Washington Injury Attorney Blog

A Maryland jury awarded parents of a newborn son who died two days after birth $1.85 million in a wrongful death lawsuit after deliberating just three hours.

The medical malpractice jury awarded Sandra and John Ketterman, Benjamin Ketterman's parents, $752,000 in damages for medical bills, funeral bill sand loss of services; $100,000 for the infant's conscious pain and suffering; and $500,000 to each parent for "mental anguish" reports The Frederick News-Post.

The jury decided that the Benjamin died because of their obstetrician's --Dr. Leonard Bienkowski -- decision to use a vacuum extractor during delivery. Benjamin's head was wedged in the birth canal, a condition called cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD) which is when the pelvis is inadequate to allow the baby to go through the birth control.

The crux of the Ketterman's lawsuit was that Dr. Bienkowski failed a "reasonable standard of care" in not explaining the risk of delivering the baby using the vacuum extractor. If they had known the risks involved, they said they would have opted for a cesarean section delivery.

Benjamin died of complications two days after his birth. He had bleeding between his skull and scalp.

This information is provided by Washington injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent victims of obstetric and birth injury malpractice. We have experience representing families whose babies have suffered serious injuries during birth including traumatic brain injury, hypoxia and cerebral palsy.

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

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) has organized the 2009 Boating Under Influence (BUI) emphasis for Seattle's Seafair which kicks off July 29. Like driving a car, Boating Under the Influence laws state that a Boater is intoxicated if their blood alcohol content is 0.08% or above.

During Seafair, the WSP partners with the Mercer Island Police Department's marine unit, the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the King County Prosecutors Office to apprehend boaters who are under the influence to insure the safety of others.

The Seafair BUI emphasis has been very successful and has resulted in 418 Boating Under The Influence Arrests since its inception. The emphasis patrols made 83 BUI arrests last year and 21 Minor in Possession of alcohol arrests.

The WSP says with the emphasis patrol, there are fewer boating accidents on Lake Washington during Seafair. Last year, there was only one boating injury accident during the entire Seafair week.

Annually, there are approximately 20-30 boating fatalities in Washington State and around 4,000 injury boating accidents.

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 because of the negligence of another boater. Boating accidents are often caused by speeding, alcohol or drug use, and improperly maintained or defecting boating equipment.

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

Seattle's KOMO News reports that a fishing boat caught fire and three fisherman were rescued, but not without escaping injury, by a passing boat. All three men were treated by East Jefferson Fire-Rescue after the boating accident. One man's burn injuries were so severe that he was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment.

According to a report in the Peninsula Daily News, the boat caught on fire after a propane tank exploded. The boat, the Kemo Sabay, is owned by Scott Kimmel who runs New Day Fisheries Inc. of Port Townsend.

After the fire broke out, the fisherman ran to the bow of the vessel and waved down a passing boat.

After the rescue, the Coast Guard attempted to extinguish the blaze on the boat and save the vessel but it sank.

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

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

If you or a loved one has serious burns, see our Burn Victim Resources.

In 1950, the first study showing that smoking causes lung cancer was published. Since then, we have learned that Radon causes lunch cancer and Gamma-Radiation causes many types of cancer. Now, in an equivalently significant study, the International Agency for Research on Cancer reports that tanning beds are "carcinogenic to humans."

A report in the Lancet Oncology medical journal this week says studies show that tanning beds (or "sunbeds") emit ultraviolet radiation and this type of radiation is proven to cause skin cancer (melanoma) and eye cancer (melanoma, particularly choroid and ciliary body) in humans.

"People need to be reminded of the risks of sunbeds," said Vincent Cogliano, one of the cancer researchers. "We hope the prevailing culture will change so teens don't think they need to use sunbeds to get a tan." In fact, young people are eight times more likely to get melanoma than someone who has never used a tanning bed. See The Lancet Oncology, Volume 10, Issue 8, Pages 751 - 752, August 2009 for the full report.

Melanoma is a of serious type of skin cancer and is the leading cause of skin cancer related deaths. Approximately 160,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed in the U.S. each year and accounts for 75% of skin cancer deaths.

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 dangerous products and the families of those who have died. We represent people who have product liability cases.

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

Corrie Lazar of Seattle, Washington, was killed in a pedestrian accident in Maine reports KOMO News. Lazar was in Maine working as a camp counselor at Camp Laurel in Mount Vernon.

