EVERETT — Two more damage claims have been filed against Snohomish County in connection with the deadly March 22 mudslide at Oso.
Timothy Ward, 58, was seriously injured and his wife, Brandy Ward, killed when the hill fell on their home at Steelhead Drive. He is a commissioner with the Oso Fire Department. She had retired after spending more than 20 years at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett as the hospital’s cardiovascular lab secretary.
Abbie Pearson, 32, is the daughter of Michael Pearson, 74. The retired Everett police officer perished when his home along Steelhead Drive was obliterated by the slide.
Both claims were filed on behalf of the estates of those who died. Timothy Ward also is seeking damages for his injuries.
The paperwork was filed by Seattle attorney Corrie Yackulic, who is representing many of those who lost families and homes in the disaster.
“The more records we review, the more clear it is that lots of people in the state and county government had a really detailed understanding of the risks of this slope and that risk was not communicated to the people who lived there,” Yackulic said.
Roughly 30 claims for damages have been brought against the county and a similar number against the state. Claims are usually the first step in a lawsuit. The county and state last month were sued by survivors of one family wiped out in the slide.
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