In August 2012, King County voters approved a nine-year property tax increase to build a $210 million Children and Family Justice Center to replace the rundown Youth Services Center (“YSC”), which houses Juvenile Court, Juvenile Court Services, and the Juvenile Detention Center.  Anyone who has been to the dilapidated YSC understands that it must be […]

As the nation has debated excessive force by police officers, another quietly pervasive issue was investigated by the AP: sexual misconduct by law enforcement. Sexual assault, which is already one of the most underreported crimes, is even less likely to be reported when the aggressor is a police officer. Victims fear retribution for reporting the […]

For those that follow class action law and United States Supreme Court jurisprudence on the subject, it is no secret that the current Court, headed by Justice Roberts, is no friend to class action plaintiffs, particularly consumers.  In AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, 563 U.S. 333 (2011), a 5-4 majority of the Court held that the […]

A recent Consumer Reports Special Report on automobile insurance policies found that premium prices are related less to consumers’ driving habits and more to their credit reports. It also found a stupefying variation in premium prices for customers with excellent credit scores and clean driving records. A two-year study of quotes from the top five […]

A recent Division 3 case has major implications for plaintiffs who attempt to toll the statute of limitations by requesting mediation under RCW 7.70.110. Generally, a request for good faith mediation under RCW 7.70.110 tolls the three-year statute of limitations for medical malpractice lawsuits. RCW 4.16.350. However, Division Three of the Court of Appeals recently […]

The Center for Disease Control publishes a table of the causes of death for Americans each year. Most Americans will find the two leading causes to be familiar and unsurprising: Heart disease: 611,105 Cancer: 584,881 Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 149,205 Accidents (unintentional injuries): 130,557 Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 128,978 Alzheimer’s disease: 84,767 Diabetes: 75,578 Influenza and […]

Today, a large number of potential clients turn to the internet to locate an attorney.  Consequently, online attorney advertising has increased tremendously in recent years.  A handful of jurisdictions specifically regulate search engine marketing (e.g. Google AdWords) in their ethics rules.  New York Rule of Professional Conduct 7.1, for example, states that “[a] lawyer or […]

In 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act into law. 15 U.S.C. §§ 7901-7903. The PLCAA or the “Gun Protection Act” as it is often called, passed both the Senate and the House with relative ease. The PLCAA makes gun dealers and gun manufacturers immune from lawsuits for […]

Following a Scottish initiative to reduce the number of injuries and deaths caused by pressure ulcers, a bio-engineering firm is working to use sensor technology to combat the problem by creating smart mattresses and wheelchair cushions.  Electronic sensors in the mattresses will prompt the mattress or cushion to automatically adjust when it senses potentially harmful […]

On September 24, 2015, four lives were lost and dozens more were severely injured after a “Ride the Ducks” amphibious landing craft vehicle t-boned a tour bus carrying international students heading in the opposite direction on the Aurora Bridge.  Witnesses reported that the front left tire completely detached as the “Duck boat” was changing lanes […]