Washington Injury Attorney Blog

A four-year-old boy was awarded $2.35 million in compensation for an injury to his shoulder during birth. The boy has had to undergo multiple surgeries and physical therapy and has severe nerve damage. He may have to undergo more surgeries later this year.

The jury found Dr. Pankaj D. Thaker damaged the boy when he pulled too hard on the "boy's head and neck when his shoulder became stuck on the mother's pubic bone," according to the Waukegan News Sun.

Birth injuries as a result of medical negligence can have devastating consequences with life long impact on a person's quality of life. No amount of financial compensation can ameliorate the pain and suffering of a child that has to undergo multiple surgeries, physical therapy and has a lifelong handicap. However, a monetary award can help towards the huge financial impact of medical and educational expenses due to a child's disability.

The Farber Law Group is a law firm with more than 30 years experience in representing victims of medical malpractice. If your child was injured due to a birth injury that resulted from negligence, contact us today for a free case consultation.

Click here to view our Birth Injury Resources.

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Posted In: Medical Malpractice

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KomoTV.com in Seattle, Washington reports that a pickup truck traveling north on Highway 99 on the Mercer Street off-ramp crashed into an SUV and the pickup flew over the guardrail and landed 30 below onto Broad Street. Miraculously, the driver of the pickup walked away from the accident. Click here to view the story on KomoTV.com.

The drivers of both vehicles were taken to Harborview Medical Center with "non-life threatening injuries."

The accident occurred around 6pm. Police officers said that the driver of the pickup truck may have been speeding.

This information has been brought to you by the Washington Injury Attorney Blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience in representing people with serious injuries due to automobile accidents. Contact us for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Car Accidents , Motor Vehicle Accidents

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The Seattle Times reports that Public Citizen, a national non-profit public interest organization, is circulating a petition asking the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to remove the Ortho Evra birth control patch from the market within six months citing risks of blood clots, stroke and death to users. Ortho Evra birth control patches are manufactured by Ortho-McNeil, a division of Johnson&Johnson.

Public Citizen's petition drive is called "Not My Patch" and is based on research which compares the contraceptive patch to standard oral contraceptives and says the patch is a dangerous product that needs to be recalled. The study found that women using the patch have 60% higher estrogen levels than standard oral contraceptives. Higher estrogen levels puts them at a much higher risk of blood clots which can lead to stroke and death. The study also cites an increase in other side effects including painful periods, nausea, breast discomfort and vomiting.

The Ortho Evra web-site markets the patch as "convenient birth control" and targets it to young women. However, more than a few young women have experienced serious side effects including death. One young woman collapsed on the subway and died at the age of 18 when a blood clot formed and went into her lung. Other young women as young as 18, 19 and 20 years of age suffered strokes while using the medication.

The patch was first sold in 2002. In January of 2008, the FDA approved a third update to Ortho Evra's label to warn of potential blood clots. Since the FDAs warnings, the use of the patch has dropped from 9.9 million prescriptions in 2004 to 2.7 million in 2007.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious side effect due to the Ortho Evra birth control patch, you need to contact an experienced personal injury attorney. At The Farber Law Group we are experienced in representing the victims of defective or dangerous products and in helping victims recover compensation for their injuries. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Dangerous Products

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In the second pedestrian vs. train accident of this type within the past few weeks (see previous posting), a 50-year-old Renton, Washington man was killed by an Amtrak train while he was talking on his cell phone. KOMO TV reports that the accident occurred in Auburn near the Emerald Downs race track around noon. Apparently, the man did not hear the train's horn because of his phone conversation.

Angie Rodriguez (age 17) was killed about two weeks ago by an Amtrak train as she talked on her cell phone while walking near train tracks in Kent.

This information was brought to you by the Washington Injury Attorney Blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent accident victims and their families. Contact us today if you or a family member has suffered a serious personal injury or wrongful death due to the negligence of another. We will provide you with a free case consultation.

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Posted In: Motor Vehicle Accidents , Pedestrian Accidents

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A Consumer Product Safety Alert cites 21 deaths in warning that movable soccer goals can be dangerous to kids. The US. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that movable goals are responsible for at least 21 deaths since 1979 due to the goals falling on children. Click here to view an ABC video regarding a deadly soccer goal accident in Phoenix.

According to the web-site Anchored for Safety, there have been 34 deaths and 51 injuries since 1979 attributed to soccer goals including the death of a 22 year old man in Bellevue, Washington who died when a goal post fell onto his head causing massive head injuries. In Woodinville, Washington, a 5 year old girl was injured when a goal post bar fell on her and a 16 year old girl was seriously injured in Yakima when a goal fell on her, striking her in the head. Other injuries include broken bones and severe head and brain injury.

