Washington Injury Attorney Blog

The Wenatchee World reports that for people were injured in a two-car accident on Highway 28 near Rock Island and eight miles east of East Wenatchee. All four were taken to Central Washington Hospital for treatment.

According to the report, Eugene P. Doyl, age 66, of Rockland failed to yield the right of way as he made a left turn from Highway 28 to Rock Island Drive. He ran into a Malibu driven by Cheryl L. Wood, 54 of Newport. Wood had three passengers in her car, Linda J. Tieaskie, age 64 of Spokane; Joshua A. McCoy, age 28 of Spokane; and Link Y Miles, age 46 of Spokane.

Wood and her passengers all suffered from neck and back pain after the motor vehicle accident. Doyl was apparently not injured.

Both vehicles were totaled in the car accident.

Vehicle Code RCW 46.61.185 states that the driver of a vehicle intending to turn left shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction which is within the intersection or so close thereto as to constitute an immediate hazard.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents, including whiplash injuries. With our help, you may recover compensation for your injuries including pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com to discuss your case. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Seattle Times reports that a 22-year-old Leavenworth man was killed in a single-car accident on U.S. Route 2 near Skykomish.

According to the report, the man, who was headed eastbound on Highway 2, ran off the highway and hit a tree around 4:30am. He was pronounced dead at the accident scene.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent car accident victims and their families.

Contact The Farber Law Group for a free and confidential case evaluation.

Seattle's KOMO News.com reports that Miriam T. Snyder, age 44, of Bremerton was killed in a motorcycle-car accident in Kitsap County.

According to the report, Snyder was riding with another motorcyclist east on Highway 308 near Scandia road when a Chevy Trailblazer driven by a 22-year-old Silverdale woman abruptly made a left-hand turn in front of the two motorcyclists. Snyder ran into the Trailblazer and was killed. Her companion was able to lay down his motorcycle to avoid an accident.

It is the duty of a driver making a left turn to yield the right of way to any approaching vehicle. The driver must exercise caution and maintain a margin of safety for any on coming motorist.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents and motorcycle accidents and the families of those killed. In Washington State, the families of a person who was killed due another person's negligent actions may file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of their deceased loved.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

A University of Washington student is in Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with "serious" injuries after a fall from a 3rd story window.

According to KOMO News.com, the 22-year-old man was under the influence of alcohol when he fell from the Sigma Chi fraternity house at 4505 18th Avenue NE in Seattle.

There were two falls from University of Washington fraternity houses in 2008. In June of 2008, Kevin MacDonald, age 21, died after at fall at the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. In May of 2008, a 20-year-old student was seriously injured after falling from the roof of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house.

Falls can be life threatening and those that survive can suffer from traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage. We wish this injured young man the best.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people with serious personal injuries and the families of those killed.

To contact The Farber Law Group, phone us at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Seattle Times reports that a drug-addicted nurse from Fall City, Washington pleaded guilty to product tampering in U.S. District Court in Seattle today. She faces a 10 year prison sentence and a fine of up to $250,000.
Drea Lynne Gibson, a 43-year-old registered nurse, worked at the Plastic Surgery Center in Bellevue for five years. Gibson apparently tampered with ampules of Demerol and fentanyl to acquire the drug to feed her drug addiction. She replaced the drugs with saline solution which was then given to patients who had undergone surgery and required pain treatment.

According to the report, Gibson was fired from the clinic in November 17th. Empty Demerol ampules and Super Glue, which she used to seal the saline into the ampules to replace the narcotic drugs, was discovered in the recovery room.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury attorney firm who represents people who have been seriously injured by medical malpractice.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Washington State Patrol announced that there were four car accident fatalities in Washington State over the long Memorial Day weekend. In 2008, there were only three car accident fatalities.

The car accident deaths occurred in Yakima County, Pierce County and Thurston County. There were no car accident deaths or serious injuries in King County. There were no motorcycle accident fatalities.

Killed over the weekend were:

• Linda Harden, age 56, on Upper Nile Road in Yakima County
• Anthony McDonald, age 33, on State Route 7 near State Route 512 in Pierce County
• Jueventino Arredondo, age 45, on Emerald Road in Yakima County
• Natalie McLaughlin, age 22, on State Route 12 in Thurston County

The Patrol said that drunk driving arrests were less than last year. They made 320 arrests this year compared to 345 arrests this year.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents and the families of those killed.

