Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Driver hits pedestrian, police cars during chase in Seattle

2012-05-18T20:06:13Z

A police chase through a Seattle neighborhood recently resulted in a pedestrian accident. Fortunately, the pedestrian only suffered a minor leg injury and was released from a local hospital, according to KIRO TV.

The police, chase through the Seattle neighborhood of Greenwood, actually caused quite a commotion. According to the KIRO TV story, not only did the driver of a stolen car hit a pedestrian during it, he also collided with several other vehicles.

According to the story, a man stole a white Honda in mid-May. Police engaged the man in a chase starting around 6:30 p.m.

]]> Once the chase entered the Greenwood neighborhood, the police cars in pursuit and the man in the stolen vehicle were stopped by traffic. At this time, the driver of the stolen Honda smashed into a police car. The driver then hit a pedestrian who was crossing the street at the time.

This pedestrian accident did not stop the driver. According to KIRO TV, he continued heading north where he struck two more cars. The driver then tried to run his car into two police officers and another pedestrian. That second pedestrian managed to jump out of the way, but in doing so injured her knee. The police reportedly then called off their chase.

Police finally found the stolen vehicle and its driver in the Seattle neighborhood of Roosevelt. The car was seriously damaged and had collided with yet another police vehicle before the police arrested the driver. Police told KIRO TV that the driver appeared to be under the influence of drugs.

While fortunately the injuries sustained by those involved in this incident were minor, the accident illustrates the potential danger associated with police chases.

Source: KIRO, "Pedestrian hit during police chase in Greenwood," May 12, 2012

Personal injury lawsuit filed against Ducks of Seattle by injured motorcyclist

2012-05-16T18:12:36Z

Last fall we wrote about an accident that occurred in downtown Seattle when a motorcyclist was run over by a Ride-the-Ducks vehicle. The man who was riding the motorcycle was dragged, along with his bike through the intersection where he had been waiting, stopped at a red light. At the time of the motor vehicle accident the amphibious vehicle was occupied by tourists.

Miraculously, though he sustained serious injuries, the 28-year-old man riding the motorcycle survived the incident. In addition to a broken pelvis and sacrum, ligaments in the man's knee were also torn. The injuries caused the man to have to spend two months in a skilled nursing home after an initial week at Harborview Medical Center. Though now home, his rehabilitation continues, with twice weekly trips to physical therapy. He indicated that so far is medical bills total $500,000.

]]> Accidents involving motorcycles are often caused by the failure of a driver behind the wheel of a motor vehicle not seeing the much smaller vehicle. This is apparently an even bigger issue when the vehicle that hits the motorcycle is a Duck boat. This is because, the height of the amphibious vehicle resulting from its hull design, along with its inherent poor sightlines, in some cases it is all but impossible to see the vehicles around it.

Likely in part to recover compensation for the large medical bills, the man and his wife filed a personal injury lawsuit against the owner of the amphibious vehicle, Ride the Ducks of Seattle, last week. They are seeking unspecified damages. What do you think? Should the half-bus-half-boat vehicles be allowed on Seattle roads?

Source: The Seattle Times, "Motorcyclist hit by Ride-the-Ducks vehicle files lawsuit," Sara Jean Green, May 9, 2012

Yakima car accident injures two in early morning hours

2012-05-12T03:57:32Z

Two Yakima residents were hospitalized with serious injuries in a recent car crash at around 5:00 a.m. The driver, 17, and passenger, 33, were transported to Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center for initial treatment. The younger car accident victim was then flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Police also expect the passenger to be transported to Harborview presently.

There are apparently eyewitnesses who have stated that the vehicle was speeding around the time of the accident. The SUV allegedly "left the roadway striking several objects, including a power pole, a parked vehicle and came to rest against a tree," according to a Yakima Police Department Sergeant.

]]> Further investigation indicates that the SUV was street racing another vehicle southbound on 72nd Avenue shortly before the crash. The other driver, 18, was apparently not injured. It was unclear whether one or both drivers were cited for street racing, reckless driving or any other motor vehicle infraction immediately after the crash.

Part of 72nd Avenue had to be shut down for several hours so that city highway crews could repair damaged power lines caused by the SUV impact. No information has yet surfaced regarding the extremely early hour of the race and subsequent crash.

Yakima police continue to investigate the auto accident. They are trying to establish the precise cause of the incident. With two vehicles apparently violating the law by speeding and racing, along with the resulting serious injuries, the exact cause of the crash could be highly important to future police, legal and licensing actions. Do you have strong opinions about the many dangers of illegal street racing?