According to Anchored for Safety, the problem with soccer goals is their design. Goals can weigh up to 400 pounds and they are top heavy. Both the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Anchored for Safety call for anchoring soccer goals to the ground to prevent injury and death. Goals should also be re-anchored after they are moved for mowing the grass or for storage. Long term solutions include designing new goals to be tip-resistant and building them out of lighter materials.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission also provides the following safety suggestions:

• Securely anchor all movable goals at all times.
• Never climb on the net or goal framework.
• All nets should be removed when not in use.
• Anchor goals to sturdy fixtures like fence posts when not in use.
• Check all anchor hardware before use and replace damaged or missing parts.
• Disassemble goals for off-season storage.
• Use caution when moving goals.
• Instruct players on goal hazards.
• Use movable goals only on flat surfaces.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a soccer goal accident, you should contact a personal injury attorney. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience in representing victims of serious personal injury and wrongful death. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Brain Injury , Serious Personal Injuries , Slip, Trip and Fall , Wrongful Death

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The Bellingham Herald reports that a rental car driven by a 70-year-old Texan man crashed through a plate glass window at a local Starbucks store, injuring five people. The accident occurred at the Starbucks on 1031 W. Bakerview Road. The driver, Clinton Felmley, of Arlington Texas was parking his rental car when he says it accelerated.

Four victims were taken to St. Joseph's hospital and a fifth person went to the hospital on her own after medics treated her at the scene. None of the injuries were thought to be life-threatening.

The driver was not seriously injured. He said he did not know what caused the vehicle to accelerate and crash through the window. Police have not yet decided whether to charge Felmley.

This information is brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have suffered serious personal injuries. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Car Accidents , Motor Vehicle Accidents

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The Seattle Times reports that 12 members of a youth group were hurt when the deck they were standing on collapsed. None of the teens was seriously hurt but nine teenagers were taken to Pierce County Hospitals for treatment. The teens are between 14 to 18 years in age.

The deck which measured six feet wide and 12 feet long was 14 feet high.

This kind of accident comes under the category of "premise liability". Premise liability laws consider that the homeowner or property owner are liable for injures suffered by people who visit their premise. In a premise liability case, a victim needs to prove that the property owner was responsible for the dangerous condition. The deck builder may also be liable. The property owner has the responsibility of insuring:

• The deck was built to code and inspected. Deck plans must be submitted before a permit to build can be issued.
  
• The deck was properly maintained and cleaned.

If you have been injured in a slip, trip or fall accident and received a serious injury due to the negligence of a property owner, you should consult a personal injury attorney. The Farber Law Group is a Washington-based firm with more than 30 years experience in representing people with serious personal injuries or wrongful death. Depending on your case. you may be eligible for reimburse of you medical bills, lost wages and damages you suffered due to your injury. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Serious Personal Injuries , Slip, Trip and Fall

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The Seattle Times reports that a Food and Drug Administration study raises concerns about adolescent diabetics using insulin pumps. While The FDA supports the use of insulin pumps in teenagers who have diabetes, they want consumers, their physicians and hospitals to be aware of potential complications due to the use of the medical devices including 13 patient deaths and 1,500 injuries.

Infusion pumps are becoming more common in the treatment of Type I diabetes in adolescents and are used by tens of thousands teenage patients.

In the study Adolescent Use of Insulin and Patient-Controlled Analgesia Technology published in the May issue of Pediatrics, the study looks at problems related to use of the pump by adolescents:

• Incorrect use of the pump, sometimes due to inadequate instruction
  
• Alarm problems
  
• Catheters that loosened or occluded
  
• Bent cannula
  
• Screen display problems
  
• Device malfunction which caused over delivery of medication or failure to deliver medication
  
• Patients disconnecting the pump for exercise
  
• Carelessness

The study highlights the special issues of using the pump with teenage patients and urges proper education and parental oversight. The FDA urges consumers and practitioners to device-related problems through the FDA Medwatch program: www.fda.gov/medwatch

If you or a loved one has been injured or a loved one died due to the malfunction of a medical device, you need to contact a personal injury attorney to insure your rights are protected. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience in representing victims of malpractice and defective or dangerous products. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Dangerous Products , Medical Malpractice , Wrongful Death

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The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that Chanthea Prak, 21, a soldier stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington was killed in a head-on crash near Roseburg, Oregon. Oregon police reported that Prak was eight months pregnant. The accident occurred around 3:15 a.m. in the southbound lanes of I-5.

