PERSONAL INJURY

Car Accidents

I have represented many individuals injured in serious car, truck, or motorcycle accidents -- pedestrians, drivers, and passengers.  Some of my clients had severe, permanent injuries, including scarring, disfigurement, traumatic brain injuries, or permanent disability.  Some of the injuries required surgical care, such as knee surgery or cervical spine fusion.  Some of the people affected by these injuries lost their ability to perform their job and had to be retrained.  Some of the injuries were the result of carelessness, and some of recklessness, including episodes of road rage.

What is unique about road accidents are three things:  1) There is a clear set of safety rules that everyone must follow to protect you from unnecessary harm; 2) There is often insurance, required by law to protect you from careless drivers; 3) The injuries from a road accident are often serious and can be life-altering through no fault of the victim.

INSURANCE MISCONDUCT

Insurance companies sometimes fail to honor their promises.  Sometimes they gamble with their insureds, forcing them to go to trial instead of settling their claims for a fair and reasonable amount.  Sometimes they make it hard if not impossible for their insureds to get back on their feet again and get on with their lives.  When insurance companies act in bad faith, they must be held accountable, to protect everyone who needs them, whether or not they are represented by an attorney.  I have successfully represented individuals that were shortchanged by their insurance companies.  I always try to settle disputes out of court in a way that is fair, reasonable, and cost effective.  When the insurance companies unnecessarily delay the resolution of the issues and burden everyone with unnecessary costs, I hold them accountable.

PREMISES LIABILITY

I have represented individuals injured while in a shop, in their own residence, or on private premises.  This includes businesses or corporations that did not protect their customers from unnecessary harm.  Landlords that did not protect their tenants from unnecessary harm.  Responsible businesses and landlords carry some degree of insurance, but insurance alone cannot undo the harm and does not promote safety.  It is important to hold careless corporations accountable to protect customers from unnecessary harm. 

CONSUMER PROTECTION AND MORE

I have represented clients in cases involving consumer protection, defective products, admiralty and maritime law, work site injuries, child molestation, brain injuries, psychological trauma, federal civil rights, and other matters where an individual was injured or wronged by the carelessness, recklessness, or greed of others.

APPEALS

My advocacy extends beyond trial.  I have successfully represented clients on appeals,  affirming positive outcomes and reversing negative ones.  I have been instrumental in challenging a mistaken interpretation of the Consumer Protection Act before the Washington Court of Appeals and obtaining a decisive victory that protects and benefits the residents of our state.  (Link to Court of Appeals decision on Williams v. Lifestyle Lift Holdings, Inc., 175 Wn. App. 62 (Division 1, 2013)).

I evaluate each individual claim based on the merits of the claim.  I welcome both large and small, simple and complex disputes.