Source: KNDO, "Two people injured in early morning car crash," Julie Stern, May 6, 2012

Three people injured in head-on crash on Hwy. 3

2012-05-10T02:16:20Z

Accidents occur on a regular basis throughout the Seattle area. Just as the causes of each motor vehicle accident are dependent on the circumstances surrounding the incident, so too are the outcomes.

There are a variety of factors that contribute to the severity of the outcome of a car accident. The size of the vehicles involved along with the speed at which they were traveling at the time of impact are two of those factors. Another thing that can make a difference is the point on the vehicles that make contact, such as being hit head-on.

]]> A head-on accident, in which all three people involved were injured, recently occurred on Highway 3, near Shelton, Washington. The accident reportedly happened when a vehicle that had pulled to the shoulder was attempting to pull back onto the road. When it did so, it pulled into the wrong lane so that it was headed north in the southbound lane, toward oncoming traffic.

The wrong-way vehicle ultimately ran head-on into a vehicle correctly driving south in the southbound lane. There were two people in the car the vehicle hit and both were injured in the incident. The man who was driving the vehicle that was hit was transported via helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The female passenger was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. This was also the case for the man driving the wrong-way vehicle.

It is possible that the man who was flown to Harborview will file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver of the vehicle that hit him. This is a fairly common occurrence when serious injuries result from a car accident that was due to the negligence of another person.

In addition to the potential civil case, the wrong-way driver will likely face a criminal court case as well. After his injuries were treated he was arrested on suspicion of vehicular assault, motor vehicle theft and driving under the influence.

Source: Kitsap Sun, "Tahuya man in satisfactory condition after head-on crash," April 23, 2012

Returning from overseas duty, soldiers have more auto accidents

2012-05-04T19:59:52Z

When U.S. military personnel return from overseas deployment, the first six months back on their home soil are apparently "prime time" for car accidents. A three year study by USAA, a major insurer for armed forces personnel and their families, confirms that returning soldiers have 13 percent more accidents in which they are at fault in the first six months of returning to the U.S.

Those in the Army or Marines returning to Seattle may be even more likely to have a car accident. The accident rates of army drivers throughout the nation increased by 23 percent, while Marines were a bit more careful, with crash increases of only 12.5 percent. Navy and Air Force personnel had accident increases of only 3 percent (Navy) and 2 percent (Air Force).

]]> USAA studied 158,000 members, covering 171,000 deployments. Note that their research ended in February 2010, with daily combat still taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan. The study discovered that returning soldiers apparently maintained driving styles that helped keep them alive on the mean streets of locations such as Baghdad and Kabul. Car crash results indicate these styles were too aggressive for U.S. roadways.

The study showed a direct correlation between multiple deployments and car accident rates. Drivers with three deployments had 36 percent more accidents, while those deployed twice experienced a 27 percent increase. Personnel deployed one time had a 12 percent accident increase.

USAA also found an age and rank correlation. Soldiers under 22-years-old had more car crashes than their counterparts who were over age 29. Study results also showed that the higher the rank and seniority of soldiers translated into lower accident rates.

The insurer has shared its research with each branch of the military, traffic safety experts and academics. Hopefully, one or all of these groups will find helpful solutions to the negative effects, psychological and physical, of deployment to war zones. While the trauma of war will remain, solutions to help re-integrate returning soldiers into peacetime driving mode may reduce car accidents.

Source: Reuters, "Returning soldiers have more car crashes: study," Ben Berkowitz, April 24, 2012

Fatal head-on accident on Washington State Route 823

2012-05-03T02:58:52Z

While there are of course some times of the day when statistically motor vehicle accidents are more or less likely to occur, car crashes can occur anytime there are vehicles on the road. This is true of all states in the nation including Washington.

An early morning car accident in Selah, Washington, involving a semitrailer occurred late last month. Sadly the incident claimed the life of one of the young women who was in the smaller vehicle. She reportedly died at the scene.

]]> According to Washington State Patrol troopers, the accident occurred after the 22-year-old woman drove her Toyota Rav4 in the wrong lanes of State Route 823. As she travelled north on the road, a tractor-trailer approached from the opposite direction, travelling in the correct lane. The two vehicles collided head-on near Golf Course Loop Road.

There was another woman in the Toyota at the time of the crash. The 28-year-old was transported first to Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac. She was later taken to Harborview Medical Center located in Seattle. The nature of her injuries is currently unknown. As is commonly the case when a car and truck collide, the person behind the wheel of the truck was not injured in the incident.

