Recent Blog Posts
$260,000.00 Trip and Fall Settlement
Earlier this month, Emerald Law Group settled a trip and fall case against a large Puget Sound City and a landowner. The client, a 57-year-old woman was walking on a busy sidewalk when she tripped on an uneven section of the walkway, injuring her knee. Both the City and the adjoining landowner disputed liability…. Read More »
Catholic clergy sexual abuse and state investigations
Pervasive child sex abuse has taken place in many Catholic Archdioceses across the country, including here in Washington. Many U.S. dioceses and other religious orders have released lists of clergy known to be sexual abusers. The sudden increase in such lists of known abusers is in large part due to the State of Pennsylvania’s… Read More »
Dog Bite Injuries Warrant A Payout: Seattle Dog Bite Lawyer
According to an article in the Tacoma News Tribune, Washington ranks 20th in the nation for the number of dog bite claims brought for injuries suffered in dog attacks. Insurers paid out a total of $13.7 million dollars for 337 reported claims— an average of about $40,000.00 per claim. Dog bites can leave scars… Read More »
The Dangers of Distracted Driving to Pedestrians
Pedestrian fatalities continue to reach record numbers on Washington roads. A recent article posted by Q13 Fox, addresses what the Washington State Department of Transportation is doing to address this ongoing problem. Another article in the Urbanist, explores a number of reasons why pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have increased so dramatically. As one would… Read More »
My Own Car Accident Claim – Part 3
I was in an accident back in May in which I was rear-ended by an uninsured driver. Luckily, my own policy has Uninsured Motorist Coverage which allows me to seek compensation through my own insurance company. My insurer also paid for the damage to my vehicle, though I had to pay a deductible for… Read More »
Denying Liability – Insurance companies increasingly making bad arguments
Perhaps it is coincidence but in the past year, our firm has seen more and more insurance companies taking positions over liability (i.e. who is at fault?) regarding car accidents, including rear end accidents and incidents where the other driver clearly failed to yield the right-of-way. I recently had a case in which my… Read More »
Hiring a Lawyer to Increase Your Claim Value
Many personal injury victims, be it from a car accident or slip and fall incident, initially try to take the simplest route and negotiate a settlement with the insurance company directly. This is understandable – we all want to move on with our lives. As a lawyer myself, I know that I am often… Read More »
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 »