The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience representing accident victims in the Pacific Northwest and we have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you. Contact us at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail .

On May 31st, 2009 a new Colorado state law goes into effect, the Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act, reports The Gazette in Colorado Springs. This new law requires that physicians complete a physician profile which includes any malpractice actions, certain business dealings, disciplinary actions and crimes on a searchable database provided to medical consumers and patients by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

The law was spearheaded by Patty Skolnik whose 22-year-old son suffered brain damage and paralysis after a botched and unnecessary brain surgery. He died 32 months after the surgery. Skolnik made this bill her crusade after she realized that the physician who operated on her son had bounced from state-to-state because of a pattern of medical malpractice. Had she known about his track record, she would have chosen a different physician for her son.
The Colorado Medical Society supports this new law and helped craft the final version of it.

Some physicians are concerned about profiles which list medical malpractice suits. They say that sometimes they settle suits as a business decision instead of going through a lengthy malpractice trial.

Skolnik's goal with this law is to "empower consumers," not to punish doctors.

Colorado joins 21 states and Washington D.C. to have a transparency laws.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured by medical malpractice and the families of those killed. Medical malpractice can take many forms including failure to diagnose, pharmaceutical errors, a botched surgery or a birth injury. With our help, you may recover compensation for your injuries.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Seattle Times reports that James Michael Wallace, age 42, of Forks, Washington was killed in a logging accident on Price of Wales Island in Alaska.

According to the report, Wallace was fatally injured when he was hit by a piece of equipment in cutting area. Wallace was working at the Phoenix Logging operation on Dall Island when he was killed.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured and the families of those killed in construction or on-the-job accidents.

Contact The Farber Law Group, a personal injury law firm, with more than 30 years experience in the Pacific Northwest. We handle accident cases on a contingent fee basis; you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

A pedestrian was taken to Harborview Medical Center for observation after the sidewalk he was on collapsed and causing him to fall 10' into a hole leaving him trapped for well over an hour reports Northwest News and Weather, NWCN.com.

The slip, trip and fall accident occurred at the Washington Street boat launch near Pier 48 on Alaskan Way South in Seattle around 7:45 am. Rescue workers from the Seattle fire department had to shore up the walls of the hole before they could pull the man to safety using ropes, a crane and a harness.

The man, who was in his 60s, complained of back pain after the accident.

Apparently, the tide undermined the seawall and the sidewalk.

The Washington State Department of Transportation is investigating the accident and trying to determine if other areas of the sidewalk are unsafe.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been injured in slip, trip and fall accidents. Often, slip trips and falls can result in serious injuries including head trauma, broken bones, and muscle and ligament injury. Often the causes of these types of accidents are the negligence of the property owner. State law requires property owners to keep their property free from hazards and to repair sidewalks and potholes.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of a property owner, you should seek the counsel of an experienced personal injury attorney. The Farber Law Group, with offices in Seattle and Bellevue have more than 30 years experience. Contact us at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com.

The Washington State Patrol, in a media release, reports that they will have 25 extra state troopers on King County highways over the Memorial Day weekend between May 22 through May 25.

The troopers will be vigilant to find drivers who are speeding, driving under the influence or otherwise impaired, and drivers who are not using seatbelts. In addition, the troopers will be looking for signs of aggressive driving. Aggressive driving can include the following behaviors:

• Tailgating
  
• Speeding
  
• Honking the horn
  
• Flashing head lights
  
• Braking suddenly to annoy following drivers
  
• Passing traffic and the slowing down
  
• Speeding to beat red lights

The WSP is committed to keeping the roads safe and to prevent car accidents over the Memorial Day holiday.

This information is brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured and the families of those killed in car accidents.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car accident, contact the personal injury law firm with more than 30 years experience representing car accident victims and their families. Call The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Seattle's KING5.com reports that a crane operator was injured and taken to the hospital after the crane he was operating toppled, trapping him inside the cab.