It is not currently known why the Toyota was travelling in the wrong lane. Though the crash would appear to be the fault of the woman who died, it is likely that a thorough investigation will be conducted to try to determine what exactly happened and why.

Source: KNDO, "Selah woman is dead after head-on crash Sunday," Julie Stern, April 22, 2012

Will hospital face premise liability case over patient death?

2012-04-27T11:54:42Z

Western State Hospital, the largest mental treatment facility in Washington, reports an unusual tragedy, as a 40-year old patient is accused of killing a fellow patient. The accused, a level 2 sex offender, is being held at Pierce County jail in lieu of $1 million bail. The man is alleged to have killed the other patient by "shoving" a ballpoint pen in the victim's ear.

The second-degree murder charge was filed by Pierce County prosecutors. There are no indications, as yet, whether the Seattle-area hospital could face premises liability issues as well. It remains unclear how the accused accessed the alleged murder weapon, the ballpoint pen.

]]> Both men were civilly committed to the facility in Steliacoom on court orders. The victim, originally charged with criminal trespass, had been found ineligible for "treatment to restore competency in order to stand trial," and was admitted for evaluation. The accused has a long criminal history, having been previously civilly committed to Western State on at least two previous occasions. His recent admission followed an arrest for a DUI charge.

The hospital's chief executive officer issued a statement calling the patient's death a "tragic, unexpected incident." The Lakewood police confirmed that there was "evidence of a struggle" in the accused's room. The alleged killer retreated to a "seclusion room" after the incident, where police found him with blood on his hands and clothing. Law enforcement continues its investigation.

While it remains unclear which patient initiated the tragic confrontation, the availability of a potential "weapon" is troubling. What are your thoughts on unusual and tragic events like this, while allegedly mentally unstable patients are residents of treatment facilities?

Source: The Seattle Times, "Western State patient held in another patient's death," Sara Jean Green, April 23, 2012

Washington driver arrested in store parking lot after hitting pedestrian

2012-04-26T02:51:24Z

Car accidents involving pedestrians occur on a regular basis throughout the state of Washington, including Seattle. They are an unfortunate byproduct of the use of motor vehicles as transportation. While they can be deadly, thankfully there are times when the pedestrian who is struck by the vehicle survives. This was the case in a Washington pedestrian accident that occurred earlier this month.

The incident took place in neighboring community Federal Way, at 31800 First Ave. S. According to someone who saw the accident occur, a woman behind the wheel of a car struck another woman who was not in a car. The 30-year-old pedestrian survived the collision but was nonetheless hurt in the incident. One of her arms was broken and she may have sustained internal injuries as well.

]]> After the collision happened, the woman behind the wheel of the car did not stop. She instead continued on to a Dollar Tree parking lot and apparently did some shopping. Police officers were waiting for the driver when she returned to her car.

Upon questioning she said that she was aware of hitting something with her car but denied knowing it was a person. This line of reasoning did not stop police from arresting her. She is under investigation for felony vehicular assault.

In cases such as this one it is common for a civil case to be filed as well. The injured pedestrian may seek compensation from the woman to cover a variety of things including but not limited to medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Source: KIRO TV, "Woman aware she hit something, but didn't know it was a person," April 19, 2012

Top 7 most dangerous driving days

2012-04-20T17:09:49Z

Tax Day 2012 has come and gone. On that day procrastinators throughout the country, including Seattle, scrambled together their income tax filings complete an in the mail before the deadline. According to a recent study many individuals were likely involved in serious motor vehicle accidents that day as well. The study revealed that Tax Day is one of the most deadly days when it comes to fatal car accidents.

According to the study, which was based on information obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over the course of 30 years, 6,783 fatal traffic accidents occurred on the day. Broken down, the average number of car accidents that resulted in death on each Tax Day is 226.

]]> This may come as a surprise to many. The other days found on the list of the top seven most dangerous days for fatal car accidents are more expected and include many major holidays such as:

4th of July
Thanksgiving day
Labor day
New Year's Eve/New Year's Day

Also a part of the list are Super Bowl Sunday and the first day of daylight savings. While a single reason for all of the fatal crashes occurring on these days cannot be pinpointed, drunk driving plays a role in many accidents on these days.

Though not just one day, the weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day, sometimes called the 100 days of summer, is a notoriously dangerous time of year as well. This is true particularly for teens throughout Pittsburgh and the rest of the country. Over the course of four years, from 2005 through 2009, a large number of adolescence ages 13-19 died in fatal car accidents. The number was more than 7,300.

Perhaps by identifying the most dangerous traffic days of the year it will help people be more mindful of their driving habits and reduce the number of fatalities.

