Washington Injury Attorney Blog

The Washington State Patrol has issued a media release that they are targeting unsafe and dangerous drivers over the 4th of July holiday weekend.

The WSP said they will being their holiday emphasis patrols on Friday July 3 in Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom and Island Counties and continuing the patrols through Sunday, July 5.
Troopers focus on dangerous driving behaviors which they know cause injury car accidents fatalities. Behaviors such as speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, aggressive driving, driving without seat belts and driving under the influence are the things they will be looking for.

The WSP patrol asks drivers if they see someone driving erratically, impaired or aggressively to phone 911 and provide the license plate number, a description of the vehicle location and the direction the vehicle is headed. They will be using aircraft to track down these drivers.

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. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including 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 woman, who was in her early 20s, was hit and killed by a Union Pacific freight train traveling on Burlington Northern tracks near the Tacoma late Friday evening.

The Portland-bound freight train was near the Black River Station at the time of the pedestrian accident.

According to the report, this is the fifth pedestrian who has been killed on Burlington Northern property in 2009. In 2008, 16 people were 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 Seattle Times reports that a 4-year-old Tacoma girl sustained non-life threatening injuries after she fell out of the back of her mother's minivan and was run over by the rear tires.

According to the report, the child was taken to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Health Center in Tacoma and she is expected to survive her 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.

King County Councilwoman Julia Patterson has introduced legislation which would revise King County Code to increase fees and fines and provide special requirements and disciplinary actions for owners of "dangerous and potentially dangerous dog," according to the Federal Way News.

Patterson's legislation comes after a 72-year-old SeaTac woman was seriously injured after two pit bull dogs attacked her after she had walked her grandchildren to the school bus. In that attack, Huong Le, suffered serious injuries including a broken arm, broken jaw, severed ears and bites to her leg.

Washington state law defines dangerous dogs as dogs that inflicts severe injury on a human being, kills a domestic animal without provocation while the dog is off the owner's property, or has been previously found to be potentially dangerous because of injury inflicted on a human are considered.

• spay or neuter their dog
  
• keep the dog in a proper enclosure
  
• keep the dog on a leash or muzzled at all times
  
• provide insurance or surety bonds for keeping such dogs
  
• install signs on their property warning people of their dog
  
• pay a higher license fee for certain dogs

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent dog bite victims and their families. A dog bite or dog attack falls under the category of "general negligence" and civil law allows and injured person to receive compensation for injuries if negligent behavior resulted in an injury.

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 Olympian reports that Ray W. Lawrence, age 60 or Montesano, was injured when the logging truck he was driving overturned on Monday morning in a trucking accident.

According to the report, Lawrence was driving a logging truck that was fully loaded when his trailer hit a guard rail causing the truck to overturn. Lawrence suffered cuts to his face in the accident.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been injured in the course of their employment including construction accidents, trucking accidents and other industrial accidents.

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 Southern California nursing home has been fined $100,000 by the State after a patient died from a "preventable fall."

According to a report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the patient who died was in the nursing home, Aviara Healthcare Center, for physical therapy after hip surgery. The patient fell one time so the staff put an alarm on his hospital gown which informed the staff when the patient got out of bed. Even though the patient wore the alarm, no member of the Aviara staff responded when his alarm went off.

The patient got out of his bed and walked in the hallway. There were no handrails in the hallway and when the man started to stumble, he grabbed a lift device that was stored there. When he fell, the lift device fell on top of him. He died from the blunt-force trauma.

State health regulators said that the equipment was not to be stored in the hallway because it posed a hazard to patients.

Handrails in nursing homes are mandatory and heavy equipment such has Hoyer and mechanical lifts should be kept in a closet. Between 15% and 30% of nursing home falls are caused by "environmental hazards" as in this case. Wet floors, clutter, poor lighting and handrails are all types of environmental hazards. Failure to keep patients safe may be negligence and the family of a patient may file a suit to recover damages on their loved one's behalf.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years representing nursing home abuse and neglect victims and their families.

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

A Wisconsin man is suing the manufacturer of a lawnmower, MTD Products, Inc., and Home Depot, Inc., the distributor of the riding lawnmower after it flipped and he sustained serious injuries when the lawnmower flipped and struck him reports The Record of Madison/St. Clair.

The man, Matthew Cauble, said he was following the manufacturer's instructions when driving the MTD Shift-On-The-Go lawn tractor up and down a slope instead of driving it across. According to Cauble, the lawnmower's transmission slipped and it started to roll backwards. He jumped off of it and the transmission re-engaged and the mower blades hit Cauble.