The construction accident occurred near Chehalis, Washington just off of the Interstate 5 on Tuesday. Chehalis is a town about 60 miles south of Tacoma. The 40-ton crane went apparently went onto a soft shoulder which resulted in the crane toppling.

The crane operator's injuries were not disclosed but he was lucid enough to call 9-1-1 from his cab and he told the 9-1-1 operators that he was in a lot of pain.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in construction and work-related accidents.

The Farber Law Group is a personal injury attorney law firm with more than 30 years experience in the Northwest and offices in Seattle and Bellevue. Contact us at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com.

The City of Bellevue provides quite a few services for senior citizens and elderly residents of the city. In addition, Bellevue TV, Channel 21, spotlights Elder Abuse every Tuesday with a program that airs 12:00pm, 4pm and 8pm.

June 15th is the 4th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and it sponsored by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. The INPEA recognizes elder abuse as a "public health and human rights issue."

Elder abuse and nursing home neglect can take many forms but it is often seen in the form of neglect, financial exploitation and emotional abuse. Often the abuse is committed by someone close to the victim including family members, care givers, nursing home staff or a person in a position of trust.

Warning signs of elder abuse and neglect can take many forms but can include:

• unexplained physical injuries
  
• frequent bladder infections
  
• falls or frequent "accidents"
  
• deteriorating health and hygiene
  
• bedsores or decubitus ulcers
  
• change in emotional state

If you believe a elderly friend, neighbor or someone you know is being abused, call the State Protective Services hot line at 1-866-END-HARM or call the police at 9-1-1 and ask them to perform a "Welfare Check." Police officers are trained to detect elder abuse.

The City of Bellevue also has a Aging Services department; They can be reached at 425-452-4200 or see their web-site at http://www.bellevuewa.gov/north_bellevue_community_center_programs.htm. Or, for Senior Information and assistance in King Count call 1-888-435-3377 or www.seniorservices.org and non-profit organization service older adults and seniors.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury law firm with offices in Seattle and Bellevue and we specialize in representing the victims of elder abuse, including nursing home residents, and their families.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 for a free and confidential case evaluation. We represent our clients on a contingent fee basis. This means that you pay nothing unless we obtain a settlement for you.

For more information, see our Nursing Home & Elder Abuse Resources.

The Seattle Times reports that several people who were injured when an Amtrak train derailed near Stevenson, Washington in 2005 have reached a financial settlement with Amtrak.

Emma Madrid Diaz (age 59 of Kennewick), Nancy C . Zamudi (age 22 of Pasco), Maria Madrid (age 40 of Richland) and Carlos Madrid (age 23 of Richland) and four unnamed minors reached a settlement in mediated negotiations according to the report.

These eight were among the 26 people injured when a westbound Amtrak train derailed on April 3, 2005 in the Columbia River gorge, east of Portland.

According to an Amtrak attorney, the total of all settlements in the accident are under $1 million dollars.

One lawsuit is still pending, that of Christopher Blankenship, age 36.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in accidents due to the negligence of another person including people who were hurt in car accidents, train accidents and construction accidents.

The Farber Law Group is a Washington-based personal injury law firm with offices in Seattle and Bellevue. Contact us at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com.

The Yakima Herald reports that James W. Lull, age 60 of Kirkland, was killed in a one-vehicle collision just north of Selah, Washington. Lull was a target of a bench warrant after he failed to appear at a sentencing hearing in Hawaii's Federal Court. He had plead guilty to wire fraud and was facing up to 20 years in prison for his participation in a ponzi scheme that was said to have bilked more than $20 million from victims.

Lull's body was found in the wreckage of his car at the bottom of a large canyon near Selah. A semi-truck driver spotted the wreckage and contacted the Washington State Patrol. A trooper climbed down the canyon and found Lull dead. According to preliminary investigation, the car accident occurred between 24-48 hours before the wreckage was spotted.

The car accident may have been suicide. Lull apparent drove off of Interstate 82, drove across an open field, through a freeway fence and drove another 50-100 feet before falling 200 feet to the canyon floor. Lull was wearing his seat belt but it appears he was accelerating as he drove across the field.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury law firm with offices in Seattle and Bellevue.

Contact us to discuss your personal injury case.

The Washington State Patrol (WSP), along with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, was named "Best Dressed" in an award given by the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors.

