Washington Injury Attorney Blog

The following lists the car and truck accidents to which fire engines, aide cars and medics were dispatched in and around Seattle on May 31, 2010:

• Motor Vehicle Accident Freeway - 4:11:19 PM - Ambulance and two engines dispatched to South Bound Interstate 5 at Mid Boeing Field
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 3:36:48 PM - Engine dispatched to 4239 Walla Walla Rd NE
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 3:20:34 PM - Ambulance dispatched to 700 Yesler Way
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 12:41:28 - Engine dispatched to NW 59th Street / 15th Avenue NW
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident 12:23:45 PM - Engine dispatched to Corliss Ave N / North Northgate Way
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 11:55:50AM - Ambulance dispatched to Bell Street / 3rd Avenue
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 11:30:55AM - Engine dispatched to Greenwood Ave. North / Holman Rd North
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 10:35:29 AM - Engine dispatched to W. Wheeler St /10th Av W
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 10:04:45AM - Ambulance dispatched to 1st Avenue/Yesler Way
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident 2:39:53AM - Engine dispatched to 6th Avenue/Union Street
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 1:58:48 AM - Engine dispatched to 4th Av S / S/ Main Street

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

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 Skagit County motor vehicle accident seriously injured two men in Skagit County around 6:52pm on Friday night.

According to a report in the Sky Valley Chronicle, Derek I. Rheinhardt, 18, of La Conner, was headed eastbound on Young Road when he ran a stop sign and hit the 1995 Dodge Ram driven by Richard L. Houghton, 57, of Anacortes.

Houghton was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and Rheinhardt was taken to Valley General Hospital.

Rheinhardt may be charged with Vehicular Assault because the Washington State Patrol believes alcohol or drugs were a factor in the accident; They are currently investigating. Washington state vehicle code RCW 46.61.522, states that Vehicular Assault can be charged if a person is seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident and the driver was intoxicated.

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 motor vehicle accidents and the family of those who have been killed. We aggressively fight for compensation for the victims of drunk drivers.

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.

Two women have died after a car accident in Pasco on Friday evening. According to a report in The Seattle Times, the women were riding in a Chrysler PT Cruiser driven by Susan, Garcia, 40, of Richland when Garcia attempted to make a left-hand turn and their vehicle was t-boned by a pickup truck. The accident occurred at Road 68 and Wernett Road around 5:15pm.

Garcia died at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland several hours after the accident. Her passenger, Guadalupe Martinez, 50, of Pasco died earlier at Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco. Both women were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

The Washington State Patrol is investigating the cause of the accident but they believe that Garcia failed to yield she made the left hand turn in front of a Ford F350 driven by Russell Rutherford, 59, of Pasco. Rutherford was unable to avoid the accident. Reports aid that he suffered minor injuries 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 seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents and the family 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 HeraldNet of Everett reports that a man in his 20's was seriously injured when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident on Highway 9 in Lake Stevens about 7:35pm on Thursday night.

According to a report, the unidentified man lost control of his vehicle on Highway 9 and crashed his car into two separate vehicles. He hit the first vehicle near 113th Street NE and, while fleeing that accident, he ran into a second vehicle injuring its driver and a 7-year-old passenger in that car. The child is reported to have sustained "severe abdominal injuries that required surgery to repair his intestine and is currently recovering at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle." The driver sustained "minor seat belt injuries."

The driver in his 20s was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious injuries. It is suspected that he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident. If this is the case, he faces multiple charges including vehicular assault.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents caused by the negligence of another. 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 attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Even though seat belts save lives, government statistics show that 45 million people are still not in the habit of buckling up.

In conjunction with the Transportation department's annual "Click it or Ticket" campaign, the Department released statistics saying that 84% of Americans are wearing seat belts, up 1% since 2008.

2008 statistics showed that approximately 14,000 motorists not wearing seat belts were killed in motor vehicle accidents. They estimate that 7,000 of those people would have survived if they had been wearing a seat belt.