According to the report, Lazar was walking with two other counselors on Route 41 when an approaching SUV ran into her and another counselor. Lazar died at the scene and one of the other counselors was taken to a hospital in Augusta for treatment of "non-life threatening injuries." A third counselor escaped injuries by diving off the highway.

The driver of the SUV was taken to the hospital for treatment. Police believe the driver may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

In Washington State, if a person dies as a result of a car accident and the driver is under the influence, the driver may be charged with Vehicular Homicide. In addition, the family may file a civil suit under Washington's wrongful death statute.

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 and car accidents and the families of those killed.

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

A 15-year-old speeding driver killed a jogger, injured a seven-year-old bicycle rider and injured himself and his passenger on Lopez Island around 3:30pm on Sunday evening in a series of accidents reports The Seattle Times.

Accident details are sketchy but according to the report in The Times and in the San Juan Islander, the 15-year-old driver was speeding when he ran into a group of bicyclists and seriously injured the young boy. He continued down the road where he hit and killed a male jogger.

The injured bicyclist was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment.

The teenage driver was airlifted to an unspecified mainland hospital and his passenger was airlifted to Harborview.

There are a lot of questions not answered in the two articles that we read. Was the teenage driver driving with a parent? Did he have a learner's permit? What was his speed at the time of the accident? What did the teen's vehicle crash into so that he and his passenger sustained injuries?

This is a terrible tragedy and we hope the police investigation will determine how and why a 15-year-old was speeding and imperiling the lives of so many. The teenage driver could face criminal charges including Vehicular Assault and Vehicular Homicide if it is determined he was speeding and driving with reckless disregard to the safety of others or if he was driving under the influence.

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, bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents.

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

An unidentified Lakewood, Washington woman has drowned in a tragic boating accident while rafting the North Fork of the Payette River with members of her family reports Seattle's King5.com Local News.

According to the report, a raft carrying the 47-year-old Washington woman and nine other people had been launched less than 10 minutes before the raft tipped, ejecting three people including the woman. Two of those that were ejected, both teenagers, were found.

The rafters floated along down the river a few hundred yards but could not find the woman. About an hour later, a kayaker found the woman pinned under a log. She apparently had been sucked underneath the log and pinned there.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury attorney firm with more than 30 years experience representing boating accident victims and their families.

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

The Washington State Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, has upheld a lower court ruling that awarded a family $14 million dollars after the family was injured by a drunken driver after he was over served at a Bellingham tavern reports The Bellingham Herald.

Bianca Faust was driving in a car with her two children and a grandbaby when 58-year-old Hawkeye Kinkaid of Ferndale crossed the center line and hit her car. Kinkaid was killed and everyone in Faust's car was injured in the drunk driving accident. Her son, who was 7 at the time, was critically injured and is a paraplegic today.

Faust sued the Moose Lodge in Bellingham and the bartender for "negligent over serving." The bartender was Alexis Chapman and she was Kinkaid's girlfriend at the time of the accident. Washington State allows victims of drunk driving to sue an establishment such as a restaurant, bar, tavern or club if they served a obviously intoxicated person. This is known as a DRAM shop claim.

A forensic consultant testified that Kinkaid, whose blood alcohol content was around 0.32% at the time of the car accident, probably consumed the equivalent of 21 12-ounce beers before the accident. Chapman testified that he was "tipsy" and she had refused to continue serving him.

The $14 million dollar settlement will help provide for Faust's son medical and educational needs and well as compensate other family members for the damages they suffered.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent drunk driving victims and their families. We will aggressively investigate your car accident and determine if you were injured by someone in the course of their employment or if they were negligently served alcohol by a bar or restaurant. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

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

For more information about the case, see the Washington State Supreme Court, Faust v. Albertson, docket number 81356-6.

See our Victims of Drunk Driving Resources.

Motorcyclists have the highest risk of injury accident or fatality of any motor vehicle on the road. In fact, motorcyclists are sixteen times more at risk than drivers of cars to be seriously injured or killed in a motorcycle accident.

Washington State requires that motorcyclists get a motorcycle license endorsement to ride a motorcycle on the road. The motorcycle endorsement can be obtained by taking an approved motorcycle rider course or pass a motorcycle knowledge and riding test.

