Author Archives: Emerald Law Group Emerald Law Group
White Bicycles and Outlines of People – Reminders of Wrongful Pedestrian and Bicycle Deaths
If you live or work in the Seattle area, you may have seen white bicycles or the outlines of pedestrians on sidewalks or along bike paths throughout the city and county. These are the results of a project known as Ghost Bikes – which works to raise awareness of bicycle fatalities and safety concerns…. Read More »
Low speed impact and soft tissue injuries: an attorney’s perspective
Back in May I was involved in an accident that an insurance company would undoubtedly call a low-speed impact, though it felt anything but low speed from my perspective in the driver’s seat. An uninsured driver – an elderly man driving an older model car – crashed into my fairly new car. My car’s… Read More »
Tree Wells and Trip and Fall Accidents
Seattle’s urban forest canopy covers 23% of the city according to the American Forests rankings. That places Seattle in the top 10 for urban tree coverage. While all these trees provide many benefits, such the removal of air pollutants and making the city more attractive, they can cause safety issues if they are not… Read More »
Wrongful Death – SOL – Discovery Rule
Division One of the Washington State Court of Appeals ruled on March 13, 2017, that the statute of limitations on a wrongful death case did not begin to run until the date the killer of a 12-year-old boy was convicted of murder. Alajawan Brown was killed April 29, 2010, when he was mistaken for… Read More »
WLAD – Same-Sex Marriage
In February 2017, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that a flower-shop owner’s refusal to provide flowers for the wedding of a gay couple violated the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD). The couple, Curt Freed and Robert Ingersoll, decided to marry after the Washington legislature legalized gay marriage in 2012. The couple had been long-time… Read More »
Health Start Law
In May 2017, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed the Healthy Starts Act into law. This law provides a number of protections and support for pregnant women—not only in terms of health care, but also in the employment realm. The law requires workplaces with fifteen or more workers to provide accommodation to pregnant employees, and… Read More »
Gender Pay Gap
For the third year in a row, the Washington State legislature is attempting to pass legislation to close the pay gap between women and men. House Bill 1506 would require employers to have job-related reasons for differences in pay and career opportunities for men and women. It would also help uncover pay disparities between… Read More »
Family Leave Act
On July 5, 2017, Governor Jay Inslee signed a law that will provide paid family leave to eligible workers. Beginning in 2020, eligible workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks off for paid family leave. The paid leave can be used for an employee’s own serious health condition, for the birth… Read More »
Family Leave & Disability Plan
In January 2017, Division One of the Court of Appeals of the State of Washington ruled that employees can use a company’s short-term disability policy to receive benefits when missing work to care for sick family members. In the case of Honeycutt v. Department of Labor & Industries, two employees of Phillips 66 wanted… Read More »
Dog Bites and the One Free Bite Rule
We represent dog bite victims all over Washington State. If you are bitten by a dog, you need the help of an experienced Seattle dog bite attorney because dog bite cases may present some unique challenges. Many dog bite victims know or are familiar with the dog that attacks them, it’s often a dog… Read More »