Washington state has one of the highest seat belt compliance rates with 96.4% compliance. The states with the lowest compliance include Wyoming (67.6%), New Hampshire (68.9%) and South Dakota (72.1%).

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 motor vehicle accidents and the family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

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.

Keith Knappett was awarded $1.3 million by a King County jury on Thursday for a slip and fall injury he received while exiting a Metro bus in 2006.

According to a report in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Knappett's received permanent injuries to his leg, uses a cane to walk and may eventually require an amputation.

In his lawsuit, Knappett claimed that the stairs were very slick, especially the yellow material.

Knappett's attorney said that he deserved the award because the accident was life altering and that he needed the money to pay medical bills.

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 slip, trip and fall accidents caused by negligence. With our help, you may receive compensation for your damages.

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 following lists the car and truck accidents to which fire engines, aide cars and medics were dispatched in and around Seattle on May 27, 2010:

• Motor Vehicle Accident Freeway - 1:43:07 PM - Engine dispatched to EB WSEA FRWY FR FAUNTLEROY
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident Freeway - 1:43:07 PM - Engine dispatched to WSEA FRWY FR FAUNTLEROY
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 1:39:15 PM - Engine dispatched to WSEA FRWY FR FAUNTLEROY
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 9:47:59 AM - Engine dispatched to Fremont Av N / N 50th St
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident Freeway - 6:53:58 AM - Engine dispatched to Sb I5 At Tullys
  
• Motor Vehicle Accident Freeway - 6:48:10 AM - Ambulance and Engine dispatched to Southbound Interstate 5 At Tullys

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

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 wrongful death lawsuit over a NY man whose kidney transplant from a female donor gave him the woman's cancer will conclude soon in New York.

Vincent Liew was 37 years old when he received a kidney transplant from a woman who succumbed to a stroke. When an autopsy was performed on the woman, it revealed that the woman had uterine cancer.

According to an article in the NY Daily News, it took Liew's physician two months before he learned of the autopsy results. The suit claims that the doctors should have removed the kidney as soon as the cancer diagnosis was made. Liew's widow said that the physician advised, "Don't worry about it, leave it in." The doctors said that there was only a slight chance that Liew could contract the woman's cancer because he was a man.

The kidney was eventually removed from Liew's body after doctors said that he wasn't adapting to it. Liew died a few weeks later and an autopsy confirmed that he died of cancer and that his cancer had genetically female cells.

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 or negligence and the family of those who have died. If a person dies because of medical negligence, the family of the deceased can file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of their deceased loved one.

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.

In a News Release, the Washington State Department of Health reports that they have suspended the license of Dr. Leonard D. Hudson, a 72-year-old University of Washington professor for illegally prescribing painkillers to an addict in exchange for sex. The suspension means that Hudson cannot practice medicine in Washington until charges are resolved. Hudson, along with the woman he wrote prescriptions for, face criminal charges.

Hudson holds an endowed chair in pulmonary disease research and is an adjunct professor of medical history and ethics.

According to the report, Hudson wrote numerous prescriptions for drugs like OxyContin, Zanax and Percocet to a 22-year-old woman on at least 30 occasions. He also wrote prescriptions to her friend so that the cost of them would be covered by the friend's medical insurance. According to the release, he met the woman through an online escort service.

A Washington state Health Department spokesperson said:

"Hudson's alleged prescribing practices put the patient at risk of serious harm by continuing to prescribe controlled substances to the woman knowing she was an addict."

The DOH says that Hudson's prescribing practices show "a lack of regard for patient safety and gross negligence."

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 family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

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 following lists the car and truck accidents to which fire engines, aide cars and medics were dispatched in and around Seattle on May 24, 2010:

• Motor Vehicle Accident - 7:51:01 PM - Engine dispatched to NE 85th St / 2nd Av NE
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 7:42:54 PM - Engine dispatched to N 85th Street / Corliss Ave N
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 2:32:23 PM - Engine dispatched to 2nd Av / Pike St
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 2:12:45 PM - Ladder dispatched to 48th Av S / S Othello st
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 11:12:34 AM Engine dispatched to 13th Av Sw / Klickitat Av SW
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 2:18:47 AM Engine dispatched to 5406 46th Av Sw
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 12:09:06 AM Engine dispatched to 5th Av / University St

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

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) is looking for a 1980's or 1990's green or teal pickup truck with wood panels that they believe was involved in a "lost load" accident which almost injured a Bellevue couple and caused damage to their Mercedes Benz.

