Practice areas: Personal Injury, Insurance Coverage; view more
Licensed in Washington since: 2004
Education: Seattle University School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2019 - 2026 Call today:
253-765-0882
Free Consultation Galileo Law PLLC
900 SW 16th StSuite 230
Renton, WA 98057 Visit website
I stand with you. I fight for you.
For more than twenty years, I have represented people injured in car crashes across King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties. My practice is built on trial experience, deep knowledge of the insurance industry, and a clear focus: helping ordinary people stand up to insurers after serious injury.
I began my career at Safeco Insurance as a crash claims representative, where I saw firsthand how insurers minimize claims. After graduating magna cum laude from Seattle University School of Law, I practiced at leading plaintiff firms handling car crash injuries, property damage, and insurance bad faith. In 2015, I founded Galileo Law to devote my practice to advocating for people injured in motor vehicle collisions.
Today, more than 85% of my work is car crash injury claims, ranging from whiplash to fractures to traumatic brain injury. I also handle select cases involving wrongful death, catastrophic injury, premises liability, and insurance bad faith.
I grew up in Oak Harbor and have lived in Puget Sound my entire life. I graduated valedictorian from Oak Harbor High School, earned a physics degree with honors from the University of Puget Sound, and remain an active member of the Washington State Bar Association, Washington State Association for Justice, and American Association for Justice. I am admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
Every client deserves to know their lawyer will show up, stand with them, and fight through trial if necessary. That is the core of my practice.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Insurance CoverageFocus areas
Animal Bites, Bad Faith Insurance, Brain Injury, Construction Accident, Dram Shop Laws, Insurance, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Slip and Fall, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 80% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 20% Insurance Coverage
First Admitted: 2004, Washington
Professional Webpage: https://www.galileolaw.com/our-team/paul-veillon/
Bar / Professional Activity
- Washington State Bar Association, 2004
- Trial Lawyers College Graduate, 2023
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, 2010
- American Association for Justice, 2004
- Washington State Association for Justice, 2004
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Cheban v. State Farm (Court of Appeals, Div. I). Successfully argued appeal of UIM property damage coverage. Court reversed dismissal and held that loss-of-use damages were covered under ambiguous policy language, reinforcing protections for insureds in diminished value and loss-of-use disputes., 2019
- Cheban v. State Farm (King County District Court). Jury Verdict – $36,434.35 (100% of diminished value ask). Tried a UIM diminished value and loss-of-use case involving a new Audi R8. The jury awarded the full diminished value ($27,325) and $9,109.35 in loss-of-use damages, calculated at roughly $250/day for a comparable replacement vehicle. The verdict matched plaintiff’s entire diminished value ask and confirmed that juries will enforce loss-of-use damages beyond basic transportation., 2023
- Grothe v. Kushnivich (Court of Appeals, Div. III). Successfully appealed dismissal of property damage claims. The Court of Appeals held that under Washington common law, car crash victims may recover both diminished value and loss-of-use damages measured by the rental value of a comparable vehicle—not just “four wheels and a seat.” This decision strengthened consumer rights and clarified remedies available in auto property damage cases., 2022
- Pacheco v. Oregon Mutual (Court of Appeals, Div. I). Co-counsel for insured in challenge to UIM policy exclusions. Court struck down exclusion for diminished value as void under Washington’s UIM statute, clarifying that diminished value is mandatory coverage. Decision reshaped how insurers must honor UIM property damage claims., 2019
- Kalles v. State Farm (Court of Appeals, Div. II). Successfully appealed denial of coverage under UIM property damage. Court held that loss-of-use damages are covered under ambiguous policy language, reversing the trial court and expanding protections for Washington insureds., 2019
Special Licenses / Certifications
- Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), 2018
Educational Background
- Oak Harbor High School
- Seattle University School of Law, JD Magna Cum Laude
- University of Puget Sound, Bachelor of Science in Physics with Honors
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Analyzed the Washington Supreme Court’s decision in Perez-Crisantos v. State Farm and its impact on Insurance Fair Conduct Act (IFCA) claims. The article outlined what remedies were preserved, what was lost, and how plaintiff attorneys can best frame IFCA claims going forward., Co-author with Kristine Grelish, After Perez-Crisantos: What Have We Arguably Lost, What Was Preserved, What Don’t We Know, and How Best to Move Forward With IFCA Claims, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice, Personal Injury, Insurance, Motor Vehicle Accidents, 2017
- Spoke on recent developments in Washington property damage law, including legislative changes, appellate rulings, and evolving doctrines affecting loss-of-use and appraisal rights. Provided guidance to plaintiff lawyers on leveraging these developments in practice., Presenter, PD Developments: Appraisal Bill, Loss of Use under Grothe v. Kuhnivich, and the Common Fund Doctrine, WSAJ Insurance Law CLE, June 2025, Personal Injury, Insurance, Motor Vehicle Accidents, 2025
- Presented strategies for handling auto property damage cases at WSAJ’s Insurance Law Spring Conference. Covered practical approaches to loss-of-use, diminished value, and appraisal disputes for plaintiff attorneys., Presenter, Auto Property Damage Claims, WSAJ Insurance Law Spring Conference, May 2023, Personal Injury, Insurance, Motor Vehicle Accidents, 2023
- Outlined Washington law on loss-of-use damages in total loss vehicle cases. Offered practical steps for documenting client losses and challenging common insurer defenses to ensure fair compensation., Author, A Practical Guide to Loss of Use in Total Loss Claims, Trial News (Washington State Association for Justice), May 2022, Personal Injury, Insurance, Motor Vehicle Accidents, 2022
- Explained the Court of Appeals’ decision in Daniels v. State Farm and its significance for auto property damage claims. Provided practical strategies for plaintiff attorneys pursuing loss-of-use and diminished value damages after total losses., Author, A Practical Guide to Daniels v. State Farm for Property Damage Claims, Trial News (Washington State Association for Justice), April 2022, Personal Injury, Insurance, Motor Vehicle Accidents, 2022
- Authored the property damage claims chapter for the 3rd Edition of WSAJ’s Motor Vehicle Litigation Deskbook. The chapter provides practical guidance to plaintiff attorneys on handling total loss, diminished value, and other auto property damage disputes., Chapter Author, Handling the Property Damage Claim, Motor Vehicle Litigation Deskbook, 3rd Edition (Washington State Association for Justice, 2018; Editors: Scott Carness & Shannon Kilpatrick), Personal Injury, Insurance, Motor Vehicle Accidents, 2018
Honors
- Rated “Superb” on Avvo
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2019 - 2026
