Seattle pedestrian accident attorney, Christopher M. Davis, has authored a new book written to help injury victims protect their legal rights after a pedestrian or crosswalk accident. The book, Right of Way: The Essential Guide to Pedestrian Accident Law in Washington State, is written to help victims of pedestrian collisions navigate the legal claims process.

“As an accident attorney some of the most tragic injury cases I see are those involving pedestrians and motor vehicles,” says Davis. “When a pedestrian has been injured in an accident the injures can be serious and long lasting. It is easy for victims and their families to be overwhelmed with the legal and insurance claims process that may ensue.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nationally 4,092 pedestrians were killed in preventable accidents in 2009. That averages to 11 people killed in fatal pedestrian collisions each day. Locally, Washington State Patrol reports a sharp spike in the number of pedestrian fatalities in Washington State. So far eight (8) pedestrians have lost their lives in District 7 in 2011.

In Right of Way, Davis offers basic facts about typical accident claims involving pedestrians; defines the legal and settlement process for crosswalk accident claims; gives tips on dealing with insurance companies; offers insight into how pedestrian claims are valued; and discusses common questions and legal issues that are often present in cases involving pedestrians, as well as the common pitfalls and traps to avoid. Davis also helps pedestrian accident victims understand the pros and cons of hiring an attorney to represent their case.

The book is published by Word Association Press and is available for $24.95 at Amazon.com. As a public service to citizens in Washington State, for a limited time free copies are available through www.WashingtonBooks.com.

Seattle bicycle accident attorney Christopher M. Davis, has authored a new book written to help cyclists that have been injured in collisions protect their legal rights. The book, Wheels of Justice: The Essential Guide to Bicycle Accident Law in Washington State, discusses a topic that is every cyclist’s worst nightmare – what to do when you have been injured in a serious accident with an automobile, other cyclist, or roadway obstacle.

Cycling saves energy, provides a greener alternative to motoring and is a part of a healthy lifestyle, yet nearly 1,000 people are killed every year in bicycle accidents in the United States.

“After a collision with an automobile, for example, cyclists must understand local laws and legal concepts that apply to their case such as ‘right of way,’ the reciprocal duty of care that the motorist and bicyclist each has toward the other, and the different situations when a bicyclist is treated as a motorist or a pedestrian.”

In Wheels of Justice, Davis offers basic facts about typical accident claims involving cyclists; defines the legal and settlement process for bicycle accident claims; gives tips on dealing with insurance companies; offers insight into how bicycle accident injury claims are valued; and discusses common questions and legal issues that are often present in bicycle collision cases, as well as the common pitfalls and traps to avoid. Davis also helps cyclists understand the pros and cons of hiring an attorney to represent their case.

The book is published by Word Association Press and is available for $24.95 at Amazon.com. As a public service to citizens in Washington State, for a limited time free copies are available through www.WashingtonAccidentBooks.com.

Maximizing Interior Appeal

You want your home to look as spacious, bright and clean as possible. Also the home should look neutral – without a lot of your personal and sentimental objects – so buyers can begin to imagine living there.

• Give every room in the house a thorough cleaning and remove all clutter. This alone will make your house appear bigger and brighter.
• Make sure that table tops, dressers and closets are free of clutter.
• Pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms: they should look as modern, bright and fresh as possible.
• Repair dripping faucets and showerheads.
• Buy showy new towels for the bathroom, put them out only for showings.
• Clean walls and doors of smudges and scuff marks.
• If necessary, repaint dingy, soiled or strongly-colored walls with a neutral shade of paint, such as off-white or beige.
• Repair cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint and tiles.
• Replace broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings and other woodwork.

Attorney Greg Colburn has joined the Seattle personal injury law firm of Davis Law Group, P.S.. Greg is a graduate of the University of Washington and received his Juris Doctor from Seattle University School of Law. Prior to joining Davis Law Group he spent several years at a small law office in Issaquah.

Before becoming a trial lawyer, Greg was on a path to become a professional baseball player. After high school in Montana he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies but chose to play ball at the University of Washington as a scholarship student-athlete. In 2002, he was team co-captain when the Huskies competed in the NCAA Men’s Baseball Tournament. After his senior year he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But before he could report to spring training, Greg suffered a career ending injury to his feet as the result of falling from a rooftop while working as a carpenter.

Greg spent nearly two years in a wheelchair because the roofing subcontractor negligently installed its roofing material. Although more than eighty lawyers declined to take his case, Greg persevered and his tenacity paid off when he finally convinced an attorney to represent him. As a result of his frustration with the workers compensation and civil justice systems, Greg decided to go to law school. Greg spent hundreds of hours working on his case and in 2007, he settled for $1,000,000.