Motorcycle accident and injury prevention tips:

• Motorcycle -- insure your motorcycle is in good working condition. This includes checking that both the front and back brakes are working and that the lights are cleans. Motorcyclists should also check their tires. Approximately 3% of motorcycle accidents are caused by mechanical problems and most of these are tire-related. Make sure your tires are in good shape.
  
• Road conditions -- poor road conditions should be taken into consideration when motorcycle riding. 15% of motorcycle accidents are attributed to road hazards such as icy roads, pot holes, defective roads and sharp drop offs.
  
• Alcohol -- motorcycle riders drive under the influence at a statistically higher rate than the drivers are cars or trucks. All motorists should avoid driving under the influence.
  
• Other motorists -- Motorcyclists need to anticipate the actions of other drivers and alter their own positioning in the road and speed. Motorcyclists should look over their right shoulder before changing lanes.
  
• Visibility -- Motorcyclists should make themselves visible by wearing bright clothes and using headlights during the day and night.
  
• Driving Behavior -- Motorcyclists should avoid aggressive driving behaviors including splitting the road, weaving in and out and speeding.
  
• Clothing -- Motorcyclists should dress in clothing that will keep them warm because becoming too cold may impair the rider. Impact injuries may be lessened if the rider wears clothing with padding in the knees and elbows especially designed for motorcycle riders.
  
• Helmet -- Traumatic brain injuries are the cause of death in 80% of motorcycle accident fatalities. Wear an approved helmet with a full face shield.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident that was not your fault and resulted in serious injuries, contact a knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience representing motorcycle accident victims and their families.

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

See our Motorcycle Resources for more information.

Samuel Houston, age 71, and Ruby Houston, age 70, of McCall, Idaho were killed in a motorcycle accident in Banff National Park in Canada reports The Kingston Whig Standard.

The couple, who had been married more than 51 years, were described as "lovebirds."

The motorcycle accident occurred on Highway 93 around 12:30 pm on Thursday. Apparently, the Houston's motorcycle rear-ended a Georgia's couple SUV as it was waiting to make a left turn.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent motorcycle accident victims and their families. With more than 30 years experience in the greater Seattle area and in the Pacific Northwest, we will work hard to obtain the compensation you deserve.

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

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that a former employee of a Kent assisted-living facility has been found guilty of the rape of a 45-year-old blind and disabled patient.

Joseph Thurura, age 32, impregnated the 45-year-old woman, who later miscarried the pregnancy. Police identified Thurua after taking DNA samples of 11 men who could have had contact with the woman.

King County Superior Court Judge Richard McDermott found Thurura guilty of second-degree rape. Thurura can receive between 7 and 8 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for August 14.

Most people writing into the P-I blog were pretty disgusted that Thurura will likely be out of jail in a few years.

As a personal injury law firm that represents people who have been seriously injured because of nursing home abuse and neglect, we have seen numerous cases of physical abuse including sexual abuse. Sometimes the families of the victim decide to bring a civil suit against the nursing home because of negligence in failing to protect their loved one.

If your loved one has been injured in a nursing home, contact The Farber Law Group and we will provide you with a free and confidential case evaluation.

One man suffered burn injuries when the bucket lift he and a co-worker were in touched a power line as they prepared to paint the Comfort Inn Hotel in Tukwila. The two men were stuck in the lift several stories high after it hit the power lines and the power to the unit was knocked out.

The men waited crouched in the bucket under the power line for approximately 30 minutes until Puget Sound Energy disabled the power lines and fire fighters could lower the two men to safety.

According to Seattle's KOMO News, one man suffered burns to his back and hands but they were not considered serious. The other painter did not appear to have any injuries.

The Department of Labor and Industries is investigating the cause of the accident.

Burn injuries can be a very serious injury depending on the depth of the burn. A 1st degree burn affects only the outer layer of skin. 2nd degree burns are usually quite painful and are usually accompanied by blisters. 3rd or 4th degree burns are the most severe and can cause scarring and require lengthy hospitalizations, requiring surgery and therapies.

Burn victims should seek legal representation from a qualified and experienced personal injury attorney. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience representing victims with serious personal injuries and their families. If you are in need of a compassionate and knowledgeable personal injury attorney with experience with construction and industrial accidents, you should contact us today.

The Seattle Times reports that a teenage bear hunter who accidentally shot and killed Patricia Almli, age 54, of Oso while she was hiking with a friend has been sentenced to 30 days in juvenile detention, 12 months of probation and community service.

