Kristin is an experienced litigator with over 35 years representing individuals in a wide variety of cases. At SGB, Kristin handles cases helping people who have been injured as a result of asbestos exposure, medical malpractice, defective products, and serious accidents.
Kristin began her legal career working in legal services programs representing low-income residents of Oregon and Washington. In the 1980s, she successfully litigated several statewide class actions challenging cuts in disability benefits. Kristin came to Schroeter Goldmark & Bender in 1983 to do asbestos litigation, which was her focus until the early 1990s. Since then, Kristin has worked primarily on medical malpractice cases, cases involving defective products, including pharmaceutical products, and cases involving catastrophic injury or wrongful death. She received her J.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Yale University. She has also been named a Washington Super Lawyer for a number of years.
In 2013, Kristin, along with three other SGB attorneys, won the Award of Merit, the Washington State Bar Association’s highest honor, for her work representing the Governor of Washington, pro bono, in litigation involving the Affordable Care Act.
In 2015, Schroeter Goldmark & Bender won the Washington State Bar’s pro bono award for its partnership with the Latina/Latino Bar Association of Washington and El Centro de la Raza in running a free legal clinic at El Centro. Kristin was one of the founders of that clinic
- $2.8 million settlement for an insulation worker with mesothelioma.
- $1.5 million for a boilermaker with mesothelioma.
- $4.5 million for an individual who was in an accident resulting in paralysis.
- $3 million settlement in an Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) case.
- Multiple settlements over $1 million in birth injury case.
- $1.77 million settlement in traumatic brain injury case.
- $2.7 million settlement in a pharmaceutical product case.
- Multiple settlements over $1 million for individuals with mesothelioma, an asbestos cancer.
- $1.8 million settlement in a case involving a failure to diagnose a brain aneurysm in a 29-year-old woman.
- $4.2 million settlement for delay in diagnosis and treatment of bowel obstruction requiring emergency surgery.
DISCLAIMER: This is the fine print, but our fine print is regular size and in clear language. These client quotes and settlement/verdict figures are examples of the results we have obtained for others. Their cases were different from yours, so your result is sure to be different. We post these results for you to see that we have a track record of hard work, client service, and trial success. We won’t guarantee the results of your case, but we will guarantee to bring the same passion, skill, and experience when we fight for you.
Education
- University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., 1974
- Yale University, B.A., magna cum laude, 1971
Admissions
- Washington Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
- U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States Supreme Court
- Member (Eagle), Washington State Association for Justice
- Former trustee and past president, Harborview Medical Center Board
- Member, Martin Luther King Scholarship Committee of Mount Baker Community Center
- Board member, University of Washington Neighborhood Clinics
- Member and Chair, King County Mental Health Advisory Board
- Co-founder, Legal Clinic at El Centro del la Raza
- Selected to Washington Super Lawyers by Super Lawyers® (2009-2021)
Kris was one of the attorneys that handled my Med Mal suit. She is a very kind, nice and caring lawyer. Her professionalism is outstanding, she's likable for the clients and jury. I would highly recommend Kris, I have sent her many referrals and will do so as long as shes in practice.
Teresa
I was involved in a serious accident in the mountains that left me as a paraplegic. I was referred to SGB by a family member and am very thankful to have been represented by them. Tom Breen and Kris Houser fought hard for my rights. They made sure I was informed and understood each step in the complicated process. Their expertise resulted in a substantial settlement for me and my family. They were professional, understanding, and made my family and me feel supported and taken care of at a very difficult time in our lives. This meant a lot to us and I would strongly recommend them.
Don