In his dangerous/defective products suit, Cauble claims that MTD's design of a tractor was flawed because it was not "reasonably stable" on slopes and was prone to overturn when accelerating. His suit also claims that Home Depot sold a tractor that was defective and unsafe.

Cauble is asking for a judgment of more than $250,000 and other relief. Cauble had considerable medical costs due to his injuries.

In filing a defective product suit, the claims are usually based on negligence, strict liability, breach of contract, breach of warranty or guaranty under the Uniform Commercial Code. Washington State has a Washington Products Liability Act which sets forth rules and responsibilities to the manufacturers and sellers of defective or dangerous products and makes it easier for an injured person to recover compensation for damages.

Product liability can include the product manufacturer, manufacturers of component parts, the wholesaler and the retailers.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured by a defective product, you will require a personal injury attorney to help establish legal fault. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience in representing people in personal injury cases.

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 home health-care nurse with more than 40 years nursing experience was sentenced to two years probation and 60 days of community service for failing to report that her patient, a 13-year-old boy with cerebral palsy was neglected by his mother.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Morris Lee Brinkley, age 74, pleaded guilty to criminal neglect of a disabled person and failing to report neglect or abuse after Jaylen Brown died of infections and sepsis because of bed-sores (decubitus ulcers) that were not treated.

Prosecutors had wanted to send Brinkley to prison for 12 years but because she has given up the nursing profession and lacked a criminal record she was given probation.

Charges against the boy's mother, Kesheia Phillips, and another in-home nurse are pending.

This case highlights the fact that anyone who knows that a nursing home patient, or a vulnerable person is being abused or neglect, it is incumbent on them to report the abuse or neglect. You might be a janitor in a nursing home, or a food service person or an aide but if you suspect or witness abuse or neglect your are morally obligated, if not legally obligated to report your observations.

Contact the experienced nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at The Farber Law Group. We will provide you with a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Tacoma News Tribune reports that a man who hit a 14-year-old kayaker with his boat on American Lake has been fined $343 for negligent boating. McKinley Randle, age 34, was fined but faces no criminal charges in the boating accident in which David Kenny "D.K." Ross was severely injured.

Police said there was no evidence that Randle was under the influence of alcohol or drugs or speeding at the time of the March 1st boating accident.

D.K. Ross suffered a ruptured spleen, broken ribs and a gash to his head. He has had several surgeries and is now in a nursing home where he will need extensive, long-term care, according to his father, David Hermansen.

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.

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.

Nestlé USA's Baking division has issued a recall of Nestlé® TOLL HOUSE® refrigerated cookie dough products after there have been reports of people sickened with E-coli 0157:H7 , a foodborne pathogen, after eating the raw cookie dough.

The Food and Drug Administration says that the strain of E-coli has not been detected in the product but due to health and safety concern, the company is voluntarily recalling the products.

The FDA advises people that raw cookie dough should never be eaten and that message is written on the product packaging.

Washington State Department of Health said that they believe five people in our state have been made ill by the cookie dough and two of those five had to be hospitalized.

The recall includes all varieties of Nestlé TOLL HOUSE refrigerated Cookie Bar Dough, Cookie Dough Tub; Cookie Dough Tube; Limited Edition Cookie Dough items; Seasonal Cookie Dough and Ultimates Cookie Bar Dough.

Escherichia coli (E-coli) O157:H7 is a food-borne bacterium which can cause severe illness including hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) which is a life threatening-condition which can cause permanent kidney damage, life long health problems and even death. Every year there are approximately 60 deaths in the United states caused by E-col O157:H7.

Signs and symptoms of severe symptoms include severe and acute bloody diarrhea and severe abdominal cramping.

People who have become seriously ill because a negligence during the manufacturing or product packaging are entitled to file a civil suit to ask for compensation for damages including medical costs and for pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has become seriously ill due to a foodborne illness such as salmonella and E-coli, you should contact a personal injury attorney who has experience in representing people with serious illness because of food contamination.

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 King5.com reports that a two-year-old child was injured after falling out of a window in Kent, Washington.

According to the report, the toddler fell out of a second story window after pushing the screen out. The report said the child was conscious.

On June 1st, we reported on another child that fell from a Tacoma second story window.

The employees at the Harborview Trauma Center nickname the children who fall from windows, "window jumpers." Every year at Harborview, between 50 and 60 children from the Seattle-are are treated for falls from windows.

Parents and caregivers need to get the message that screens are not strong enough to contain a child or toddler that leans on it. Window guards need to be installed on 2nd story windows in homes, daycare centers, etc. where small children live and play.

Falls from window can cause traumatic brain injuries, fractures, spinal cord damage and often death.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured due to slip, trip and fall accidents due to the negligence of another person or another entity such as a day care center or business.