Source: Seattle Post Intelligencer, "Seven Deadly Driving Days Have High Number of Collisions and Fatalities," April 18, 2012

Seattle bicyclist will receive draw bridge accident records

2012-04-19T01:54:48Z

Throughout the Seattle area bicycles are routinely used by many as transportation. As is the case with any mode of transportation, it is inevitable that from time to time, accidents will occur. While all would hope that the bicycle accident would result in minor if any injuries at all, this of course is not always the case.

A bicyclist who was hurt when the front wheel of his bike became caught in grating on Montlake Bridge, a draw bridge, recently received some good news from the Washington Supreme Court. Earlier this month it determined that the Washington State Patrol has to provide the cyclist with accident records regarding the bridge without securing an agreement from the man that he will not file a lawsuit against them.

]]> As a result of the bicycle wheel being caught, the man sustained serious injuries. He is currently a quadriplegic after injuring his spine. The severe injury has made it impossible for the man to do things many take for granted such as living on his own or holding a fulltime job.

The man, an attorney, requested the records after learning that others had been hurt in a similar manner. The public records request was met with the stipulation that he first had to agree that he would not utilize the information to sue the state. The state indicated this was a reasonable request because after they were entered into a Federal database, there was a layer of protection rendered making it impossible to use the information in a lawsuit.

The injured man pressed on. On the case's way to the Supreme Court, the man's position was supported by both the Thurston County Superior Court as well as an appellate court.

Though the man may never fully heal from his accident, hopefully, with access to those public records he will be able to recoup financial compensation and make sure that others do not face similar injuries.

Source: Seattle Post Intelligencer, "State Supreme Court: Paralyzed cyclist due Montlake Bridge records," Levi Pulkkinen, April 12, 2012

Remember to put down that cell phone while driving this April

2012-04-13T15:49:06Z

There's no better month than April to remind motorists to refrain from texting while driving. That's because April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a month devoted to telling drivers from both Seattle as well as around the country once again how dangerous it is to text or make cell phone calls while driving the country's side streets and highways.

The U.S. Department of Transportation works hard during this month to highlight the increased risk of serious car accidents that comes when drivers concentrate on their cell phone conversations or text messages instead of the road and their fellow drivers.

]]> The Department of Transportation praised California, where texting and talking on a hand-held cell phone while driving are both against the law. According to the department, the California Highway Patrol and more than 200 local law enforcement agencies will increase their enforcement efforts against motorists who text message and talk on their cell phones while behind the wheel.

As proof that reducing distracted driving also reduces the number of car accidents, the department of transportation points to the fact that two years after California banned texting and cell-phone calls from motorists, road fatalities had fallen by 22 percent.

This April, West Virginia will ban texting and hand-held cell-phone conversations by drivers, making it the 10th state--plus Washington DC, Guam and the Virgin Islands--to ban both texting and hand-held cell phone use while driving.

This April, then, remains a good time for drivers to put their phones down while driving. This move dramatically reduces their odds of suffering a serious or fatal car accident.

Source: U.S. Dept of Transportation, "April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month," April 3, 2012

Boeing worker who lost legs in accident released from hospital

2012-04-11T17:47:46Z

In a previous post we wrote about a Boeing employee who was seriously injured on the job when the wheels of a Boeing 787 ran over his legs. The accident occurred at Paine Field. In this post we provide an update on the accident.

The man sustained a series of injuries in the incident after the airplane's wheels rolled over his feet, catching them and dragging him along the tarmac. During the course of being dragged along a distance of over 10 feet, his legs were crushed and his left arm was injured. The injuries to his legs were serious, including a broken femur, and ultimately both had to be amputated below his knees.

]]> The 30-year-old was recently released from Harborview Medical Center located in Seattle and is getting used to the idea of prosthetic legs. While there, he had a series of surgeries including skin grafts to make it easier to used prosthetic legs. Though he is out of the hospital, he will continue his rehabilitation, learning to walk with the new legs for months to come.

The accident is reportedly still under investigation by Boeing, Machinist union representatives and the state Department of Labor and Industries.

According to the man, his employer has been doing what it can to make sure his needs are being met. He said the business has "helped out a lot."

The man in this case is lucky. Not all employers are as concerned with the well being of their employees. Accordingly, in most instances of work related injuries, it is a good idea to contact a workers' compensation attorney. He or she can most likely make sure all of the worker's rights are being protected.

Source: The Herald, "He was crushed by a jet -- and lived," Sharon Salyer, March 28, 2012

Drivers continue to ignore speed limits

2012-04-07T00:22:12Z

See a car accident in Seattle? The odds are good that one or more of the motorists involved was traveling too fast.

