This weekend Ashley White and I drove down to the Benton County Courthouse in Kennewick, Washington (the Tri Cities) to judge local high school trial teams in their mock trial regional finals. I participated in two mock trials and was able to give (what I at least thought was) constructive feedback to the participants and [...]

During the late fall and throughout winter deer migrate to lower elevations, creating a serious hazard for drivers. However, most drivers are not aware of the heightened danger of deer crossings brought on by the changing weather. What’s even more concerning is that most drivers do not have a game plan for what to do [...]

The time right after a car accident is stressful and can even be downright traumatic in some situations. The goal of this article is to help guide you through this confusing and time-consuming process by giving you a non-exhaustive checklist of some things to keep in mind while you move forward with your claim. Call [...]

While we might file lawsuits for any number of reasons, when somebody injures us we want them to pay us the money they owe for causing our injuries. Because most people are not wealthy or responsible with their money, we typically only sue people who are insured because that is the only way we will [...]

New legislation will affect return-to-work procedures following an industrial injury or occupational disease. Once an industrial insurance claim is allowed, the State of Washington will now provide an incentive to employers to return the worker to work as quickly as possible to a light duty or transitional job. The State can reimburse employers up to [...]

The Social Security Administration, in an effort to cut it’s costs, has again taken away significant rights of disabled persons applying for Social Security Disability benefits. Just a few months ago, the Administration enacted Social Security Rule 11-1p.  Which says that if a Social Security Claimant has an application on appeal, they may not file [...]

The Washington State Senate passed landmark state workers compensation reform legislation on March 5, 2011.  It was embodied in SB 5566. The Senate-approved measure would drastically change Washington State’s workers’ compensation system by establishing an option for lump-sum settlements for claimants who are looking at long-term disability (pension benefits).  Under the Senate version of the [...]

Splattstoesser v. Scott, P.3d, 2011 WL 91040 (Div. III, 2011) Those persons injured in an automobile crash in Washington have yet one more reason to be concerned, with a recent opinion that is being published by Division III of the Court of Appeals, Splattstoesser v. Scott, P.3d, 2011 WL 91040 (Div. III, 2011).¹ In this [...]

In November of 2009, the Washington State Supreme Court heard oral arguments regarding Tobin v. Dep’t of Labor & Indus., 145 Wn. App. 607; 187 P.3d 780; 2008 Wash. App. Jim Tobin, a Washington State worker, was permanently disabled after being hit by a crane boom. He sued the crane operator, settling for 1.4 million [...]