Learned last week that we did not win the nomination to be a finalist in the running to be the 2019 Trial Lawyer of the Year for Public Justice. When Brad told me - he said - I know you don’t care. And he was right. Because I had given it almost no thought. It was an honor to be nominated. But our case was not the typical Public Justice type of fight. We weren’t a class action. It wasn’t about a toxic tort.
Read MoreTaking a late lunch break. Eating a salad from Veggie Grill. Looking at the paper online. Should have waited for that.
Almost throw up inside of mouth. Bankrupt ride the Ducks Seattle is having an auction. On the one hand - am proud the end result of the jury’s verdict was to shut that company down. But the thought of those death traps being sold…
Read MoreIn the middle of the Ride the Ducks trial Beth Taylor of Thompson Reuters called and asked if Super Lawyers could profile me for its annual magazine. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. Ross Anderson, a freelance journalist met me over a weekend. We chatted a bit. Over the next few months he read the press coverage of the Ride the Ducks trial. Watched episodes on Court TV. And even came to trial. A good part of the article was written before the verdict came down in February of 2019.
Read MoreTwo extra years were needed for Phuong to graduate from North Seattle College after she was almost killed in the Ride the Ducks crash on the Aurora Bridge on September 24, 2015. She missed one whole year due to being at Harborview and the Kiero Rehabilitation Home. When she was able to enter school her injuries required her to take reduced loads. Including fitting in a total hip replacement surgery during winter break 2017. Phuong was the lead plaintiff in the Ride the Ducks trial that occurred from October 1 2018 through February 7, 2019.
Read MoreSkype witness Dr. Laukant is from Wisconsin – doctor for Rhonda C the former UPS driver who lives with her wife in Amish country. We are avoiding calling doctors except for the cases involving surgery. Here, the defense has denied all of the medical bills and so we need to go through the technical dance of having a primary care provider testify that the referrals were appropriate, the care reasonable and necessary, and the total hip replacement in particular related to the crash.
In the first minute of testimony, ask if she’s a treating physician for the plaintiff, and Steve Puz objects.
Read MoreWalk up stairs. See the Hiraoka family. One year ago took two trips in the space of two months to Japan to visit them. First trip was a botch job because Scott did not realize you can only take depositions at the US Embassy in Tokyo. Second trip the deposition went forward in the dingy embassy conference room.
Dr. John Clark the lay witness is standing with them. Greet them. Walk into courtroom. Jesica tells me the interpreter is running late. Then she tells me that our three witnesses for Tuesday are being stricken. This is all awesome news first thing on a Monday morning.
Read MoreToday we received a Commendation from R. Rex Parris, Mayor of City of Lancaster for our work on the Ride the Ducks trial.
Read MoreJesica has marked off our half of the courtroom to reserve it for cocounsel clients, members of the law firm, and people who want to cheer us on. Defense counsel ignore the signs and line up behind Jesica.
Andrew shows me some of the transcript from yesterday. Since I tactically missed it. They are complaining about the second screen. Conspiracy theorizing am trying to block their view of the jury or vice versa. So the judge tells them to move over next to us. It’s even pettier than that though. Remember the lego wall we built to keep them at least symbolically on the other side. Well they have been stressing about that wall ever since. They start to complain to the court that I might do something with legos during closing. She shuts them down. Seriously. They are in a tizzy over a screen and legos on the eve of closing. Gawd.
Read MoreYesterday, the State Senate, approved a motion to amend Washington’s wrongful death act.
According to the Associated Press:
In debate before the vote, the bill's sponsor said the provision stemmed from efforts by business interests at the beginning of the 20th century to block claims made by the families of Chinese miners killed in workplace accidents.
"This law has its roots in racist origins," said Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle. State documents date the provision in the law to 1909. Hasegawa's language echoed claims by the Korean parents of a student killed in the Ride the Ducks crash.
Read MoreThe notices of appeal arrive today. First by Ride the Ducks International (out of Branson Missouri). Second by Ride the Ducks Seattle.
Predictable. Still makes me mad to see them. Especially since Ducks Seattle went around crowing to the world how happy they were with the jury’s verdict. Got an adjective to describe that behavior but will refrain
Read MoreThe jury renders its verdict. The media covers the story. The public sees the headlines. It looks like the case is over.
But no.
The 40 injured victims who have waited three and a half years for justice. Are still waiting.
