Kirk Bernard

Three people were hospitalized with injuries due to a Seattle car accident, which police say was caused by a street race. According to a news report on King5 News, one car struck another. As a result of the collision, both cars overturned. The driver of one of the cars was arrested for racing on a public roadway. The driver he hit and two passengers were transported to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Street racing is apparently a huge problem in Kent, Washington because of its wide streets and long, straight stretches of roadways. Last year alone, police arrested 100 street racers in Kent. Some of the races reach extremely high speeds – between 80 and 100 mph, officials say. The city has taken several steps to put the brakes on racers including speed bumps. They have combined that with tougher enforcement and tighter laws. So far, they say it seems to be working well and has brought the number of incidents down.

Seattle car accident attorneys know that street racing on a public roadway is a crime anywhere in Washington State. According to the Revised Code of Washington section 46.61.530: “No person or persons may race any motor vehicle or motor vehicles upon any public highway of this state. Any person or persons who willfully compare or contest relative speeds by operation of one or more motor vehicles shall be guilty of racing, which shall constitute reckless driving under RCW 46.61.500, whether or not such speed is in excess of the maximum speed prescribed by law.”

Street racing amounts to negligence. If you or a loved one has been injured by a negligent driver in Washington State, please contact the experienced Washington 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 brochure, which has useful and educational information 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/local/4-injured–84595142.html

A man sustained serious injuries after his vehicle went over a curb and hit a fire hydrant, a KOMO News article reports. The injury crash occurred in the 2400 block of East Marginal Way in Seattle. The man had to be extricated from his Kia Sportage SUV, which came to rest against a fence. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. His condition or the extent of his injuries was not disclosed at the time of the article’s release.

Many of us read about auto accidents in news reports on a daily basis. However, as an experienced Washington auto accident lawyer, Kirk Bernard and several other readers are familiar with why most news reports do not tell us how or why an accident occurred. In many cases, officials are still investigating the accident. In such incidents, it is important for the victim or victim’s family to get an experienced lawyer quickly on their side to make sure a fair investigation is being conducted and all possibilities are being analyzed.

In this particular accident, some of the important factors that need to be considered include vehicle defects, mechanical failure, involvement of other vehicles and a dangerous or defective roadway. Depending on who or what caused the accident, the victim may be able to file a claim for compensation. If the accident was caused by a defective auto, an auto products liability claim may be filed against the auto maker or the manufacturer of the defective product. If another driver’s negligence caused the accident, then that individual could be held liable. If a dangerous roadway condition is a factor, then the city or the governmental agency that has jurisdiction over that roadway, could be held responsible for failing to maintain a safe roadway.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington auto accident, please contact the experienced Seattle car accident 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 brochure, which has useful, educational information about Washington 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://georgetown.komonews.com/content/man-injured-early-morning-crash-e-marginal-way

Three people sustained critical injuries in a Seattle car accident after one car collided head-on with another vehicle. According to a KOMO news report, one of the vehicles, which was traveling south on 3rd Avenue NW crashed into an oncoming Mercedes on NW 137th. The driver and a passenger of the Mercedes had to be extricated from the wreckage and were transported to an area hospital with critical injuries. A person in the other car also sustained major injuries. Traffic investigators are still trying to determine what caused this serious injury car crash, but witnesses apparently, told officials that the other car was speeding before it struck the Mercedes.

In any car accident that involves reckless, speeding, impaired or negligent driving, the victims who were injured by the other individual’s negligence may be able to seek compensation for damages. In such car accidents, the consequences for victims can be extremely serious. Hospital bills and medical expenses pile up quickly. Loss of earnings can be significant, especially if the accident involves critical injuries where the victim has a long road to recovery. An auto accident may change the life of a victim and his or her family.

There are three components that form a personal injury claim. The first aspect is liability – who caused the accident and who is legally responsible. Secondly, the amount of damages to which you are legally entitled needs to be established. And finally, the determination has to be made as to where to collect the damages, specifically sources such as liability insurance or individual assets that are available for payment of damages.

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 with useful educational information that will help you in understanding your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.komonews.com/news/local/79028262.html

A 16-year-old girl was fatally injured in a Washington car accident in Granite Falls, after the vehicle she was a passenger in, collided with an SUV. According to a news report in the Herald Net, the girl was in a Jeep Cherokee being driven by her brother, when a Toyota 4Runner attempting to pass the Jeep on a two-lane road, struck the Jeep. The girl was airlifted to a Seattle hospital in critical condition, but later succumbed to her injuries. Her brother sustained minor injuries and the driver of the 4Runner was uninjured. Authorities are apparently looking into whether speed and improper passing caused or contributed to this fatal car accident.

The Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.110 spells out the rules that govern overtaking and passing of vehicle proceeding in the same direction. This section states: “The driver of a vehicle overtaking other traffic proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left thereof at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken traffic.”

If your loved one has been fatally injured as a result of someone else’s negligence or as a result of a dangerous or defective roadway, you may be able to file a wrongful death claim against the negligent driver or the governmental agency responsible for maintaining the section of the roadway where the accident occurred. Please remember that there is a time limit to file these claims. So, it is important that you act quickly.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please consult the skilled Seattle personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Group. You may contact us 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 – whether it is filing personal injury claims or wrongful death claims. Please contact Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.

Source:http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091210/NEWS01/712109894/0/COLUMN03

An elderly woman was killed in a Seattle car accident after the vehicle she was a passenger in, collided with another car. According to a news report in the Seattle Times, the victim was traveling in a Suzuki that crashed into a Toyota near the 3800 block of South Graham Street. The driver of the Suzuki and three other people in the Toyota were taken to a hospital. The driver of the Suzuki, officials say, was not under the influence. An investigation is ongoing.

In any car accident case involving two or more vehicles when negligence is suspected, it is very important to look into how or why the collision occurred. Who was at fault for the accident? Did it occur because one of the drivers failed to yield right-of-way? Was the accident caused by a driver who may have run a red light? These are violations of traffic laws and amount to negligence when it comes to a civil claim.

As a car accident victim, you may be able to seek compensation against the negligent party or the entity responsible for the causing the accident or injuries. Such compensation will usually cover medical expenses, loss of earnings, cost of hospitalization and other damages. If the negligence results in death, families of deceased auto accident victims can file wrongful death claims.

If you have been seriously injured in a Washington car accident, please contact an experienced Seattle personal injury attorney at The Bernard Law Firm. Call 1-800-418-8282 or send an email to info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation that we will provide at no cost to you. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington auto accidents that has useful and educational information that will help you in understanding your legal rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010436379_crash06m.html?syndication=rss

Hundreds of thousands of 15-passenger vans that are defectively designed and potentially deadly are still in operation and on our roadways. These vans have been labeled dangerous by federal safety officials more than a decade ago especially because of their propensity to rollover when they are fully loaded. As of July 1, 2007, there were over 500,000 vans with 15-passenger capacity registered in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Baker City Herald reports that two models made up a vast majority of the total: Ford Econo Club E-350 (model years 1978-2007) and the Dodge B350-3500 (model years 1981-2002). Of the remaining 15-passenger vans, most were made by General Motors and sold under the Chevy or GM brand names.

According to federal officials, 15-passenger vans are involved in a higher number of single-vehicle accidents including rollovers, than other passenger vehicles. Based on reports of van accidents that happened between 1991 and 2000, about 52 percent of 15-passenger vans involved in single-vehicle, fatal accidents were rollover crashes compared to 33 percent of passenger vehicles involved in rollovers. Also, 81 percent of the 15-passenger van occupant fatalities occur in single-vehicle rollover accidents. Auto safety researchers have also determined that 15-passenger vans carrying 10 or more people are three times likelier to roll in a crash, than vans carrying fewer than 10 passengers.

Clearly, these are defective autos that should have been taken off our roadways, but continue to operate. Accidents involving 15-passenger vans often cause serious injuries including brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, paralysis and even death. If you or a loved one has been injured in a 15-passenger van accident, please contact the skilled Seattle personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Firm. Call 1-800-418-8282 or send an email to info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation that we will provide at no cost to you. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure that has useful and educational information that will help you in understanding your legal rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.

Source:http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Vans-on-the-road

Two Snohomish couples were killed in what officials are calling the worst car accident in the county this year. According to a news report in the Snohomish Herald, the Washington car accident occurred when the driver of a 2005 Ford Explorer who was going east on 108th Street NE ran a stop sign at Highway 9 and struck a 2007 Hyundai sedan, which was southbound. All four victims, who were occupants of the Hyundai, died at the scene. The driver of the Explorer, who only sustained minor injuries, tried to run away from the scene of the crash, but a resident in the neighborhood convinced him to surrender to authorities. The man was arrested on suspicion of four counts of vehicular homicide. This was apparently the first serious car accident at the intersection in years.

There is no question that running a stop sign or a red light is a serious traffic violation in Washington State. The Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.050 (1) states: “The driver of any vehicle, every bicyclist, and every pedestrian shall obey the instructions of any official traffic control device applicable thereto placed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, unless otherwise directed by a traffic or police officer, subject to the exception granted the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle in this chapter.”