This is the second year in a row that the WSP has won the award.

The WSP is a very professional cadre of men and women who work very hard to make Washington's roads and ferries safe and prevent and respond to motor vehicle accidents.

The Patrol has approximately 600 troopers who patrol the highways every day. The WSP also employs about 1,000 civilian employees.

Congratulations to the Washington State Patrol! The uniforms provide a professional appearance to a professional group.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents and the families of those killed.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Seattle's KOMONews.com reports that a Quilcene man, age 51, was hit and killed on Highway 101 while riding his bicycle. The bicycle accident occurred approximately four miles south of Discovery Bay.

Washington State Patrol trooper Krista Hedstrom said that the bicyclist veered in the path of a Ford Mustang driven by a 47-year-old Quilcene man. The driver of the Mustang tried to avoid the bicyclist but was unable.

The WSP did not issue a citation to the driver.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured car accidents, bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents and the families of those killed.

For a free and confidential case evaluation, contact The Farber Law Group.

Safe Kids USA, an organization whose aim it is to prevent accidental injury and death among children, issued a report on their anniversary entitled Report to the Nation: Trends in Unintentional Childhood Injury Mortality and Parental Views on Child Safety. The good news in the report is that accidental deaths due to injury are down in children ages 14 and under by 45% in the past 22 years.

Accidental injuries are the number one cause of death in children. Many accidental deaths are especially tragic because they could have been prevented.

According to the report statistics, in 2005, accidental injuries caused the deaths of 5,162 children ages 14 and under. In 2006, 6.2 million children were seen in hospital Emergency Rooms because of accidental injuries.

Causes of Injury Death

The four leading causes of accidental injury death are:

1. suffocation -- 19%
   
2. motor vehicle accident -- 16%
   
3. drowning -- 16%
   
4. pedestrian accident -- 11%

Report Findings

The report found that parents and caregivers could still be doing more in preventing accidental injury.

• 58% of parents are concerned about their children getting involved in a serious accident.
  
• Many parents still don't take precautions which could prevent accidental death including requiring their children to wear bike helmets and having fire extinguishers at home.
  
• 31% of parents do not consistently require their children to sit in the rear seat of the car
  
• 24% of parents do not consistently supervise their children around water
  
• 18% of parents do not require children 10 and under to only cross streets with an adult present

Accidental death rates have decreased in every area except for suffocation accidents which have actually increased 21%.

Children that survive any accident such as suffocation, near-drowning or car accidents may have permanent and severe disabilities that affects them for the rest of their life. Providing for their medical and educational needs is paramount.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent accident victims and their families. With our help, you may recover compensation for your child's injuries which can provide them the medical, educational and financial support they deserve if their injury is due to the negligence of a 3rd party.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

An Edmonds man, Chris Harris, is in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with a traumatic brain injury after police chased and tackled him, and he fell hitting his head reports The Seattle Times.

The incident occurred around 1am on Sunday when a witness mistakenly identified Harris as a suspect in a Belltown neighborhood stabbing and beating. Police chased Harris and for some reason, he ran. When police caught up with him, they tackled him and his head slammed into a concrete wall causing multiple skull fractures to the front of his head.

Harris is listed in critical condition and is unconscious and may not survive.

Harris' stepfather, Todd Keeling of Mountlake Terrace, said the family has viewed a videotape of Harris' arrest. He said it appears as if Harris had stopped running when he was tackled.

Harris is married and works at Arnies Restaurant in Edmonds. He grew up in Seattle and Olympia and had attended the Seattle Art Institute, according to the report in The Times.

Harris' family have hired an attorney.

Police are reviewing the video of the pursuit and tackle of Harris.

In a case like this, we recommend that a family contact a qualified and experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. An experienced attorney can protect the injured person's legal interest and make sure that his/her rights are protected.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. Our firm represents victims of serious injuries and families in wrongful death actions.

Contact us for a free and confidential case evaluation.

The 2009 National Safe Boating Week kicks off on May 16th. This year's theme is Life Jacket Safety. The slogan for the week is, "Wear it!"

According to U.S. Coast Guard boating accident statistics:

• In 2007, 90% of drowning victims in boating accidents were not wearing life jackets.
  