The teenage hunter from Concrete was only 14 when he went bear hunting with his 16-year-old brother. He was convicted in June of second-degree manslaughter with a firearm. This case has made the Washington legislature think about the laws regarding hunting in the state as the boy was hunting legally at the time he negligently shot and killed Almli.

Many people feel that the sentence was too lenient, including the victim's husband, Bill Almli, who said, "It's like nothing. I just feel like Pam's life didn't mean anything. This is not right."

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 those killed because of the negligence of another person including car accidents.

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

The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration study reports that 16 percent of drivers on weekend nights test positive for some type of drug including cocaine, marijuana and prescription sedatives. This is the first time the NHTSA has done this study so it is hard to compare it with previous years. However, former Seattle Police Chief, Gil Kerlikowske, who now heads the Office Of National Drug Control Policy, deems this statistic, "troubling."

Law enforcement officials are pleased that the number of drunk driving car accident fatalities has declined along with alcohol-impaired driving. Alcohol is a factor in about 20% of car accident fatalities.

Drunk driving statistics:

• A driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or greater is 42% more likely to be male than female.
  
• The hours of 1am to 3am are the hours when drivers are more likely to be drunk driving
  
• Drunk driving among motorcycle drivers is twice that as automobile drivers(5.6% compared with 2.3%)
  
• Pick up truck drivers have a higher rate of driving under the influence, 3.3% pick up truck drivers are DUI compared to 2.3% of auto drivers.

If you or a loved one is seriously injured in a auto accident caused by a drunk driver, you should contact The Farber Law Group immediately. We may be able to help you recover compensation for your injuries including medical costs, lost wages and for pain and suffering. We have more than 30 years experience representing the victims of drunk drivers and their families.

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

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Service is investigating Life Care Center of Bothell after a 93-year-old resident fell and hit her head while getting out of bed and later died.

According to a report in the Everett Herald Net, the nursing home patient hit her head when she fell and also had a cut in her arm. The patient was taken to Evergreen Hospital and Medical Center in Kirkland and then later moved to hospice care where she died.

DSHS investigates whenever a significant injury occurs that may have been as a result of abuse or neglect. According to Roberta Crawford, a field manager for DSHS, four reports had been filed with the DSHS hotline which triggered the investigation.

The Bothell police are also investigating this patient's death.

Falls are not uncommon in nursing homes. In a 100-bed hospital, there will typically be between 10-20 patient falls per year. When environmental hazards such as lack of bed rails, wet floors, poor lighting, clutter, etc., are the cause of the fall, then there might be a legitimate case of nursing home neglect.

If your loved one has suffered a serious injury in a nursing home, you should contact a personal injury attorney with experience in representing these cases. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years representing victims of nursing home negligence and abuse and their families.

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

See our Nursing Home & Elder Abuse Resources.

Americans are driving less since the recession and higher gas prices and this is one reason that there are fewer car accident fatalities. However, a University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute study also attributes the decrease in a disproportional decrease in rural driving and leisure driving.

Michael Sivak, the head of the UMTRI's Human Factors Division says:

Rural driving is more risky than urban driving primarily because of high speeds, but there is evidence that it has recently decreased more substantially than urban driving. Analogously, leisure driving is more risky than commuter driving because of higher speeds, greater involvement of alcohol and more nighttime driving, but we are more likely to reduce leisure driving, if needed, than commuter driving.

Sivak used data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration which covered a period between January 2007 to December 2008. He attributes the drop in rural driving to the fact that people in rural areas tend to be less-affluent and thus the cost of gasoline effects them more. The price of gasoline would also cause the leisure or recreational driver to cut back on driving before a commuter 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 and the families of those killed in car accidents.

If you or a loved one has been in a serious car accident, contact The Farber Law Group today. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The skipper of a 73-foot commercial fishing boat, Keenan Stearns, age 50 of South Bend, Washington, died of injuries he received in a boating accident near Gray's Harbor, Washington.

According to a report in The Oregonian, Stearns became entangled in fishing gear while fishing approximately 15 miles west of Gray's Harbor. Stearn's crew freed him and he was taken by Coast Guard helicopter to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

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.

Contact us today.

The Olympian reports that Thomas Talbott, age 50, of Elma died after falling out of his canoe while fishing in Lake Nahwatzel. Lake Nahwatzel is in Shelton.