Prak was a passenger in a car driven by Andrew Cajita, 21, of San Mateo, California when a car driven by Cheryl Rowe, 40, or Albany, ran into them head-on as Rowe drove the wrong-way on the I-5. Rowe was also killed in the crash and Cajita was critically injured. Cajita was airlifted to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland. Police said that the car driven by Cajita had swerved to avoid Rowe and the passenger side of Cajita's car received the full impact of the crash.

It is not known whether Rowe was intoxicated or impaired at the time of crash.

In this tragic case, the driver who caused the accident is also deceased. However, Prak's family may still be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. The living victim is also entitled to compensation for his serious injuries. With the help of The Farber Law Group, a Washington firm experienced and knowledgeable in handling wrongful death cases, we would thoroughly investigate whether Rowe had illegally been served alcohol when she appeared to be intoxicated, whether she had any previous DUI charges or whether she was in the course of her employment. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Car Accidents , Drunk Driving Victims , Motor Vehicle Accidents , Wrongful Death

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The Seattle Times reports that a man is in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington after shooting himself in the chest with a large nail gun that drives 6 inch nails.

The man, who has not been identified, was pulled over on Highway 3 after Washington State Patrol saw him involved in an apparent hit-and-run accident. The trooper followed the man onto the Highway after witnessing the accident near Newberry Hill Road and Chico way in Silverdale. The man apparently shot himself after he stopped his Ford Explorer at the trooper's instructions.

According to the Kitsap Sun, officers have not been able to question the man because of his condition.

There are approximately 100 Emergency Room visits daily in America due to nail gun injuries. Some times the injuries are quite serious and some even cause death.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed by a nail gun due to someone else's negligence, you should contact The Farber Law Group. With our experience in construction accidents and injuries, we can investigate to ascertain whether the workplace had safety precautions in place, that operators had proper training, were not using alcohol and drugs at the time of the accident and that the tools were maintained in proper condition without safety features being overridden. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Construction Accident

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Seattle's boating season opens today with the "Parade of Boats" beginning at 12:00 pm on Lake Washington. The three hour parade includes more than 300 boats of all kinds including "rowboats, steamships and classic wooden craft," according to Brad Wong's article in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Wong's article also includes a "plea for common sense" while boating to avoid boating accidents and drowning deaths. That plea includes safety tips including keeping your vessel seaworthy, wearing personal flotation devices (life jackets), avoiding alcohol while boating and adhering to the speed limit. Since 2003, 16 people have died in King County in boating accidents.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the following are the causes for boating accidents:

• Grounding, capsizing, sinking, flooding or swamping
  
• Falls within or overboard a vessel
  
• Persons ejected from a vessel
  
• Fire or explosion
  
• Water-skiing or other mishap involving a towable device (tube or wakeboard)
  
• Collision with another vessel or object
  
• Striking a submerged object
  
• A person struck by a vessel, propeller, propulsion unit, or steering machinery
  
• Carbon monoxide exposure
  
• Electrocution due to stray current related to a vessel
  
• Casualties while swimming from a vessel because a vessel is not anchored, moored or
  docked – and – the vessel drifts away from the swimmer and the swimmer is unable
  to get back to the vessel.
  
• Casualties while swimming from a vessel in an attempt to retrieve a lost item, another
  person, or another vessel.

This information was brought to you by The Farber Law Group, a law firm based in the Pacific Northwest. We have more than 30 years experience in maritime law and other Washington State laws as they relate to injuries or death suffered in boating accidents. Contact us today for a free case consultation.

Click here for Boating Resources.
Click here for Boating Safety Tips.

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Posted In: Boating & Watercraft Accidents

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The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that a tow truck driver was killed by a flatbed truck when it rolled over him when he was preparing it to be towed in the 4400 block of 26th Avenue West of Magnolia. The King County Medical Examiner's Office identified the driver as Shawn Cary McKinney age 44.

Seattle Police Department spokesman Mark Jamieson says that Lincoln Towing, McKinney's employer, had been contracted to tow the truck because of a car theft investigation. McKinney had called his dispatch asking that a larger truck be sent out to tow the flatbed truck. The second tow truck driver discovered McKinney crushed to death.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

This information was brought to you by the Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who are seriously injured or killed as a result of construction or workplace accidents. Contact us today for a free case consultation.

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Posted In: Construction Accident , Motor Vehicle Accidents , Trucking Accidents

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