OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has approved an update to the state’s wrongful death law late, a reverberation from a fatal 2015 crash that cast a spotlight on a century-old clause.
The change removes requirements that family members must live in the United States and be economically dependent on the victim to be able to file a wrongful death claim here. The clause dates to 1909.
Supporters called the 1909 clause a vestige of historical bias against immigrants, but Republicans broadly objected to expanding eligibility for claims.
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The change also includes parents of adult children more broadly: Current law requires financial dependency, but the new rules mean parents only need to prove emotional loss.
A 2015 Seattle crash spotlighted the law: An amphibious “Ride the Ducks” tour vehicle veered into traffic, striking a bus carrying foreign students and killing five. The operator later invoked the 1909 law as a defense.
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