Washington Injury Attorney Blog

The Wenatchee World reports that Joshua D. Putnam, 31, of East Wenatchee was killed near Entiat in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. Putnam, who was a kindergarten teacher at Robert E. Lee Elementary School in East Wenatchee, was motorcycle riding with his father on a U.S. Forest Service road when he hit a fallen tree. The tree, which was hidden by a shrub, struck him in the groin area. Putnam had abdominal injuries and it also appeared that he may have suffered cardiac arrest.

Putnam was a highly regarded elementary teacher in his first permanent position.

This information was brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured or killed in motorcycle accidents caused by the reckless actions of others. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

See our Motorcycle Resources.

The Wenatchee World reports that Craig J. Elsner fractured his lower back in a bicycle versus car accident near Chelan on Highway 97A.

The accident occurred around 9:20 am. Elsner, age 40, collided with a car driven by 79-year-old Tommy G. Thompson when Thompson abruptly turned into a driveway in front of him according to The Washington State Patrol. According to The Wenatchee World, Thompson has been charged with "making an unsafe U-turn."

Elsner was taken to Lake Chelan Community Hospital for treatment.

Every year, approximately 540,000 bicyclists are treated in Emergency Rooms. Many times bicyclists have suffered minor scrapes and bruises but they also suffer serious personal injuries including head injuries, brain injuries and spinal cord damage. Bicyclists injured in an accident with a car may be entitled to compensation for injuries and damages caused by the accident including medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, contact The Farber Law Group. Our attorneys have more than 30 years experience in representing bicycle accident victims.

We handle bicycle accident cases on a contingent fee basis. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

GREAT BODILY HARM:

An injury to a person which causes serious and permanent disfigurement, permanent loss or impairment of any bodily function or organ, or leads to death.

The Farber Law Group represents people with serious personal injuries and wrongful death claims. Our practices areas include: wrongful death; serious personal injuries; motor vehicle accidents; malpractice; nursing home neglect and abuse; burn injuries; traumatic brain injury; spinal cord injury; dangerous products; slip, trip and fall; foodborne illness; construction accidents. Contact us today for a free case consultation.

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SUBSTANTIAL BODILY HARM:

An injury to a person which is temporary in nature but causes significant disfigurement, loss or impairment of the body or organ, or which causes any broken bone.

The Farber Law Group represents people with serious personal injuries and wrongful death claims. Our practices areas include: wrongful death; serious personal injuries; motor vehicle accidents; malpractice; nursing home neglect and abuse; burn injuries; traumatic brain injury; spinal cord injury; dangerous products; slip, trip and fall; foodborne illness; construction accidents. Contact us today for a free case consultation.

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Posted In: Injury and Accident Glossary

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The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that a Seattle construction worker was injured when a sledgehammer fell 15 feet and hit him in the head. The man was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where he was said to be "conscious and alert," according to Seattle Fire Deputy Chief Jim Fosse.

The accident occurred near the intersection of Virginia Street and Eighth Avenue. The man was working 40 feet below ground at the time of the accident. A construction crane was used to raise the man to waiting medical personnel.

This information was brought to you by the Washington Injury Blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. As experienced Seattle construction attorneys, we will work to make sure you are fully compensated for your injuries, loss of wages, and pain and suffering.

Tell us about your case by filling in the contact form. Our consultation is free.

A 32-year-old man was arrested and booked on investigation of vehicular assault after he hit a 56-year-old woman with his van on Fifth Avenue South and South Jackson street reports The Seattle Post Intelligencer. Police believe he may have been intoxicated at the time of the accident.

Police say that the woman was struck at 12:30pm. The unidentified woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with "life threatening" injuries.

In Washington State, RCW 46.61.522 is Vehicular Assault. A driver can be charged with vehicular assault if someone is seriously injured and the driver was found to be driving recklessly, under the influence of drugs or alcohol or without regard for the safety of others.

Even though the State charges a driver with a crime, the victim may still file a claim in civil court to recoup damages for pain and suffering as well as medical costs. In this case, the victim needs to hire a Seattle car accident attorney.

This information was brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are your Seattle car accident attorney group. We represent people who have suffered serious personal injuries such as whiplash, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury due to car accidents.

Contact us today for a free case consultation.

The Everett HeraldNet reports that a woman was struck by a car at the intersection of Highway 99 and 188th Street SW in Lynnwood.

The woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where she is being treated for serious personal injuries.

Marybeth O'Leary, a spokeswoman for the Lynnwood fire department, said the unidentified woman is in her 30's and that the accident is being investigated.

If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, you should contact the Bellevue-based personal injury attorney at The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience in representing people with serious personal injuries including car accident victims, bicycle accident victims and pedestrian accident victims.

Contact us today for a free case consultation.

In one of the most egregious medical malpractice cases, the The Seattle Times report says that medical staff re-used single dosage vials of sedative medication on more than one patient, passing Hepatitis C infections between patients.

The CDC has said that 84 patients have contracted Hepatitis C from the clinic and the number could be potentially far greater. They say that 50,000 patients should be tested.

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease that infects the liver. 80% of the time the disease can by asymptomatic -- without symptoms -- and even without symptoms it can cause liver damage including cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. Click here for the CDC's hepatitis fact sheet.

