Seattle

Seattle Jury Awards $13.1 Million to Injured Ultramarathon Runner in Sidewalk Fall Case

by

SEATTLE — A verdict by a King County jury has resulted in a $13.1 million award to a former ultramarathon runner who sustained severe injuries from a fall caused by an unsafe sidewalk in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood in 2021. The city of Seattle along with the owners of a nearby apartment building are being held financially responsible for the incident. Lesley Mettler Auld, 53, who once thrived in the strenuous sport of ultramarathoning, expressed through a press statement from her legal team that the life-altering injuries have permanently sidelined her running career. She now … Read more

$13.1 Million Verdict for Ultramarathon Runner After Devastating Fall on Seattle Sidewalk

by

Seattle, WA — In a significant legal decision, a King County jury has awarded $13.1 million to Lesley Mettler Auld, a 53-year-old ultramarathon runner, who sustained severe injuries due to a fall on a faulty Seattle sidewalk in 2021. The verdict holds the city of Seattle and the owners of a nearby apartment building jointly responsible for the damages incurred. Mettler Auld, a professional fitness coach known for her endurance in ultramarathons—races extending beyond the standard marathon length—suffered this life-changing injury while traversing a treacherous patch of sidewalk in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. Her fall … Read more

Seattle Protesters Win $700K for Chalk Anti-Policing Messages: A Victory for Free Speech

by

Seattle, WA — In a landmark legal decision, a jury awarded $700,000 to five protesters who claimed their civil rights were violated when they were detained for writing anti-police messages with chalk on a public barricade. The protesters, who were involved in a peaceful rally in Seattle, argued that their arrest amounted to unlawful suppression of free speech. The group, detained during the height of the protests in June 2020, painted phrases critical of police conduct. Legal representatives for the plaintiffs argued that the use of chalk, a temporary and non-destructive medium, underscored the disproportionality … Read more

Protesters Win $700K in Civil Rights Case Over Anti-Police Chalk Messages Near Seattle Precinct

by

Seattle, WA — In a landmark case that spotlighted issues of civil liberties amid protests, a federal jury has awarded nearly $700,000 to four protesters who alleged their civil rights were violated by Seattle police. The individuals, arrested on New Year’s Day in 2021 for using chalk to create anti-police messages on a barricade near a police precinct, claimed their treatment stemmed from their participation in Black Lives Matter demonstrations. The incident occurred against the backdrop of widespread protests that ignited across many cities globally, following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd’s death, … Read more