DUI Accident

Investigators in Yakima say a driver may have been intoxicated when he drove his 2003 BMW X5 into oncoming traffic, thus injuring seven people. According to a news report in the Yakima Herald-Republic, the driver of the BMW was speeding west on Lincoln Avenue in Yakima when he crossed the double yellow line and slammed into a GMC Envoy. Both drivers were injured, as were five passengers between the ages of 11 and 72. Thankfully, nobody sustained critical or life-threatening injuries, but several were taken to the hospital.

Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is a serious crime in Washington State. In Washington, it is against the law to drive with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher. When a drunk driver causes an injury accident, he or she can be held financially responsible for medical expenses and other costs incurred by the victims or their families. In such cases, injured victims can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization as well as any physical therapy or rehabilitation that is needed for treatment of accident-related injuries.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, please contact the experienced Washington 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 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.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/01/28/several-hurt-in-lincoln-avenue-crash

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

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

Car accidents involving drunk drivers can result in devastating injuries and fatalities. With the holidays around the corner, drunk driving car accidents are always on the rise. Very often, in a DUI car accident, the seriously injured party is not the drunk driver, but the victim who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Here is a typical example of how that happens. A man was seriously injured in Auburn, Washington after a wrong-way driver on Highway 18 collided with him head-on. This person apparently drove more than a mile in the wrong direction before striking the victim’s vehicle. Washington State troopers arrested the wrong-way driver on suspicion of vehicular assault because alcohol was believed to be a factor. The wrong-way driver escaped with minor injuries, but the victim in this case sustained serious injuries and had to be airlifted to a Seattle hospital.

Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is not only wrong and unethical on so many levels, but it is also a serious crime in Washington State. Under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Section 46.61.502, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher. But the fact that it is illegal, unfortunately, hasn’t deterred some drivers who continue to get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), there were a total of 7,459 alcohol-related drunk driving accidents in 2007 alone, out of which 195 were fatal collisions. Based on this data, 3,394 people were injured out which 443 were serious injuries.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a DUI car accident in Washington State, you need the services of one of the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys at the Bernard Law Firm, who has a successful track record holding drunk and negligent drivers accountable. Our skilled car accident lawyers will help you obtain compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, cost of hospitalization and even the high costs related to long-term care. Call Kirk Bernard at the Bernard Law Firm today to find out how we can help.

Source:http://www.kirotv.com/news/21595191/detail.html