Seattle Personal Injury Lawyers Represent Clients Throughout Washington State
Stritmatter Kessler Whelan Coluccio Seattle personal injury attorneys fight for the rights of our clients throughout Washington and the Pacific Northwest. Unlike most Seattle based personal injury law firms, our successes include landmark cases that have shaped the law on behalf of those seriously injured. SKWC is about obtaining real justice for real people, demanding accountability from some of the nation's biggest corporations and multinational businesses. Despite the odds, we usually win.
SKWC is the law firm that other lawyers turn to when they need to take a case to trial. This is because most attorneys do not take cases to trial; rather, they expect to settle. The vast majority of law firms that you might come across along your search often ask to team up with our firm. Or they simply pass on their cases to Stritmatter Kessler if they can’t reach a settlement.
When choosing an attorney, ask yourself whether that law firm has the financial resources along with a courtroom track record. Complex cases require expensive experts that smaller law firms simply cannot afford. Our FAQs on how to choose an attorney will help you understand what to look for when you think you have a serious injury or wrongful death case.
We succeed because our attorneys are passionate and tireless in helping people throughout the Seattle-Tacoma-Everett region as well as other parts of Washington State and beyond. Our opponents know that we are always well prepared to challenge the powerful insurance companies, corporations and the government.
With more awards than any other personal injury law firm in the state, our trial lawyers have received national and regional awards for their excellence in serious injury or wrongful death cases.
Featured Cases
- Candelario Perez's case featured in Bar News, Trial News & King County Bar Bulletin
Learn more about the Perez case and how SKWC fought against a construction company for allowing unsafe working conditions for its workers. - Jesse Magana's case was recently a cover page story in The Columbian (part 1, part 2). His story is one that will continue to inspire those with spinal cord injuries.
- Sanderson - Nursing Home Abuse case about a young man who suffered repeated neglect and abuse over the course of one-year at a skilled nursing facility.
- Schneider - A young lady filed an auto products liability case, after suffering profound injuries from a horrible car crash, and will likely need daily assistance for the rest of her life.
- Petersen - An active young man is seriously hurt on the job but finds justice through SKWC attorneys
- Glanz - Ms. Glanz was seriously injured when attempting to cross a pedestrian walkway. With the help of SKWC governmental liability attorneys, she sued the City of Lynnwood for neglecting to correct a defective warning lights that it had knowledge about, and settled for $2.25 million.
- Pattison - MR Pattison was severely injured when attempting to dive into Lake Chelan. Now a tetraplegic (formerly "quadriplegic"), Pattison has founded a nonprofit for spinal cord injury rehab.
- Kime v. City of Seattle - The Kime case is well known by Seattle residents who were around in the early 2000's. Young Kris Kime was trying to help an innocent victim, who was being attacked during the Mardi Gras riots of 2001, when he himself was then beaten to death. Despite Kris' friends pleas to the police, who stood nearby the beating, the officers complied with the Mayor's orders to do nothing. Suing the City was a way to hold it accountable for decisions that led to avoidable death and injuries.
- Gendler v. State of Washington - Mickey Gendler was rendered a quadriplegic after his bike tire was caught in a seam on the Montlake Bridge. Gendler's bike injury attorneys learned that the State had known about the serious dangers that the bridge posed to bicyclists for years, yet it had opted to do nothing until this significant case was decided against the State in 2010. Gendler is now an outspoken advocate for others with spinal cord injuries.
- Gendler v. Batiste, WSP - When Mr. Gendler learned that WSP had accident reports pointing to the bridge's history of problems for cyclists, he sought those files. But WSP refused to turn them over, unless Gendler agreed not to sue WSP based on the information from those files. Gendler refused to that agreement and sued the WSP and its head (Batiste) to obtain the documents that he had a right to access. The WA Supreme Court decided in April 2012 that Batiste/WSP was wrong to withhold those documents, saying that such agencies had a statutory duty to disclose information sought under the Public Records Act.
