Ruiz & Smart LLP

A car wreck is a huge disruption to anyone’s life. If you or your passengers are injured, the disruption and stress are magnified. Read our resource on what to do if you’re in a car accident in Washington State - link in the comments and in bio. For the TL;DR - click through the graphics!

https://ruizandsmart.com/resources/washington-car-accident-faqs/

Over the weekend, Isaac Castaneda attended the Washington Med-Legal conference hosted by Washington State Chiropractic Association and the Washington Orthopedic Spine & Injury Center. Isaac’s passion for advocacy and collaboration is unrivaled. We are so lucky to have him on our team!

Kathryn Knudsen has been with our firm for almost 7 years! She is a brilliant attorney, a dedicated volunteer on the Washington State Association for Justice Board of Governors, and an all around wonderful person to work with.

An important decision from the Washington Supreme Court held that Amazon owes a duty of reasonable care to consumers and can be held liable for negligence for how it sells and promotes certain products. The plaintiffs adequately demonstrated that the harm caused by the sodium nitrite sold on Amazon was foreseeable. The plaintiffs claimed that Amazon was promoting sodium nitrite alongside scales, antiemetics, and a su***de handbook, and continued to sell the product despite being on notice of the risks.

Read the opinion here: https://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/?fa=opinions.disp&filename=1037309MAJ

Kathryn Knudsen testified on behalf of Washington State Association for Justice in support of Senate Bill 6178. This bill would protect policy holders and prohibit post-loss assignments of benefits in property insurance claims. This bill is important because when an insured assigns their rights to a contractor, it can result in the insured losing access to benefits not related to the repairs and to their extracontractual claims.

Thank you, Kayti, for testifying and advocating for insureds in Washington State!

Ruiz & Smart is thrilled to cheer on our Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks! The energy outside of our office was incredible! So uplifting to see so many people coming together to celebrate on this beautiful day!

Kathryn Knudsen volunteered her time over the weekend to judge the National Trial Competion at the University of Washington School of Law! Our firm was a proud sponsor of this excellent event. Thank you, Kayti, for being there and for inspiring future lawyers!

We are so pleased to introduce you to Shannon McKeon, legal assistant extraordinaire! Shannon has been with our firm for just over six years, but her history with some of our team members goes way back. She has worked with Isaac Ruiz since 2008 and Paige Lewis since 2002! We truly have the best people on our team - they never want to leave each other. 😁

David and Isaac spent the day at the Washington State Capitol on behalf of . They advocated for policies that directly impact injured workers and patients across our state.

They met with legislators to support two important bills:
-Expanding access to timely, individualized medical care for injured workers.
-Making sure patients can affordably access their own medical records without being price-gouged.

These issues might sound technical, but they affect real people — workers trying to heal, families navigating medical crises, and survivors seeking justice.

Three of our talented attorneys spent the week in Nashville perfecting their storytelling skills with and learning about effective jury selection. We're lucky to have such dedicated and empathetic attorneys on our team!

David Fadduol has been with our firm for nearly two and a half years. He is licensed to practice law in Washington and New Mexico—and he’s also a licensed pilot! David brings years of expertise in personal injury cases and is a true asset to the Ruiz & Smart team. Say hello!