If your family member was killed in a car accident in Washington State as a result of someone else’s negligence, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the individual or entity responsible for causing the incident. A wrongful death claim is usually filed to compensate families of deceased victims for funeral expenses, loss of earnings and other related damages.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please contact the skilled Seattle personal injury lawyers at The Bernard Law Firm. Call 1-800-418-8282 or send an email to info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation that we will provide at no cost to you. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure that has useful and educational information that will help you in understanding your legal rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.

Source:http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091130/NEWS01/711309872&news01ad=1

Two men sustained injuries in a head-on collision on Highway 308 in Polusbo, Washington. According to a news report in the Kitsap Sun, a 25-year-old man driving a Ford Probe east on the highway near Scandia Road, crossed the center line and struck a 2005 Lexus driven by a 58-year-old man. Both men were taken to the hospital with injuries. Washington State Patrol troopers said the 25-year-old man was cited for crossing the center line and causing the crash. Both men were wearing seatbelts and authorities do not believe that alcohol or drugs were involved.

Washington vehicle accidents often occur because of someone’s negligence – because of inattention, recklessness, speeding, distractions (use of cell phone or texting), falling asleep at the wheel or driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. If you have been injured in a car accident as a result of someone else’s negligence, please get an experienced Washington car accident attorney on your case immediately.

In cases where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, Washington auto accident victims could seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of earnings, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, therapy and other related damages. But recovery of damages will be extremely challenging if you do not get an experienced, resourceful Seattle personal injury attorney on your case right away. Waiting for too long to contact an attorney can destroy valuable evidence and weaken your personal injury claim.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please contact the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Firm. Call 1-800-418-8282 or send an email to info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation that we will provide at no cost to you. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure that has useful and educational information that will help you in understanding your legal rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/dec/02/two-injured-in-north-kitsap-crash/?partner=yahoo_feeds

A number of Washington car accidents result in traumatic brain injuries. These are catastrophic injuries that can leave a victim injured or disabled for life. A traumatic brain injury is a severe injury to the head, which results in serious and often irreversible damage to the brain. A person may become paralyzed or suffer loss of voluntary and involuntary motor functions, loss of reasoning abilities, memory loss and sensory loss.

A 17-month-old boy recently sustained life-threatening injuries in a car accident on Highway 3. The accident occurred when the 25-year-old driver of the car turned onto Highway 3 on November 13, 2009 and the car collided with another vehicle. The driver died at the scene, while the toddler was taken to a Seattle hospital where doctors are now telling the family that the boy may have suffered brain damage from a head injury. The boy will very likely suffer memory loss and may have difficulty walking and talking again.

If a traumatic brain injury is the result of a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, the victim or his family may be able to seek compensation for medical expenses, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation and any long-term care that may be necessary.

If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, please consult the experienced Seattle personal injury lawyers with The Bernard Law Group. Our car accident lawyers have helped numerous injured victims and their families obtain fair compensation for their injuries, damages and loss. Call 1-800-418-8282 or email us at info@bernardlawgroup.com to receive a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation that we will provide at no cost to you. We will also send you a FREE informational brochure that has helpful and educational information that will assist you in fully understanding your legal rights. Contact Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091124/NEWS01/711249915/0/section

Pedestrian accidents involving cars and larger vehicles can result in devastating injuries including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, paralysis or even death. These accidents can result in catastrophic injuries that can leave victims disabled or injured for life. Long-term treatment for such injuries could easily cost millions of dollars, especially if the patient needs 24/7 care and nurse assistance. In car accident cases that are caused by negligent drivers, the at-fault parties could be held liable.

A recent car accident in Seattle was reportedly caused by a hit-and-run driver who struck a pedestrian crossing the street in a crosswalk. According to a news report on KOMO, the 36-year-old man was hit while walking across a crosswalk at the intersection of Southwest 106th and 16th Avenue. The driver who hit the pedestrian then sped off. The man was taken to a Seattle hospital with critical injuries. A description of the suspect vehicle is not available yet.

Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious crime in Washington State. According to the Revised Code of Washington Section 46.52.020: “A driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the injury to or death of any person or involving striking the body of a deceased person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible but shall then forthwith return to, and in every event remain at, the scene of such accident.”

If you have been seriously injured by a negligent driver, please consult with the skilled Seattle personal injury lawyers of The Bernard Law Group to find out more about pursuing your legal rights. In an injury accident involving hit-and-run, uninsured or underinsured drivers, an experienced car accident lawyer may be able to secure compensation through the uninsured/underinsured motorist clause of the victim’s car insurance policy. Call Kirk Bernard and his dedicated legal team today to find out how we can help.

Source:http://www.komonews.com/news/local/70424677.html