- Holden v. Farmers Insurance Co. - Stritmatter Kessler is proud to obtain another victory on behalf of Washington State consumers . Final approval of our successful mediation of Holden now means justice for all class members who submit a valid claim to Farmers (100% compensation + interest). Please see the following documents, if you want to file a claim.
NOTE: Settlement checks are to be mailed out by no later than May 31, 2012 by Farmers Insurance to each class member with a valid claim.
- Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement - to determine your eligibility to receive settlement benefits.
- Opt Out Form - to request exclusion as a member of the class.
Testimonials
- From Jacob:
- "Ray's professionalism and work ethic is unmatched in my experience. He and his wonderful staff went out of their way to take care of me and keep me updated on the details. I could not have asked for better people to handle my case."
- From Zula and Ted:
- Karen's effort and endeavor in our (premises liability) dispute was above and beyond our expectations of any attorney's performance. We were comfortable and happy to be in her company each time our presence was required.
- From Jack:
- "A driver distracted by his cell phone ran into my motorcycle. Another lawyer referred me to SKWC because of the respect and the admiration they've earned from their peers. Ray, Karen and team never gave up on me during a very emotional journey. In the end, they made sure that I could provide for my medical needs and security for my family’s future."
- From Sharla:
- "After I was run down in the crosswalk, Kevin and his staff were there for me. They stepped right in and did an amazing job finding witnesses and the evidence that proved my case. They left nothing to chance and worked endlessly. They made a difference in my life."
- From Annie:
- "As a victim of crime, I felt frustrated and angry when those who contributed to the tragic events failed to take responsibility. Paul Stritmatter and Kevin Coluccio quickly became my power and my voice, demanding accountability. There is no way to express how grateful I have been to have this formidable team in my corner, fighting to secure an outcome that has brought closure and healing for me and my children. I will always be grateful for their kindness, compassion and amazing dedication."
- From Marc:
- "After being run over by a truck I had multiple permanent injuries, each needing specific attention by a lawyer. Karen thoroughly investigated, researched and planned a strategy that would work in court. By making my wife and I comfortable with the process, we were able to confidently hand the reins to Karen. We knew that her diligence and personal care were values that would enable this case to have as positive an outcome as possible. And we were not disappointed. Karen's strong yet quiet approach served to calm our anxiety and present to the jury an informed, assured presentation without an overly dramatic approach. Karen's power is in her combination of intelligence, subtle power and deeply felt humanity."
- From Cindy:
- "Karen was both professional and compassionate. She helped us and more through every step of our lawsuit. If it wasn't for her and her associates help, we would not be where we are now. She even keeps in touch now to see how we are. I would recommend her to anyone."
Results Over $1 Million
SKWC is busier than ever, winning personal injury and wrongful death cases worth at least $1 million for our clients. We invite you to look at this list that includes SKWC cases prior to 2009.
SKWC: Making A Difference for Consumers & Personal Injury/Wrongful Death Clients in Seattle-Pacific Northwest
- Monster Truck Case
- In Aug. 2009, Stritmatter Kessler attorneys helped Sebastian’s family and his Estate to reach a confidential settlement with the owner/manufacturer of the Monster Truck and the promoter who put on the event.
- Magana v. Hyundai Motor Corp
- $8 million default judgment rendered by the Washington State Supreme Court. The Supreme Court upheld the lower court's decision: "Trial courts need not tolerate deliberate and willful discovery abuse. Given the unique facts and circumstances of this case, we hold that the trial court appropriately diagnosed Hyundai's willful efforts to frustrate and undermine truthful pretrial discovery efforts..." (emphasis added)
- Ethel Adams v. Farmers Insurance Co.
- Michael Testa rammed his girlfriend’s truck as he chased her down Aurora Avenue. The truck crossed the centerline where it flipped upside down ontop of and head on into Ethel Adams almost killing her. Ethel’s insurance company, Farmers decided not to pay the claim because road rage was not an “accident”.
