Washington Injury Attorney Blog

The Bee reports today that Terry McFie, 56, was struck by while walking by a truck that was exiting a tavern parking lot. The driver of the truck, Gordon Litner, 46, was later booked into jail and charged with one count each of Felony Hit and Run and DUI. The accident occurred near Cleveland High School on S.E. Powell Boulevard in Portland, Oregon. This is the second pedestrian accident on this section of Powell in recent days.

Witnesses said that Litner at first stopped and checked on McFie but then left the scene of the accident. McFie's injuries did not at first appear serious but once he was taken to the hospital at Oregon Health Sciences University, he had to undergo surgery for an undisclosed injury; he is expected to survive.

In Washington State, all DUI offenses are gross misdemeanors. The following codes pertain:
RCW 9A.20.021, 46.61.502(5) & 46.61.504(5).

The Farber Law Group is experienced in representing victims of drunken driving accidents and helping victims recover compensation for the injuries that they have suffered. We thoroughly investigate to determine if the drunk driver had previous DUI charges, whether the tavern or restaurant that served alcohol was guilty of serving to an obviously intoxicated patron (Dram shop claim) and whether the drunk driver was in the course of their employment.

Click here for our Victims of Drunken Driving Resources

If you or a loved one was the victim of a drunk driver, please contact The Farber Law Group to arrange for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Drunk Driving Victims , Pedestrian Accidents

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Both The Seattle Times and The Seattle Post Intelligencer report today that Fosamax©, a medication to treat osteoporosis, appears to double a woman's chance of having atrial fibrillation, a sometimes serious heart condition.

Fosamax© is manufactured by Merck & Co. A generic version, alendronate, was approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 2008. Fosamax© has also been linked to another serious condition, osteoncrosis of the jaw, also known as jaw necrosis or jaw death. Osteonecrosis can cause parts of the jawbone to deteriorate, causing an extremely painful condition that can lead to jaw removal.

The Seattle, Washington study which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine was done by Group Health in Seattle and the University of Washington. The study, which followed 719 women with atrial fibrillation, compared them with 966 women who did not have the condition. The study found that the women who had taken Fosamax©, had an 86% higher incidence of the condition.

Atrial fibrillation can result in irregular heartbeats (heart palpitations), shortness of breath, fatigue, blood clots which can cause strokes, and congestive heart failure.

Dr. Philip Mease, an osteoporosis expert at Swedish Medical Center who was not involved in the study, cautions women not to suddenly discontinue the medication. The Group Health study said, "it is important to carefully weigh the benefits against the possible risk of atrial fibrillation in women who have only modestly increased fracture risk and in women who have risk factors for atrial fibrillation, such as diabetes, mellitus, coronary disease or heart failure."

Osteoporosis is a condition that strikes women far more often than men, affecting 25 million Americans a year. It causes bone loss and when the bones become weak and thin they can easily break.

If you or a loved one has experienced any serious side effects after using Fosamax© such as atrial fibrillation or osteonocrosis, you need to contact a personal injury attorney to ensure that your rights are protected. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience of representing people with serious personal injury and malpractice. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Dangerous Products , Medical Malpractice

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The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that a Yelm Man, Thor Aksdal, was arrested after he drove his car the wrong-way on the Interstate-5 near Olympia. The State Patrol said that Aksdal drove his Mercury Mystique north into the southbound lanes, hitting a Chevy Tracker and seriously injuring the driver. The State Patrol arrested Aksdal, who was also injured, for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. The State Patrol closed the I-5 for nearly three hours after the accident.

In Washington State, almost half of all traffic fatalities are caused by drunk drivers. All DUI offenses are gross misdemeanors. RCW 9A.20.021, 46.61.502(5) & 46.61.504(5).

If you have been injured or had a loved one killed due to someone driving while under the influence or alcohol or drugs, you should contact The Farber Law Group. We ill aggressively gather the facts including whether the driver had previous DUI charges, whether a bar or a restaurant illegally served the person or whether the drunk driver was in the course of their employment.

Contact us today for a free case review.

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

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The Seattle Times reports that Chase Anderson of Bellevue, Washington was killed while skateboarding near the University of Washington. Anderson apparently left his studies around 1:30 am in the University District to grab a bite to eat. Traveling westbound on 45th, he ran into the side of an articulated bus at University Way and fell under a wheel. He was pronounced dead at the scene after "suffering crushing head injuries," reports the medical examiner's office. The bus had a green light at the time.

