Attorney at Law
Practice Areas
My experience in the following areas has netted millions of dollars in settlement rewards for hundreds of my clients.
Auto Accidents
Thousands of people in Washington are injured in automobile accidents each year. Many of these accidents involve serious injuries and death. When you or a family member is involved in an automobile accident, many important questions arise regarding what you should do to obtain a full recovery. Who pays for the medical bills? Who pays for the car repairs and rental expenses? Should I get a medical checkup after the accident? How do I know if the other driver has insurance or whether I have enough insurance?
Additionally, the exact cause of an auto accident is not always obvious. If you are a victim of a vehicle collision and make a claim for personal injuries with the insurance company for the other driver, be careful. Many insurance companies will argue and try and convince you that because the vehicles sustained little or no visible damage, then the vehicle's occupants could not have been injured. While cars are designed to handle the low speed impact forces, the human body is not.
Serious injuries may result from what may appear to be a minor impact. Whether big or small, you deserve the best representation. I will be that representation for you.
Premises Liability
Premises liability cases involve a personal injury sustained because of a defect or condition on the premises of another person or business. Problems such as defective staircases, defective handrails, defective stairways, defective metal gratings, dangerous holes, broken steps, broken concrete, slippery floors and trip hazards pose serious risks to invited guests who have no knowledge of the defect.
Injuries from premises defects can also be devastating ranging from brain injuries, to broken bones, to internal injuries which require surgery. Quadriplegia and paraplegia can also be caused by back and neck injuries from premises defects.
Most buildings and premises are governed by building and safety codes which require that the property meet or exceed certain standards. Often, to save money, building or landowners fail to comply with these codes thereby posing serious safety hazards. When these codes are updated to address safety concerns, premises owners often fail to bring their property up to standard. Premises experts such as architects, engineers and safety personnel are usually required to examine the premises to expose these code and safety violations.
Moreover, previous complaints about the defective premises often go unaddressed until litigation is instituted. Investigators and other experts are often necessary to research the prior history of a property regarding these complaints.
The type of property insurance and the relationships of the various owners and tenants of the property are also issues to consider in a premises liability action. Finger pointing between mutual landowners or between a building owner and lessee is common. Usually, their agreements are important in determining who has the primary responsibility for the defective condition of the property.
Wrongful Death
A "wrongful death" claim may be brought any time a person's death was due to another party's negligence.
A claim for wrongful death can be filed against another individual, any government agency, school district, group or company. Wrongful death claims are complicated; however, when a loved one's death is caused due to another's negligence, the family has the right to be compensated for their loss. A claim for wrongful death may include compensation for the following:
1.Any and all medical expenses incurred;
2.Compensation for the loss of support and future income;
3.Reimbursement for any future services normally provided to you by the person who has died;
4.Reimbursement for loss of consortium, meaning a spouse or child's right to the companionship, help and affection from the deceased; or
5.Punitive damages (if the negligence was found to be intentional or criminal).
Corporate & Government Negligence
Negligence occurs when a person fails to do what a reasonable person would have done and that action or failure to act causes injury or death to another person. An individual person can be negligent (i.e. a car accident) and a corporation or a government agency can also be negligent.
Corporations, along with federal, state and local governments have become involved in an almost unimaginable number of activities and make decisions that impact individual people. When people associated with bad decisions and bad actions cause injury to people, they should be held accountable, no matter whether that person is part of a corporation, government agency, school district or just an individual. I have absolutely no fear in going against any person, governmental entity or corporation to fight for your rights and my history proves that.
Civil Rights / Discrimination
Both Federal and Washington state law forbids discrimination or unwelcome conduct that is based on an individual's race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, ancestry, medical condition, marital status, or any other protected status. Discrimination can take many forms.
Harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination when the verbal or physical conduct toward an individual is based on his or her race, color, age, national origin, gender, ancestry, disability or other protected status. Harassment has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work/school performance or otherwise adversely affecting an individual's employment opportunities. Harassment may take the form of epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, or threatening, intimidating, or hostile acts. It may also take the form of written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group because of race, color, age, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, sexual preference, religious creed, veteran status or disability.
I am passionate about fighting for people against unlawful discrimination.
Selected Immigration Cases