On July 12 I wrote about predatory structured settlement purchasers who buy out periodic payments to the disabled–those who need the funds over their lifetime–for 30-40 cents on the dollar.
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We recently handled a fraud and consumer protection case against two structured settlement purchasers that settled in about four months, one for a confidential amount and one for a several hundred thousand dollar gross recovery.
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An aquatic safety expert in one of our drowning cases–the tragic pool drowning death of a child–testified that in all his forensic work, he has never seen a state with more detailed, thorough, and readily available pool safety standards than the codes and publications in Washington State.
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Several news organizations are reporting that the death of Hank Williams Hoskins Sr. resulted from a “severed” air hose when he was diving off the San Juan Islands on October 26. Mr. Hoskins, 40, was apparently a commercial diver diving without a backup air supply (in many circumstances this is totally normal). The county medical examiner blamed the death on an “unsafe dive operation,” with disregard for emergency procedures, according to the Bellingham Herald.
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Do you know how often sleeping kids love hearing electric guitar? Pretty much never. I used to have a headphone amp device that made for so-so sound and looked like a walkman on steroids and probably cost $150. Who knew you could get nearly full amp sound with effects in the size of a pack of gum and for the cost of cheap toaster? Now nobody has to hear how rusty I am.
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I have a years-long habit of buying the tools I need only after I discover I need them the hard way. This means that my first try at almost anything is a disaster. When the guys at Home Depot start chuckling when you come back in for the fourth time in a weekend, it’s time to buy better tools.
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An appellate decision just came down from Division 3 further protecting tenant security deposits. In Goodeill v. Madison Real Estate, the court addresses the burden on landlords to prove an exception to the 14-day deposit rule.
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Probably for generational reasons, I have written and spoken at CLEs quite a bit about discovery of social media in civil litigation, in particular personal injury litigation. At the extremes, defense lawyers want an entire Facebook account, and plaintiff’s lawyers want a privilege that doesn’t even exist for personal diaries.
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In a previous post I addressed the limitations on tenants’ legal remedies against landlords. Today the Washington Supreme Court unanimously found that “actual damages” under RCW 59.18.085 does not include emotional distress damages in connection with tenant relocation from a condemned dwelling. The Court’s decision is based on its interpretation of the legislative intent of the Residential Landlord Tenant Act (“RLTA”).
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If you’re familiar with the alliterative ABC Dr. Seuss book, you know what the title of this post refers to. Unfortunately, the mice at issue were not making midnight music in the moonlight, but in our attic. The pest control guy said they had accessed the attic from tree branches touching our house.
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If you are confused about what auto insurance benefits are and what you might need, you are not alone. Many law students and lawyers do not understand the types of insurance available. Here are the basics on the types of insurance, how they apply, and why you should consider buying the coverage.
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One of the most commonly misunderstood areas of tort law, including within the legal community, is the issue of the fault of the assailant. When a plaintiff files a lawsuit alleging that the business failed to use reasonable care to protect a customer from foreseeable criminal conduct, at the surface level it seems logical that the criminal should share blame. But that is not the case.
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Tenants in disputes with landlords are one of the most underserved populations in need of legal services. Landlords can afford to hire attorneys and attorneys are attracted to repeat clients. Tenants, on the other hand, are far less likely to need legal services again, and their claims are typically not large enough to entice lawyer involvement.
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