Anderson was a freshman at the University of Washington where he was on the Dean's List and a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He graduated from Bellevue High School in 2007 where he was a leading member of their basketball team. Bellevue High School will hold a candlelit vigil for Anderson in their football stadium tonight at 8:30 pm.

This information was brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. Located in Bellevue, Washington, we represent people with serious personal injuries and wrongful death. Contact us for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Car Accidents , Motor Vehicle Accidents , Pedestrian Accidents

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As cell phones become more and more common, some States have enacted laws regulating their use while driving. In Washington State, text messaging on a cell phone has been banned starting in July 2008 and violators are subject to a $101 ticket. That is because tests show that people talking on a cell phone or text messaging are as impaired as someone who has been abusing drugs or is under the influence of alcohol. In other states, laws regarding the use of the cell phone while driving vary and you can check them at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Often, the use of a cell phone can cause a driver to be inattentive and the cell phone usage can be a significant cause in any accident.

If you are in an accident and you believe that the other driver was talking on a cell phone at the time, here are some steps you should take:

• As in any accident, try to stay calm and then start collecting the facts. Note the time of the accident because this is important if your lawyer needs to look at the other driver's cell phone records. Be sure to mention to the police officers when they arrive at what time the accident occurred.

• Ask witnesses if they saw the driver on the cell phone. Or, when you talk to the other driver, you might ask, "Were you using a cell phone?" If they admit they were, your witnesses may be able to testify to that fact.

• Ask the police officer to check their cell phone, record their cell phone number and the last few calls made and received and note the times of these calls. If the person refuses to let the officer see their phone, then ask the officer to obtain their cell phone number.
  
  

  
  
• After you receive medical attention, be sure to contact an experienced automobile accident attorney who may be able to legally preserve the person's cell phone records and connect them with the time of the accident. This can help you prove your case in court.
  

The Farber Law Group is a Washington law firm with more than 30 years experience in handling auto accident cases. Contact us if you have received serious personal injuries or severe whiplash. We are happy to meet with you and provide a free consultation.

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Posted In: Car Accidents , Motor Vehicle Accidents

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Every day, an average of 100 people across the United States are treated in emergency rooms for construction accidents involving pneumatic nail guns. In a previous posting, we highlighted some of the serious injuries and even deaths caused by the use of the coil type. In that posting, we discussed a wrongful death claim brought by a widow of a man killed while using a coil type of pneumatic gun. In her wrongful death suit, the widow claims that the contact type of gun should be banned from the market. She is not alone as forensic scientists and emergency room doctors alike believe that the sequential type of nail gun is far safer.

Injuries caused by using automatic nail guns include puncture wounds, brain and head injuries, eye injuries and fractured bones. Musculoskeletal injuries include sprains and tendonitis.

Use the following safety tips when operating a nail gun:

• Use the sequential trigger type, not the coil type of tools

• Obtain proper training in the correct use of the tool

• Carry the tool with your finger away from the trigger

• Always assume the tool is loaded

• Don't point the tool at anyone at any time

• Keep your hands out of the way

• Keep a safety zone around you, making sure co-workers do not enter it

• Disconnect the tool before trying to repair it or clear jams

• Wear safety glasses.

If you have been seriously injured while using a nail gun, contact the construction attorneys at The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience in representing people who have been seriously injured or killed while working in the construction trade. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Brain Injury , Construction Accident , Serious Personal Injuries , Wrongful Death

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A 17-year-old girl from Kent, Washington was hit by an Amtrak train today as she walked across the tracks near James Street reported KiroTV.com. There was no crossing signal or barrier on that portion of the tracks.

The girl, who appeared to be talking on a cell phone while she walked, apparently did not notice the oncoming train.

The King County Medical Examiner is conducting an investigation. The name of the girl has not yet been released.

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 , Train Accident , Wrongful Death

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On Friday, two Newport High School students from Bellevue, Washington were involved in a three car collision as they returned from visiting Washington State University reports KIROTV.com.

Taryn L. Gillies, an 18-year-old Newport High senior was killed along with the driver of the car, 56-year-old Matthew Andresen. Injured in the crash were mother and daughter, Deborah K. Turner, 55 and Callie B. Turner, 17. Both Turner women were taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. One other driver was treated at Ritzville Rural hospital but he was not admitted to the hospital.

The accident happened on Highway 26 in Adams County, Washington around 2 p.m.

