) yacht. Over the past ten years American Safari has expanded. It now has four upscale mega-yachts and has expanded...

• Holland America's One Year "Statute of Limitations" Upheld

  Michael Myers | November 09, 2008 12:58 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  I've made frequent reference in this blog to Holland America's requirement that injured passengers must (1) make written claims within six months and (2) file suit within one year of their injuries....

• Boating Deaths--Criminal Charges and Civil Actions

  Michael Myers | September 28, 2008 10:07 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  The news this weekend was filled with reports of boating accidents and, unfortunately, deaths.  East of the mountains there was news of an ongoing criminal prosecution.  Michael Nethercutt is...

• Tort Claim Forms—Traps for the Unwary

  Michael Myers | September 24, 2008 4:43 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  When you're hurt by a government employee, you have to file what’s called a tort claim form before you can file suit. This rule applies to cities, counties, states or the federal government....

• 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...

• 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...

• 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...

• 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...