Often you might hear attorneys referred to as “counsel” or “counselors”—particularly in more formal courtroom-type settings.  Merriam-Webster defines a “counselor” as first: “a person who gives advice or counseling”; and, second, within the context of a lawyer, specifically: “one that gives a...

A statute of limitations is a law that varies by state or other jurisdiction, and it limits the time in which a person may bring an action.  There are limitations on when the government can bring most criminal actions, with the exception being homicide. Similarly, there are limitations for wh...

This blog is a continuation of a series published earlier entitled, “What You Should Know about Clark County's Courts”.  As such, here I won't repeat the basic attributes of Washington state Small Claims, District Courts, and Superior Courts, nor reiterate the essential details of the Washing...

This post is aimed more at practitioners than the public, and addresses an issue we see come up with some frequency when handling cross-border cases in Oregon and Washington. When I'm handling a case for a Washington-resident client who gets into a car crash in Oregon, I will sometimes get ...

This is a “how to practice” blog that you may want to read and think about if you are a young lawyer. It might be of interest to clients and prospective clients as well, offering insights against which can be measured attorney-client relationships being forged or already formed. While it is perti...

A good public school system is one of the principal building blocks for American society. School is special in many respects. Attendance is mandatory, up to a certain age. Once there, participation is hard to enforce, and the expectations are demanding on teachers, administrators, staff, bus dr...

“Would anyone in the world ever ask for this?” This is a question I ask my clients all the time as they sit across from me and explain to me how someone else's carelessness (negligence) caused them injury. Another thing I tell them is, no matter what amount of money we might ultimately reco...

I've had clients tell me they don't want to make their situation a “federal case.” They of course refer to the fact that alongside our state courts (where most of our law practice occurs), there exist a network of federal trial and appellate courts that handle certain types of legal matters...

I've seen this scenario play out too many times with my clients to not address this important question on our firm's blog. In fact, just today I spoke with a woman who, even though she had liability insurance, she had neither health insurance nor personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. ...

Settling a personal injury case at the right time and for the right amount is a probably the most common and the most difficult question we deal with as personal injury attorneys. We try to minimize risk to our clients, and maximize the damages they can collect. The way we conceptualize tha...

Like years past, I had the opportunity again this year to attend the annual convention of the Washington State Association for Justice which was held in Seattle, Washington from September 18-20, 2019. Though Convention was held at the Seattle Bell Harbor International Conference Center, most ...

In previous posts we've at least touched on what an arbitration is, and what role it may play in a personal injury case—like here, here, and here. A lot of folks confuse arbitration with mediation. Mediation is where the parties to a lawsuit, by agreement or by court order, get together wit...

Occasionally I am asked, which court in Clark County, Washington, should my personal injury, wrongful death, or property damage case (all of which are “tort claims”) be filed in?  It's a good question, and there are a lot of factors to consider.  This blog won't endeavor to address the tact...

Our firm really only does one thing. We practice personal injury and wrongful death law (with rare exceptions). Granted, we do it in two states—Washington and Oregon. Granted, there are many different types or contexts in which injuries or death can occur. So, our practice is diverse and comp...

This is a question that commonly comes up in the context of a passenger injured in a motor vehicle collision. As personal injury attorneys, it is our job to allow our clients to make informed decisions about the important aspects of their case.  This includes forecasting potential problems ...

When it comes time to make a decision about whether or not my clients want to accept the top, pre-filing offer from the liability insurer or file a lawsuit and litigate the case, often times they want to know: “What is expected of me in the litigation process as the Plaintiff (the person br...

Because kids are now back in school, I am reminded about the importance of pedestrian/crosswalk safety. It's vitally important that all drivers keep a proper lookout and respect pedestrian right-of-way's, especially with so many more children on foot. It's important not only to try and ensu...

People file lawsuits when they feel they have been legitimately harmed and the offer from the insurance company for the party-at-fault strikes them as unreasonable, unfair, and/or simply insufficient to remedy the harm/damages caused by the person whose conduct injured them. In our civil ju...

For better and for worse, a large part of proving damages in a personal injury case involves producing medical records and the associated billings to the insurance company or its attorneys. There are several different ways of obtaining medical records to be able to provide it to them. If th...

The general consensus when it comes to criticism of personal injury attorneys seems to be either the attorney is not responsive in communicating with the client or that the client feels as though attorney did not appropriately involve a client in making the substantive, important decisions ...

It is not uncommon that our clients miss at least a little bit of work time as a result of a collision. In reality most miss at least a little bit of work. Whether because the collision occurred on their way to work so they're just a couple hours late , or because they miss more substantial...

I had a friend ask me recently who he should get to write a will for him. I gave him the names of a couple of colleagues that I know write wills, but I encouraged him to call and talk to these lawyers about his situation and how they charge fees before he hired one, actually, before he even...

It seems that here in our neck of the woods the summer heat is finally starting to arrive. Some will say “better late the never.” Some of you have enjoyed the cooler summer we've had thus far, more so than the past few scorchers. Even though the kids are getting ready to go back to school, ma...

Property damage claims should be simple. In most car accidents, fault is relatively clear. The at-fault driver's insurance company should pay to fix the car, or if it is a total loss, they should pay the value of the car. It should be fast, easy, uncomplicated, and leave the victim of negligenc...

The main hard-and-fast belief I strive to live by is “do not actively hurt any other human being.” As simple as that might sound, if you read the news, it seems there are not as many people living by this mantra as there should be. So let's talk about hit and run drivers.  I have thought...