Love the Owens

Posted by Karen Koehler on January 29, 2013

owens.jpgTired of fake reality tv.

Try the true life story of the survival and recovery of the Owen family.  Brought to you by - the Owen Family.

According to the news:  On December 21st around 1:20 p.m. The Owen family was traveling on Highway 2 near Stevens Pass when a tree fell onto their suburban and claimed the lives of 58-year-old Tim Owen and 56-year-old Cheryl Reed. Also in the vehicle were the couple's son, Jeremy, daughters Jessie and Jamie, and son-in-law Steven Mayer. Jeremy was released from the hospital but the other three are still being treated for serious injuries.

In order to keep friends and family posted, Christy, a close family friend began a blog called  Lovetheowens.  In this typically charming excerpt, Steven who is in a transitional hospital, comes back to Harborview for a test. 

"He got to visit with Jessie while he was there, & she was excited to watch as a 2 foot long camera was inserted through his nose to take a look at his vocal chord."

Thousands of readers tune in every day to see how the kids are progressing and to cheer them on.

If you want to be inspired.  If you want to watch the triumph of the human spirit under the toughest of circumstances.  Read this blog:  http://lovetheowens.wordpress.com/

Photo:   Left to right Steven (married to Jaime); Timothy (father deceased); Jaime (daughter); Jeremy (son); Jessie (daughter); Cheryl (mother deceased).

Top 10 reasons I wear a hoodie in Seattle

Posted by Karen Koehler on March 23, 2012

10.  Don't like umbrellas

9.  Not as easy to lose as a hat

8.  Doesn't smoosh hair down like a hat

7.  Like versatility of putting it up or down

6.  Keeps neck warm so don't need scarf

5.  Won't blow off from the wind and fly down the street

4.  Comfy

3.  Street solicitors tend to leave you alone

2.  Hello - it rains here

1.  Easy fix for a bad hair day

There are always a few mouse turds in a bag of rice

Posted by Karen Koehler on June 10, 2011

If you or a loved one are injured (or worse).  This is what won't happen.  My law firm will not come knocking uninvited on your door.

On May 13, an injured person filed a lawsuit against three law firms and their "runners" for trying to get him to sign up as their client.

Here's what happened. 

He was injured on April 25.  On the 27 and 28 he received unsolicited phone calls and visits from people claiming to represent the three law firms trying to get him to become their client.

This conduct violated state law in Alabama.  But the law is no different here in Washington.  Lawyers can advertise because that is free speech.  They can even send a crass letter to a victim/family after reading something in the news.  But they can't make phone calls or visits. 

I've never heard of someone suing attorneys for this misconduct before.  The victim in this case was actually a young attorney who was disgusted by unscrupulous and unethical behavior and decided to do something about it.

Attorneys who troll the internet looking for the most recent headlines so they rush to get a new client - well, they make me sick.

 

 

The world wants to hear from clients - not attorneys.

Posted by Karen Koehler on June 05, 2011

Press conferences before a case ends is one thing.  Attorneys have to carefully monitor what can be said or not due to legal ethics rules. 

But after a case is over, attorneys need to step to the side and put the clients front and center.  It is their case.  They are the people whose lives have been impacted.  It is their moment. 

Cleaning my office, I found this CD.  It says:  Kime Press Conference 8.15.02.  Clips from this interview were played on various television channels around the state.  They ranged from one to maybe three minutes in length.  This home video is cool because it shows the whole thing before it was edited down.

 

Yes, we will always remember

Posted by Karen Koehler on February 28, 2011

DSCN0905.JPGIt is freezing out here.  The candles keep getting blown out by the frigid wind.  We are huddled in puffy coats and blankets.  Standing on the street corner where Kris's memorial lies.  Feet away from where he was struck down in the middle of the street.

The family is accompanied by friends.  A man who has Kris' heart.  A cop and a lawyer. 

