Insurance Companies Try to Underpay Medical Bills

If you are injured by someone else and collect a personal injury settlement, you are generally legally obligated to reimburse from the personal injury settlement the private insurance or government agency that paid your medical bills. Many people assume that they can prove the amount of medical bills that should be included in their personal […]

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Recent Slip and Fall Appellate Decisions

In the past few months the Washington Court of Appeals has decided several slip and fall cases (none represented by our law firm). In each of the cases, the injured person lost in the trial court, and then lost again on appeal. [1]  Slip and fall cases are difficult personal injury cases, as these results […]

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Insurance Blames Faultless Pedestrian

A man is late for a delivery for his employer. He is in a hurry. He comes to a metered intersection. He needs to turn left. The light turns green, but he must yield to oncoming traffic. Impatient because he is late for a work assignment, he guns the accelerator and turns left as soon […]

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Bicycle Safety Laws in Washington

Here are a few bicycle safety tips and laws. You can find more bicycle safety tips on the Washington Dept. of Transportation website and the League of American Bicyclists “Smart Cycling” page. Always ride a bicycle with the flow of traffic. Wear a helmet. You should always wear helmet foe safety when cycling. As for […]

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When At Fault Drivers Avoid Service of Process

Most personal injury cases settle out of court, but some cannot be settled because the at-fault driver’s insurance company simply will not make a reasonable offer. In that scenario the only recourse is to file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver. It is important not to procrastinate in speaking to a personal injury […]

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Landlord Not Liable When Deck Step Collapsed

Contrary to a commonly held belief, when someone is injured on another’s property it is sometimes difficult to prove liability.  Though not one of our cases, a recent Court of Appeals case illustrates this point. A woman was leaving her boyfriend’s home when she realized she had left her cell phone. When she returned for […]

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Bicyclist Injured on Public Trail

A woman and her niece were riding their bicycles on a public trail in Pierce County. As they approached and passed a lawn mower it expelled a cloud of dust and debris. The woman shielded her face and swerved, clipping her niece’s bike. The woman fell and injured her knee and elbow. Please note: Our […]

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Proving a Slip and Fall Injury Case

People injured because of a slip and fall accident may be legally entitled to fair compensation for their injuries. Nevertheless, slip and fall personal injury claims can be among the most difficult claims to pursue. Contrary to a commonly held belief, if you are a social guest and slip and fall on someone else’s property, […]

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Counting the Days

You go to a public event at a city park. A tent set up by a public utility district collapses. You are injured. You make a personal injury claim against the public utility district, but if you delay contacting an attorney you risk making it difficult and possibly impossible to pursue the claim. A couple […]

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Recent Premises Liability Decisions

Two recent appellate decisions illustrate some of the challenges injured parties face in premises liability claims. Our firm did not participate in either of these cases. Chair Collapses and Injures Customer Mark Haubrich went to a pizza place with a friend. They sat outside on the deck. About forty-five minutes later Haubrich’s chair broke where […]

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