According to a WSP media release, the Bellevue couple was driving southbound on Interstate 405 at NE 85th street in Kirkland around 3:45pm when a truck traveling northbound lost and unsecured pick-ax from its truck bed. The pick-ax went through the windshield of the couple's Mercedes and grazed the driver's should before it lodged between the two front seats. The couple narrowly missed injury.

RCW 46.61.655 is the vehicle statute which covers unsecured loads. It is also known as "Maria's Law." The statute provides that a driver is guilty of criminal negligence if he/she fails to secure all or part of a load. If a lost load causes bodily injury, the driver could spend up to a year in jail and face a fine of $5,000.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates that 25,000 accidents and 100 deaths are caused by lost loads every year. In Washington State, the WSP estimates there are approximately 400 accidents a year caused by unsecured loads.

Drivers often do not understand how the laws of physics come into play when they load items into their pickup trucks. Then mistakenly believe that heavy objects will stay put. However, heavy objects can go flying and the results can be disastrous as drivers swerve to avoid the object or the object goes through a windshield causing facial and head injuries and can severely injure, blind or kill the driver and passenger.

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 motor vehicle accidents caused by the negligence of another.

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.

In an article published in The Seattle Times, Lyndsey Layton writing for The Washington Post, reports that the federal government seeks to prohibit the sale of drop-side baby cribs saying they pose "lethal dangers to children." The Feds seek to make this move after 32 babies were killed in crib accidents since 2000.

The feds are proposing the following rules for crib manufacturers: banning sales of drop-side cribs; prohibiting the use of drop-side cribs in places such as day-care centers and hotels; requiring crib manufacturers to provide adequate mattress support; testing cribs to ensure that cribs hold up to shaking and jumping; design cribs so that assembly is "idiot proof" so that it is impossible for people to assemble them incorrectly.

According to the article, the fatalities attributed to drop-side cribs were caused when the side became partly detached from the crib because of defect, poor design or improper assembly.

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 or defective products and the family of those killed. Washington state has a wrongful death statute which allows the family of a person who has died because of the negligence of another person or entity to sue on behalf of their deceased loved one.

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.

Bradley C. Allen, a 22-year veteran of the Camas Fire District is accused by the FDA of stealing the painkiller fentanyl in ambulance medical kits and substituting the drug with water.

According to charges, Allen is accused of forging fire district orders for the drug and having it shipped to his home.

The theft of the medication came to light after paramedics noticed broken seals and missing supplies of the drug. According to a report written by Michael Rollins of KGW, detectives investigating the missing medication looked at Allen because he was in charge of ordering supplies and he oversaw the supply storage room.

The Camas interim police captain, Rob Skeens, claims that there is no evidence that ambulance patients were given water instead of fentanyl.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured because of the negligence of another including victims of medical malpractice.

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 following lists the car and truck accidents to which fire engines, aide cars and medics were dispatched in and around Seattle on May 20, 2010:

• Motor Vehicle Accident Freeway - 9:09:29 PM Engine dispatched to Northbound Interstate 5 At Sr520
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 6:44:45 PM Aide car dispatched to 8th Avenue/Virginia Street
• Motor Vehicle Accident Freeway - 4:53:40 PM - Two Engines dispatched to Northbound Interstate 5 at Northgate
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 10:32:32 AM - Engine dispatched to 11100 Roosevelt Way NE
• Motor Vehicle Accident Freeway - 9:54:12 AM - Aide car dispatched to Northbound Interstate 5 Cd to James
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 9:31:50 AM - Engine dispatched to NE 75th St / 21st Av Ne
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 8:59:41 AM - Engine Dispatched to 5th Av Ne / Banner Way NE
• Motor Vehicle Freeway Accident - 8:20:41 AM - Aide car and 2 Engines dispatched to Westbound SR 520 At Montlake
• Motor Vehicle Accident - 6:44:45 PM - Aide car dispatched to 8th Avenue and Virginia Street

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

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 Iowa nursing home was fined more than $92,000 by state and federal authorities after an investigation found evidence that the nursing home staff covered up sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult patient. Criminal charges were also filed against Karen Etter who serves as Director of Nursing.