In the case of a patient contracting Hepatitis C as a result of bad medical practices, the medical malpractice attorney could prove that the health care provider negligently treated a patient. In Washington state malpractice cases the "standard of care" provides that a health care provider is negligent if he or she “failed to exercise that degree of care, skill, and learning expected of a reasonably prudent health care provider at that time in the profession or class to which he belongs, in the state of Washington, acting in the same or similar circumstances” and “such failure was a proximate cause of the injury complained of.” RCW 7.70.040(1), (2).

If you are injured due to a negligent health care provider you should contact a medical malpractice attorney. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience in representing victims of negligent doctors and other help care providers. We can help you recover compensation for your injuries.

Contact us for a free case consultation.

Click here for our Medical Malpractice Resources.

Our recent posting highlighted the kick-off of the National Safe Boating Week campaign that educates boaters to wear life jackets (PFDs). The Seattle Times reports that four Oregon men should have paid heed to the campaign because Clackamas County, Oregon authorities have cited them $242 each after they were in a boating accident on the Sandy River. The four men's rafts capsized and they managed to get to safety but they were cited for not wearing life jackets.

The National Safe Boating week campaign is partnering with several events in Western Washington:

• Vessel Safety Check in Bellingham on May 3
• 3rd Annual Boater's Fair at the BI Commons & City Dock on May 10
• US Power Squadron Boating Course in Lacey on May 17
• Boating Safety Course in Bellingham on May 17
• Safe Boating Week - Lake Chelan Boat Club, Manson on May 17
• Boating Safety Course at the Squalicum Yacht Club, Bellingham on June 14
• Boating Safety Course at the Squalicum Yacht Club in Bellingham on September 13

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured due to a boating accident, contact the boating accident attorneys at The Farber Law Group. We are experienced in maritime law and Washington State laws as they relate to injuries you have suffered. In the case of a fatal boating accident the family is entitled to compensation for the loss of a loved one. Contact us today for a free case consultation.

Additional Resources:

• When should I report a boating accident?
  
• Boating Safety Tips
  
• Boating resources

With warmer weather this weekend in Western Washington, boaters will likely be out on Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, Lake Chelan and the waters of the Puget Sound. The warm weather coincides with the National Safe Boating Week (NSBW) which is designated from May 17-23, 2008. The message of the campaign is boating safety and encourage people to wear personal flotation devices (PFDs), or life jackets.

In Washington state there are approximately 20-30 boating accident fatalities and 4,000 injuries from watercraft mishaps a year. Accidents can happen when operating a jetski, a motor boat or a sailboat.

The National Safe Boating Week posts many local events sponsored by various organizations including the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. These events include:

• May 3 - Vessel Safety Check - Bellingham
  
• May 10 - 3rd Annual Boater's Fair - BI Commons & City Dock
  
• May 17 - US Power Squadron Boating Course - Lacey
  
• May 17 - Boating Safety Course - Bellingham
  
• May 17 - Safe Boating Week - Lake Chelan Boat Club, Manson
  
• June 14 - Boating Safety Course - Squalicum Yacht Club, Bellingham
  
• September 13 - Boating Safety Course - Squalicum Yacht Club, Bellingham

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured due to a boating accident, contact The Farber Law Group. We are experienced in maritime law and Washington State laws as they relate to injuries you have suffered. In the case of a fatal boating accident the family is entitled to compensation for the loss of a loved one. Contact us today for a free case consultation.

Additional Resources:

• When should I report a boating accident?
  
• Boating Safety Tips
  
• Boating resources

The Seattle Times reports that a four-year-old Sammamish boy was run over by a car in his pre-school parking lot. The pedestrian accident occurred around noon at a church in the 14400 block of Northeast Eighth Street when a man driving a Toyota Corolla apparently backed over the boy.

The boy was taken to Harbor View Medical Center in Seattle where he was treated for scrapes and bruises. Bellevue Police Officer Greg Grannis said it was remarkable that the toddler had no serious injuries, "Considering he was actually run over by a car -- not just knocked down, but the tires ran over his pelvis."

The Renton man who hit the boy will not be charged since the accident occurred on private property. He did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs and he voluntarily gave police a blood sample.

This information was provided to you by the Washington Injury Attorney Blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in pedestrian accidents. If you or a loved one was a pedestrian and was seriously injured in an accident, contact The Farber Law Group immediately.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

KOMOTV.com in Seattle, Washington reports that a test by Consumer Reports finds that the Broil King Signet 90 BBQ grill, manufactured by Onward Manufacturing Company Ltd. of Canada is an unsafe product.

Consumer Reports purchased several of the King Signet grills and found that "the firebox on the grill melted." KOMOTV.com reports that the editors of Consumer Reports declare that, "Broil King Signet 90 is a dangerous product and you should not buy or use [one]."

Onward Manufacturing Company has placed a recall on the product and provides consumers with a replacement baffle that they can install which should keep the firebox from melting. View the recall notice here: http://www.broilkingbbq.com/notice_us.html

Thousands of consumers are seriously injured every year by dangerous products. In Washington State, a statute called "Washington Products Liability Act" or WPLA. RCW 7.72 sets forth the legal rules concerning a manufacturers' responsibility for manufacture and sale of defective or dangerous products. These rules sometimes make it easier for an injured person to recover damages. The statue of limitations on liability cases can be up to 12 years.

This information has been brought to you as a service of Washington Personal Injury, a service of The Farber Law Group. If you or a loved one was injured as a result of a defective or dangerous product, contact The Farber Law Group. 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.

Dangerous Products Internet Resources