2010 January Archive

A 21-year-old Wapato, Washington woman was killed in a car accident after she lost control of her Ford Crown Victoria and crashed into a concrete barrier on the U.S. Highway 97. According to a news report in the Yakima Herald, the woman’s car struck the end of a concrete barrier that divides the opposing lanes between the intersections in that area, Washington State Patrol troopers said. Investigators are still looking into what caused the accident. Officials believe that the woman was not wearing a seatbelt and say they still do not know whether alcohol or drugs were involved.

Car accidents may occur due to many causes. In winter weather especially, dangerous roadway conditions could contribute to a car accident. Collisions may occur due to negligent drivers. A single-car accident could also occur if the vehicle experiences some type of malfunction or has an auto product defect that triggers the malfunction. In any car accident, if an auto product defect is suspected, it is very important that the vehicle be preserved so an accident reconstruction expert can examine it for any defects or malfunctions.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington auto accident, please contact an experienced Seattle personal injury attorney from The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure, which has useful educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/12/09/toppenish-woman-killed-in-early-morning-crash

Five Spokane high school students were injured after another vehicle t-boned them at an intersection. According to a news report, police said the driver of the car with the students was at fault for either driving through a stop sign or not seeing the northbound Ford Bronco coming through the intersection. The female driver of the car sustained the most serious injuries. Three other students were injured and two sustained major, but not life-threatening injuries. The fifth student was uninjured. The driver of the Bronco sustained what were described as minor injuries.

Broadside crashes or t-bone crashes that occur typically at street intersections are among the deadlier types of auto accidents. They can cause major injuries to vehicle occupants, as we saw in this Spokane car accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the deadliest side-angle crashes in the year 2005 were broadside crashes. These types of traffic collisions typically occur at right angles, which is why they are known as “t-bone” crashes. According to the NHTSA, about 62 percent of all fatal side-angle crashes each year are broadside or t-bone accidents.

The Seattle car accidents attorneys at the Bernard Law Firm have recently obtained several settlements on behalf of clients in exactly these types of broadside crashes. Most recently obtained was a policy limits settlement for a Federal Way, Washington woman who was t-boned by a vehicle that ran a red light at Southcenter, Washington. The victim sustained neck, back and left shoulder strains requiring physical and massage therapy. She was also diagnosed with bulging discs in her neck requiring nerve root block injections as well as bursitis and tendinitis in her left shoulder. A lot of times these injuries do not surface until days after the car accident. That is why it is extremely important that you undergo a thorough physical examination if you have been in a car accident although you may “feel fine” at first.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please contact the experienced Washington personal injury attorneys with The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure, which has useful, educational information about Washington auto accident cases that will help you better understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.nwcn.com/news/washington/Four-Spokane-HS-students-hurt-in-morning-wreck-78696747.html#

A 47-year-old man, who caused a serious traffic accident near Monroe in September, has tested positive for seven drugs including methamphetamine, morphine, marijuana and powerful sleep and anti-anxiety medicines, according to a Herald news report. The man was apparently the driver of a Toyota 4Runner SUV the morning of September 21, 2009, when he swerved across the center line and struck another oncoming SUV. The man his passenger sustained injuries. The driver of the other SUV, a 53-year-old Snohomish man, suffered serious injuries in the crash and now lives with a disability that makes it difficult for him to walk and even go about his everyday work, the newspaper reports.

The Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.502 states: “A person is guilty of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug if the person drives a vehicle within this state:
(a) And the person has, within two hours after driving, an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher as shown by analysis of the person’s breath or blood made under RCW 46.61.506; or
(b) While the person is under the influence of or affected by intoxicating liquor or any drug; or
(c) While the person is under the combined influence of or affected by intoxicating liquor and any drug.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a negligent driver or a driver who was operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol or a combination of both, you could seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of pay, loss of future earnings, physical therapy and cost of other continued treatment and care.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please contact the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys of The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE brochure, which has useful and educational information that will help you better understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091230/NEWS01/712309837/0/ENT04

A 46-year-old Spokane man suffered injuries in an SUV rollover accident on the Interstate 90 in Ellensburg, Washington. According to a news report in the Yakima Herald-Republic, the man was traveling east on the Interstate 90 when his 1996 Ford Explorer SUV left the roadway, rolled over and landed on its wheels. The man was wearing a seatbelt. He sustained head and back injuries, according to Washington State Patrol officials.

Rollover accidents can cause devastating injuries to vehicle occupants. During a rollover accident, a vehicle overturns on its side or roof. While any type of vehicle can be involved in a rollover crash, vehicles such as SUVs, because of their higher center of gravity and narrow track width, have a greater tendency to roll or tip over. This can happen even at normal speeds, especially on wet or icy roads. The injuries in such accidents can be particularly serious when they involve SUVs such as the Ford Explorer, which are notorious for their instability and poor roof strength.

If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of vehicle defects or design defects, you need an experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer on your side. You need a resourceful auto product defect law firm that has successfully represented injured clients against large auto makers.

If your loved one has been seriously injured by a defective auto, please contact the reputed Washington auto products liability lawyers at The Bernard Law Firm to find out about your legal rights and options. Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule your FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington auto product defect cases, which has useful, educational information to help you better understand your rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/01/18/driver-injured-in-rollover-east-of-ellensburg

A new proposed bill aims to make cell phone use a primary offense in Washington State. According to a KING 5 news report, currently, police officers and Washington State Patrol officers can only issue cell phone tickets after another offense such as running a red light or speeding. Under this bill proposed by State Senator Tracey Eide, cell phone use by a driver would become a primary offense. This means you can be pulled over, and receive a citation just for using a handheld cell phone while driving. The bill would also ban texting while driving. The bill will be introduced at the start of the legislative session.

