Washington State Legal Assistance

Washington State Legal Assistance: A Comprehensive Guide

Legal assistance is a crucial service that many people may require at some point in their lives. Whether it’s a legal dispute, a civil or criminal case, or seeking legal advice, finding the right legal assistance can be challenging. If you’re in Washington State and need legal help, you’re in the right place. This article provides a comprehensive guide to legal assistance in Washington State.

Washington State Legal Aid Programs

Washington State has several legal aid programs designed to help low-income individuals and families access legal assistance. These programs include:

  1. Northwest Justice Project: This program provides free civil legal services to eligible low-income individuals and families in Washington State. Their services cover a wide range of civil legal issues, including housing, consumer debt, family law, and public benefits.
  2. King County Bar Association: The King County Bar Association provides free legal services to low-income individuals and families in King County. Their services include legal advice, representation, and referrals to other legal aid organizations.
  3. Legal Foundation of Washington: The Legal Foundation of Washington provides funding to legal aid organizations throughout the state, ensuring that low-income individuals and families have access to legal assistance.

Washington State Bar Association

The Washington State Bar Association is a membership organization that regulates the practice of law in Washington State. The Bar Association provides resources for lawyers, including continuing education programs, ethics opinions, and legal publications. The Bar Association also has a Lawyer Referral Program that can help connect individuals with qualified lawyers in their area.

Finding a Lawyer in Washington State

If you’re looking for a lawyer in Washington State, there are several resources available to help you find one. These resources include:

  1. Washington State Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Program: This program can help connect you with a qualified lawyer in your area. You can contact the program by phone or through their website.
  2. Avvo: Avvo is an online legal directory that provides ratings and reviews of lawyers in Washington State. You can search for lawyers by practice area and location.
  3. Legal aid organizations: Legal aid organizations may be able to provide you with referrals to lawyers in your area who specialize in the legal issue you’re facing.

Legal Resources in Washington State

In addition to legal aid programs and the Bar Association, there are several other legal resources available in Washington State. These resources include:

  1. Washington State Law Library: The Washington State Law Library provides access to legal resources, including statutes, regulations, and legal forms.
  2. Washington State Courts: The Washington State Courts website provides information on court procedures, forms, and fees. You can also search for court cases and find contact information for courts in your area.
  3. Washington LawHelp: Washington LawHelp is a website that provides legal information and resources for low-income individuals and families in Washington State. The website covers a wide range of legal issues, including housing, employment, and family law.

Finding legal assistance in Washington State can be overwhelming, but with the right resources, it’s possible to get the help you need. Whether you’re looking for a lawyer, legal aid organization, or legal resources, there are many options available to you. By using the resources outlined in this article, you can find the legal assistance you need to resolve your legal issues.

California’s Product Liability Laws Explained

California is widely known as the mecca for tech, from self-driving vehicles to computers to drones. However, would do you do when your product backfires on you? Or if you were prescribed drugs that resulted in your child being born with a disability? If something you bought caused you pain, knowing California’s product liability laws will prove crucial in getting your life back on track.

Time Constraints

If a product burned, cut or physically injured you, then you’re permitted to submit a personal injury claim within two years of discovering your injury was caused by some product. If the product instead caused your property damage such as fire damage or creating a hole in your wall, then you can submit a property damage claim within three years of the discovery that your product was responsible. California does not follow a statute of repose, but it only applies if the product is an “improvement on real property” such as electrical work or track lighting.

Limits on Damages

California’s courts follow the pure comparative fault rule. Which means that the court determines the allocation of compensation based on your percentage of fault. For example, if a product exploded in your basement and caused $10,000 in damage to your house, and the court determines that you were 60% at fault for the incident, you can only recover $4,000 from the product owner or manufacturer. California also applies the economic loss guideline. Which prevents recovery of solely financial losses, like lost profits.

Basis for Liability

There are three primary categories of product liability: defective design, manufacturing defect, or lack of adequate warnings or instructions.

Defective Design:

With faulty design claims, California’s courts apply two tests to determine liability: the risk/benefit test, and the consumer expectations test. The course uses the risk/benefit test if technical problems are found in the design, such as cost, practicality, risk, or benefit. A product doesn’t pass this test if there is a risk of danger found in the product’s design that outweighs the interests of the design. The consumer expectations test is used solely when professional opinion isn’t required to show that the product fails to work as safely as an ordinary consumer would expect when the product is used in an expected or reasonable way.

Manufacturing Defect:

If you’re seeking a claim that states the product that caused your injuries had a manufacturer defect despite the company has used the most caution at every stage of the process, your lawyer will instead file a claim of strict liability for a manufacturing defect.

Lack of Adequate Warning or Instructions:

On rare occasions, a product may still be dangerous despite if it was designed property and manufactured as intended. For instance, if a lawn mower is known to go in reverse unexpectedly, then the manufacturer is required to put warnings on the product.

 

http://statelaws.findlaw.com/california-law/california-product-liability-laws.html