Seattle Personal Injury Attorney | Martin Law PLLC

The following are a sampling of actual cases handled by Chuck Martin.

Crash of a Casino Courtesy Van

Our client, a 26-year-old oil-rig worker, was riding as a passenger in a Casino courtesy van that was transporting casino customers from their hotel to the casino for some well earned R & R. The van was traveling 75-80 mph on the interstate when it hit ice on an overpass, lost control, slammed into the guardrail and then careened across the interstate and crashed into the opposite side guardrail before spinning into a State Patrol vehicle. Our client suffered a herniated disc in the lumbar region of the spine requiring surgery.

Result: Chuck Martin successfully negotiated a $450,000 settlement in less than a year from the date of injury.

Family Outing to the Beach

Our client, a 12-year-old girl, was a passenger in the back seat of her family's Lincoln Navigator driven by her mother on the way to the beach. Her sister and a friend were also in the car. Another vehicle ran a stop sign and slammed into the Navigator as it passed through an intersection. The point of impact was the back passenger door behind the driver where our client was riding. Our client suffered a broken femur bone (the upper leg bone and the largest bone in the human body).

Result: Chuck Martin successfully negotiated a $300,000 settlement in less than a year from the date of injury.

Tire Blow-out Causes Vehicle Roll-Over

Our clients: the driver, a 28-year-old mother with her two young children (4-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter) along with her 26-year-old sister-in-law (and her 3-year-old son) all in a Ford Explorer driving down the freeway when a defective Firestone tire blows out causing the driver to lose control. The vehicle hits the inside guardrail, flips over and comes to rest on its roof. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured.

Result: Chuck Martin successfully negotiated settlements of $150,000 within a year of the accident.

Drowning when Paddleboat Sinks

A married couple, both 35 years old, along with the wife's sister, visits a lakeside resort to inspect property for possible purchase of a lot. They all three board a small paddleboat (though it was designed and labeled for only 2 people). About 20 feet offshore the paddleboat begins to sink. Both of the women are non-swimmers but somehow make it to shore. The husband, a good swimmer, goes down and never comes up. The autopsy reveals that he had an asymptomatic heart virus. The excitement of the paddleboat sinking caused a rapid heartbeat, but the virus exacerbated the increase and caused his heart to beat uncontrollably until it stopped. The insurance companies argued that the heart virus caused the husband's death, not the paddleboat sinking. They also raised misuse by the plaintiffs for overloading the paddleboat with three people.

Result: In spite of the difficult liability issues, after several months of litigation Chuck Martin negotiated settlements of $500,000 at mediation.

Stomach Stapling Surgery Goes Wrong

Our client, a 39-year-old woman, undergoes stomach-stapling surgery in order to lose weight. Something goes wrong during the surgery. The surgeon testifies at his deposition that the stapling device malfunctioned. The manufacturer of the device alleges negligent misuse by the surgeon. Our client develops peritonitis as stomach waste leaks into abdominal wall causing infection. After two weeks in the hospital she eventually recovers.​

Result: After several months of aggressive litigation, and shortly before the start of the jury trial, Chuck Martin negotiated a settlement of $300,000.