Kris was killed when he was 20.  Ten years ago.  When my girls were 11, 10 and 7.  They are his age now. 

Bill the officer and I talk about what it took to get the plaque in the square.  We insisted that it had to be large.  The City wanted it much smaller.  Then it tried to pacify us by offering to place it inside of the police station in Pioneer Square on a wall.  A temporary station that is now moved down the block.  I can remember marching out of there in a huff.  No deal. 

The City then offered to put it inside a fire station.  No way forget it we said.  They thought we were kidding when we said it was a deal breaker to settlement.  Nope.  We weren't.

Krisopher and his bronze plaque are right where they belong.  Part of the permanent physical history of Seattle.  He will never be forgotten.

King 5 news story.  http://www.king5.com/news/local/Family-celebrates-Kris-Kimes-life-10-years-after-his-death-117126933.html

Despicable predatory personal injury loan lenders

Posted by Karen Koehler on January 17, 2011

Many of our clients are in great financial distress.  They cannot work due to their injuries.  Or they don't have enough money to pay for their medical bills (even if they have insurance, it rarely covers extraordinary medical expenses).   They become financially desperate and overwhelmed.  That is when "legal finance lenders" come sniffing around.

These outfits loan money to plaintiffs on the promise that they will only be repaid if the plaintiff wins the case.  They claim the "risk" in lending money justifies charging grotesque finance charges.

When I use the term "grotesque" - let me explain what I mean - Outrageous, putrid, detestable amounts of money. 

The NY Times today published an expose on this "industry."  An example includes a blind diabetic who borrowed $9,150 to pay for help.  Within 18 months he owed $23,588.  After paying off the $14,000 "interest" plus principal fromhis settlement recovery in a Vioxx case, he ended up with nothing.

These loan sharks can ignore usury laws in most states.  A few states have started to sue them.  But they have strong lobbyists.  They are trying to pass their own laws giving them special status.

Even the worst lenders - some of the pay day lending, check cashing type shops - don't begin to approach the disgraceful predatory practices of these outfits.    I've started seeing their ads on TV and each time I about want to vomit. 

If you are a plaintiff with a personal injury claim, do whatever you have to do to survive.  But don't ever strike a bargain with a devil in the disguise of a PI loan lender.

 

Rob McKenna's nasty crusade

Posted by Karen Koehler on January 06, 2011

621mccain2.jpgLike the Sheriff of Nottingham Forest, our Attorney General is on quite a crusade.  According to him, our poor government is in a big gigantic financial mess and guess who’s to blame – why the trial attorneys of course! They file “abusive lawsuits.”  Prey against “vulnerable” taxpayers.  Take money from the injured and apparently give it to the democrats.  

McKenna hopes that citizens will rise to his Shakespearean cry of “kill all the lawyers.”  Ummm.  Excuse me.  But isn’t McKenna the King of all Washington lawyers…

oil

Posted by Karen Koehler on June 04, 2010

I can barely stand looking at the images.  There is live streaming video of the gusher on the news.  Birds covered in brown crud.  I thought the Exxon Valdez was a once in a lifetime tragedy.   This is so much worse.  Every minute, every day, every week, every month that goes by we are watching the attempted murder of our planet.

left sleeping on a plane

Posted by Karen Koehler on May 28, 2010

Each time a lawyer files a frivolous lawsuit, it impacts every true victim who deserves their day in court.  I just read about the woman who fell asleep on a plane, was unintentionally left there to finish her nap, woke up and was not "rescued" for 15 minutes.   What kind of a lawyer would file a lawsuit over that.   The media doesn't print the stories about the hundreds of worthy lawsuits filed every day.  Instead, they find this type of garbage, print it and all of us are shamed and our clients injured.  I wish the public was told that 99% of these frivolous lawsuits are thrown out of court.  As long as the media keeps sensationalizing this junk and people recite these ridiculous stories, our civil justice system will remain in jeopardy.