John Stephen Kapuza

John Kapuza is a lawyer and co-founder of Kapuza Lighty, PLLC - Accident Injury Lawyers in Yakima, Washington.  He has been practicing personal injury law in Yakima for well over two decades and has represented injured persons across the state of Washington. John graduated from The State University of New York at Buffalo in 1992 with a dual major in History and Political Science. He is a 1995 cum laude graduate of Thomas M. Cooley Law School, where he graduated at the top of his class and served on the Scholastic Review Board.

John has earned recognition as one of the best personal injury lawyers in Central Washington. Some of his recent results include: $2.5 million for man suffering orthopedic injuries in a car accident; $2 million for a man suffering a head injury in a forklift accident; $1.2 million for a man who was seriously injured in an industrial explosion; $1 million for a man who suffered a back injury in a rear-end car accident; $865,000 insurance limits settlement for a family injured in a head-on collsion; $600,000 for a woman injured in a van rollover collsion; $500,000 for a woman injured on a defective sidewalk; $350,000 for a man attacked by pit bull dogs; and $300,000 for a man seriously injured in a nursing home.  

John became a member, by invitation only, of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In 2019 and 2020 he was named a “Super Lawyer” by Washington Law & Politics magazine, a designation awarded to only 5% of lawyers throughout the State of Washington. John is a listed member of The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 as one of the premier lawyers in Washington state for exemplifying superior qualifications as a trial lawyer. He is also recognized nationally by Martindale-Hubbell with its top mark “AV Preeminent” for outstanding legal ability. John is rated 10 out of 10 “Superb” the highest rating given by AVVO, an independent online lawyer rating system. When he first starting practicing law years ago, he was recognized as a “Rising Star” by Washington Law & Politics magazine.

 John has served on the Washington State Association for Justice Board of Governors, is past chair of the Washington State Association for Justice Yakima Tort Roundtable, a past officer of the John Gavin Inn of Court and a past member of the Washington State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division on Continuing Legal Education.

 John and his wife Lisa are active in the United Way of Central Washington. He is a frequent presenter at local Yakima schools encouraging students to pursue careers in the law. John currently serves on the Board of Directors for Yakima’s Capitol Theatre. His wife Lisa, is the development director for the Yakima YWCA.