Recent Premises Liability Decisions

Two recent appellate decisions illustrate some of the challenges injured parties face in premises liability claims. Our firm did not participate in either of these cases. Chair Collapses and Injures Customer Mark Haubrich went to a pizza place with a friend. They sat outside on the deck. About forty-five minutes later Haubrich’s chair broke where […]

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Recreational Use Statute

Recreational use statutes encourage landowners to open land for public recreational use by providing the landowner immunity from liability for personal injury.  The purpose of the recreational use statute is to encourage the opening of lands to the general public that would otherwise be closed. Immunity under the recreational use statute applies only if 1) […]

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Assault Victim Sues Apartment

This article discusses a Court of Appeals opinion our firm did not participate in. Gilberto was walking home one night when he noticed two men following him. They assaulted Gilberto in a poorly lit area of the apartment complex in which he lived. Gilberto sued the apartment complex. He alleged that the apartment was aware […]

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Christmas Cheer and a Broken Arm

Suzette worked for Frontier Bank. In December 2009, her employer instructed her to visit some local businesses that did their baking with Frontier Bank. Suzette visited one such business, walked out, and headed next door to another business. Before she reached the next door Suzette found herself on the ground. She had seen no obstruction […]

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Child Burned by Radiator in Apartment

Renato and Joleen lived with their two small children in an apartment. One day when Joleen was alone with the kids Joleen heard one child screaming. She was in the bathroom, and could not see the kids. At first she assumed it was horseplay. When the screaming continued Joleen went to investigate. Joleen discovered her […]

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Injured Woman Sues School District

A woman frequently visited a high school to use its running track. On one occasion she took a different route, one that required her to step down from the bleachers onto the track. She did not accurately perceive the rise that separated the bleachers from the track surface. As she took the step, she fell […]

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Bicyclist Inured in Park Sues City of Bellingham

A bicyclist riding in a city park attempted to steer around a speed bump.  The speed bump was painted yellow.  The City had placed an asphalt berm between the speed bump and the curb in order to divert water. The berm was about one inch shorter than the speed bump. It was not pained. The […]

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Overhead Box Falls on Hardware Store Customer

A Lowe’s Home Improvement customer was viewing a kitchen counter display when a box fell from above and hit her between the eyes. She never saw it coming.   The box was not part of the kitchen counter display. The box was on a high shelf, out of reach of customers, and accessible only by […]

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Woman Injured on ATV

Dori moved back to her father’s rural home to help care for him after he was diagnosed with cancer. Her father kept an all-terrain-vehicle (ATV), which he had modified so the driver could swift from two-wheel-drive to four-wheel-drive. 

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Slip and Fall Injury in Snow

Jerelyn was a part-time paraeducator at an elementary school in Kennewick, Washington. One January morning she noticed it had snowed, dressed accordingly, then drove to the school without losing traction. She began work at 10:30 a.m. Consequently, about 65 to 70 employees arrived before her. After she got out of her car she slipped and […]

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