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133 stories matching liabil
- The Fight Over Corporate Liability
Prominent businessmen gather at the courthouse to debate if shareholders should be personally liable for corporate debts.
- Eight Dead, and the Steamboat Owners Owe Only $3,500
A federal judge in Seattle limits the Annie Faxon's liability after a Snake River boiler explosion, extending an old maritime rule to inland steamboats.
- The Palouse State Bank Fails, Leaving a $30,000 Hole
A receiver is appointed after the bank reports $170,000 in liabilities against $140,000 in assets, with many notes described as practically worthless.
- City and County Spar Over Smallpox Care Costs
A simmering dispute between the Seattle City Council and King County over who should pay to treat the city's sick and indigent.
- Court Ruling Limits Liability for Railway Accidents
The Supreme Court clears a railroad company of liability in a 'staking' injury, signaling a tough path for injured laborers seeking damages.
- The Fight Over Corporate Power
A proposed constitutional provision regarding stockholder liability triggers alarm among Seattle businessmen.
- City Liability for Sidewalk Accidents
The state supreme court caps damages for a school teacher injured on an Olympia sidewalk, setting a precedent for municipal liability.
- The Human Cost of Industrial Progress
Former mine workers' leader John Mitchell calls for an end to the 'iniquitous' liability system that leaves injured American laborers without protection.
- The Bridge to Nowhere
A liability lawsuit reveals that the City of Seattle refuses to take responsibility for the Grant Street Bridge, claiming it sits on state tide lands.
- A Failed Seattle Bank’s Frozen Fortune
Receiver C. M. Sheafe told the court that the Washington Savings Bank’s notes and bonds might eventually pay, but its real estate was unsellable in the hard times of 1894.
- Is Puget Sound an Inland Sea?
A landmark federal court ruling determines that Puget Sound is open sea, preventing shipowners from claiming 'inland' liability protections.
- The True Cost of Industrial Life in Washington
A scathing look at why injured workers in 1910 were left destitute by a legal system that favored insurance companies over human lives.
- Seattle's Labor Movement Sets Sights on Olympia
Local trade unions form a legislative committee to fight for an eight-hour day, employer liability, and anti-Pinkerton laws.
- The $300,000 Legal Battle Over Seattle’s Streets
A landmark court decision challenges the city's liability for street grade warrants, threatening to set a precedent for every municipality in the state.
- Disaster on the Seattle Waterfront
A wharf collapses under the weight of cargo, sparking a bitter dispute over liability and salvage rights.
- The Bankruptcies of 1878: A Wave of 'Fraudulent' Insolvency?
As financial panic grips the Pacific Coast, Seattle editors decry a suspicious surge in businesses filing for bankruptcy before new laws take effect.
- Legislators Break Promises to Labor Unions
Despite campaign pledges, Olympia lawmakers stall on key labor legislation, leaving unions with little to show for their efforts.
- City Cleared of Liability for Loose Horses
A local judge rejects a claim for damages after a team of horses wanders off a city dock.
- Bucoda’s Coal Company Runs to the Courthouse
A Thurston County coal company secures a receiver in Olympia while creditors race to court, including a claim on a note originally given to pay workers’ wages.
- A Light Pole, A Fall, and a City’s Liability
A jury awards $2,500 to a worker injured while grading South Thirty-first Street.
- Klondike Hero's Company Folds, Creditors Left Short
A Seattle commission firm fails, and its famous president T.S. Lippy claims no moral obligation to creditors who trusted his name.
- The Seattle Bond That Broke the Rules
A legal dispute over a $15,000 appeal bond reveals the messy, high-stakes nature of early Seattle commerce and the scrutiny of contract law.
- Shelton’s Shuttered Bank Promises to Pay Every Depositor in Full
After the sheriff closed the Bank of Shelton, its president bought out the cashier and announced a $20,000 reorganization.
- The State's Rabies Crackdown
Facing an outbreak of rabies, Washington state officials grant peace officers and citizens the power to destroy unmuzzled dogs on sight.
- Local Businessman Retires Amidst Failing Health
John Buckley announces the closure of his business, citing health issues rather than financial hardship.