“My unique perspective as a former personal injury plaintiff turned trial lawyer gives me the ability to truly empathize with clients,” said Colburn. I am passionate about helping people who find themselves in the same situation that I once found myself. I am excited about joining Chris Davis because we share a deep seeded commitment to helping victims.”

As a victim of a very serious and life-changing injury, Greg will be a very valuable member of the Davis Law Group team,” said Chris Davis, founder of Davis Law Group. “He has the unique experience of actually helping to litigate his own case against a powerful insurance corporation and then winning that fight. Greg knows firsthand how hard it is to obtain justice for accident victims. Now he is a very capable lawyer who is extremely passionate about serving DLG clients. We are very thankful that he has joined our firm.”

Maximizing ‘Curb’ Appeal

When preparing to put your home up for sale, your first concern is the home’s exterior. If the outside, or “curb appeal” looks good, people will more than likely want to see what’s on the inside.

• Keep the lawn/yard edged, weeded, cut and watered.
• Be sure your front door area has a “Welcome” feeling.
• Paint the front door.
• In spring and summer, add a couple of pots of showy annuals near your front entrance.
• In snowy areas, keep walks neatly cleared of snow and ice.
• Check foundation, steps, walkways, walls and patios for cracks and deterioration, and fix any problems.
• Remove and repaint any peeling paint on doors and windows.
• Clean and align gutters.
• Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
• Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
• Reseal old asphalt.
• Keep the garage door closed.
• Store RVs and old cars elsewhere while the house is on the market.

Investment Opportunities between China and Washington State

Featuring presentations by

Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle
Washington State China Relations Council
Washington State Department of Commerce

And

Mr. Guangyao Zhu, Vice Minister of Finance, People’s Republic of China
Mr. Kang Lu, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ms. Yingxin Zhang, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Commerce
Mr. Tu Guangshao, Vice Mayor, Shanghai
Mr. Ma Zhengqi, Vice Mayor, Chongqing
Mr. Mao Xiaoping, Mayor, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province
Mr. Yue Huafeng, Executive Vice Mayor, Xi’An Ctiy, Shaanxi Province
Mr. Xu Liquan, Mayor, Weifang City, Shandong Province
Chinese Investment Promotion Agency (CIPA)

Bank of Jiangsu
Bank of Xi’an
Beijing Liangyou Huayi Culture Communication Ltd
Beijing Strong Science Park Development Co., Ltd.
Chongqing Bosai Minerals Group Co., Ltd.
Chongqing Water Conservancy Investment Group Co., Ltd.
Goertech Inc.
Hailian Holding Group Co., Ltd
Jiangxi Investment Promotion Agency
Jilin Longyuan Water Supply Co., Ltd
Jin Jiang International Holdings Co., Ltd
Langfang Shengwei Beer Co.,Ltd
Shaanxi Blower Co., Ltd
Shandong Haihua Group Co., Ltd.
Shandong New Material Trends Co., Ltd.
Shanghai Dushi Industrial Co., Ltd
Shanghai Electric Group Co.,Ltd.
Shanghai Pudong Development Bank
Shenzhen Taishan Zong Heng Investment Co., Ltd
Shenzhen Tat Fook Technology Co., Ltd
Tianjin Sinoke Car Fitting Co., Ltd
Tsinghua Science Park Co., Ltd
Tuspark Technology&Innovation Co., Ltd
Weichai Power Co., Ltd.
Wuxi Industrial Group
Wuxi Shangde Group
Xi’an Investment Holding Co.,Ltd

Tuesday, April 19, 2011
8:30 am – 11:55 am

Washington State Convention and Trade Center
800 Convention Place
Downtown Seattle

$35 for members of the Trade Alliance and Washington State China Relations Council
$45 for non-members

Register Online

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The Trade Development Alliance is hosting a forum with a large delegation of Chinese public officials and 26 Chinese enterprises with an interest in investing in the United States.

The delegation’s visit is part of a larger effort coordinated by the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Treasury and the National League of Cities, as part of a follow up to President Hu Jintao’s visit.

Additional Opportunity: The Washington State China Relations Council will be hosting a lunch with the delegation and the public following the morning program. Lunch will take place at the Washington Convention Center from 12 noon – 2:00 pm and is $40 for members and $50 for non-members. To register for lunch please click here.

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Registration: Space for this program is limited. The registration deadline is Monday, April 11. For additional information or to register over the phone please contact Samantha Paxton at 206.389.7319 / samanthap@seattelchamber.com.

Sponsored by:

Require a 2/3rds vote or voter approval to hike taxes. Protect your wallet. Vote Yes on I-1053.

Wondering if now is a good time to buy real estate?

With so much information and misinformation out there, it can be very confusing.  Get savvy and come meet our experts to get the “no fluff” facts, and find out if the time is right for you!