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

Seattle's KOMO News.com reports that an engineer was injured when a Burlington Northern Safe Fe freight train and a Union Pacific freight train were involved in an accident in the Tacoma, Washington switching yard.

The train accident occurred on Monday evening when the BNSF locomotive hit the side of the departing Union Pacific train.

The accident cause is being investigated. The condition of the engineer was not provided.

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. We represent the victims of motor vehicle accidents and their families.

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

The Seattle Times reports that a Bainbridge Island High School teacher's aide has been arrested for sexually abusing a 17-year-old developmentally disabled girl at a community pool. The aide, a 62-year-old man, is being held on $500,000 bail.

A witness informed police that there was touching of genitals between the man and girl in both the Bainbridge Island Aquatic Center swimming pool and hot tub. Video surveillance footage confirmed the witness' account.

Police arrested the man after he refused to be interviewed at the Bainbridge Island police station. According to the report, the man also works as a caregiver to mentally-challenged females in his home. The police report did not disclose whether the girl lives in the man's home or if she is a student at Bainbridge Island High school.

Nursing homes and care homes provide a valuable service to our society. They take care of vulnerable, infirm and elderly family members when care cannot be provided at home. Sexual abuse can include inappropriate touching, fondling or rape.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury law firm that represents nursing home abuse and neglect victims and their families.

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

We often get this question, "Someone I know of is being neglected or abused in a nursing home. What should I do?"

If the elderly person is question is not a relative, people often don't think they should get involved. They often do nothing figuring that that it is someone else's responsibility or they just don't know what to do. The person might be a friend, a former neighbor, someone you have gone to church with or even a patient at a nursing home where you work. Sometimes, it is someone who works at the nursing home that suspects or witnesses the abuse or neglect but they fear stepping forward because they can't afford to lose their job.

The neglect or abuse of an elderly person is everyone's business. Since many nursing home residents people can not speak for themselves or they don't know where to turn, they need the people around them to step up and make sure they are protected. Nursing home abuse is everyone's business. If someone you know is being hurt, neglected or abused and you get the proper help for them, you might also be stopping it from happening from someone else.

What should you do? We suggest that you make an appointment to speak with a personal injury attorney who specializes in nursing home abuse and neglect. A nursing home abuse attorney won't charge you for a consultation and they have the resources to bring in the proper authorities or to get the nursing home management to take action immediately. They will keep your identity confidential.

Elderly and vulnerable persons need to be defended and your concern and that of a qualified personal injury lawyer can protect them from harm.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent nursing home abuse and neglect victims and we have a solid track record of obtaining compensation and protection for the victim.

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 Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has provisionally agreed to a penalty settlement with Mattel Toys and its subsidiary, Fisher-Price, for importing more than one million toys from China in 2007 that violated the federal lead paint ban.

This is the third largest fine in CPSC history.

The toys included in the recall:

• Elmo Light Up
  
• Musical Pal
  
• Big Bird Light Up Musical Pal
  
• Dora's Talking House
  
• Go Diego Go Antarctic Rescue
  
• Sesame Street Birthday Figure Pack.

In 2008, 652 people died in car accidents in Washington State. Research shows that 85% of car accidents are caused by the driver. Teenage drivers and the elderly are at the highest risk at being in a motor vehicle accident. Given that senior citizens drive less than your average teenager, some seniors may be at a higher risk for a driver-caused car accident.

In a 2006 survey given by the Washington Department of Licensing, those surveyed said that the "number one recommendation to improve public safety was to retest senior drivers." Many people believe that seniors should prove their fitness to drive.As the population ages, by 2025, 25 percent of all drivers will be age 64 or older. Some states are drafting legislation requiring all drivers 85 and older to pass a road and eye test before having their license automatically renewed.

Recently in Massachusetts, there were two deadly car-pedestrian accidents involving senior citizens. In one, seven people were injured after a a 73-year-old woman ran her car over a curb and hit a crowd at a war memorial; It was this woman's third accident in three years. In another accident, a 93-year-old man mistook his gas pedal for the brake and drove his car into the front of a Wal-Mart, injuring six people.

Recognizing that this may be a growing problem, you might let your legislator know if this is a concern for you. Some insurance companies are encouraging seniors to take a "Senior Citizen Driving Course" by giving them a discount on car insurance. Organizations including AARP.org and iDriveSafely provide courses and resources for the mature 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 in car accidents and the families of those who have died.

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.

CNN.com reports that three workers are missing after an explosion at the Raleigh-area ConAngra Foods plant caused a roof to collapse and a fire to ensue. The explosion called several sections of a roof to collapse. At least 20 people were taken to area hospitals with injuries, some with serious burns.

