Practice Areas
Our experienced and forward thinking team brings a universe of experience and knowledge to each case. We understand that litigation is stressful and can feel overwhelming. Check out our areas of expertise below and call our qualified and knowledgeable team today for answers to your legal questions.
Social Welfare
Negligent Removal I Failure to Remove
Wrongful Placement
Government entities provide vital social welfare programs to the marginalized people of Washington State, protecting our most vulnerable populations. Our firm defends claims of injury caused by government actions or failures to act. These matters can be broad in definition and a few examples include removing a child from parent’s custody without good reason, or placing a child with a foster parent that caused them harm.
Civil Rights
Free Speech | Due Process
Equal Protection | Discrimination
A focus of our practice is representation of governments, individual officials, and employees on claims for violation of civil rights. Our firm vigorously defends our clients in civil actions brought against them. We are often successful in raising immunity and other legal defenses in support of dismissal.
Employment
Wrongful Termination | Failure to Accomodate
Retaliation | Whistleblowing
Our litigators are experienced in delicately mediating relationships between workers, employing entities, trade unions, and the government. We balance the complexity of all employment areas defending entities and governments against claims brought by current or former employees, including race and sex discrimination or harassment, whistleblowing, and terminations.
Personal Injury
Auto Accidents | Slip & Fall | Dog Bites
Personal injury claims include any injury to the body or mind, such as automobile accidents, slip and falling, dog bites, or premises liability due to unsafe property conditions. Our firm represents some of the largest insurance carriers and their insureds throughout Washington. We have handled thousands of insurance defense cases.
Health Care
Certificates of Need | Medical Licensing
Malpractice
Washington State law provides a regulatory process for certain healthcare providers requiring approval before building certain types of facilities. For example, a certificate of need is required if a hospital wants to add to the number of licensed beds. The certificate of need process is intended to help ensure that facilities and new services healthcare providers propose are needed for quality patient care within a particular region or community. The attorneys at SSFST law have handled many cases through this and other administrative proceedings.
Our office also provides representation defending governments in claims of injury resulting from health care provided by government-regulated agencies.
Law Enforcement, Corrections & Jails
Negligent Supervision | Vehicle Pursuits | False Arrest
Local and state governments have a responsibility to provide for the safety and security of Washington residents. Local, County, and State Law Enforcement entities are often faced with claims for injury resulting from wrongful arrest, excessive force, negligent pursuit, negligent investigation of crime, wrongful imprisonment, injuries while incarcerated, or injuries caused be released offenders. Our firm has many years of experience in defending these agencies.
Schools
Schools and school districts are often faced with claims of personal injury, violation of parental rights, and injuries on school property. Our firm has immeasurable experience defending schools and school districts against claims of negligent care or mistreatment of students.
Premises Liability | Employment
Failure to Protect Students
Parks & Recreation
Recreational Use | Public Facilities Multiple-Use Community Centers
Washington is a beautiful state with acres of parks and outdoor facilities maintained by public agencies to serve the recreation needs of Washingtonians. Our firm represents governments on claims for negligence in maintenance of parks and recreational land.
Our attorneys at SSFST have considerable experience with asserting the statutory recreational immunity defense to obtain the dismissal of claims for injury on government land that is open for free recreational use by the public.
Transportation
Negligence | Freeways | Construction
Representation of governments on claims that roads, pedestrian facilities or other transportation infrastructure are not reasonably safe for use. Included are claims for negligent design of a roadway including the construction, signage, maintenance, or failures to improve.