Witnesses reported that Talbott was fishing around 9:30am where people heard him yell then saw him fall out of the canoe. Local residents took their boats to where Talbott fell but were unable to find him.

A dive team later found Talbott's body. An autopsy is planned to determine the cause of 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 in boating accidents and the families of those who have died.

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

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is investigating a construction accident on Harbor Island that killed Spencer Clark Harrington, age 21. Harrington was hit by a 30-foot steel beam in the head and stomach at Seattle Bulk Rail in the 3200 block of 16th Avenue Southeast. He died of his injuries several hours later at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Harbor Island is located off of the Seattle Freeway in Elliot Bay.

Harrington's girlfriend, Karen Joy Wilburn, is six months pregnant with Harrington's baby and the two were planning to marry. According to the article in The Seattle Times, Harrington was born in Tacoma but was living with Wilburn in Tukwila.

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 and industrial accidents.

Contact us today.

Seattle's local TV station, King 5, reports that Rittner "Ritt " Lewis, age 51 of Everson, Washington, was killed in a bicycle accident in Telluride, Colorado. Everson is about 45 miles north-east of Bellingham.

According to the report, Lewis was mountain biking on a trail when he lost control on a steep downhill and hit his head. He died as a result of a severe head trauma. He was wearing a bicycle helmet at the time of the accident. Of the 700 bicyclists who die of accidents each year, approximately two-thirds are from traumatic brain injury.

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 bicycle accidents and the family of those killed.

Contact The Farber Law Group for assistance with your case.

A 48-year-old woman from the Lake Stevens area is presumed drowned in a boating accident on Lake Stevens on Saturday night. The woman was piloting a 20-foot ski boat with nine people on-board when the boat sank reports The Seattle Times. The nine passengers made it to shore but the boat's pilot did not. The boat was described as a 20-foot skit boat with a wakeboard tower.

The boating accident occurred around 9:30pm on the south end of Lake Stevens. The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office along with the Lake Stevens Police and Fire Departments, Snohomish County Parks, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office Technical Water Rescue Team, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Coast Guard and private boat owners all searched for the woman.

A report on Seattle/Tacoma's Fox News says that no one in the party was wearing life jackets at the time of the boating accident.

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

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

The Tapps Island Association along with the Washington State Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water has advised Tapps residents to boil their drinking water after testing confirmed the presence of E-coli bacteria in the water.

According to a report in >The Tacoma News Tribune, the association supplies 535 homes on the island and 10 off the island with treated well water.Residents are advised to use bottled water or boil water before using it for drinking, brushing teeth, dish washing, making ice and preparing food.

E-coli bacteria can make people including abdominal cramping and severe diarrhea. At this time, there are no reports of illness.

The association said chlorine will be added to the entire water system and then the system will be flushed out.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber law Group. We represent people who have become seriously ill due to foodborne illness such as E-coli and salmonella. With our help, you may recover compensation for your injuries including medical costs, loss of wages and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a case consultation.

The Yakima Herald reports that Alison McWeeny, age 20 of Auburn, was injured in a boating accident on the Columbia River near Wanapum State park last Saturday. McWeeny was in a water ski boat with six other people when the boat overturned. McWeeny went under the boat and she suffered serious injuries to her leg.

McWeeny was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment. She lost the lower part of her leg and is currently in satisfactory condition.Wanapum State park is near Vantage and about one-half hour drive from Central Washington University in Ellensburg where McWeeny is a student-athelete on the track and field team. McWeeny is fourth in Central's record book for the hammer throw.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. Our law firm represents people with serious personal injuries as a result of boating accidents, motorcycle accidents and car accidents.

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.

The Columbian reports that Jeremy R. Schmidt, 19 of Ridgefield, was killed and his passenger, Jayson E. Caughman, age 19 of Vancouver, sustained a neck injury in a single car accident on state Highway 503 in Cowlitz County on Thursday afternoon around 3:45pm.

The car accident occurred near Milepost 44, nine miles east of Woodland. According to the Washington State patrol, Schmidt was speeding in his 1987 Toyota Tercel when the car's rear tire blew. Schmidt was thrown from the car after the car hit an embankment and rolled over.

Caughman was airlifted to Southwest Washington Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

One wonders if Schmidt was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

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 at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Daily World of Aberdeen reports that Carolyn Girod, age 31, of Cambridge, Massachusetts was killed in a bicycle accident on Highway 105 near Raymond, Washington. The accident occurred Wednesday afternoon and Girod died late Thursday night from "massive internal and head injuries."

