Washington News

Judge Awards $1.9M to Medical Clinic Whistleblower in Pacific Northwest

The former chief financial officer of a chain of medical clinics in Washington and Idaho has been awarded $1.9 million after claiming he was fired for refusing to file fabricated financial reports. Gregg Becker was the CFO of Rockwood Clinic, …

Washington Employer Fined for Asbestos Violations

A Kirkland, Wash. asbestos removal contractor has been cited for several workplace health violations that reportedly put workers, contractors and homeowners at risk. The Department of Labor & Industries cited American Disaster Services Inc. a total of eight willful, serious …

Owner of Washington Asbestos Company Pleads Guilty to Bogus Certifications

The owner of a company that provided federally mandated training for construction firms that work with asbestos has pleaded guilty to giving certifications to people he knew had not taken his course. U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes says Isaac Cole owned …

Lawyers for Washington Landslide Victims Accuse State of Fraud

Attorneys for victims and family members in the deadly 2014 landslide in Washington state have accused state lawyers of orchestrating a fraud to hide the truth by deleting emails between defense expert witnesses. In a motion filed Tuesday, the attorneys …

Washington RV Salesman Charged on $81K Workers’ Comp Scam

A Tacoma, Wash.-area man faces a felony theft charge after he was caught working while receiving more than $81,000 in workers’ compensation disability payments. Bobby R. Johnson, 47, was charged with first-degree theft. The Washington Attorney General’s Office filed the …

Insurer Agrees to $100K Settlement in Washington Dog Shooting Suit

An insurance company contesting an arbitrator’s award following the shooting death of a dog by a neighbor has agreed to settle for $100,000. The Seattle Times reported Liberty Mutual settled with the attorney representing Jim Anderson of Eltopia. Anderson’s 7-year-old …

Washington AG Asks Court to Order Immediate Worker Protections at Hanford

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson has asked a federal court to immediately order the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions, to implement enhanced safety and vapor monitoring measures in the aftermath of more than 50 …

Judge Tells Washington Woman to Repay $25K in Workers’ Comp Scam

A Washington woman injured in a robbery at her workplace pleaded guilty this week to felony theft. Yurizan Cuevas, 33, of Federal Way, reportedly worked full time as a nanny while claiming she was too disabled to work Cuevas was …

Washington Doesn’t Do Enough to Protect Schools from Quakes: Report

More than 380,000 students in Washington state live in earthquake-prone areas and attend schools built before seismic construction standards were adopted statewide, according to a Seattle Times report. The newspaper, analyzing state data, also reported that more than 31,000 students …

Day Care Worker at Washington Center Charged with Child Molestation

An Auburn, Wash. man has been charged on allegations that he engaged in sexual conduct with two 4-year-old girls at a Renton day care center where he worked. The 21-year-old suspect was charged this week with child molestation and communicating …