The cause of the collission has not been specified.

This news has been brought to you by the Washington Injury Attorney Blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a car accident, do not hesitate to contact us immediately. We have more than 30 years experience in representing victims of serious personal injuries.

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Posted In: Car Accidents , Motor Vehicle Accidents

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Washington D.C. -- Two senators have introduced a bill to congress which would require that all stoves sold in the United States be sold with brackets which would prevent them from tipping over. In addition the bill requires that the devices be installed. Over the past twenty years, a hundred people have been seriously injured or killed because a stove tipped over on them. Some stove tipping victims were severely burned due to hot foods and liquids spilling onto them and a few people have been crushed to death by a stove.

U.S. Congressmen Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Vito Fossella (R-NY) presented H.R. 5753 to Congress in April.

In a $546 million class action settlement agreement, Sears has agreed to provide anti-tip devices for free for 4 million stoves that they sold.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured because of a stove tipping, contact The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience in representing the victims of a serious personal injuries due to defective products. Contact us today for a free case consultation.

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Posted In: Burn Injuries , Dangerous Products

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Manuel Murillo died after a nail gun he was using shot a nail 2-1/2 inches into his chest. His wife is now suing the Hitachi-Koki USA for wrongful death claiming that the pneumatic nail gun he was using was "negligently designed, defective and of dangerous character and condition." The Sacramento Bee published a lengthy report written by Andrew McIntosh which investigated nail gun safety and tens of thousands of accidents annually.

In the past decade, injuries due to pneumatic nail guns have increased over 200% according to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study. In the study's five year period, an average of 37,000 patients were treated in hospital emergency rooms every year, an average of 100 every single day. Serious injuries and deaths were reported including nails fired into the brain, loss of an eye and severe damage to a hand.

The Sacramento-Bee story highlighted several other cases besides Murillo's:

• A Truckee man who was treated at Tahoe Forest Hospital for 3-1/4 inch nail embedded in his lung.
• Highway Patrol Officer Ronald Harris Junior was hit in the eye by a nail fired 75 feet away at a construction site as he drove by.
• Eugene Doran won a $15.35 million lawsuit after his spine was severed, causing him to be a quadriplegic after a carpenter in an adjacent store fired a 3-inch nail through the wall.
• Arcadio Rendon won a $60,000 settlement after a nail ricocheted and hit him in the eye. He was a day laborer and said that his employer did not provide safety goggles.
• Miguel Ramierz was shot in the face and suffered a severe head injury.
• Jack Spreduto won a $960,000 lawsuit after a nail went into his hand causing permanent nerve damage.
• Isidiro Lopez had six large nails shot into his head after he and another worker got entangled.

There are two types of nail guns manufactured, sequential and coil. Many people are calling for the band of the coil type which can fire multiple nails sequentially. In an article published in the Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, H.Boulter Kelsey Jr. claims that if the tools were designed differently, with a different center of gravity, many accidents could be prevented. It is believed that the "pressure to produce" and to work faster leads many companies to use the gun that is less safe.

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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A jury in Snohomish Superior Court awarded Paramjit Singh of Mount Vernon, Washington a $40.1 million settlement after a defective medical device burned his heart during surgery. Singh then had to undergo a heart transplant and is forced to take anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life and has other serious health complications including facing a kidney transplant.

Singh underwent a cardiac bypass surgery at Everett Medical Center in 2004 when a device manufactured by Edwards Lifesciences overheated, burning his heart. Singh's heart stopped and could not be restarted. He had to be kept on a medical heart device for weeks until a heart could be found for a transplant.

Singh's lawyers presented evidence to the jury that Edwards Lifescience was aware that the of a potential problem with the device since 1998 but did not recall the device or warn hospitals and patients. Of the damages, $8.35 were punitive. Punitive damages are not generally allowed in Washington Court but the allowed them because Edwards Lifescience is located in California where punitive damages are allowed.

If you or a loved one is seriously injured or killed because of medical malpractice or a defective product, contact The Farber Law Group immediately. We have more than 30 years experience in representing victims of serious personal injury. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Burn Injuries , Dangerous Products , Medical Malpractice

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Highway 527 near the I-5 at the Everett, Washington mall was the scene of a big rig accident reports KiroTV.com. One of the operators of one of the semi trucks was killed at the scene of head-on crash. The condition of the other driver is unknown. Police are investigating whether one of the big trucks ran a red light.

