Washington Injury Attorney Blog

The Washington State Fire Marshal, Captain Jason Beery, issued a press release reminding people to use fireworks responsibly. According to the release, last 4th of July there were 414 fireworks-related fires over the Independence Day holiday, causing $1.4 million in damages.

According to the Fire Marshall, misusing fireworks can result in charges of malicious mischief, assault or a gross demeanor if a person possesses illegal fireworks or tampers with them. A gross demeanor can result in a fine of up to $5,000 and or up to a year in prison.

The Fire Marshall recommends that when using fireworks, you have water nearby, only adults should light fireworks and you should clean up after using fireworks.

Remember that personal use of fireworks are prohibited in Bellevue according to the City of Bellevue web-site including Beaux Arts Village, Clyde Hill, Hunts Point, Medina and Yarrow Point.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured due to dangerous and defective products or because of the carelessness or negligence of another.

Related Posts:

Fireworks accident injures 3 firefighters

Two boys injured in fireworks explosion

Washington Burn Lawyer: Fireworks Accidents and Statistics

Continue reading " As 4th of July nears, Fire Marshall warns of fire and burn hazard posed by fireworks " »

The Washington State Fire Marshall, Captain Jason Berry, in a press release, informed consumers not to use FIREGEL or NAPAfire manufactured by Napa Home & Garden and sold at retailers including Bed Bath & Beyond, Shopko, Restoration Hardware and Amazon.com between December 2009 and June 2011 because the products pose a burn hazard to consumers.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the recall of half-million bottles and jugs after dozens of 37 accidents involving the product and 23 burn injuries. According to the CPSC, the product can ignite unexpectedly and splatter onto people when it is poured into a firepot. When the fuel burns, consumers do not always see a flame so they do not realize the product is still burning.

The State Fire Marshall says that consumers should immediately desist using the product and return it to the retailer.

See the Napa Home and Garden web-site for full information.

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

Related Posts:

Washington State Fire Marshall report "2009 Fire in Washington"

Claiming damages for burn injuries

Castalon frying pans recalled because of burn hazard

Continue reading " CPSC recalls Napa gel fuel after dozens of accidents " »

The case of Bowdler v. State Farm Mut. Auto Ins. Co. concluded with the jury awarding $3.02 million to David Bowdler who was serious injured in a motor vehicle accident at an intersection when the other driver ran a stop sign.

In this "bad faith" insurance case, Bowdler sued State Farm Insurance after they refused to pay him the full amount of his underinsured motorist coverage.

An "underinsured/uninsured motorist clause" was a provision of Bowlder's insurance policy and provides that a driver receive damages for injuries caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist. In the event of an accident with serious injuries, the coverage is intended to bridge the gap between what the uninsured driver can pay and what the injured driver should receive had the other driver been adequately insured.

Bowlder suffered a neck fracture and wrist fracture and had to undergo multiple surgeries and months of physical therapy when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident with a motorist who only had $25,000 in coverage.

State Farm balked at covering Bowlder's damages so Bowlder's attorney filed an insurance bad faith lawsuit. "Bad faith" is describes a tort claim against an insurance company when the insurance company has not dealt fairly with the insured person.

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. We represent clients on a contingency basis which levels the playing field when taking on insurance companies.

Related Posts:

Spokane area car accident kills girl, injures father and grandmother

Puyallup man killed in when teenagers run stop sign after prank

What is computerized Claims Adjusting?http://www.hgfarber.com/lawyer-attorney-1291853.html

Continue reading " Injured motorist receives $3.02 M of uninsured motorist coverage in case against State Farm Mutual " »

The mother of a 19-year-old college student who died of alcohol poisoning during a fraternity hazing ritual has filed a $25 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, a national fraternity.

The New York Times reports that George Desdunes of Brooklyn, NY, was a student at Cornell University when he participated in a "mock kidnapping" and was forced to drink alcohol until he passed out. The lawsuit alleges that Desdunes had his hands and feet bound with zip ties and duct tape during the hazing.

The lawsuit, filed by Marie Anfre, Desdunes' mother, alleges that the fraternity members did not seek medical attention for her son after he passed out several times. Desdunes was found unconscious on a sofa the morning after the event and he was pronounced dead at a hospital. His blood alcohol content was five times the legal limit for driving at 0.409%.