Because Ride the Ducks International/its insurance companies have more legal moves to make.
Motion number one: Demand a new trial with a different judge.
Read MoreI delegate the job of arguing legal motions and jury instructions to Andrew Ackley. He has this chore most days after trial and several full working days. At first sit at counsel’s table and watch him. But as the trial progresses, as soon as the trial day ends - bolt out of the door. Do not have the bandwith to listen to the tortuous exercise of compiling jury instructions nor the constant barrage of motions. Andrew is excellent. By dividing up these responsibilities can give full attention to preparing for the next trial day.
Read MoreWe are running out of time. As we march towards trial too many depositions remain to be taken. We ask the four defendants to narrow their list of experts. They do no such thing. They ignore us. We ask for their experts’ opinions. The defendants tell us they won’t have them until after their experts review all of our experts’ opinions and depositions.
There is no way we are going to take 54 defense expert witness depositions. Why should we.
Read MoreWake up too early. Go back to pretend sleep. Lie there. Perform countdown of how long it will all take. Remember Alysha has gone to the cabin with Nala and the house is totally quiet. No Nala to feed or take potty. Or to laugh with. Reduce countdown. Thirty minutes later have donned black cream and red plaid slim slacks, red shirt with ruffles, favorite Boss black jacket and pointy toe heeled boots with tassles that swing back and forth.
One of the challenges in representing 40 people in a mass disaster trial is to put on their medical damages cases without taking weeks and weeks.We have been streamlining the case not only since before trial began, but also during trial.
Read MoreJury is filing in. Am standing off to the side to let them pass. Realize still wearing sneakers. Judge has noticed and chuckles. Rush to chair. Sit and buckle ankle straps of heels. This looks better with stockings, black criss cross in the front bcbg skirt with raspberry toned red Moschino jacket over free people wildly batique-ish top with key hole neckline. Costume bangles accompanying apple watch.
Read MoreJust spent a weekend in Lululemon and now it is time to get court ready again. There have been times over the years where have resented having to figure out what to wear. Including whether to repeat or not in a long trial. But dressing up for court is really like putting on a costume for the big show. There is a stage and audience and what we wear is a part of the whole process. So for the most part, don’t whine. Messages are being sent by what we wear in court.
Read MoreToday’s uber driver is from Romania where everyone crushes grapes in vats at their homes. Some is saved as grape juice for the kids. The rest is put in a bottle. In 6 months there is good wine. Better than you can get at Safeway. He would like me to use uberXL versus uberX. The numerous reasons range from the safer more superior status of his SUV to what difference does a few more bucks make if we are all going to die anyway. Drops me off.
Get through security without beeping. Climb 9 flights. Enter on the dot at 8:30 as ordered by the court so we can address pretrial matters. 8:45 Mr. Ulmer announced her honor will be arriving in 7 minutes. Her bus has been delayed again. She arrives.
Read MoreWalk into courtroom with Alysha. Most of law firm family have come to watch. Clients many with co-counsel have arrived. Some from around the world. Press is establishing base camp in the rear. As the minutes approach 9 the room fills.
Put bags on the table. Step out of tennies and into heels. Walk behind 85” tv that is in front right corner of the room. Breathe in and out. Kevin the court reporter is setting up. He says are you trying to avoid all the people. Nod at him. Smile. Find center.
Judge Shaffer enters just before 9. Jury comes in. Sits. Instructions are read. Judge says: now please turn your attention to the plaintiff for opening statement.
Read MoreTwo weeks after Liam is born we start the Ride the Ducks Aurora Bridge trial. In the months leading up to the trial stop writing or discussing the case publicly. This includes to the media, to social media, to this blog.
The jurors will be instructed not to read, watch, or listen to anything about this case. They will not be reading this blog for example. So it is not quite clear how pretrial publicity especially in a civil case can be prejudicial if the lawyers talk to the media which the jurors will not be reading. Rather than debate the issue look to The Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) 3.6.
Read MoreIn its third motion for protective order my least favorite tourism company asks the court yet again to stop the plaintiff from filing motions in the public court file. Instead they want a special rule that requires us to give them five days notice before we can file a document so they can bring a motion asking the court to seal it or block us. Kind of like an early warning anti-missile system. We must tell them before we launch then they try to shoot us down before the paperwork can hit the courthouse file.
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