We’ll be covering:

1. Credit today: how to be prepared, including how to improve your credit to meet lender’s more stringent qualifying standards
2. What lenders are looking for in a buyer in both residential and investment purchases
3. What to expect from an agent in addition to info on the transaction process and who/what is involved
4. The “ins and outs” of today’s real estate market in Puget Sound

Where?

2 Locations:

• 11555 SE 8th St, 1st Fl conference room, Bellevue WA
  OR
• 2312 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle WA

Date/Time: Oct. 16, 10 a.m. ’til noon

Feel free to tell your friends and family about this class, everyone is welcome!  Space is limited to 12 people so please RSVP to the following email: Info@TeamReba.com

Sure, we’re part of one human family, but it’s fun to compare different geographic areas to each other. Washington State taken as a whole has differences from the nation in terms of TV viewing. Here’s some examples.

The anchor for this post is a Comcast-sponsored survey about TV viewing habits. You’ll see the story in various places, starting from a news release you might want to take a look at if you are really crazed for TV statistics. I’m not surprised people want to see Hawaii Five-O, but the numbers surprised me. By many percentage points, Hawaii Five-O is the most-anticipated Fall program.

Then there’s a national news story about “time-shifting,” how people are more and more often watching TV when they want to watch TV – not tied to the clock. The Associated Press story begins “If you’ve never time-shifted a prime-time television series — watched it later on a DVR, over the Internet or ordered it on demand — you’re now in the minority.” People are choosing to watch TV at times convenient for them

We asked for some Washington State numbers out of his survey and here’s what we learned:

• We love our DVRS: Viewers plan to watch TV series this fall season through a variety of different platforms. Significantly more Washington State viewers expect to use a DVR to record shows (54% in Washington vs. 41%) or watch via On Demand than the nationwide viewers (28% vs. 16%).

• We’re all about the drama: Washington viewers are slightly more likely than nationwide viewers to plan to watch dramas (80% vs. 75%), comedies (72% vs. 68%), and reality shows (43% vs. 38%) this fall. On the other hand, Washington viewers are slightly less likely to watch movies (50% vs. 57%), and sports shows this fall than the national audience (41% vs. 45%).

• Video On Demand is clearly mainstream now: If Washington viewers miss one of their favorite TV shows this fall and know they can see it via their video-on-demand service, more than three-quarters (81%) said they would watch it via their VOD service to catch up.

• Prime Time is still prime: More than three-quarters of Seattle consumers regularly watch primetime TV (83%). There are 46% of Washington primetime viewers who either watch or record five or more primetime series in a typical week; 36% watch or record three-four primetime series a week

• We like Hawaii: When asked about five particular new TV series this fall, both National and Seattle consumers stated they are most excited about Hawaii Five-O (40% and 47%), although much more in Seattle, followed by No Ordinary Family (23% and 25%) and The Event (21% and 17%).

Washington State Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Gets A $500 Donation for Every Drunk Driving Injury Case Handled By Davis Law Group

Seattle drunk driving victim lawyer Chris Davis is announcing that his firm, Davis Law Group, P.S., will donate $500 to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Pacific Northwest Region for every drunk driving collision case that his law firm settles or takes to verdict.

“Although both nationally and in Washington state drunk driving incidents and fatalities are down overall, driving while intoxicated is still a huge problem,” said Davis. “The drunken driving injury and wrongful death cases that our firm handles are heart-wrenching and our staff takes a particular interest in helping these clients get justice.”

In 2008, 255 people in Washington State lost their lives in fatal alcohol related motor vehicle collisions. One hundred eighty-two (182) of those accidents involved a drunk driver whose blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.08 or higher.

The firm’s employees are so angered by the circumstances of the drunk driving-related injury cases that they are handling that they began to look for ways to help raise awareness about drunk driving in Washington State. When Davis’ wife Mischelle Weedman-Davis learned that donations to organizations such as MADD are down dramatically as a result of the current economic downturn and recession, she proposed to her husband and the office staff that they begin their own MADD fundraising campaign.

“As a mother and someone who is close to some of the personal stories of those who have been touched by a drunk driving tragedy, helping MADD raise much needed money to fund drunk driving awareness and education programs is very satisfying, “said Mischelle Weedman-Davis.

The firm currently handles a number of Western Washington drunk driving cases in the Seattle area. At the conclusion of each these and all future DUI / DWI cases Davis will donate $500 to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

About Davis Law Group
Christopher M. Davis, founder of the Davis Law Group, has been a licensed attorney in the state of Washington since 1993. He has tried dozens of personal injury cases to verdict and has successfully handled and resolved hundreds of accident claims. Washington Law & Politics (WLP) magazine has named Davis a Washington ‘Super Lawyer’ for four year in a row for his expertise and success in litigating personal injury claims. You can learn more about the firm by visiting: www.DavisLawGroupSeattle.com.