Frat members allegedly removed the zip ties before the police arrived.

In filing the wrongful death lawsuit, Anfre is fighting against fraternities and the dangerous drinking rituals which results in the death of one student every year on average. Her attorney, William Friedlander, says that the wrongful death lawsuit is "not about the money" but about bringing change to fraternities.

A wrongful death lawsuit can be filed by the family of a person who has died due to the negligent or wrongful act of another. Wrongful death statutes allow the family to recover damages against the person or entity whose negligent or wrongful act caused the family member's death. Wrongful death cases can arise from car accidents, medical negligence, criminal activities or activities such as sports or school activities.

In a case such as this one, not only may individuals be found liable but the organizations including the local fraternity chapter as well as the national parent fraternity may be included in the lawsuit.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury law firm with more than 30 years representing families with their wrongful death claims.

Source:
The New York Times
Cornell Fraternity Sued Over Student’s Drinking Death

Related Posts:
WSU student falls from frat house window

University of Washington student seriously injured in fall from 3rd story frat house window

Parents file wrongful death suit after son dies during alleged fraternity hazing

Continue reading " Mother of student who died of alcohol poisoning files wrongful death lawsuit against frat " »

The U.S. Supreme Court met for the last time this season and ruled on a case involving the ability of a state court to hear a case involving a foreign company on claims not related to any activity in the state.

In the case of Goodyear Dunlop Tires Operations v. Brown, the court voted unanimously that the family of two teenagers from North Carolina who were killed in a bus accident while traveling in France for a soccer tournament could not file a wrongful death lawsuit in North Carolina against a foreign manufacturer, Goodyear Luxembourg. The estates of the teens argued that the tires manufactured by Goodyear were defective and caused the bus accident.

The state argued that the North Carolina court could hear the case since the tires were also shipped to the U.S. and North Carolina on a continuing basis.

Goodyear Luxembourg argued that the state could not hear the case because the company had no presence or direct business interests in North Carolina.

The significance of the Supreme Court decision is that a court cannot hear a claim against a foreign company when the company's is not connected with the state except in distribution of products. The state does not have jurisdiction over a foreign company when the corporation is not registered in the state, does not have a corporate presence such as a headquarters, does not employee people in the state and does not design or manufacture the product in the state.

Justice Ruth Ginsburg wrote the Court's opinion. For more information, click here: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/10-76.pdf

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury law firm and we represent people who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents and the family of those who have died with their wrongful death claims.

Continue reading " Supreme Court rules in favor of Goodyear in defective tire wrongful death lawsuit " »

A Yakima County Superior Court jury ruled in favor or Dr. Mark Sauerwein in a malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit filed by the husband of a young woman who died from multiple organ failure brought on by a fungal infection with an underlying condition of diabetes.

Christina Anaya, 32, died in 2006. Anaya's husband, Rodolfo Anaya Gomez, initiated a wrongful death lawsuit asking for $1.7 million in damages on the grounds that Dr. Sauewerein's failure to diagnose a fungal infection led to Anaya's death.

The jury heard that Sauerwein was "concerned, caring, conscientious and competent" physician. Sauerwein wrongly concluded that Anaya's blood test was a "false positive" given the fact that her condition had improved and that her symptoms appeared to be due to diabetes.

According to the Yakima Hearld-Republic, most Yakima County juries "rarely side with plaintiffs in malpractice cases."

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group, a personal injury law firm with offices in Seattle and Bellevue, Washington. The stories and situations mentioned on this blog are for informational purposes only.

Related Posts:

Bacteria in IVs may have caused 9 hospital deaths

Family awarded $1.7 million in wrongful death lawsuit

Family awarded $5.3M in 'failure to diagnose' medical malpractice lawsuit

Continue reading " Jury rules in favor of physician in wrongful death lawsuit " »

The National Transportation Safety Board investigation found that a tugboat operator was distracted while using his personal cell phone and a company laptop computer when the tugboat he was navigating crashed into and sank a duck tour boat on the Delaware River. Two people on the duck tour boat were killed in the boating accident and 26 other people were injured.

A NTSB Press Release cited the mate's distraction as the key factor in the accident. The release said the mate was busy dealing with a "family emergency" instead of being in the upper wheel house and that his visibility of the channel was limited.

