TORT LAW AT RISK
The Seattle Times recently reported that Washington state’s tort lawsuit payouts and legal costs have set another record, reaching nearly $614 million in the past fiscal year. It reports the state paid out more than $537 million to settle lawsuits and tort claims alleging government misdeeds in the 2026 fiscal year. That’s up roughly $500 million from 2025. In addition, the state paid about $76 million for legal defense costs, up from about $58 million the previous year. There is…