Miscellaneous

• 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...

• Loss Of Parental Consortium

  Michael Myers | August 12, 2006 6:49 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  When parents are injured as the result of someone else's negligence they have personal injury claims. It is quite possible that their spouses (or in some cases their domestic partners) have loss of consortium claims (basically, for the loss of at least part of the relationship) with a loved one. The children of the injured parent are often overlooked. But children, and even stepchildren, may...

• Homeowners Insurance Covers Bottle Rocket Eye Injury

  Michael Myers | August 10, 2006 6:12 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Home Owner's Insurance provides a significant breadth of coverage and can be implicated when there otherwise doesn't appear to be a means of recovery. A good example came up a couple of years ago. One of our clients' sons was hit in the eye with a bottle rocket. The child who shot the bottle rocket didn't have any money. And neither did his parents. But his parents did own their home. We...

• Everett Woman Dies in Tragic Boating Accident

  Michael Myers | August 08, 2006 6:54 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  A 21-year-old Everett woman died over the weekend after a boating accident in Eastern Washington.Olga Davydenko died Saturday after she was thrown from a boat on Alta Lake near Pateros in Okanogan County. She was hit by teh boat's propeller.According to an Okanogan County Sheriff's Office news release, she had been riding in the bow of the boat when the boat's driver made a sharp turn, ejecting...

• Brothers Killed in Separate Motorcycle Accidents

  Michael Myers | August 08, 2006 6:35 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Two brothers were killed in separate motorcycle accidents on the same stretch of road and within just two hours of each other. One was headed to the scene of his brother's accident.Steven Kerr, 37, of West Sunbury, was killed late Saturday when his motorcycle crashed into a speed limit sign on state Route 38, state police said.Less than two hours later and only about 100 yards away, 29-year-old...

• Man Bites Dog--Client Ordered to Pay $2.8 Million to Physician

  Michael Myers | May 29, 2006 1:52 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Harish Bharti's client must pay $2.8 million to physician Dennis Momah after a Pierce County judge decided the woman -- with Bharti's help -- fabricated claims that either Momah or his twin brother, Charles, sexually assaulted her during an exam.Charles Momah was sent to prison last year for fondling and raping women who came into his South King County gynecology clinics. But his twin broth...

• Recall of Magnetix Toys After Death and Injuries to Children

  Michael Myers | March 31, 2006 10:45 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  On March 30, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of the Magnetix toys. These building sets include magnets that come loose and can seriously injure and even kill children. A 22-month-old Redmond boy accidentally swallowed the magnets, which twisted his small intestine and created a blockage. He died in November. Several other children have suffered serious injuries,...

• Avoiding Injury on Cruise Ships

  Michael Myers | March 26, 2006 2:07 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Companies often hire mystery or secret shoppers to observe their employees, product offerings and general level of service. Cruise ships may also want to employ this strategy as well. A mystery shopper on a cruise ship can observe fire drills and report the level of maintenance and service on the ship. This feedback could then help a cruise line improve their ships for safety.For more...

• Jury Finds Against Seattle Plaintiffs' Law Firm

  Michael Myers | March 23, 2006 2:50 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  A Maine jury recently ordered Seattle-based law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP to pay $10.8 million in damages to their former water bottler clients. Hagens Berman had been brought on to help represent three small water bottlers in their case against Poland Spring regarding its labeling. The parties were close to a settlement when Hagens Berman dropped their case and instead, filed a...

• Man Electrocuted While Working for Energy Company

  Michael Myers | March 14, 2006 8:00 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  On March 1, a 24-year-old man was replacing power lines in an underground vault when he touched live wires and was electrocuted. A co-worker used a blanket to lift the 24-year-old from the vault, but medics were unable to revive him. The co-worker suffered burns to his hand. Both men worked for Potelco, a subcontractor for Puget Sound Energy.The family of the victim, as well as the victim's...