NTSB Chariman Deobrah A.P. Hersman said"

"This is yet another example of the deadliness of distractions. "Distraction is a safety concern across all modes of transportation.  Regardless of the reason, it's not okay to multi-task while operating a vehicle - whether it's calling, texting, or surfing the web."

The boating accident occurred when the tugboat, the Caribbean Sea, was towing a barge and hit the duck tour boat. The duck boats are old World War II era amphibious landing craft which are operated by Ride the Ducks International.

The NTSB release also faulted Ride The Ducks International, LLC, for failing to take proper action to address "the risk of anchoring in an active navigation channel." The duck boat had overheated and the vessel was anchored in an active navigation channel at the time of the accident.

This boating accident is but one of many motor vehicle accidents caused by using a cell phone or other communications device while driving. The NTSB estimates that 6,000 people died in 2008 alone in accidents where distracted driving was a factor.

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 distracted driving.

Related Posts:
2 people feared dead in PA duck boat accident

King County Executive seeks to require life jackets in rivers – Is this a good idea or an example of “nanny state”?

School bus driver caught on camera texting and driving

Continue reading " Cell phone usage "key factor" in fatal Washington D.C. duck boat accident " »

More Americans than ever before are opting for knee replacement and hip implant surgeries due to chronic paint in their joints and arthritis. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 50 million Americans suffer from joint pain.

The number of people who are opting to get artificial knee and hip joints has risen dramatically in the past 10 years. 264,311 people received knee replacement surgeries in 1997 and 621,020 in 2009.

Increasingly, people between the ages of 45 and 64 are seeking artificial hip knees and hip replacement surgeries. There were 288,471 total hip replacement surgeries performed in 2009 and almost half of those patients were under the age of 65.

There are several reasons for the increase in hip and knee replacement surgeries:

• Obesity -- as Americans put on more pounds, the pressure on their joints increases and they start having problems with their knees and hips.
  
• Attitude -- the 45-64 year old age group seek doctors to fix them up. People take medication to lower their blood pressure or improve their cholesterol levels and replacement body parts seems like the next step.
  
• Active life style -- many in the 45-64 age group do lead active life styles and they wear out their joints prematurely.

The good news is that hip and knee replacement surgeries are usually very successful and allow people to resume their lifestyle are close to a normal lifestyle. However, the problem with getting a joint replacement in your 40s is it is really unknown how long the devices will last. It is also unknown if the devices can really support an active life style such as playing tennis daily, skiing and running.

Younger patients should also be wary about the design of their artificial joint after DePuy Inc. issued a recall of the ASR XL Acetabular and Hip Resurfacing Systems due to complications such as severe pain, fractures, loosening and the potential for metallosis, or metal poisoning. In fact there is concern about any joint replacement with metal-on-metal components. [Read more about the DePuy recall here.]

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a medical malpractice and product liability law firm and we represent people with defective DePuy hip implants.

Source:
Baby Boomers Fueling Boom in Knee, Hip Surgeries
ABC News
May 23, 2011

Continue reading " The number of Knee and hip replacement surgeries in the 45-64 age group continues to rise " »

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) has targeted commercial trucks for inspection in their "Roadcheck 2011" initiative. Troopers conducted a 72-hour emphasis patrol and inspected 1,189 in that period. It is definitely disturbing the number of violations they found especially in light of how many trucks are on our roads and highways and how many miles they log.

In conducting the safety emphasis, the truckers looked at critical safety systems and also the drivers and whether they were driving the proper number of hours by checking their logbooks and also insuring they have a commercial driver's license and medical certificate.
In the 3-day period the WSP actually removed 214 out-of-service due to safety violations. They ticketed another 1,765 truckers for equipment violations.

The WSP didn't only take trucks out-of-service, they also removed 40 drivers for violations of record-of-duty status, one driver for DUI and two drivers for driving on a suspended license. They also ticketed seven drivers for seatbelt violations.

Large trucks -- including tractor trailers, single-unit trucks and large cargo vans -- account for a disproportionate share of highway fatalities per mile driven. Large trucks account for a higher percentage of fatal accidents per mile than passenger vehicles even though trucks travel predominantly travel on interstate highways which are the safest roads.