The ConAgra plant is located in Garner, North Carolina. The Mayor, Ronnie Williams, said that there was no warning signs before the explosion. The cause of the explosion is not known at this time.

This ConAgra plant manufacturers Slim Jim beef jerky products.

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 industrial and construction accidents and the families of those who have died.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail .

This is one of those stories that is just so tragic. A four-month old baby boy died after being left in his father's car parked at the Bart Station all day when his father forgot to take him to daycare before getting on the BART train to go to work. (See KTVU.com).

People who read a story like this respond different. It is such a tragedy and some people react with extreme anger at the parent whose negligence caused a baby's death. Other people respond with sympathy and feel that the parents have suffered enough. Punishment for this negligence varies widely.

Every year, between 25 and 42 small children die after being forgotten in the back seat of a car. In Washington State, there have been two fatalities between 1998 and 2008 compared with warmer states like California (34 deaths), Texas (52 deaths) and Florida (40 deaths) in the same time period.

Children left in cars suffer from hyperthermia when the temperature inside the car soars. Heatstroke occurs when a child's temperature is 104 degrees or higher. At 107 degrees, the temperature is fatal. Children's thermoregulatory systems are not developed so their body temperatures rises 3 to 5 times faster than an adult.

I read an article in The Washington Post a few months that called this kind of accident "fatal distraction." It has happened to people from all walks of life and it has even happened to a pediatrician. Forgetting an infant in a car seat inside a car is a relatively new phenomenon. The statistics dramatically rose after front seat air bags were installed and infant car seats could no longer be installed in the front passenger seat.

In writing this post, I wanted to highlight some safety precautions that parents and caregivers could take to insure their child is never forgotten.

• Install a Cars-N-Kids Car Seat Monitor -- this device plays a lullaby when a car has stopped.
  
• Always put something you'll need for work on the floor of the back seat near your baby. This might be your employee badge, your cellphone, your briefcase, etc.
  
• Keep a large stuffed toy in the car seat when the child is not in it. When your child is in the seat, put the stuffed toy in the front seat to remind you the child is in the back.
  
• Ask your day-car provider to call you if your child does not arrive on a scheduled day.

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

The Wenatchee World reports that Mohamad K Abood, age 50, and Fatme M. Al Massri, age 35, were both killed in a head-on car accident on Highway 97A near Chelan. Injured in the accident was Ali Abood, age 5, who was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Gerardo Torres, age 19, of Omaha, Nebraska was the driver of the 2nd vehicle. He was taken to Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee.

The cause of the car accident was not disclosed.

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 to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Falls in the elderly are a serious health problem in homes, nursing homes, group living situations and hospitals today. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related visits to the emergency room and they are the primary care of accidental deaths in people over the age of 65. Falls are so serious that there are 1,800 deaths caused by falls each year and 9,500 deaths associated with falls.

Injuries from falls can include tissue injury, traumatic brain injury and bone fractures. Fractures to the hip, spine, arms, bones of the pelvis, hands and ankles and hips can be caused by falls. Of fractures, hip fractures are the most serious with 80% of hip fractures occurring in women.

There are various risk factors which can cause a person to fall. Risk factors include muscle weakness, diseases such as Parkinson, poor vision, fear of falling, medication side effects, clothing and footwear and environmental hazards such as slippery floors, missing handrails in halls and bathrooms and obstacles like throw rugs.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations have made it a requirement that hospitals assess fall risks in all patients in order to reduce falls. All hospitals and nursing homes are required to have fall prevention plans in place. Nurses, physicians, food servers and maintenance workers are all responsible to keep the patient safe.

If your loved one has been seriously injured in a nursing home fall due to negligence, you should contact a personal injury attorney. At The Farber Law Group, we have experience representing nursing home residents and their families.

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 and we provide a free and confidential case evaluation.

The Seattle Times reports that two men from Kahlotus were found dead at the bottom of a cistern. The two men were working with a gas-powered pump and apparently did not get enough oxygen

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office reported that Eric Harder, age 39, and Kurt Harder, 45, were both killed after becoming overcome by gas fumes.

The report also said that a Kahlotus ambulance crew member was sickened by the fumes and was taken by air ambulance to a hospital for treatment. The crew member is expected to recover.

Kahlous is a rural town north-east of Kennewick and east of Yakima, Washington.

Cisterns are regularly used in areas where there is not a lot of water for use in irrigation.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group.

The Farber Law Group represents people who have been seriously injured and families of those killed to to the negligence of another or because of defective or dangerous products. Contact us at 1-800-244-9087.

