Michael Gustafson
Founding attorney, Emerald Law Group · Seattle and Tacoma personal injury trial lawyer
Michael Gustafson founded Emerald Law Group in 2010 and has spent nearly two decades as a trial attorney representing people who have been injured or wronged by others: drivers and pedestrians hurt in crashes, adults and children sexually abused by people in positions of power, and people catastrophically injured in falls caused by dangerous conditions that cities, counties or businesses allowed to exist. He practices in state and federal court and has recovered millions of dollars for his clients.
At a glance
- Role: Founding attorney, Emerald Law Group (founded 2010)
- Law school: Seattle University School of Law, J.D. 2004, magna cum laude; Law Review; mock trial team
- Undergraduate: University of Washington
- Courts: Washington state courts and federal court; has argued many times before the Washington State Court of Appeals
- Recognition: Super Lawyers selection; Washington “Rising Star” six different years (Washington Law and Politics)
- Trial experience: First chair on several jury trials with multi-million-dollar awards
- Practice focus: car accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip and fall and premises liability, wrongful death, childhood sexual abuse and clergy abuse
- Offices: Seattle and Tacoma
Experience
Michael has been first chair on several jury trials, convincing juries to award millions of dollars to his clients, and has argued many times before the Washington State Court of Appeals, sticking with clients through to the end. He has settled over 50 cases on behalf of childhood sexual abuse victims, usually abused at the hands of clergy.
Michael was born and raised in Milton, Washington, and attended the University of Washington before Seattle University School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review and the mock trial team and graduated magna cum laude in 2004.
Michael, his wife and their three children live in Pierce County and are active in the University of Washington alumni community.
Representative Cases
Past results do not guarantee a future outcome.
- $1,750,000 personal injury settlement for a woman who suffered injuries as a pedestrian who was hit-and-run over by an SUV driver on a cell phone.
- $1,850,000 sexual abuse settlement for a man who suffered sexually abused by a Catholic Church priest as a child.
- Confidential high six-figure settlement for a family of a young girl who drowned at a summer camp due to the negligence of camp counselors.
- Confidential policy limits settlement on behalf of a child molestation victim, against the homeowners insurance of adults who allowed their teenage son – with known sexual abuse proclivities – to be alone with a neighbor boy.
- $400,000 childhood sexual abuse settlement for a man who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a teacher at a private Catholic school.
- $295,000 settlement after a contentious lawsuit for a woman who badly broke her leg slipping in a parking garage on fluids that had been allowed to remain on a walkway for 72 hours.
- $420,000 settlement on behalf of a young woman passenger who was injured by a drunk driver who was overserved alcohol by a bar.
Articles by Michael Gustafson
Michael writes regularly for the Emerald Law Group blog on Washington injury law.
Contact Michael
Call 206-826-5160 (Seattle) or 253-367-0967 (Tacoma), or request a free consultation online.
