§56.5 Purpose and Procedure

• Jurisdiction: Washington

§56.5PURPOSE AND PROCEDURE

The purpose of and procedure under CR 56 are discussed below.

(1)Purpose

The purpose of summary judgment is to quickly dispose of actions or parts thereof when there is no genuine issue of material fact, or when only a question of law is involved. "The purpose of summary judgment is to avoid a useless trial when there is no genuine issue of any material fact." Olympic Fish Prods., Inc. v. Lloyd,93 Wn.2d 596, 602, 611 P.2d 737 (1980). Summary judgment helps secure the "just, speedy and inexpensive determination" of an action, Maybury v. City of Seattle, 53Wn.2d716,721,336 P.2d 878 (1959); minimizes expenditures of time and money; and reduces the case load in the courts. Phillip A. Trautman, Motions for Summary Judgment: Their Use and Effect in Washington, 45 Wash. L. Rev. 1 (1970). Summary judgment is proper if, after viewing all the pleadings, affidavits, depositions, admissions, and reasonable inferences in favor of the nonmoving party, the court concludes that (1) there is no genuine issue as to any material fact; (2) reasonable persons could reach only one conclusion; and (3) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Eugster v. State, 171 Wn.2d 839, 843,259P.3d146 (2011); Ellis v. City of Seattle,142 Wn.2d 450...