The Tacoma News Tribune reports that an unidentified man has been killed in an industrial accident at the Port of Tacoma. Apparently, the man was a worker at Joseph Simon & Sons metals dealer and recycler located at 2202 River St in the Tideflats.

The Tacoma Fire Department got a call around 9:25 this morning of a "person trapped under materials." The person who was trapped died from injuries at the accident site.

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 accidents and the families of those who have died.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 for a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Newport News Pilot reports that a man who was sexually assaulted by a staff member of an assisted living home has been awarded $750,000 in damages against the Code De Neige Home for Adults and owner Rose Daniels Potter.

According to the report, the victim was a mentally disabled 55-year-old resident of the Adult Care home. The man's sister brought suit after he was sexually assaulted including forcible sodomy by Junious Boyd Batten, age 44, a staff member.

The jury agreed with the plaintiff's lawyer that Cote De Neige failed to exercise "reasonable care" because they hired Batten who had a criminal record.

In Washington State, voters recently passed Initiative 1029 which requires that long-term care workers complete a certification exam and undergo a federal background check for prior criminal offenses. The Initiative was created to protect the welfare of dependent adults and senior citizens.

Nursing home abuse and neglect can take many forms and include sexual assault, as in this case. Other forms of abuse can be more passive but even more damaging including medication errors, bedsores, dehydration and malnutrition.

This information is provided by The Farber law Group. We have helped people for more than 30 years who have been seriously injured due to nursing home abuse and neglect.

Contact us if you are concerned about a loved one. We will provide you a free and confidential case evaluation.

OSHA has fined a Spokane, Washington company, Graham Construction and Management, $25,200 after a bridge collapse in southwest Idaho late last year that injured 14 workers.

According to a report in The Seattle Times, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued four citations for safety violations, each of which carry a $6,300 fine . Graham Construction claims the accident was not their fault but the fault of a company which provided prefabricated bridge girders for the project.

The accident occurred on October 27, 2008 during a concrete pour at the Robinson Boulevard overpass on Interstate 84. The fourteen construction workers fell approximately 30 feet and suffered injuries including fractures, lacerations and a broken back.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured due to negligence including construction accidents.

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 Tacoma News Tribune reports that a baby was injured in a fall from a second story window in the 13700 block of 97th Avenue East.

The baby was taken to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and is expected to survive the accident.

As the weather becomes warmer, open windows become a hazard to small children. Every year, Harborview Medical Center in Seattle treats between 50 and 60 children in and around Seattle for falls from windows. Harborview employees nickname these patients, "Window jumpers."

It is not always neglect when a child falls. Parents off believe that a screen on a window is enough protection for their child. However, a screen is not strong enough to contain a child or toddler that leans on it.

Falls from windows can result in severe injuries including traumatic brain injury, fractures, spinal cord damage and often death.

Parents and caregivers should install window guards, move furniture away from windows and install window stops which prevents windows from opening full.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured due to slip, trip and fall accidents due to the negligence of another person or a company.

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

The Wenatchee World reports that a 2-year-old East Wenatchee boy suffered severe injuries when his legs were run over by a riding lawn mower driven by his grandfather on Sunday around 9:40am.

The boy suffered injuries to his left food and ankle and may have injuries to his right leg. He was taken to Central Washington University and then transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The horrible accident occurred at the 200 block of Broadmoor Street Northwest in East Wenatchee. Apparently, the boy had stepped off of the mower's lower platform and the grandfather put the lawnmower in reverse not realizing the boy had stepped off.

This is a tragic accident and I am sure the grandfather and mother are in a state of grief and shock. We wish this little boy well and know that the trauma center at Harborview will give him the world's finest care.

Whenever we read about an accident such as this we like to remind others of some safety tips regarding riding lawn mowers:

• Children should not be allowed to operate a mower and until they are old enough and have had safety instruction
  
• Never carry a passenger
  
• Clear lawn of foreign objects like rakes, buckets, etc. before turning the mower on
  
• Never allow a child or pet to be in the lawn area when mowing in case objects are hurled by the mower's blade
  
• Maintain the lawn mower's fasteners and guards
  
• Disengage the clutch and mower blade and put the gear shift in neutral before starting the engine
  
• Do not wear loose fitting clothing
  
• Wear proper feet coverings
  
• Be extra careful when backing
  
• Be extra careful on slopes and when making turns so as not to tip the lawnmower
  
• Disengage mower blade when driving on hard services such as gravel lanes and sidewalks
  
• Do not operate when not in the driver's seat
  
• Do not operate when under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  
• Do not add fuel when the engine is running or hot.
  
• Shut off the engine when adjusting the machine or making repairs.

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.