Kyle Riley
Partner
Expertise Overview

Kyle Riley manages the firm’s Seattle, Washington, office. He has profound expertise in Washington bad faith law, wrongful death, and catastrophic injury claims. Kyle also has significant experience defending fire losses, trucking companies, banking institutions, and self-insured rental car companies.

Prior to joining Smith Freed Eberhard, Kyle worked with the Oregon Department of Justice where he gained significant litigation experience specializing in the recovery of self-insured losses. He joined Smith Freed Eberhard in 2003.

 

Relevant Cases

In Bauducco-Heiss v. Jim Fruitt Trucking, Kyle was the lead attorney defending a truck driver and trucking company in a lawsuit related to a serious motor vehicle accident involving the death of two adults and a serious brain injury of a young girl. Kyle was able to locate a favorable witness and retain an expert to defeat the codefendant’s attempts to be dismissed from the underlying case. The case ended in a global settlement.

In Naylor v. Gwin & Sons Logging, Kyle was the trial attorney for a third-party defendant alleged to have caused damage to a pipeline through their logging activities. Defense retained joint experts able to plot the pipeline and identify the source of the failures as being caused by freezing damage unrelated to logging activity. Kyle’s cross-examination resulted in the plaintiff’s expert admitting that he had not measured the length of the line. The jury returned a defense verdict after an hour of deliberation entitling the lead defendant to recover their attorney fees from the plaintiff.

Education

Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College, J.D., cum laude, 2002
Pacific University, B.A., Mathematics & Political Science, 1998

Professional Certification & Accolades

Member, Oregon State Bar Association
Member, Washington State Bar Association
Member, Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
Member, Washington Defense Trial Lawyers
Member, Oregon Casualty Adjusters Association
Admitted, United States District Court, District of Oregon
Admitted, United States District Court, Western District of Washington
Black Belt Trial Advocacy Training Program Graduate
Washington Super Lawyers - 2018 - 2020

