Update on the New Ceiling for Arbitration Awards in Washington
Suzanne PierceHeather Beasley Washington State’s statute regarding jurisdictional limits for mandatory arbitration of civil suits, RCW 7.06.020, was amended earlier this year to allow counties to impose mandatory arbitration on civil cases in which the plaintiff sought $100,000 or less (previously $50,000 or…
Davis Rothwell Wins Defense Verdict in Clackamas County Premises Liability Trial
Shareholders Shayna Eagle and Dan Hasson obtained a defense verdict for their clients, a commercial contractor and a local municipality, following a five-day jury trial in Oregon City, Oregon, in September 2018. The case involved a slip-and-fall injury for which plaintiff was seeking approximately $300,000 in damages. The…
Washington Appellate Court Says Bad Faith Law Truly Applies to “All Persons” Involved in Insurance
Keith M. Liguori In Keodalah v Allstate Ins. Co, ___ Wn App ___ (March 26, 2018), Division One of the Washington Court of Appeals resolved a split created in the federal courts, holding that an individual insurance adjuster taking part in a coverage or benefits denial can be…
Washington Governor Signs EHB 1128 Expanding Mandatory Arbitration Rules
Pursuant to previous update, both houses of the Washington legislature passed a bill which substantially changes Washington mandatory civil arbitration (MAR). Most notably, the bill increases the damages ceiling on MAR cases from $50,000 to $100,000. As expected, the bill was subsequently signed into law by Washington Governor Jay Inslee.