Driver distractions are the leading cause of most vehicle crashes and near crashes, according to a recent study released by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). The study states that 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near crashes involve some form of driver distraction. In a majority of these incidents, the distraction occurs within three seconds of the auto accident.

Distracted driving does amount to negligence. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a distracted driver, you could seek compensation to cover your injuries, damages and losses. If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident in Washington, please contact the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys with The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure, which has useful educational information about car accident cases to help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.king5.com/news/Cell-Phone-Proposal-80484167.html

Seven people were injured in a car accident in Gig Harbor that involved 20 vehicles, the News Tribune reports. Dense fog and speed apparently caused this chain-reaction collision that involved 20 vehicles and about 40 people. No one suffered life-threatening injuries, according to Washington State Patrol officials. Drivers told officials that they couldn’t stop in time to avoid the collision because it was too foggy. Gig Harbor police as well as the Washington State Patrol officials are trying to determine what caused the chain reaction accident and who hit whom during the collision.

In any car accident that involves multiple vehicles or multiple victims, the accident investigation can get pretty complicated because there are several victims, witnesses and vehicles involved in the process. It could take weeks before the investigation is completed and authorities are able to determine who struck whom or what caused the accident and resulting injuries. In such cases, it is extremely important that you get an experienced car accident lawyer on your side right away. A skilled Seattle personal injury lawyer will help examine the evidence, stay on top of the official investigation and look out for your best interests. Before you talk to or settle for less with an insurance adjuster, please contact an experienced car accident attorney to find out more about your legal rights and options.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident in Seattle, please contact the experienced Washington personal injury attorneys with The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure, which has useful educational information about car accident cases to help you better understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/1007752.html

A 57-year-old man sustained fatal injuries in a car accident on Highway 195 as he attempted to drive across the highway from Mullen Hill. According to a news report in KHQ, the two-car collision took place when the motorist was hit by a pickup truck that was driving south on the highway. The truck driver only sustained minor injuries. According to the report, the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph. However, it can be quite risky to cross because of heavy traffic.

In cases where a dangerous roadway or poorly engineered roadway causes or contributes to an auto accident, the governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway could be held liable. Usually in such accidents, it is important to look into who had the right-of-way and assess the speed of the vehicles at the time of the collision. To obtain such physical evidence, it is critical that an accident reconstruction expert get to the scene as soon as possible, after the accident occurs and before the evidence is cleared away. Once the evidence is lost, it is impossible to make the determinations that could be critical to your personal injury or wrongful death claim.

The experienced Seattle personal injury lawyers at The Bernard Law Group have an auto reconstruction expert on staff who will get to an accident scene and expedite the investigative process. This is very important in the preservation of valuable evidence and so that you can obtain the best possible result in your case. Time is of the essence in every injury accident case and it is crucial that you get in touch with us as soon as possible.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured by a negligent driver, please contact the skilled Washington personal injury attorneys with The Bernard Law Group for a free and comprehensive consultation. Call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE consultation. We can also send you our FREE brochure about auto accidents with useful and educational information that will help you better understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.

Source:http://www.examiner.com/x-7460-Spokane-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m12d21-Man-dies-crossing-Highway-195-in-Eastern-Washington-State

An auto accident can turn a life upside down. A recent King5 news report talks about a 67-year-old Seattle restaurant owner and his 22-year-old son, who were seriously injured by a drunk driver who lost control of his car and pinned them on their own driveway. The older man sustained several fractures including some in his foot. His son lost his left leg and still remains in the hospital for treatment of his injuries.

As a result of the accident, the man had to close the Chinese restaurant he has been running in West Seattle for 22 years. His family says the restaurant was a “one-man operation” and won’t open until its owner is fit enough to get back on his feet and run it. Meanwhile, the family is raking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills while their only means of livelihood has been taken away from them, although temporarily.

This is only an example of how soon lives can change in the aftermath of an auto accident in Seattle. Although this accident was caused by the man believed to have been driving under the influence, it’s the injured, innocent victims who are paying the price for it. The driver will hopefully be prosecuted and held criminally and civilly responsible for his actions.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please contact the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure, which has useful educational information that will help you better understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his aggressive legal team today.

Source:http://www.king5.com/news/local/One-man-restaurant-cant-open-after-owner-hit-by-alleged-drunk-driver-80525162.html

A 2-month-old infant has suffered major injuries including, a skull fracture, after being ejected from a car during a car crash in Federal Way, Washington. According to a news report in The Seattle Times, the baby’s mother had removed her from a car sear and was feeding the girl in the front seat of Dodge Caravan headed north on Pacific Highway South, when a Mitsubishi pickup truck slammed into the back of the van. The baby was ejected on impact. The driver of the pickup, a 22-year-old Tacoma woman, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. The baby was transported to a Seattle hospital. Federal Way police officials say that the parents of the infant could face a fine for not placing the child in a car seat.

This is an extremely tragic accident. It is unfortunate that the parents of this infant girl took her out of the car seat when the vehicle was in motion. However, the car accident occurred as a result of a suspected drunk driver rear-ending the Dodge Caravan. In Washington State, driving under the influence of any intoxicant – alcohol or drugs – is illegal. It is also against the law to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher.

Innocent victims of DUI accidents in Washington State may file a claim seeking compensation to cover medical costs, rehabilitation expenses, cost of therapy or long-term care, should the accident result in catastrophic injuries. Drunk drivers could not only face criminal charges, but also be held civilly liable for the accident and resulting injuries.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured by a negligent driver, please contact the experienced personal Seattle injury attorneys with The Bernard Law Group for a free and comprehensive consultation. Call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE consultation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about auto accidents with useful educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his knowledgeable legal team today.

Source:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010531831_webinfantinjured17m.html?prmid=obnetwork