Allegations of sexual abuse came about after a male resident was caught in bed with a female resident on one occasion. On another occasion, the staff witnessed the two residents having sex.

According to a report in The Des Moines Register, the female patient could not have consented to sexual contact because she has Alzheimer's disease.

The state and federal regulators said that Etter, who was the Director of Nursing, threatened staff members that if they told anyone about the sexual abuse then they would lose their jobs.

Nursing home abuse and neglect can take many forms including bedsores or decubitus ulcers, broken bones, dehydration, medication errors, urinary tract infections, physical abuse and sexual abuse. A nursing home can be found negligent if they fail to care for and protect the vulnerable adults under their care.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience representing victims of nursing home neglect and abuse and their families. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

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.

Source:
The Des Moines Register
http://www.desmoinesregister.com

Bellevue police will begin ticketing drivers who they see using hand held cell phones while driving beginning June 10. Drivers they catch using a hand held devices will be fined $124 reports The Bellevue Reporter.

The State Legislature revised Washington State vehicle code RCW 46.61.667 which states that a person who drives while holding a wireless communication device to his or her ear is guilty of a traffic offense. When the law was enacted in July of 2008, officers could only ticket cell phone users if they had committed a different traffic offense.

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 family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

If you believe your car accident was caused by someone using a cell phone, read "What if my accident was caused by someone using a cell phone?"

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.

Every year, more than 368,000 people are treated in emergency rooms for dog bites and it is estimated that over 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year. In the year 2006, 31,000 people had dog bite injuries so severe that they required reconstructive surgery.

Of all of the emergency room visits for children, dog bite injuries are fifth on the list requiring treatment.

May 17-23, 2010 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week and it is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Both organizations work to promote dog bite prevention and safety.

Check the CDC website for safety tips and a podcast which can help you prevent a dog bite and serious injury.

For dog bite victims with serious injuries, you should contact a personal injury attorney with experience representing victims. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience representing animal attack victims and with our help, you may be able to obtain compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and for pain and suffering.

Often dog bite victims have serious injuries including disfigurement of the face, permanent nerve damage, post-traumatic stress syndrome and severe pain. Many victims require between two and five surgeries to repair the damage. A personal injury attorney will fight for you so that instead of battling insurance companies, you can spend your time healing.

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 Lewis County sheriff's department reports that Jeff Ault, a 43-year-old 2nd grade teacher at Onalaska Elementary School, was accidentally shot Monday afternoon while he was moving a 22 caliber rifle from a gun safe and it discharged. According to KOMO News of Seattle, Ault was shot in the abdomen and died before he could be taken to a hospital.

Onalaska is a community in southwest Washington approximately 45 miles south of the Capitol, Olympia, via Interstate 5.

This tragic accident appears to have happened because Ault did not follow a basic gun safety rule which is "ALWAYS keep guns unloaded until ready to use."

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 caused by the negligence of another.

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 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) along with Family Dollar Stores Inc., has announced a voluntary recall of 1.8 million "Auto Fire" toy dart gun sets after the asphyxiation deaths of a 9 and 10 year old boy in two separate states.

The toy dart guns are imported by Henry Gordy International and are only sold at Family Dollar stores and manufactured in China.

The toy is a danger because if the toy dart is placed in a child's mouth, it can be inhaled into the throat, causing asphyxiation.

Click here for the full recall notice on the CPSC web-site:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10234.html

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 or defective products 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 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety(IIHS) has awarded their 2010 TOP SAFETY PICK award to two large luxury cars, the Hyundai Genesis and the Mercedes E Class.