This information is brought to you by the Washington Injury Attorney blog sponsored by The Farber Law Group. If you or a loved one is seriously injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident, contact us for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Motor Vehicle Accidents

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The Garfield High School's girls softball team was involved in a bus crash in the Washington Park Arboretum as they were returning from a game in Kirkland, Washington reported The Seattle Times. Of the 22 students, coach and driver on board, five were taken by ambulance to Harborview Medical Center with neck and back injuries reported the Seattle Fire Department. Later, the remaining passengers were later taken by charter bus to Harborview for evaluation. No serious injuries were reported.

The accident occurred when the private charter bus operated by Journey Lines tried to drive under a 9-foot underpass in the 2100 block of Lake Washington Boulevard East. The bus is 11 feet 8 inches tall. The driver apparently ignored a sign on the overpass that warned of "low clearance. "

The girls reported that glass rained down on them. The roof of the bus was badly damaged and several windows were shattered.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident or suffered from whiplash, contact The Farber Law Group with more than 30 years experience in representing victims of motor vehicle accidents. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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United States Senators Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) presented a bill which is intended to protect the rights of residents of nursing homes, Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act. Increasingly, nursing homes require patients to sign a document stating that they will agree to arbitration to solve any disputes with the nursing home upon entering a nursing home. This closes a patient's options to take other legal actions in cases of abuse or neglect. Senator Kohl said, "Nursing home residents, one of our nation's most vulnerable populations, must not lose their right to hold nursing homes accountable in the event of abuse or neglect."

The bill does not prevent arbitration but ensures that "arbitration is voluntary and not coerced." If the bill passes, nursing home residents will no longer have to sign away their rights in handling disputes prior to entering into a nursing home facility.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury due to nursing home abuse or neglect, do not hesitate to contact The Farber Law Group. At The Farber Law Group, we are experienced in handling nursing home abuse cases. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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Posted In: Nursing Home Neglect

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The Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA) announced that the will be testing for additional strains of E.coli. Last Fall, Kayla Boner, an Iowa teenager died of a common E.coli bacteria that the FDA does not routinely test for. Since the early 1990's, the FDA's testing has been for the 0157:H7 strain of the bacteria. Since Boner's death, the FDA has decided to test for other strains including the 0111 bacterial that killed Boner.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that E.coli 0157 infections sicken 73,000 people a year and kills about 60. Other strains, however, can also be deadly. The FDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that they will begin to focus on six other E.coli bacteria: 026, 0111, 0103, 0121, 045 and 0145. FSIS executive associate, Elizabeth Hagen, says these groups of E.coli may be responsible for up to 75% of the non-0157:H7 illness.

The start date for the new testing has not yet been announced.

Foodborne illness can cause serious illness and sometimes death, especially in pregnant women, young children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly. Complications can include severe hydration and shutdown of major organs like the kidneys.

If you or a loved one has been hospitalized or become severely ill due to food poisoning, you should contact a personal injury attorney with expertise in the field. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience in representing victims of foodborne illness. Contact us today for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Foodborne Illness

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The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that the Washington State Patrol is making a concerted effort to convince drivers not to carry unsecured loads; they will be ticketing drivers if they catch them on a trip to the dump or moving household goods, etc. if the load is not properly tied down. According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, every year there is an average of 400 accidents in Washington State caused by road debris, and some of these accidents result in serious personal injury and even death. RCW 46.61.655 is the Revised Code of Washington which outlines the penalties for carrying an unsecured load. Drivers can expect fines of $216 for unsecured loads. If an unsecured load injures someone, you may be fined $5,000 and be sentenced to a year in jail.

The case of Maria Federici, a Renton resident, brought the dangers of unsecured loads to the forefront. Federici was awarded $15.5 million by a King County jury after she was blinded and disfigured by furniture that crashed into her car when it flew out of a rented U-Haul trailer.

The State Patrol asks that if you have witnessed or been a victim of objects that have fallen off of a vehicle, you should call 911 immediately.

View Secure Your Load Video which was produced by the Washington State Department of Ecology. It tells the story of Maria Federici and other drivers who have been seriously injured due to flying debris.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed by debris from an unsecured load, you need to contact a personal injury attorney immediately. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience in representing people with serious injuries and wrongful death. Contact us today for a free case consultation. You are entitled to compensation for your medical costs and for consideration of future medical costs.

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Posted In: Car Accidents , Motor Vehicle Accidents , Serious Personal Injuries

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