• Nearly 70% boating accident deaths are attributed to drowning.

Boating safety experts encourage every boater to wear a life jacket consistently while boating. Just like seat belts have decreased car accident deaths, life jackets reduce boating accident deaths.

The Executive Director of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), John Johnson, wants to get the message out that life "jackets" are no longer bulky and orange. Old style models are being replaced with attractive styles which are compact, lightweight and attractive. Some styles resemble a pair of suspenders or are inflatable and some even have built in walkie-talkies.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in boating accidents and the families of those killed. If your boating accident was caused by the negligence of another person or due to poorly designed boating equipment, we can help. We are a personal injury firm with offices in Seattle and Bellevue.

Boating accidents can and do occur on Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, Tapps Lake, Lake Chelan and the water of the Puget Sound.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com.

CNN.com posted a report about Wal-Mart's agreement with the District Attorneys Office Long Island, New York to pay $2 million , including $1.5 million for community programs and $400K to reimburse people injured in a "Black Thursday" shopping stampede to get into a Wal-Mart the day after Thanksgiving in lieu of criminal penalties.

To recap the story, Wal-Mart in Nassau County was the scene of a melee the day after Thanksgiving when approximately 2,000 people rushed through the doors at the store's opening, knocking more than a dozen people to the floor and trampling a store employee, Jdimytai Damour, of Jamaica to death. In addition to Damour's death, four other people were injured including a pregnant woman. Damour was 34 years of age and 6'5" and weighed 270 pounds. He died of asphyxiation when the crowd ran over him. He was a temporary employee and had only worked at the store for a week.

In the agreement with the DA's office, Wal-Mart has agreed to change their safety programs and to implement crowd management techniques which are used at events like the Super Bowl or Olympic Games.

In reading this article, I just wondered how the wrongful death lawsuit was gong that was initiated by Damour's family. In their lawsuit, the family claims that Wal-Mart was negligent in not providing adequate security and  "engaged in specific marketing and advertising techniques to specifically attract a large crowd and create an environment of frenzy and mayhem and was otherwise careless, reckless and negligent."

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury attorney firm with offices in Seattle and Bellevue, Washington. We represent families of victims of boat accidents, car accidents, construction accidents, and other accidents whose death was caused by the negligence of another person.

Washington State's wrongful death statute allows the surviving spouse, child or parent to bring forth a lawsuit on behalf of their deceased loved one.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com.

A 52-year-old nursing home aide, Robert Gundersen, has been charged with felony sex abuse, misdemeanor forcible touching and misdemeanor third-degree sex abuse for his actions at a Troy, New York nursing home. The sexual abuse in this case was against a 78-year-old patient and took place between December 2007 and January 2008. He also faces charges stemming from incidents at another nursing home in the area.

The charges against Gundersen are part of Governor Cuomo's crackdown and investigation of nursing home abuse in New York which utilizes hidden cameras at nursing homes throughout New York State.

With the growing older population, nursing home abuse and neglect is becoming more common and sexual abuse is not unheard of. In this case, the accused, was employed by a staffing agency that was contracted by the nursing home. Lack of supervision and over-staffing may have been factors in the reason why his actions went undetected.

Other types of nursing home abuse and neglect includes:

• sexual assault
• physical assault
• financial abuse including theft and misappropriating assets
• medical malpractice including treatment, medication errors and restraints
• neglect which includes falls, malnutrition, bedsores and lack of supervision

The Farber Law Group, an experienced personal injury law firm in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area, represents nursing home patients and their families. We have 30 years experience and have obtained compensation for our clients for their medical costs and for their pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group today for a free consultation.

The Seattle Times reports that the City Manager of Burien, Mark Martin, has been charged with driving under the influence. Martin was arrested on April 19th in Burien after he ran his car off the road.

According to the report, Martin refused to perform a field sobriety test or a preliminary breath test. After his arrest, he also refused a Breathalyzer test.

Washington State Law RCW 46.25.110 states that blood alcohol tests may be administered at the direction of a police officer if he/she has probable cause to believe that the driver was operating their vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drug. If a person refuses to submit to the test, they will be disqualified from operating a motor vehicle for a period of at least one year.