The IIHS award rates cars on how they fare in front, side, rollover and rear car accident tests. The TOP SAFETY PICK award is given to vehicles that earn a GOOD in each of the crash tests.

The Hyundai Genesis improved their roof structure in 2010 models which is important in rollover car accidents.

Mercedes redesigned the E class for 2010 and this is the first year that the E series earned a TOP SAFETY PICK award. The design changes made the vehicles safer in side-impact car accidents by adding padding to the front and rear doors. The award is given to all E class models built after March 2010.

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 motor vehicle accidents and the family 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 University of Washington (UW) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists has established a registry of patients who were aware or recall events and sensations from their surgeries even though they were under anesthesia and were supposed to be asleep.

In an article on CNN.com, one patient described being aware during parts of her five hour surgery to remove an eye. Paralyzed from medications, she described the feeling of being aware akin to being in hell. She awoke from the surgery screaming, "I was awake!"

The Anesthesia Awareness Registry and is working to understand why this phenomenon occurs, how to prevent it and how to help health care providers respond to their patients who have experienced it. The motto of the registry is "Stop Anesthesia Awareness -- 1 case is 1 too many."

Some patients who were aware during their surgeries suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which is an anxiety disorder caused by experiencing a traumatic event which involved the threat of injury or death or other terrifying ordeal.

Some "anesthesia awareness" patients have filed medical malpractice lawsuits because of their surgical experience. In one case, a lawsuit was filed after a 73-year-old patient experienced 16 minutes of pain during surgery because general anesthesia was not administered for 16 minutes after the surgery began. The patient was unable to cry out because paralyzing drugs were administered. He committed suicide following the surgery after experiencing excruciating pain and nightmares and horrifying thoughts.

This information is provided by The Farber Law Group. We investigate potential claims for medical and surgical malpractice in the Seattle-metropolitan area and throughout the Pacific Northwest. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a medical error or anesthesia malpractice, contact us for a free and confidential consultation.

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.

Kelly Weaver, 21, of Richland was injured in a single-vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 82 near Union Gap early Sunday morning.

According to a report in the Yakima Herald-Republic, Weaver over-corrected after her car drifted off to the right side of the road into a construction zone and she then over-corrected and rolled her vehicle.

Weaver was released from the hospital after being treated. She is currently being investigated for possible driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously in car accidents and the family 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 family and estate of Frances Tanner, 79, of Stockton, has been awarded nearly $30 million in damages by a California jury after the Colonial Healthcare of Auburn and its parent company, Horizon West Healthcare were found guilty of elder abuse and neglect.

Frances Tanner, 79, of Stockton had mild dementia when she moved into Colonial Healthcare in 2005. She died seven months after entering the nursing home from an infected bedsore, or decubitus ulcer.

The jury awarded $1.1 million in compensatory damages to Tanner's estate and her daughter Elizabeth Pao and they also found that the company should pay $28 million in punitive damages.

Testimony during the wrongful death trial revealed that Colonial Healthcare was chronically understaffed and had poor medical documentation and were motivated by corporate greed. The attorney for Tanner's estate argued that Colonial and Horizon were motivated by profit instead of the welfare of the elderly patients under their care.

In awarding $28 million in punitive damages, the jury sided with Carole Herman of Foundation Abiding the Elderly who said:

The people spoke today. They wanted to make sure that this company never again puts profits before patient care."

Punitive damages could be awarded because the jury found the nursing home's conduct "malicious, oppressive or fraudulent." The intent of punitive damages is to refer or deter the defendant(s) from engaging in the same conduct in the future that which was the basis of the lawsuit. Punitive damages are not so much to compensate the plaintiffs in the lawsuit but to deter the defendant from acting in a similar manner in the future.

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 nursing home abuse and neglect and the family of those killed. We have more than 30 years experience representing wrongful death cases in Washington State and the Pacific Northwest.

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.