When a truck and a passenger vehicle collide, the people in the passenger vehicle are usually the losers since trucks are so much larger and have a more ground clearance. In 2009, 3,163 people were killed in large truck accidents with 14% of the deaths occurring to the truck occupants, 70% were occupants of passenger cars or trucks and 14% to pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists. There was also a staggering 60,000 people injured in accidents involving large trucks and buses according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In Washington State, there were 453 fatal accidents involving large trucks and buses with 492 fatalities.

Continue reading " Washington State Patrol truck safety emphasis yields violations " »

The recent outbreak of E-coli in Europe has killed 35 and health authorities fear the death toll could rise as victims still remain hospitalized. Authorities are hopeful that the outbreak is waning as fewer cases are cropping up.

According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that 3,255 people have become ill from the Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria.

There are many strains of the bacterial and most strains are harmless while others can cause serious food poisoning. The Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain is one of the most virulent and deadly forms.

How is E-coli O157:H7 different?

Escherichia coli O157:H7 often causes bloody diarrhea and, in some cases, it can lead to kidney failure. The young, elderly people and people with compromised immune systems are the most vulnerable to this sometimes deadly complication.

E-coli O157:H7 is so virulent because it releases Shiga-like toxins.

How is it transmitted?

Though E-coli O157:h7 is rare; it can live in the intestines of some cattle. It is transmitted when food or water is contaminated and is then ingested.

Scientists have found it to be virulent; a small amount of the virus can cause infection.

While this recent outbreak involved sprouts, undercooked ground beef, unpasteurized milk and juices, raw produce and salami have been culprit in other outbreaks. Waterborne transmission can occur from contaminated lakes or pools.

The organism is often spread from person-to-person and outbreaks have occurred at day care centers where the illness spreads quickly and through a group of people.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom of E-coli O157:H7 is bloody diarrhea and acute abdominal cramps. Fever is not usually associated with the illness.

In 2-7% of those infected, the E-coli infection causes hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which is a syndrome in which the red blood cells are damaged, the person has a low platelet count and renal (kidney) failure occurs. This is a medical emergency and 5-10% of those with this severe complication succumb to the disease.

How is it diagnosed?

Besides the obvious symptoms, E-coli infection is confirmed through the testing of a stool culture.

What is the treatment?

The treatment for E-coli calls for victims with the severe form to be hospitalized so they may receive fluid and antibiotics as well as anti diarrheal medications.

When the patient has HUS, they are usually placed in an intensive care unit and receive blood transfusions and kidney dialysis.

Recent Outbreaks in the U.S.

In 2009, approximately 66 people were sickened by an outbreak which was believed to be from contaminated Nestle Toll House cookie dough.
In 2007, there were several outbreaks due to ground beef and Topps Meat Company and United Food Group did a massive recall of ground beef.

In 2006, there were two significant E-coli O157:H7 outbreaks. The first was thought to be traced to green onions served by Taco Bell and the second is bagged spinach.
In 2002, ground beef was the culprit in an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Western states including Washington.

Continue reading " When E-coli turns deadly " »

Investigators searching for the source of E-coli contamination which killed 31 and sickened thousands, mostly in Germany, has been found says John Dalli, European commissioner for health and consumer policy. The source of the contamination has been liked to an organic farm. Dalli said, "The source of contamination is now identified, and the epidemiological findings are backed by laboratory results. EU consumers and trade partners shall now have full confidence as regards the safety of EU's vegetables."

Authorities have been searching for the source of the food borne illness for weeks and, at first, Spanish cucumbers seemed the likely culprit. Officials are still recommending people avoiding eating cucumbers and other fresh vegetables.

Tracking down a foodborne illness can be very difficult. Investigators interviewed those with diarrhea, those hospitalized, and those with the severe complication of HUS kidney syndrome, on what and where they ate and the ingredients contained in the foods they ate.

Even thought the source of the contamination -- the German organic farm -- has been found, investigators still have not determined the source of the contamination whether it was in the water, animals nearby or if the plant seeds were contaminated.

E-coli and salmonella contamination of bean sprouts has caused illness in the U.S. in the past. The warm and humid conditions required for growing sprouts can be havens for the propagation and growth of both e-coli and salmonella bacteria. Sprouts have been the source of almost 40 foodborne illness outbreaks in the past 20 years.

