Jason J Bliss

Jason Bliss is a litigator and trial attorney with 27 years of diverse experience. He is a frequent presenter on personal injury topics and has been at the forefront of identifying emerging personal injury subjects related to the Affordable Care Act, “billed vs. paid” issues, and annuity evidence of future damages. He has defended physicians and other health care professionals in medical malpractice claims and lawsuits. In his prior practice with a medium-sized Phoenix law firm he defended scores of other personal injury defendants in cases ranging in subject matter from low-speed motor vehicle accidents to shootings and catastrophic tire failures. He now works in Flagstaff and focuses on pursuing personal injury claims for injured plaintiffs.
Mr. Bliss also has extensive experience litigating construction-related disputes in various contexts, including on behalf of or adverse to design builders, architects, engineers, materials testing consultants, and specialty trade subcontractors in both residential and commercial construction settings. Mr. Bliss co-authored the chapter entitled “Risk Transfer Through the Tender of Defense” in the most recent edition of the Arizona Construction Law Practice Manual.

Mr. Bliss also handles insurance coverage matters on behalf of various insurers, including general liability insurers, professional liability insurers, and auto and property insurers. Mr. Bliss’ experience includes authoring coverage opinions as well as litigating insurance-coverage related disputes.

Some of Mr. Bliss’ recent representative experience includes the following:
• Lakeside Legionnaires, Coconino Superior Court Case No CV87-042997 (class action homeowners’ association matter). In 2020, and after three years of litigation in a complex class action post-judgment proceeding, Mr. Bliss prevailed in having the Defendant planned community association held in contempt of court for filing to comply with its obligations under a 1990 judgment to maintain and repair a common area lake.
• Parks v. Thompson, Coconino Superior Court Case No CV2011-00911 (construction/painting case). In 2015, Mr. Bliss tried the case to verdict and obtained a defense verdict and a judgment of $125,465.22 in attorneys’ fees, costs, and sanctions. The Court of Appeals affirmed all aspects of the trial court’s judgment, including the award of attorneys’ fees and costs, and the Arizona Supreme Court declined review.
• LaFonte v. Lewis, Yavapai County Superior Court Case No. CV2011-01684 (convenience store shooting). In 2014, Mr. Bliss tried the case to verdict and obtained a defense verdict and secured an agreement in which the plaintiff waived any appeal.

Education
• Arizona State University (J.D., 1997)
o Peer writing instructor, 1996-1997
o Externship with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Civil Division, 1996-1997
• Northern Arizona University (B.S., 1994)

Associations & Activities
• Arizona State Bar
• Coconino County Bar Association
o 2022 President
• Flagstaff Leadership Program (FLP)
o Class of 2019
o Board of Directors 2022-present.
• Past president of the Sandra Day O'Connor Inn of Court
• Graduate of the Arizona College of Trial Advocacy
• Phoenix Art Museum Men's Arts Council (Inactive)
• Professional Liability Underwriting Society (“PLUS”) (Inactive)
o Co-Vice Chair, Southwest Chapter, 2016-2017

Bar Admissions
• Arizona, 1997
• Navajo Nation, 2018
• Hopi Tribal Court, 2020

Court Admissions
• U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 1997
• United States Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit, 2020

Presentations
• Advanced Trial Tactics, National Business Institute, April 25, 2014
• Billed vs. Paid and the Affordable Care Act: Emerging Issues in Bodily Injury Law, Arizona Insurance Claims Association, March 19, 2015
• The Impact of the Affordable Care Act: Emerging Issues in Bodily Injury Damages, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Denver Office, June 16, 2015
• Advanced Personal Injury Litigation, National Business Institute, June 18-19, 2015
• Early Claims Response & Investigation: Spoliation of Evidence and Related Issues, EMC Insurance, July 9, 2015
• Attorney Panel Discussion, Arizona Insurance Claims Association, July 16, 2015
• Early Claims Response & Investigation: Spoliation of Evidence and Related Issues, Auto Owners Insurance Company, October 22, 2015
• Construction Law: What do you do when . . ., National Business Institute, May 18, 2016.
• Auto Injuries: Advanced Personal Injury Strategies, National Business Institute, June 10, 2016.
• Damages in Personal Injury: Negotiating and Litigating the Damages: Plaintiffs’ Tactics, National Business Institute, April 26, 2019.
• Auto Injuries: Advanced Plaintiff Strategies, National Business Institute, November 15, 2019.
• Deposing Medical Witnesses: Dos, Donts, and Emerging Issues, State Bar of Arizona, December 1, 2021.

Publications
• Arizona Construction Law Practice Manual, 3rd Edition, co-author, “Risk Transfer Through the Tender of Defense.”