Recreational Use Statute

Recreational use statutes encourage landowners to open land for public recreational use by providing the landowner immunity from liability for personal injury.  The purpose of the recreational use statute is to encourage the opening of lands to the general public that would otherwise be closed. Immunity under the recreational use statute applies only if 1) […]

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Tenants’ Dog Bites Visitor during Home Inspection

Shelly’s daughter was considering buying a house. The house was occupied by tenants who kept a Rottweiler-Labrador mixed dog.  Shelly accompanied her daughter on an inspection of the house. The tenants had informed the real estate broker that their dog would be closed up in the laundry, which no one should enter. The inspector and […]

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Wrongful Death Statute of Limitations

Jamie Fast lost her viable unborn son. She attributed the loss to an alleged failure by her health care providers to timely recognize and act upon the risk she would develop gestational diabetes. The Fasts sued for the mom’s own personal injury claim, and for a wrongful death claim for the loss of her baby. […]

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Tattoo Leads to Kidney Failure

Anna got a tattoo. The ink was apparently contaminated with bacteria when the tattoo artist received it from the distributor. Several of the tattoo artist’s clients, including Anna, suffered negative reactions. Most of the tattoo clients quickly recovered. Anna did not. Anna’s doctor diagnosed a bacterial infection at the tattoo site and prescribed antibiotics. The […]

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Assault Victim Sues Apartment

This article discusses a Court of Appeals opinion our firm did not participate in. Gilberto was walking home one night when he noticed two men following him. They assaulted Gilberto in a poorly lit area of the apartment complex in which he lived. Gilberto sued the apartment complex. He alleged that the apartment was aware […]

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Injured by a Foreign Driver

When I was in law school and working for a law firm we had a client who was badly burned by a defective gas grill. The manufacturer was a Mexican company. I had to research how to serve the Mexican company as one of the defendants, found the answer in a treaty. A recent Washington […]

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Christmas Cheer and a Broken Arm

Suzette worked for Frontier Bank. In December 2009, her employer instructed her to visit some local businesses that did their baking with Frontier Bank. Suzette visited one such business, walked out, and headed next door to another business. Before she reached the next door Suzette found herself on the ground. She had seen no obstruction […]

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Child Burned by Radiator in Apartment

Renato and Joleen lived with their two small children in an apartment. One day when Joleen was alone with the kids Joleen heard one child screaming. She was in the bathroom, and could not see the kids. At first she assumed it was horseplay. When the screaming continued Joleen went to investigate. Joleen discovered her […]

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Injured Woman Sues School District

A woman frequently visited a high school to use its running track. On one occasion she took a different route, one that required her to step down from the bleachers onto the track. She did not accurately perceive the rise that separated the bleachers from the track surface. As she took the step, she fell […]

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Washington State Supreme Court Hears Medical Malpractice Appeal

Darla suffered from sleep apnea.  She underwent surgery involving cutting bone on the upper and lower jaws to advance them, thereby opening airway space to improve her breathing.   After surgery Darla suffered pain and green pus exuded from one of her surgical wounds. She went for a follow-up. She continued to experience pain and […]

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