This is not the first alcohol-related offense for Martin. In 2005, he pled guilt to an alcohol-involved hit-and-run accident.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Accident Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured and the families of those killed by drunken drivers.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com for a free and confidential case evaluation.

More than 600 pedestrians have been killed in pedestrian-car accidents in Washington State in the past eight years. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reported that 611 pedestrians were hit and killed by motor vehicles in the years between the years 1993 and 2000.

The motorist is not usually at fault when a pedestrian is killed. In the study by the WTSC, they found that in more than 500 of the pedestrian accident deaths, the pedestrian was in the auto's portion of the roadway. While motorists must abide by the law, pedestrians should also walk smartly and avoid behaviors which risk their own safety.

Factors in Pedestrian Accident Deaths

• Pedestrian in the roadway -- Two lane roads are the most dangerous for pedestrians. Of the 600 pedestrian accident deaths, 455 of the pedestrians who were killed were walking on two-lane roads. It is incumbent on pedestrians to walk off the roadway to avoid being hit. If the speed limit on the road is above 25 miles per hours, the chance of death is greatly increased.
  
• Time of day -- The time of day increases significantly the risk of a pedestrian being killed. Only one-third of pedestrian accident deaths occur during day light hours. Pedestrians should wear light colored or reflective clothing in the evening and night time hours. Pedestrians should also walk facing traffic, in lighted intersections, adhere to traffic signals and cross streets only in marked crosswalks.
  
• Alcohol -- In 25% of all pedestrian deaths, the pedestrian had a blood alcohol content (BAC) above the legal limit for driving. Pedestrians who are under the influence may not make the smartest decisions in where they walk.
  
• Age -- The pedestrian's age is also a huge factor in pedestrian accident deaths. Often the very young do not understand the dangers of where they are walking and small children are apt to run out in a street in front of oncoming traffic. The elderly also have a higher rate of being hit in pedestrian accidents because they are not as nimble.

Remember that pedestrian safety is every one's business. If you are a pedestrian, make smart decisions about where you walk and make sure you look both ways, listen for oncoming traffic and make eye contact with motorists so you will not be a pedestrian accident victim.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in pedestrian accidents because of the negligence of another person. With our help, you may recover compensation for you damages including medical costs and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group today for a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Washington State Patrol is seeking anyone with information regarding a hit-and-run car accident on Highway 18 that left a 21-year-old Maple Valley woman injured in the early morning hours of May 5.

According to a report in the Tacoma The News Tribune, the Maple Valley woman was driving her 2007 Ford Mustang on eastbound Highway 18 near Auburn. Apparently, she collided with another vehicle going in the same direction and her car crashed on the off ramp to State Route 516. The vehicle she collided with, which may have been a flatbed or utility truck, left the accident scene.

The injured woman was taken to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center for treatment of her injuries.

The WSP is asking anyone with information about the car accident to call the State Patrol at 425-401-7788.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents and the families of those killed.

Contact The Farber Law Group for a free and confidential case evaluation. We represent accident victims on a contingent fee basis, that means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has just awarded its TOP SAFETY PICK award to the Mercedes R class SUV and the Lincoln MKZ a midsize luxury car. The Top Safety Pick award was given to 2009 R class models built after September 2008 and 2010 MKZ models.

The Top Safety Pick award is only given to vehicles which have the highest rating of good in front, side, and rear crash tests and they must also be equipped with electronic stability control

The IIHS sets their Top Safety Pick standards high to encourage continued safety improvements.

See Mercedes crash results here. See Lincoln models crash results here.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in auto accidents and the families of those killed.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a media release stating that consumers should stop using Hydroxycut Products, dietary supplements, linked to at least one death and associated with severe liver damage in some people because they may be dangerous products. The Hyroxycut products are some of the best-selling weight-loss products with more than nine million units in sales in 2008.

The FDA says they have received 23 reports of "serious health problems [associated with the product]" including jaundice and elevated liver enzymes. These two symptoms are linked with potential liver damage which might require a transplant. Other symptoms associated with the use of this supplement include cardiovascular disorders and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage which can result in other serious health problems including kidney failure.