Source
The Sacramento Bee
"Jury hits Auburn nursing home with $28 million in punitive damages"
By Cynthia Hubert
Posted: May 14, 2010
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/13/2747044/jury-auburn-nursing-home-committed.html

The National Highway Safety Administration has seven rules for bicycle safety:

1. Wear a properly fitted helmet. While there is no state law in Washington requiring you to wear a helmet, many counties including Snohomish, Pierce and King Counties require them.
   
2. Assure your bicycle is in good working order -- make sure brakes work, handlebars won't slip, cranks are tightened and the quick release hub bolt closed.
   
3. Follow traffic laws -- bicyclists must follow the rules of the road the same as drivers of motor vehicles. Washington State law provides that bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists.
   
4. Ride like a driver -- bicyclists should ride with the flow of traffic and on the right hand side of the road.
   
5. Get noticed -- Wear clothing that makes you visible and make sure you have reflective accessories, and lights.
   
6. Ride focused and stay alert - keep focused on the road, don't ride distracted and don't ride with head phones or while talking on a cell phone.
   
7. Ride safely -- stay in the bike lane if one is available. Be predictable and don't run red lights or stop signs.

This information is provided by Washignton Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in bicycle accidents and motor vehicle accidents and the family 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 family of Darius Morgan, who suffered a birth injury which resulted in cerebral palsy (CP), was awarded $18.5 million in a cerebral palsy malpractice lawsuit against Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and an obstetrician.

Medical experts who testified at the malpractice trial said that if Darius' mother cesarean section had not been delayed, Darius would have been born healthy.

Darius' mother initiated the obstetrics malpractice lawsuit in 2002 but she died in 2004 of a terminal illness. Her intent with the lawsuit was that her son's needs be cared for.

The jury deliberated for two days before returning with the verdict.

One study found that the economic cost for people with CP to be at $921,000 including lost income.

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 malpracticeincluding negligence which resulted in a birth injury.

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.

Source:
NJ.com
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/middlesex_family_is_awarded_18.html
Reported by Victoria St. Martin/The Star-Ledger
Posted April 30, 2010

The Washington State patrol, in a media release, is asking for witnesses to Saturday's car vs tanker truck accident that occurred last Saturday on State Route 2 near Monroe, Washington, to contact them.

Steven T. Johnson, 38, of Bothell was traveling eastbound on U.S. 2 driving a 1997 Mazda when he crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming tanker truck. Johnson died on the way to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The driver of the tanker truck was not injured.

Witnesses are asked to call Detective Sergeant Jerry Cooper at 360-805-1192 or Detective Curt Ladines 360-805-1160.

The WSP is trying to determine what led up to the motor vehicle accident.

More than 50 people have been killed in motor vehicle accidents on U.S. 2 west of the Cascades in the past 10 years, many of them cross over 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 motor vehicle accidents and the family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

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 Spokesman-Review reports that Julie Wilson, age 4, of Kootenai County was killed in a semi-tractor trailer accident on Sunday around 6pm near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

According to the article, Julie had climbed on the back of her father's semi-tractor without his knowledge and fell and became wedged between the tires and the mud flap . Her father, Steven Wilson, discovered her after he had driven a short distance.

Julie apparently died of massive head trauma.

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 motor vehicle accidents and the family 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 attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

A report on KLXY.com says that a 4-year-old child fell out of a three story window and landed onto an SUV at an apartment complex near Eastern Washington University in Cheney on Saturday.

The child reportedly sustained a head injury in the fall but was "conscious and alert" when the firefighters arrived.

In Seattle, Harborview Medical Center treats between 50-60 children a year for injuries sustained from falls from windows. Falls often result in severe head injuries, brain injuries, fractures and often death.

To prevent a child from falling through an open window, we recommend that you not place furniture next to windows, not rely on screens for protection and install window stops on windows.

This information is brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people with serious injuries, including slip trip and fall, due to the negligence of another person or company.

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 Oregonian reports that Portland police Officer Stephen Gandy, 33, is in serious condition at Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Health Center due to complications of a pit-bull dog attack.