Continue reading " Bean sprouts from organic farm cause of European E-coli outbreak says health official " »

An Oregon State man, William Geary, 60, has filed a $4.5 million negligence lawsuit against Express Transport Corporation of Washington State and the driver of a semi-truck who responsible for the December 21, 2010 trucking accident that left him seriously injured.

Geary maintains in his lawsuit that both the trucking company and the semi-truck were negligent for the accident that left Geary with a broken neck, spinal cord injuries and fractures to his neck, wrist, fibula, tibia and left knee.

Geary filed his lawsuit after the trucking company’s insurance company was not responsive.
The semi-truck accident that left Geary so badly injured happened as Geary sat in his pickup a truck at a red light, waiting to make a left hand turn. As he sat there, a semi-truck pulling two trailers made a turn and one of the trailers tipped over, crushing Geary’s truck and pinning him inside for an hour and a half. The semi-truck driver was issued a citation for reckless driving after the accident.

After 15 days in the hospital, Geary is no longer able to work and he has nerve damage to his arm and permanent damage to his knee and wrist. He seeks $1.5 million for medical costs and lost wages and $3.5 million for pain and suffering and other lingering problems.

Large trucks on the highways account account for many accidents and deaths in our highways. 2009 data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that in Washington State alone there were 1,302 fatal and non-fatl accidents involving large trucks and buses. In 33 of those crashes, one or more persons were killed and 178 people were injured.
Most of the injuries and fatalities occur to the occupants of passenger vehicles rather than the occupants of the large truck because trucks often weigh 2030 times more than passenger vehicles and have a taller ground clearance.

Source:
A life in turmoil
A Central Point man is suing the driver and transportation company he blames for the crash he says ruined his health
Mail Tribune of Southern Oregon

Continue reading " Oregon man sues Washington trucking firm for $4.5M after injury accident " »

There is no doubt about it, automobiles are safer than they were 30 years ago. Motor vehicle accident deaths have decreased 23% since 1975 reports the U. S. Department of Transportation Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

Fatalities have decreased in good part because of improvements in vehicle design including front and side impact air bags, seat belts, child safety restraint systems and increased roof strength, all which have increased the safety to the passenger in a car accident.

J.D. Power Study on Automotive Emerging Technologies Study

Drivers are still seeking improved safety features in their vehicles. A study by J.D. Power and Associates measured consumer interest and purchase intent for emerging automotive technologies both before and after a market price was presented. While consumers are interested in wireless connectivity systems, mobile routers, navigation systems and other technologies, the feature that drivers were most interested in (77%) was a blind spot detection device.

What is a Blind Spot?

http://www.hgfarber.com/lawyer-attorney-1275506.htmlCars, trucks, boats and aircraft have blind spots which are an area around the vehicle in which the driver cannot observe in their peripheral vision. In motor vehicles, blind spot are usually in areas of the road that the driver cannot see while looking forward or while using the rear view or side mirrors. Blind spots are usually at the rear quarter of the vehicle. Larger vehicles generally have larger blind spots.

To avoid car accidents, drivers must check their blind spots when lane changing or pulling out from the curb by either quickly turning their head or by correctly positioning side and rear-view mirrors as to reduce the blind spot. When backing up, a blind spot can be dangerous because the driver may not see a small child on a bicycle or a pedestrian.

Continue reading " New car feature drivers most want? Blind spot detection " »

King County Executive Dow Constantine has proposed a requirement for wearing personal flotation device (PFDs) on rivers in unincorporated King County. Under his proposal, swimmers, boaters and rafters could be fined $86 for failing to wear a Coast Guard approved PFD on a person’s second infraction.

Constantine would like the proposed ordinance be in effect throughout summer, a time when rivers in Western Washington are swift and cold due to heavy snowmelt and a turbulent flood season. The Snoqualmie, Tolt, Cedar, Green, White, Raging and Skykomish Rivers are the areas where the PFD ordinance would be enforced by the King County Sheriff.

Constantine believes that life vests are as

“essential for swimmers and boaters as helmets for cyclists and seat belts for drivers”

Constantine is supported by the King County Sheriff’s office along with other public safety and health officials including the River Safety Council, the American Red Cross of King and Kitsap Counties; the Tulalip Tribes; the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission; Sector Puget Sound of the U.S. Coast Guard; the national non-profit American Whitewater organization of whitewater enthusiasts, river conservationists, and paddling clubs; and Mountain View Fire and Rescue in Auburn, whose Swift Water Rescue Team responds to incidents along the middle Green River.

