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• Putting Profits Ahead of Safety--Cruise Company Fails to Provide Reasonable Medical Assistance for Passenger

  Michael Myers | October 18, 2007 3:17 PM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  A recent cruise ship case involves a man who had a severe asthma attack at a wedding. There was oxygen aboard but the crew would not allow passengers with medical training to assist.By the time the vessel got back to the dock, the passenger was in a very bad way and later died. A magistrate denied limitation of liability because the captain could have diverted to a closer dock. The court noted...

• Fatal I-5 Crash a Reminder of the Importance of UIM Insurance

  Chelsea Gilbert | October 12, 2007 8:00 AM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  In the early hours of the morning on September 9th a drunk driver headed the wrong way on I-5 caused a collision that resulted in the death of one young woman. According to police, Cerrissa R. Christensen, 27, had a history of drunk driving and DUI arrests. Christensen was being pursued by police when she crashed into a northbound 1988 Chevrolet pickup. A passenger in the pickup, 18-year-old...

• Cascade Plane Crash Kills 10--Highlights Need for Vicitims' Families to Retain Separate Counsel

  Michael Myers | October 11, 2007 12:07 PM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  All 10 bodies of the passengers aboard the plane that crashed Sunday night in the Cascades have been found. The place was traveling from Star, Idaho to Shelton, Washington and crashed en route, about 25 miles southeast of Mount Rainer. Rescue teams were able to locate the crash site through the reports of a hunter who had seen the plane fly low over him and then heard the crash, and by following...

• Foundry Explosion Highlights Importance of Seeking Workers

  Michael Myers | October 09, 2007 8:18 AM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  Last Saturday afternoon an explosion at a Tacoma foundry caused a massive fire, closed a major highway and sent four people to the hospital. The fire at Atlas Castings & Technology was started when a delivery truck carrying 8,000 gallons of propane exploded at the foundry and caused a fire in a nearby propane tank. The explosion was described by witnesses and police as like a bomb going up. ...

• Drunken Driver Crashes Car Repeatedly--Potential claims for Serving Customer Too Much Alcohol

  Michael Myers | October 02, 2007 8:29 AM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  After leaving the Muckleshoot Casino, a man, suspected to be intoxicated, caused a series of crashes in the early morning hours of September 27th. The man hit a vehicle when exiting the Muckleshoot Casino parking lot and, shortly afterwards, hit a street sign while driving down a residential street.According to a witness, the truck "flipped in the air, hit the telephone pole in the air...

• San Diego Diocese Pays $198 million in Sexual Abuse Cases

  Michael Myers | October 01, 2007 4:34 PM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  On September 7, 2007, The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego agreed to pay over $198 million to 144 alleged victims of sexual abuse by clergy.Earlier this year, the diocese abruptly filed for bankruptcy protection just hours before trial was scheduled to begin on 42 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse. Bankruptcy could shield the diocese's assets, but a judge recently threatened to throw out the...

• Pool Company Found Negligent in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

  Michael Myers | September 28, 2007 11:00 AM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  On September 25th the parents of a 5-year-old boy who drowned last year at Crofton County Club in Anne Arundel County were awarded more than $4 million in damages. The judge ordered DRD Pool Service Inc., the county club's management company, to pay Thomas Free and Debra Neagle Webber $2,000,076 each. The $76 serves as a symbol of Connor Freed's July 6th birthday. DRD was found negligent for...

• Are Fixed-Gear Bikes Dangerous?

  Ryan Nute | September 27, 2007 4:37 PM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  Read more: Erica Barnett, The StrangerThe recent death of a bicyclist in Seattle is raising questions about the safety of "fixed-gear" bikes (that is, bikes where the cog on the rear wheel is attached directly to the hub rather than spinning freely).http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=322254The problem with these bikes is described in a recent article in The Stranger. Some cyclists...

• Distracted drivers contributing to Motor Vehicle Accidents

  Michael Myers | September 27, 2007 4:20 PM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  Distraction - in its various forms - is an increasing problem in the United States.On July 1, 2007, Washington became one of several states to ban the use of cell phones while driving, unless the driver is using a hands-free devise. Clearly, the influence of distracted drivers on road safety has become an increasing concern of Washington police (and residents). "Anything you can do at home,...

• Woman Backing Out of Driveway Broadsided, Seriously Injured

  Chelsea Gilbert | September 21, 2007 8:02 AM | 0 CommentsTacoma, WA

  A woman backing out of her driveway was broadsided on the driver's side of her car by another vehicle heading south on 131st Avenue SE in east Snohomish. The woman suffered severe injuries and was transported to Harborview Medical Center.The southbound car was being driven by a 17-year-old girl. There were two passengers inside the car. All three persons may have suffered minor injuries,...