That, at least, is the conclusion of the latest report published by the Governors Highway Safety Association. According to the research, speeding and aggressive driving continue to slow the efforts of public-safety officials to reduce the number of people killed each year in fatal car accidents.

The Car Connection auto news site recently reported on the safety association's findings. The rather shocking statistic is this: one-third of all traffic fatalities can be traced in some way to drivers traveling too fast.

]]> In all, 32,885 people were killed in car accidents in 2010. That's actually a low number. The Car Connection reports that it's on par with fatality figures from the 1950s.

But the reason behind this lower number of fatalities isn't necessarily because motorists are driving more safely. The decline in deaths can instead be traced to improved safety features on the vehicles traveling the nation's highways.

Of the 32,885 people killed in car accidents in 2010, 10,530 were killed in accidents caused by speeding. The Governors Highway Safety Association reports that the speeding statistics it has have not fallen in more than 30 years.

The reason for this is fairly obvious: Motorists routinely ignore posted speed limits, driving as fast as they think is safe. At the same time, police departments across the country are struggling to find the financial resources to hire enough personnel to adequately enforce speed limits.

The lesson here? If motorists would slow down, they could help authorities prevent an even greater number of traffic fatalities each year. The question, though, is whether drivers will ever follow posted speed limits more carefully.

Source: The Car Connection, "Speeding, Aggressive Driving Still Cause 1/3 Of Fatal Accidents," Richard Read, March 9, 2012

Is a safety defect to blame in bus accidents?

2012-04-04T18:06:25Z

Recently the Seattle area has dealt with a series of bus accidents involving pedestrians. These are of course not only type of accidents in which buses are involved. They also can collide with other vehicles resulting in serious injuries or sometimes even death.

Accidents involving buses and other types of motor vehicles occur for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they are due to the actions of a person behind the wheel. Other times road conditions contribute to a crash. In still other cases a motor vehicle defect of some sort is to blame.

]]> The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently commenced an investigation into buses that were made by Motor Coach Industries Inc. The investigation was prompted by allegations of problems with drive shafts contained on the buses. A total of approximately 4,000 buses known as the MCI D-Series are involved. They have been manufactured over the course of the last 20 years.

A broken drive shaft could cause the driver to lose control of the bus which in turn could lead to an accident. Greyhound bus line's parent company filed a complaint with the federal agency after accidents such as this reportedly happened due to problems with the drive shafts. In two such accidents, 50 people were injured and two people died.

Investigations such as these often lead to recalls. Even if a recall on the buses is not issued, one would hope that owners of the buses would take the necessary precautions to replace the drive shafts. This is because when a full bus is involved in an accident there is great potential for a lot of people to be injured or even in the worst cases, die.

Source: SF Gate, "Feds probe bus defect that may have caused crashes," Tom Krisher, March 26, 2012

Boeing worker suffers serious injury at Paine Field

2012-03-30T15:55:10Z

After somehow getting caught in a 747 wing flap, a Boeing worker sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was parked outside the Everett plant at nearby Paine Field. A Boeing fire crew was the first responder, rescuing the man, followed by the Everett Fire Department.

This tragic event will result in another workers' compensation event in the Seattle-area major employer. The most unusual accident resulted in the worker becoming trapped between the spoiler and flap assembly on the 747 wing. Spoilers, on top of the wing, control roll during flight and assist an aircraft on landing, slowing them down to safe speeds. Flaps are extended and lowered to increase lift at lower speeds during landing, helping deliver smooth wheels down.

]]> KIRO-TV Chopper 7 recorded aerial video showing that the flaps and spoilers on the starboard (right) wing were extended as the craft sat on the ground. The 747 was apparently being checked out and prepared for its owner, a freight carrier based in Russia.

The worker was in satisfactory condition after paramedics moved him to Everett's Providence Hospital. He was thereafter transported to Harborview Medical Center located in Seattle for further, more intensive treatment. Boeing staff has contacted the victim's family to offer their help and support.

The company has also offered its Employee Assistance Program to workers who saw the accident. Horrific accidents that cause serious personal injury can leave lasting psychological scars that affect co-workers who witness these events.

A Boeing spokesperson stated that a thorough investigation of the accident is underway to determine the circumstances and cause of the tragedy. Until the study is complete, the company will avoid speculation of the cause of the accident. Management is concerned, as this is the second "flight-line" accident of 2012.

Source: The Herald, "Boeing worker hurt in accident at Everett plant," March 19, 2012