Experience

Representative cases litigated and mediated involving loss of life, catastrophic injury and severe trauma:

Loss of life

  • Deaths of a father and daughter struck by an oncoming vehicle while riding a motorcycle
  • Death of a fraternity member resulting from a fall from a third story window after being encouraged to drink large amounts of alcohol
  • Shooting death of a woman at the hands of her husband, who then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide
  • Death of a construction worker who was operating an industrial brush cutter when a piece of metal pipe was launched into the cab of his machine
  • Death of a Canadian resident struck by a commercial truck in Washington State while commuting home from a nursing job


Abuse and assault

  • Sexual abuse and exploitation of children by foster parents and Boy Scout leaders (multiple cases)
  • Sexual abuse of an employee by a supervising co-worker (multiple cases)
  • Sexual abuse of a 17-year-old who was participating in a police department “Explorer” program
  • Sexual assault of a female college student by a football player after attending a fraternity party
  • Invasion of privacy by landlord who placed hidden camera in tenant’s bedroom


Catastrophic injury

  • Severe permanent injuries to a contractor operating heavy equipment after a  catastrophic collapse buried him in cement powder
  • Severe burns to a school district maintenance worker when a pipe coupling failed, submerging him in scalding water
  • The loss of one eye by a man shot in the face by a “mortar” type firework
  • Compound fracture to a man’s arm while police officers employed an arm-bar during an arrest
  • Severely open right elbow degloving injury with fracture of the olecranon and distal humerus resulting from vehicle collision with utility pole
  • A broken arm to a young girl when she was caught between the dining booth and wall of a revolving restaurant

Appellate Cases

 

Gregoire v. City of Oak Harbor, 170 Wash.2d 628 (2010): Represented the City of Oak Harbor in a case involving a jail suicide by a gentleman arrested just hours earlier. The case was tried to verdict and appealed to the Washington State Supreme Court.


Kinney v. Space Needle, 85 P.3d 918 (2004): Represented the Space Needle Corporation in a lawsuit brought by an employee of a firework display company who suffered severe permanent injuries in a 30-foot fall during the course of setting up fireworks on top of the Space Needle.


Jane Doe v. DSHS, 138 Wash.App. 1049 (2007 Unpublished Opinion): Assigned as “Special Assistant Attorney General” to represent the State of Washington (DSHS) in a lawsuit brought by a nurse at Western State Hospital asserting claims of hostile work environment, disparate treatment, retaliation, outrage, negligent hiring/retention, and invasion of privacy premised on allegations of pervasive and extreme sexual harassment and misconduct by a co-worker.


Johnson v. REI, 159 Wash.App. 939 (2011): Represented plaintiff in a product liability case against REI for serious facial injuries suffered when the carbon fiber fork of her bicycle sheared from the steer tube suddenly and without warning, throwing plaintiff face first onto the pavement.