According to the report, Gandy was attacked and bitten by a pit-bull dog when he was investigating a complaint at a suspected drug house on April 12. Gandy developed a serious infection after the bite and surgeons had to remove part of his upper right thigh. Doctors say Gandy developed a serious blood infection that is potentially fatally. According to the report, Gandy's wife also contracted an infection but she did not require hospitalization.

Attacks by dog can leave victims with serious injuries. Many victims of serious attacks have to undergo between 2-5 surgeries to repair the damage. Often dog bite victims suffer disfigurement including of the face. Many victims suffer permanent nerve damage and pain and also post-traumatic stress syndrome.

In King County, Washington, there are an estimated 1,000 dog bites every year.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries due to a dog bite, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience in representing dog bite victims. With our help, you may recover compensation for your medical costs, rehabilitation costs and for pain and suffering.

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.

Trimet of Portland, Oregon, has agreed to a $1.5 million settlement to Pat Smith, 68,who was so seriously injured in a bus vs. pedestrian accident that she had to have her leg amputated.

According to a report by Margy Lynch of KATU.com, Smith was seriously injured when she was hit by a bus while in a crosswalk in 2008 in Portland. Smith now has a prosthetic and uses a wheelchair.

According to the report, the bus driver was using an iPod at the time of the pedestrian accident.

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 and the family of those killed. With our help, you may receive compensation for your damages.

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 51-year-old woman suffered serious injuries in a pedestrian accident as she was crossing a Seattle street.

According to the report in The Seattle Times, the woman was crossing East Jefferson street across from the Jefferson Tower medical building when a car hit her.

The woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center and the report said she suffered serious head injuries and possibly internal injuries.

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 and the family 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.

Dr. Kenneth M. Jones, of Wenatchee, has been suspended from the practice of medicine for 30 days after an agreement with the Washington state Medical Commission for inappropriately prescribing human growth hormones to two men.

According to the Medical Commission Jones also allegedly "abetted unlicensed practice of medicine by allowing unlicensed persons to evaluate clients, provide injections, use his name to obtain and use equipment, and use his DEA number to obtain medications" in association with clinics in Bellevue and Yakima.

As part of the agreement with the Medical Commission, Dr. Jones has agreed to stop prescribing hormones as an anti-aging treatment.

The medical commission also mandates that Jones' license be placed on probation for five years.

Human growth hormones has been used to help some patients gain muscle mass and reduce body fat but the drug has been linked to joint pain and some studies suggest it may be linked to cancer.

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.

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.

Mickaele Durgini, 50, of Everett was killed in a head-on motor vehicle accident in Missoula, Montana on Saturday afternoon reports the HeraldNet of Everett. The accident happened on Highway 200 near mile marker 21.

Durgini was killed when a pickup truck crossed the center line and hit Durgini's pickup truck head on. The driver of the other vehicle apparently fled the accident scene but is now at St. Patrick's Hospital. No charges against him have been filed at this point and it is unknown whether 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 motor vehicle accidents and the family of those killed with their wrongful death claims.

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 Farber Law Group represents people who have been seriously injured in car accidents, motorcycle accidents and truck accidents. Many of our clients have received injuries so severe that they have spent time in the hospital, suffered a disability, had to have physical therapy or required chiropractic, massage therapy or other types of specialized care over a prolonged period of time.

There is not always a correlation between the severity of the motor vehicle accident and the types of injuries people sustain. Sometimes a car is totaled yet the driver and passenger walk away with little or no injury and other times, what appears to be a minor accident, leaves the victim with serious injuries.

Some of the typical injuries our clients have sustained include:

• Traumatic brain injuries - including concussion, post-concussion syndrome, and severe brain injuries which affect neurological functioning
  
• Injuries to the face or head including bruises, fractures, dental injuries, and lacerations
  
• Whiplash injuries to neck including sprains, strains, fractures, hyperflexion/hyperextension injury or cervical strain/sprain
  
• Arm and shoulder injuries including rotator cuff, fractures, sprains and dislocation
  
• Back injuries including lumbar spine injury, thoracic spine injury, disc injury, sprain, strain and fractures
  
• Internal injuries including those to organs such as the spleen, liver and kidneys
  
• Injuries to the extremities including leg, knees and feet including injuries to ligaments, fractures lacerations, bruises, strains and amputations.
  