The public became outraged as media covered the lawsuit. The Insurance Commissioner threatened to shut Farmers down in Washington at which point it changed its mind and paid on the policy. Ethel then sued Farmers for bad faith. One year after Ethel was hurt, the Governor signed the Ethel Adams bill into law – when innocent person is injured in a car accident, the insurance company can no longer play the same word games.
How the case of Ethel Adams changed the law - Dussault v. Midcentury Insurance Co.
- ($2.825 million settlement) In one of the largest insurance bad faith cases in Washington state, our legal team facilitated a settlement arising from an auto collision that resulted in a severe closed-head injury.
- Sanderson v. Evergreen Rehabilitation Bremerton
- $851,000 judgment awarded to a 36-year-old, highly dependent brain injury patient, who suffered repeated neglect and abuse over the course of a one-year stay at a skilled nursing facility.
- Schneider v. Major Car Manufacturer
- A young woman suffered profound injuries as the result of a car crash. The other driver testified that Ms. Schneider did nothing wrong. SKWC brought justice against the car manufacturer of Marissa's car, for faulty design. A confidential settlement was obtained for Marissa and her family.
- McCallum v. Allstate
- A bad faith insurance case against Allstate received support from Court of Appeals Div. II, which upheld the trial judge's ruling that reversed entry of a protective order for Allstate's CCPR and other claim manuals. Allstate was ordered to produce the documents without a protective order--an important ruling for consumers.
- Stanton v. LeMay
- $2.7 million settlement for the deaths of two minor children who were passengers in a vehicle that rear-ended a recycling truck without proper under-ride protection guard that had stopped in the roadway.
- Clauson v. Ashland, Inc.
- Confidential settlement for a diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma for a housewife as a result of being contaminated by asbestos fibers at home because of the work exposure of her ex-husband.
Follow SKWC Attorneys via their Blogs
- SKWC firm blog - keeps you updated on current topics related to serious personal injury and wrongful death cases in the Seattle-Tacoma area, Washington State, and the Pacific Northwest.
- Karen Koehler's (now famous) Velvet Hammer blog - Karen was the first partner at SKWC to begin blogging in earnest, and rapidly found a huge following from around the country. Check out a recent Super Lawyers interview of Karen about this blog. (Readers' Comments)
- Karen's Spinal Cord Injury Law blog
- Kevin Coluccio's blogs:
- Spinal Cord Injury Association of Washington (SCIAW) Blog - a resource to anyone in Washington State, looking to learn more about spinal cord injury
- Paul Stritmatter's Subrogation Website & Blog - This is likely the most complete resource on the internet for subrogation issues that face plaintiffs and their attorneys.
- Keith Kessler's Highway Design Blog - based on the tremendous response that Keith received from his Highway Design Liablity publication, Keith realized that a blog on the same topic would help attorneys handling road design injury cases.
SKWC partner, Keith L. Kessler was awarded the highly prestigious award from Best Lawyers as the 2011 Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury Litigation for the Seattle area. This is an extraordinary honor that only a handful of attorneys ever hope to receive. Our firm is incredibly proud of the recognition that Keith has worked hard to obtain.
Nationally Recognized SKWC Partners Publish Resources For Other Attorneys
- Cross Examination
by Paul Stritmatter
published January, 2009
- Highway Design Liability
by Keith Kessler
published April, 2010
- Voir Dire
by Karen Koehler
published December, 2010
Reader Comments
Listen to an excerpt of an actual voir dire in a trial - Listen to the entire voir dire of a medical malpractice trial
- Products Liability
by Paul Whelan
published July, 2009
- 2010 Champion of Justice
by Paul Stritmatter
published June, 2010
- Subrogation
by Paul Stritmatter
published June, 2011
The latest booklet is already in its second printing, due to popular demand. Please also visit FightSubro.com and its blog for frequent updates.