According to the report, Girod was riding with Nils Sorensen, age 34 of Warwicck, NY, when a van drifted onto the shoulder hitting Sorensen who then knocked down Girod. The van was driven by Gregory Cedell, age 50, of Montesano.

The Washington State Patrol believe driver inattention may have been the cause of the accident though they said their investigation may take up to a month. No charges have been filed against Cedell at this time.

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 bicycle, car and motorcycle 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.

Consumer advocates are urging the Food and Drug Administration to place more oversight on bottled water. In a hearing before the Energy and Commerce Committee, consumer advocates asked that FDA force water bottlers to provide more information to consumers, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Bottled water is a $11.2 billion industry. Many consumers believe that bottled water is safer than most tap water. An organization, Think Outside the Bottle, says that the bottled industry has undermined people's confidence in municipal tap water systems.

However, the bottled water industry is not as regulated as the municipal water departments. By September, the bottled water corporations will be required to "report test results that show a serious health threat." By December, they must eliminate E-coli from their product.

Representative Bart Stupak, chairman f the Energy and Commerce Committee said, "Many American believe that water they drink from a bottle is healthier than water that comes from their faucets. Consumers may not realize that many regulations that apply to municipalities responsible for tap water do not apply to companies that produce bottled water."

In fact, there have been bacterial and chemical contamination problems with bottled water in the past few years. Bottled water producers often use words like "spring" and "pure" to advertise their water. Often times these water products come from a municipal tap or pumped from a well.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been injured by dangerous products and those who have become ill because of food borne illness like E-coli.

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

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) says that acetaminophen, an ingredient in the leading painkillers, is the number one cause of liver failure in the United States. According to an FDA report, nearly 56,000 Americans go to the Emergency Room each year and 200 die because of acetaminophen over doses.

The FDA is working reduce acetaminophen overdoses and an advisory panel that the FDA assembled recommends taking Vicodin and Percocet off the market and lowering the prescribed dosages of over-the-counter medications containing acetaminophen.

Acetaminophen is an ingredient in the leading pain killers on the market today including Tyleonol, Extra Strength Tylenol, Excedrin, TheraFlu and Nyquill. When taken in amounts greater than the recommended dosage, the liver cannot metabolize it and liver damage is a likely result. Some poison control centers say that acetaminophen overdoses are their number one calls.

If you or a loved overdoses on acetaminophen, you should go to an emergency room immediately. There are several treatments available: stomach pumping, activated charcoal or drugs to neutralize the acetaminophen. Poison control centers do not recommend the inducement of vomiting or drinking lots of water.

You should call an experienced personal injury attorney if acetaminophen caused your liver disease. Contact The Farber Law Group for a confidential and free case evaluation.

If you or a loved has liver damage due an acetaminophen overdose, you should contact a personal injury attorney to help determine

Kristen Diane Parker, a former surgery technician, faces federal charges for exposing thousands of patients to Hepatitis C and for tampering with consumer products. The charges stem from Parker's theft of injectable painkillers meant for patients. She used painkillers like fetanyl for herself and then refilled the vials with saline. Parker, who had Hepatitis C exposed an estimated 5,700 surgical patients with the virus and it appears that nine patients have contracted the disease.

Hepatitis C is an infectious disease which affects the liver. It is often asymptomatic but as the disease progresses it can cause cirrhosis of the liver and other complications including liver failure and death. It is spread by blood-to-blood contact. Of those infected, there is only a 51% cure rate.
Parker worked at two medical facilities in Colorado; Rose Medical Center in Denver and Audubon Ambulatory Surgery Center in Colorado Springs.

Parker faces a lengthy prison sentence and could face life in prison if any of the patients succumb to the illness or suffers serious bodily injury.

This case will be one to watch. Patients may have recourse in a medical malpractice case against the surgical centers if were negligent in the oversight of Parker and if they knew that she had the potential of infecting patients.

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.

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

The Tacoma News Tribune reports that a 66-year-old man has died after he fell six stories from his balcony. The accident occurred on Broadway around 8pm.

According to the report, the man was on a ladder making a repair when he and the ladder toppled over and fell to the sidewalk below.

This appears to be an extremely tragic accident.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a slip and fall accident, you should contact The Farber Law Group. Our experienced personal injury lawyers can help you determine if you have a case. If we accept your case, we will work hard to obtain you the compensation for your damages.

