If you are seriously injured in a recreational setting, you will need an attorney who is experienced in assessing the legal standards that apply to your injury because the applicable legal standards vary depending on factors that are probably unknown and unsuspected by you as you start to deal with your injury. At Rush, Hannula, Harkins & Kyler PLLC, we have successfully represented clients who have been seriously injured and families of those who have died in a wide variety of recreational settings. Examples of our successful experience include death due to guide negligence on Mt. Kilimanjaro, the negligence of a high school’s swimming coaches, the design of a high school football stadium that did not conform to recognized safety standards and the negligence of Washington State in failing to maintain its state campgrounds free of dangerously rotted trees, as well as many other settings in which our clients or their loved ones were seriously injured or killed.

The settings in which recreational injuries occur vary greatly enough to defy listing, but certain settings recur with some regularity:

  • At the gym or other recreational business
  • At organized sporting events
  • In guided or ticketed activities
  • In parks on public or private open land

In a business setting, such as at a gym, the law that applies will likely include what we have previewed for you in our premises liability pages. However, there are likely also to be contract issues because you have probably signed some form of contract that seeks to limit or eliminate the owner’s liability.

In organized sports, injury often occurs in a school setting where student athletes are injured in school-sponsored athletic programs. The rules defining the injured athlete’s ability to recover may be affected by a combination of coaching standards, known and accepted risks of injury, contract issues, premises liability/facility design standards and rules defining governmental liability.

Another category of cases with various applicable legal standards is that consisting of injuries arising in guided, contracted, or ticketed settings. This category is made up of any recreational activities for which you might sign a contract or buy a ticket to participate. These can be almost any activity from guided treks, to skiing, to mountain climbing, to cruises. For this class of recreational injuries, not only are industry standards of conduct important, but understanding contracts, their reach and their limits, is paramount because by signing a contract or, in many cases, by simply buying a ticket that has terms and conditions printed on it, the person or organization responsible will almost certainly argue that you have signed away some or all of your legal rights.

We also see a number of cases in which a person has been injured while recreating in non-contract situations on Washington’s open or public lands and parks. In these cases, the injured victim’s first hurdle is to overcome the property owner’s immunity from being held accountable for injuries occurring on the property. This is because of the laws in Washington that give landowners far-reaching immunity from personal injury lawsuits to encourage them to open up their lands for public recreation where no fee has been charged for the use of the land.

These recreational use laws extend beyond private owners of recreationally desirable tracts of raw, unimproved land to potentially immunize from liability cities, counties and the State of Washington in their ownership, operation and maintenance of parks, campgrounds and other public recreation sites and facilities. In cases involving injury occurring on open or public lands, parks and campgrounds, you will need an attorney thoroughly familiar with the intricacies of the recreational use immunity statutes and the case law interpreting those statutes who can critically examine and appraise for you the condition that caused your injury, the owner’s knowledge of that condition and any fees that were charged for your use of the land as those factors bear on both the landowner’s immunity and ultimate legal responsibility.

If you or someone you love has been injured or has died in a recreational setting, please contact the Tacoma based attorneys of Rush, Hannula, Harkins & Kyler, PLLC at (253) 383-5388 or (253) 383-5388 or click here to submit a simple case form. Our initial consultation is free of charge and if we accept your case, we only get paid for our services if you receive monetary compensation.

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At Rush, Hannula, Harkins & Kyler PLLC we have the skill and experience to take on a wide range of personal injury cases throughout Washington state. From motor vehicle accidents to workplace injuries – our reputation and success rates keep opposing counsel on edge.

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Winning is when clients get the closure and compensation they deserve. We haven’t settled for less in the last sixty plus years. And we won’t for the next sixty.

$7.0 M
Client was exposed to ammonia gas by a trucking company that wrongfully released the gas. Client suffered injuries to both eyes, reactive airway disease, significant PTSD and severe depression preventing client from returning to his previous employment.
$1.9 M
Client was the victim of medical malpractice when the emergency room failed to diagnose a bowel obstruction, resulting in severe intestine injury and a colostomy.
$1.3 M
Client was bitten by a dog and suffered C-Diff infection and multiple hospitalizations.
$1.2 M
Client was the victim of a defective product when the coupler unit between his tractor and trailer failed, causing his arm to be crushed.
$1.2 M
Client was involved in a traumatic motorcycle accident. Client underwent multiple surgeries for comminuted fractures of his tibia and fibula resulting in limitations to his ability to work.
$1.05 M
Client was involved in a high speed collision on Interstate 5 when a driver of a Box Truck fell asleep and crossed over several lanes pushing her vehicle over an embankment. Client sustained traumatic brain bleed, fractured shoulder, hip and knees requiring over three months of intensive care and hospital admission
$920,000
Client was involved in a truck accident that caused his wrongful death. He was crushed when the truck hit him from behind as he was unloading items from his vehicle.
$875,000
Client was a pedestrian and was struck by a car while crossing in a crosswalk. Client was transported to the hospital but unfortunately died as a result of the injuries.
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We have answers to some of the most common Washington personal injury questions. These are resources for injury victims.