If you or a loved one has been injured in serious car accident in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma metropolitan area, the injured person may be treated at a trauma center such as Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

If your injuries are serious, you should consult with a personal injury attorney before you sign anything from an insurance company to insure that your rights are protected and that you are fully compensated for your injuries if the accident was not your fault.

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 motor vehicle accidents and the family of those killed. If you are in the hospital and cannot come to us, then we will come to you.

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 49-year-old motorcyclist from Puyallup was taken to Harborview Medical Center after he crashed off of the Michigan Street overpass and onto Interstate 5 around 11am on Saturday. The injured man's condition is unknown.

The Tacoma News Tribune reports that the motorcycle accident occurred when the man was changing lanes and he lost control, struck a guardrail and was thrown off the bike and into the HOV lane of the I-5 below. The report does not say that the man was struck by any vehicle.

The WSP says the man was wearing a motorcycle helmet and that his accident does not appear to be caused by drugs or alcohol.

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 motorcycle accidents and the family 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.

Seattle's King5.com reports that a Auburn man in his 20's suffered serious burn injuries after he apparently poured paint and lacquer thinner onto a burn pile, causing it to explode.

The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with burns to his face and hands.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. Our personal injury law firm represents burn accident victims and their family.

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 woman was hit and killed by a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp train on Saturday morning around 5:30am.

From a report in The Seattle Times, it seems that the woman may have committed suicide because the train crew saw the woman run from behind a building and into the path of the oncoming train. The train's engineer tried to stop but the train hit and killed the woman.

The woman has not yet been identified. Police, however, believe they have found the woman's vehicle nearby.

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 motor vehicle accidents due the negligence of another.

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 Food and Drug Administration says that McNeil Consumer Healthcare is issuing a voluntary recall of some infant and childrens' liquid medications due to some quality, purity and potency problems. Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret A. Hamburg, MD said on the FDA web-site:

“We want to be certain that consumers discontinue using these products and that they know what to do if they have concerns about a specific product. While the potential for serious health problems is remote, Americans deserve medications that are safe, effective and of the highest quality. We are investigating the products and facilities associated with this recall and will provide updates as we learn more.”

The FDA noted that the recall is not due to adverse medical events but as a precautionary measure.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare is recalling:

• Tylenol Infants' Drops
• Children's Tylenol Suspensions
• Children's Tylenol Plus Suspensions
• Motrin Infant Drops
• Children's Motrin Suspensions
• Children's Zyrtec Liquids in Bottles
• Children's Benadryl Allergy Liquids in Bottles

For more information, see McNeil's webs-site: http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com/

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 or defective products 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 U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation will publish their report on the sinking of the Seattle-Based fishing vessel, Katmai, sometime next month. The Katmai had a crew of 11 on board when it sank on October 22, of 2008; 7 of the 11 crew members were killed and the 4 survivors were in the water 16 hours before they were rescued.

The Seattle Times was able to obtain the USCG report before it is published for the public and they provided their review of the report in a story entitled Report: Poor decision linked to 2008 AK sinking by Hal Bernton.

According to The Times' article, the Coast Guard lists the following factors as attributing to the boating accident:

• The Katmai was "excessively loaded"
  
• An unsecured door
  
• The "imprudent decision" by the Captain, Henry Blake, to push on despite the fact there was a major storm forecast. The article said that the weather fax with graphic images was not functioning so the captain did not have the information about the storm to base his decision.

The Coast Guard made the following recommendations. Some of these recommendations are also the same ones made after another Seattle-based vessel, the Arctic Rose, sank with the loss of 15 crew in 2001.

• Mandatory training of fishing-boat captains
  
• Mandatory inspections of fishing vessels
  
• Improve crew training

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 and watercraft accidents and the family of those killed. We also represent the families of those killed because of the negligence of another including those killed in industrial or construction 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.