The Columbian reports that two boys, one age 9 and one age 13, were injured and taken to Southwest Washington Medical Center after they were injured in an explosion involving fireworks sparklers in a glass bottle.

The report said that the two injured boys and two others placed 24 sparklers in a bottle at a time and lit one to cause an explosion. The bottle exploded and the boys were hit with flying shards of glass.

The fireworks accident occurred near Pacific Middle School.

This report 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 attorney@hgfarber.comto arrange for a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Tacoma News Tribune reports that two men were injured in a motor vehicle accident around 10:15pm on Sunday night after they apparently ran into a fire engine that was pulling out of its station.According to the report, Tacoma Fire Engine 3 was pulling out of the station in the 200 block of Browns Point Boulevard Northeast when a Jeep Cherokee, with two men inside, ran into the engine.

Both of men were taken to a Tacoma-area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

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

The Illinois Department of Public Health concluded their report on a LaSalle County Nursing Home and found that the facility failed to protect female residents from a male resident who sexually abused and propositioned at least 10 female residents reports ABC News.

The report described how the man would grab, touch, fondle and attempt to kiss female residents, some of them who were ill or suffered from dementia. He was also verbally abusive.

Apparently some of the nursing home staff were aware of the man's behavior and they cooperated in the investigation. The abuse lasted for a period of six months starting last December until the man was moved to an inpatient psychiatric unit.

The report from the investigating board said

"Due to Administrative staff's failures to implement policies and procedures for abuse, failure to recognize abuse, and failure to effectively manage facility resources, sexual abuse occurred for 10 residents," the report said.

While most nursing homes are staffed with caring professionals, some times there are breakdown in supervision and management of the home. In these cases, an attorney who specializes in nursing home law can be very helpful. Then can make sure that the proper authorities are involved and that residents are compensated for any serious harm or injuries done to them.

If your loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, including bedsores, medication errors or falls, you should contact a knowledgeable nursing home abuse attorney. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience representing nursing home neglect victims and their families.

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

A Harris County, Texas jury has awarded $10 million in medical malpractice damages to John German after he developed gangrene following open heart surgery in 2002 which later necessitated the amputation of his left leg above the knee, the toes on his right foot and the fingers on both hands reports The Chronicle.

The medical malpractice lawsuit was filed against Methodist Hospital and the physicians who treated German. The jury's verdict found Methodist to be responsible for $5 million of the damages. The doctors have already settled for their half.

German underwent open-heart surgery in December of 2002 for an improperly functioning heart valve. The lawsuit claimed that the Methodist hospital staff failed to monitor German for blood disorders after prescribing the blood-thinner Heparin.

German, who was 32 and working as mechanic at the time of his surgery said, "It's like closing a painful chapter in my life, even though I have to live every day like this."

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 families of those who have died. In cases of medical malpractice, sometimes the legal system is the only recourse against insurance companies and large medical centers.

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.

Costco, the Issaquah-based big box store, is sending letters to customers who purchased JBS steaks, ribs and ground beef between April 28th and May 28th after the meat has been linked to E-coli infection in 23 people across nine states. Costco is asking that customers return all affected products still in consumer's possession to Costco for a full refund.

Specific information about the recall can be found on the JBS Swift web-site at www.jbsswift.com.

The Centers for Disease Control says they have linked 23 cases of E-coli infection to JBS beef. Of the 23 people who have become ill, 12 people have had to be hospitalized and two people have developed the serious and sometimes deadly HUS kidney condition.

It is costly and sometimes difficult to sue for damages after cases of E-coli infection. However, patients who develop severe kidney problems, which may be a life-long condition, may be able to obtain compensation for damages it there was negligence in the food preparation or handling of the food product.

If you or a loved one has become seriously ill due to a foodborne illness, contact The Farber Law Group to discuss your case. We have successfully obtained compensation for victims of E-coli illness. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

A construction worker for Washington Closure Hanford was seriously injured after falling through an access door of a catwalk. The worker, whose name was not provided, fell about 50' feet, hitting a ladder as he fell.

A report in The Tacoma News Tribune said that the man had "serious but not life-threatening" injuries. The man was described as an experienced construction worker.

The industrial accident occurred inside a building at the Hanford 300 Area which is located north of Richland.

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. With our help, you may recover compensation for you damages including rehabilitation costs, loss of wages, and 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.