There is urgency in getting this ordinance passed as the rivers are especially high and swift this year. Several floods in King County also reshaped river channels and created new hazards in the waters.

Why cold rivers are dangerous

A person can quickly drown in a cold swift river. When the water is less than 70 Degrees Fahrenheit, a swimmer or boater’s chance of surviving a fall into the water is greatly reduced. The reason is that falling into cold weather can cause panic and shock. Shock is a life-threatening medical condition that affects a person’s circulatory system and can cause cardiac arrest even in the young.

Often when a person falls into cold weather, their first reaction is an involuntary breath in which they might inhale water, not air.

Shock can also cause disorientation which finds a person thrashing around and the cold water can numb a person’s arms and legs so they are useless. Pain then sets in and then hypothermia – a condition where the core body temperature drops below the required level for bodily functions – and a person’s pulse and respiration rates decreases and major organs fails. In situations where a person has been drinking alcohol, hypothermia sets in even quicker.

Continue reading " King County Executive seeks to require life jackets in rivers – Is this a good idea or an example of “nanny state”? " »

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) news release of April 26, 2011 gives two new electric cars, the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf, their highest safety ratings.

The IIHS performed crash tests on the two electric cars, the first safety tests of plug-in electric cars. The tests found that the Volt and Leaf are small but they are safe and they win the TOP SAFETY PICK award which the Institute bestows on vehicles with "state-of-the-art crash protection."

The crash tests simulate how a vehicle would fare in a motor vehicle accident including in side-impact and frontal-offset accidents.

In 2009, there were 33,808 people killed in motor vehicle accidents. This number has steadily declined from a high of 51,093 in 1979 due, in part, to increased safety features in automobiles including seat belts, air bags and car design.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury law firm representing people who have been seriously injured in car accidents.

Related Posts:

Car booster seat ratings just released

Top Safety Pick award given to Mercedes R Class and Lincoln MKZ

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates SUV roof strength in rollover car accidents

The family of Kevin Black, a University of Washington researcher who was killed in a 2009 Ballard bicycle accident, has been awarded a $1.5 million wrongful death settlement against the owner of the van that hit Black reports the Seattle PI.com.

Black was a 39-year-old father of two, when he collided with a van that had gone into the designated bicycle lane when attempting to make a u-turn. Black was unable to stop in time and ran into the rear of the van. Black died a short time later at Harborview Medical Center.

Black's family settled with Ambient Control Co., the owner of the van. The driver of the van was not charged in the accident and he said that he had not seen Black.

Washington's wrongful death statute allows the family of a person who was killed as the result of negligence recover damages in a civil action against the person or entity whose negligent or wrongful act caused their loved one's death. Wrongful death lawsuits are often brought on behalf of those who have died in motor vehicle accidents, work-related accidents and criminal acts.

In this case, the Black's daughters will receive 2/3 of the settlement while their attorney will receive 1/3 for fees.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury law firm and we represent bicycle and car accident victims and their families.

Source:

$1.5 million settlement in Ballard bicycle crash that killed UW researcher
Crash that killed
By Levi Pulkkinen
Posted 05/31/11

Related Posts:

University of Washington scientist killed in Seattle bicycle accident

Seattle bicycle accident tracker


Bicyclist paralyzed in Montlake Bridge accident settles negligence lawsuit with WSDOT

Continue reading " Family of UW researcher killed in Seattle bicycle accident award $1.5M wrongful death settlement " »

The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that a man was critically injured in a Seattle garbage truck accident on Monday afternoon around 1:20pm.

According to their report, the unidentified man was riding on the rear of the CleanScapes garbage truck when he fell off as the truck turned from 28th onto Galer in the Magnolia neighborhood.

The injured man was taken to Harborview Medical Center with a critical head injury.

It is unclear what made the man fall but speed or driver impairment were not factors in the on-the-job accident.

In accidents such as this where a person is injured while on-the-job, the injured party or his family are advised to contact an experienced workers' compensation lawyer who can carefully examine the accident and identify any negligence. Any employee who has sustained an injury in the course of his or her employment has a potential workers' compensation claim.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have suffered work-related injuries and the family of those who have died.

Continue reading " Garbage truck worker critically injured in Seattle accident " »