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The change you want to see happens when your story goes beyond the courtroom and makes an impact after the case is closed.

  • Our experience with Dan Kyler and Vern Harkins was excellent from the beginning and we were very satisfied with the end results.
  • Dan Kyler and Mike Fisher were professional and dedicated throughout the entire process. I would recommend this law firm to anyone.
  • Vern Harkins perseverance and hard work made it possible to get the maximum settlement from the insurance company. I know he had my interest in mind as demonstrated by his actions.
  • Dan Hannula’s hard work helped to settle my auto accident case.
  • Michael was outstanding. He was always professional, prepared, available for questions, and on top of my case. I highly recommend him and will always consider him to be my first choice for legal matters I need resolved.
  • Mr. Fisher has helped me in the past and is very trustworthy and sincere. I would recommend Michael and of course anyone else at Rush, Hannula, Harkins & Kyler.
  • My father was sick and dying, I needed assistance and I need it fast. With a single call to Mr. Fisher’s office, I was warmly welcomed, swiftly assisted and free of the concerns... I am forever grateful to Mr. Fisher for his exquisite services in my time of need.
  • The office staff were courteous, pleasant and kept me informed as to what was going on throughout the whole ordeal.
  • I am extremely satisfied with the service I experienced with this firm and I would recommend them to anyone that needs legal representation. Michael Fisher and his staff are great people.
  • John Wilson demonstrated his professionalism by keeping us current on our case, explaining our options, giving us realistic expectations and demonstrating the highest level of ethics and integrity beyond reproach. We have the highest confidence that we were well represented.
  • I have been a client of Dan Kyler’s since 1996. Having had numerous car accidents, I rely upon the Tacoma auto accident attorneys at RHHK to help me through them. The most obscure questions have been answered and help is given on all levels.
  • Mr. Fisher has helped me in the past and is very trustworthy and sincere. I would recommend Michael and of course anyone else at Rush, Hannula, Harkins & Kyler.
  • Our experience with Dan Kyler and Vern Harkins was excellent from the beginning and we were very satisfied with the end results.
  • The office staff were courteous, pleasant and kept me informed as to what was going on throughout the whole ordeal.
  • Having a motorcycle accident was bad enough, let alone dealing with insurance companies. John Wilson and his staff made everything easy to understand and hassle free.
  • John Wilson demonstrated his professionalism by keeping us current on our case, explaining our options, giving us realistic expectations and demonstrating the highest level of ethics and integrity beyond reproach. We have the highest confidence that we were well represented.
  • Michael was outstanding. He was always professional, prepared, available for questions, and on top of my case. I highly recommend him and will always consider him to be my first choice for legal matters I need resolved.
  • Mr. Fisher is an outstanding lawyer. He’s knowledgeable, responsive, and kept me informed at all times. I would definitely recommend him to anyone in need of a good attorney.
  • My father was sick and dying, I needed assistance and I need it fast. With a single call to Mr. Fisher’s office, I was warmly welcomed, swiftly assisted and free of the concerns... I am forever grateful to Mr. Fisher for his exquisite services in my time of need.
  • Mike Fisher is an example of a quality attorney who sets high standards in servicing his clients in the highest regard as an attorney and he is part of a great firm.
  • Vern Harkins perseverance and hard work made it possible to get the maximum settlement from the insurance company. I know he had my interest in mind as demonstrated by his actions.
  • I am extremely satisfied with the service I experienced with this firm and I would recommend them to anyone that needs legal representation. Michael Fisher and his staff are great people.
  • Having a motorcycle accident was bad enough, let alone dealing with insurance companies. John Wilson and his staff made everything easy to understand and hassle free.
  • Dan Hannula’s hard work helped to settle my auto accident case.
  • John Wilson demonstrated his professionalism by keeping us current on our case, explaining our options, giving us realistic expectations and demonstrating the highest level of ethics and integrity beyond reproach. We have the highest confidence that we were well represented.
  • I have been a client of Dan Kyler’s since 1996. Having had numerous car accidents, I rely upon the Tacoma auto accident attorneys at RHHK to help me through them. The most obscure questions have been answered and help is given on all levels.
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