Hydroxycut products are made by lovate Health Sciences Inc., of Oakville, Ontario and are distributed by lovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell, N.Y. The dietary supplements are marketed for weight loss, as fat burners, as low carbohydrate diet aids and for water loss using "Muscle Tech" and lovate brand names. The FDA warns consumers not to use any of the following items and to return them for a refund:

• Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
• Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
• Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
• Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
• Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
• Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
• Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
• Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
• Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
• Hydroxycut 24
• Hydroxycut Carb Control
• Hydroxycut Natural

lovate has agreed to recall these products. Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia products are not being recalled because they have different ingredients.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have suffered serious illness due to dangerous products and the families of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your injuries including medical costs and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Seattle Times reports that a Dallas Cowboys scouting assistant suffered a serious injury when his spine was severed when a tent-like canopy structure collapsed on him during a severe and sudden storm. Rich Behm, age 33, suffered permanent paralysis from the waist down in the accident. Surgeons operated to stabilize his thoracic spine on Sunday.

Behm was one of 12 people injured in the accident that occurred on Saturday. Three of the 12 injured were Cowboys staff members. Assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither had surgery to repair fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg. Joe DeCamillis, the team's special teams coach, sustained a fracture to a cervical vertebrae but he did not suffer any paralysis.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the cause of the collapse. The $4 million practice facility was built in 2003 and the roof replaced just last year.

The storm that hit the structure which covered a football field had winds which were measured at 64mph which is almost the level of a tornado.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have suffered serious injuries including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury due to car accidents, construction accidents and falls.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 for a free and confidential case evaluation.

The Seattle Times reports that a 53-year-old Des Moines woman hit a parked fire truck on Interstate 5 in Tukwila.

The woman was injured and was taken to the hospital. No one in the fire truck was injured. Police believe the woman was driving under the influence (DUI) at the time of the car accident.

The fire truck was parked alongside the road responding to a medical emergency and had cones placed and emergency lights flashing when the woman hit the truck from behind.

In Washington State approximately 45% of all traffic fatalities in a year are alcohol-related. Washington State has a BAC (blood alcohol content) intoxication standard of 0.08% and penalizes DUI drivers with fines and loss of license.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or a loved one killed by a drunken driver, you should contact a personal injury attorney. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience representing victims of drunken drivers and their families. We will investigate your accident and determine if the drunk driver was in the course of his/her employment, whether a bar or restaurant served an obviously intoxicated person or if the DUI driver had previous drunken driving charges.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Seattle's KOMO News.com reports that a Triston Jett, age 9, of Finley, Washington was attacked by a dog while walking home from a friend's house. The dog, a border-collie mix, attacked Triston's face. Triston ran home and was taken to Kennewick General Hospital where he required 20 stitches to close the wound on his face.

Shanda Reed, the boy's mother, said that the dog "tore his face up."

The dog is under observation for 10 days and then it will be euthanized according to the report.

---

Attacks by vicious dogs can leave a victim with serious injuries. Some times, dog bite victims require plastic surgery and some even have permanent injuries including nerve damage and scarring. In this case, they may be entitled to compensation for medical costs and for pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog bite incident, you should contact an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorney. The Farber Law Group, with offices in Seattle and Bellevue, has more than 30 years experience in representing people in their personal injury claims.

Contact The Farber Law Group for a free and confidential case evaluation.

With the economy suffering, people are buying fewer new cars. Besides having an impact on the auto industry, it also affects the insurance industry because insurance companies charge higher premiums for new cars.

A report by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners found that the cost of insuring a car decreased an average of 1.7% in 2006, the year the study covered. In 2006, Washington DC had the highest average insurance premiums with an average cost of $1164 for insuring a car. Washington DC is followed by New Jersey ($1,152) and Louisiana ($1,094).

Washington State

Where does Washington State fall in the list of car insurance expenditures? Washington State ranks 17 with an average expenditure for car insurance of $817 in 2006.

There are many factors that affect auto insurance expenditures by state. In states where there is a healthy economy, people tend to buy newer cars and have higher insurance rates. States with a higher urban population, traffic density and per capita income higher than the average also pay more in premiums.

The least expensive states for purchasing car insurance are North Dakota, Iowa, South Dakota and Idaho, all who have average expenditures for car insurance of between $530-580 annually.

---

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents and the families of those killed.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.