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Meet Karen Koehler - Washington State Trial Laywers Association President

Lawyer Karen Koehler is up for a challenge: The insurance industry

Known for her creativity, tenacity and trial skills, Karen is a product of the “MTV generation” and utilizes computers and audio-visual mediums in all of her client’s cases.

Karen has achieved a number of successful verdicts and settlements for her clients. A mother of three school-age daughters, she has a particular place in her heart for representing families who have lost loved ones due to intentional or negligent acts. Among those cases is Kime v. City of Seattle, a wrongful death settlement for Kristopher Kime’s family that found the city responsible for enhancing the danger of the Seattle Mardi Gras riot in 2001.

Karen is a prolific speaker and writer. She is author of two nationally published legal treatises on handling motor vehicle collisions, and regularly lectures attorneys throughout the country on issues ranging from trial practice to insurance tactics.

Karen is President of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association. She was awarded its President’s Award in 2003 and received its Trial Lawyer of the Year Award in 2005. She has held leadership positions in the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, most recently as Chair of the Motor Vehicle Highway Design Premises Liability Section. She is also certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, is a member of the America Board of Trial Advocates and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. She has written several legal treatises including, Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases with Michael Freeman. © 2006 Thomson West

Practice Areas
Plaintiff’s personal injury law; motor vehicle collisions, premises liability, governmental wrongdoing

Examples from Karen’s Case Files
Insurance Bad Faith

Slape v. State Farm

Medical benefits settlement

Plaintiff's counsel: Karen K. Koehler

State Farm did not play fair when handling an insured's motor vehicle collision case. State Farm insured both the plaintiff and the person who rear ended her. First, it forced her to sue the negligent driver by refusing to admit his fault. After a judge entered an order finding the driver responsible, State Farm paid modest policy limits. Its second bad act came a few weeks later when it cut off plaintiff's medical benefits to discourage her from pursuing an underinsured motorist claim. After an arbitrator ruled that her medical benefits needed to be fully paid, a bad faith lawsuit was filed. State Farm settled for the largest amount paid in this state on a personal injury protection bad faith case.

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Automobile Collision

Welnick v. Carpenter

Chronic pain jury verdict

Plaintiff's co-counsel: Karen K. Koehler, Michael E. Withey

Distracted by the hubbub of downtown Seattle, a driver rammed a classic 1966 Mustang in which plaintiff was a passenger. A member of a colorful rock 'n' roll family, plaintiff gave up on her doctors and learned to live with pain. During trial plaintiff's husband played the keyboard and sang for the jury to demonstrate the loss of consortium that occurred because of his wife's depression. The jury entered a verdict for three times the defense's final offer.

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Highway Design

Brenner v. Bestway Excavating & State of Washington

Binding arbitration decision

Plaintiff’s co-counsel: Karen K. Koehler, Keith L. Kessler

A construction truck driver turned left at a dangerous intersection. He crashed head-on into a small car driven by a 17-year-old high school junior headed toward her last day of school for the year. Her mother arrived at the scene in time to see her dying daughter being airlifted to Harborview. The state settled for a very large sum, which was combined with the construction company insurance monies. Understandably, the mother suffered profound post-tramatic stress disorder.

Case Archive

Published Articles
The Case of Kristopher Kime v. City of Seattle, presentation by Karen K. Koehler and Michael E. Withey, ATLA Convention, Feb. 2003.

"The Art of Advocacy," by Karen K. Koehler, Letter from the Chair, WSTLA Trial News, August 2002.

Automobile Cases. By Karen K. Koehler 2004 Thompson West Publishing.
Litigating "Minor Impact Soft Tissue” cases, By Karen K. Koehler and Michael Freeman. 2001 - West Group Publishing.

The Enhancement of Danger theory, By Karen K. Koehler and Michael E. Withey, Causes of Action Treatise 2003 – West Group Publishing

Chapter author: Washington Civil Trial and Evidence Manual Voir Dire to Verdict, 5th Ed. 2004, Litigation Section WSBA, By Karen K. Koehler.

Memberships
• Washington State Trial Lawyers Association (officer 1999-present)
• Association of Trial Lawyers of America (Chair Motor Vehicle, Highway, and Premises Section 2003-2004; Washington State Delegate Minority Affairs 2001-2003)
• Washington State Bar Association (Member Executive Litigation Committee 2002-present)
• National Board of Trial Advocacy, member
• Scribes (society of legal writers), member

Acknowledgements
• Trial Lawyer of the Year, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, 2005
• WSTLA President’s Award 2003
• Rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell

Education
University of Washington, B.A., 1982
Seattle University, J.D., 1985

Outside the Office
Karen loves to snow ski and rollerblade, and she runs every day.