Practice Areas
  • Practice Area
    • Commercial Liability Defense
    • Negligence
    • Trucking & Transportation
    • Products Liability
    • Slip and Fall
    • Timber Trespass
    • Tenant Landlord
    • Premises Liability
    • Jobsite Injury
    • Wrongful Death
    • Dram Shop & Tavern Keeper
    • Personal Lines
    • Automotive Defense
    • First & Third Party / SIU
    • Professional Lines (EPL,D&O,E&O)
    • Construction Defect Litigation
    • Excess and Surplus Lines
Bar Admissions
  • Oregon
  • Washington
Success Story Commercial Liability Defense Snowpocalypse: Negligence and Bad Faith Thursday June 18, 2015 By: Kyle Riley
Success Story Commercial Liability Defense Premises Liability Lack of Evidence for an Erroneous Equestrian Thursday June 18, 2015 By: Kyle Riley
on-demand
Webinar Commercial Liability Defense Negligence Premises Liability Tenant Landlord Wrongful Death Commercial Lines in Washington – 2021 Year in Review Thursday March 10, 2022 By: Kyle Riley, Ashley Nagrodski
on-demand
Webinar Bad Faith Commercial Liability Defense Negligence Premises Liability Products Liability Sexual Misconduct Tenant Landlord Wrongful Death Washington Commercial Lines – 2020 Year in Review Friday April 2, 2021 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Update: Washington Court of Appeals Sides with Insurer in Dispute Over How Much a Church Was Entitled to in Compensation Under its Policy Fol... Thursday May 30, 2019 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Negligence Washington Case Law Update: Unusual Injury Suffered While Riding a Roller Coaster Allows a Plaintiff to Utilize the Doctrine of Res Ipsa Loquitur Thursday April 18, 2019 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Law Update: Material Facts Available in the Public Domain Lead to Dismissal of Real Estate Buyer's Lawsuit Thursday March 14, 2019 By: Kyle Riley
Kalles v. State Farm - MGU Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Products Liability Washington Case Law Update: Washington Court Of Appeals Reminds Insurers That Ambiguous Insurance Provisions Must Be Resolved In Favor Of the Insured Thursday January 31, 2019 By: Kyle Riley
Clarke v Nichols - KRD Legal Alert Personal Lines Washington Case Law Update: Summary Judgment Affirmed After Plaintiff Fails to Provide Evidence Showing the Cause of a Fall Thursday January 10, 2019 By: Kyle Riley
Kyle Riley Case Update Legal Alert Personal Lines PIP Washington Case Law Update: Damages and Attorney Fee Exposure Can Make a Mistaken Coverage Denial a Costly Error Thursday November 1, 2018 By: Kyle Riley
Determining Whether Communications Between Attorneys Constitute a Settlement Agreement Legal Alert Construction Defect Litigation Washington Case Law Update: Determining Whether Communications Between Attorneys Constitute a Settlement Agreement Thursday August 16, 2018 By: Kyle Riley
Bar Owner Brings Suit Legal Alert Dram Shop & Tavern Keeper Washington Case Law Update: Bar Owner Brings Suit against Police Alleging Harassment of Patrons and Staff Thursday July 19, 2018 By: Kyle Riley
Wrongful Death Claim Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Wrongful Death Washington Case Law Update: Wrongful Death Claim Invalid After Survivorship Claim Against Same Defendants Thursday June 7, 2018 By: Kyle Riley
Implied Warranty Legal Alert Negligence Personal Lines Premises Liability Slip and Fall Washington Case Law Update: Court Rules that Implied Warranty of Habitability Does Not Extend to Tenant’s Guest Thursday May 17, 2018 By: Kyle Riley
Mandatory Civil Arbitration Legal Alert Personal Lines Washington Case Law Update: Washington Legislature Expands Mandatory Civil Arbitration to $100,000 Claims Thursday May 3, 2018 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Automotive Defense Personal Lines Washington Case Law Update: In Absence of a Special Relationship, Insurer Owes No Duty to Advise on Adequacy of Coverage Thursday March 29, 2018 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Law Update: Injured Worker Responsible for Defective Condition Barred from Recovery from Landowner Thursday March 15, 2018 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Personal Lines Washington Case Law Update: Court Holds That PIP Benefits Do Not Extend to School Bus Collision Thursday January 18, 2018 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Washington Case Law Update: Store Owner Cannot Escape from Vicarious Liability for Faulty Escalator Thursday January 4, 2018 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Law Update: Proving Causation: An Expert in a Premises Liability Claim May be Sufficient Wednesday November 1, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Personal Lines Washington Case Law Update: Assert Your Counterclaims in a Timely Manner or Forfeit Them Forever Thursday October 19, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Law Update: When Will Courts Set Aside a Default Judgment? Thursday September 28, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Law Update: Can Third Parties Sue Insurance Companies Under the Consumer Protection Act? Thursday September 21, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Law Update: When is a Losing Party Entitled to Relief from Judgment? Thursday September 14, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Law Update: Is the Statute of Limitations Tolled if the Wrong Defendant is Served? Thursday September 7, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Law Update: When is a Statement Considered an Offer to Compromise? Thursday August 31, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Law Update: How Do you Determine if a Statement is Defamatory? Thursday August 24, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Law Update: Contract Provision May Entitle Prevailing Party to Attorneys’ Fees Thursday August 10, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Washington Case Law Update: Participating in Litigation May Constitute Waiver of Certain Arguments Thursday August 3, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Negligence Washington Case Law Update: Parent’s Negligent Supervision not Tortious, Cannot Reduce Child’s Recovery Thursday July 20, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Negligence Washington Case Law Update: Court of Appeals Reworks Assumption of Risk Doctrine, Holds that Inherent Peril Assumption of Risk Bars Negligence Claim Wednesday July 12, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Personal Lines Washington Case Law Update: Plaintiff Must Be “Foreseeable” to Bring Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress Claim Thursday June 29, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Personal Lines PIP Washington Case Law Update: PIP Coverage Requires Operation of Motor Vehicle Thursday June 22, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Automotive Defense Personal Lines Washington Case Law Update: Post-Arbitration Sanctions Are Not Considered When Determining Whether a Party Improved its Position at Trial De Novo Thursday May 25, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Washington Case Law Update: Recreational Immunity Applies Only if Land is Held Open to Public Solely for Recreational Use Thursday May 18, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Washington Case Law Update: Contract Cannot Bar CPA Claim Thursday April 27, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Washington Case Law Update: Speculation Does Not Create Issue of Material Fact Thursday April 20, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Products Liability Washington Case Law Update: Manufacturer Has Duty to Warn If Product Required Use of Hazardous Component Thursday April 13, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Personal Lines UM/UIM Washington Case Law Update: Final Judgment In UIM Action Does Not Bar Subsequent Bad Faith, IFCA Claims Thursday April 6, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Products Liability Washington Case Law Update: Manufacturers of Medical Supplies Must Warn Purchasers of Potential Risks Thursday March 23, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Washington Case Law Update: Borrowed Servant Doctrine is Jury Question Where Complete Control is Disputed Thursday March 9, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Commercial Liability Defense Personal Lines Washington Case Law Update: No Independent Cause of Action for Regulation Violation under IFCA Thursday February 16, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Washington Case Law Update: When Does Employer Immunity Protect the Employee? Thursday February 9, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert Wrongful Death Washington Case Law Update: Wrongful Death Claim Accrued Upon Murderer’s Conviction Thursday January 26, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert General Litigation Washington Case Law Update: Service by Mail Requires Evidence that Defendant is Avoiding Service Thursday January 19, 2017 By: Kyle Riley
Legal Alert General Litigation Washington Case Update: Efficient Proximate Cause Rule Applies only to Losses with Two or More Causes Tuesday January 10, 2017 By: Kyle Riley