Washington Injury Attorney Blog

The Seattle Times reports that a 15-year-old boy was hit and killed instantly by an Amtrak train at a pedestrian crossing in Centralia. The boy was riding his bicycle along with another boy on Saturday afternoon around 4:30 pm when the train accident happened. The other boy was following and was not injured. The accident occurred in the 600 block of South Tower Avenue.

The Amtrak train was traveling from Portland to Bellingham. The train was delayed for about 90 minutes after the accident. The Seattle Times article said that Centralia police are investigating.

This is the second time that the Bellingham-Portland Amtrak has hit and killed a bicyclist in the past two months and one of more than a dozen pedestrians killed by a train in Washington State this year. Read Bellingham to Portland Amtrak train kills female cyclist.

This information was brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured or killed in car accidents, train accidents and bicycle accidents.

Contact us and we will evaluate your case for free.

Ray De Lorenzi writing for the American Associate for Justice reports that "Allstate ranks as the worst insurer for consumers" with their tactics of "Deny, Delay, Defend." The Association for Justice did an extensive review of legal documents and financial filings and ranked the 10 companies that "refuse to pay just claims, employ hardball tactics against policyholders, reward executives with extravagant salaries and raise premiums while hoarding excessive profits."

The Association says that Allstate has an aggressive strategy of denying claims at any cost. According to the Association, agents were rewarded with items like refrigerators for falsifying documents like claiming that a fire was arson.

To view the Association's report "The Ten Worst Insurance Companies in America -- How they Raise Premiums, Deny Claims and Refuse Insurance to Those Who Need It" -- click here. The reports lists the following companies as the 10 worst:

1. Allstate - for having an aggressive strategy to deny claims
   
2. Unum - for claiming a multiple sclerosis patients symptoms were "self-reported"
   
3. AIG - for engaging in fraud
   
4. State Farm - for its deny and delay tactics
   
5. Conesco - for making claims processing so difficult that elderly patients either died or gave up
   
6. WellPoint - for canceling the policies of pregnant women
   
7. Farmers - for offering the staff incentives for having low claims
   
8. UnitedHealth - for delaying claims and reimbursing low.
   
9. Torchmark - for preying on low-income and minority policy holders.
   
10. Liberty Mutual - for adopting aggressive tactics and refusing to renew policies.

After you read this full report, you'll realize that having a skilled personal injury attorney is vital when you have been involved in serious accident, been a victim of malpractice or lost a family member because of the negligence of another person.

When looking for a skilled personal injury attorney, we hope you'll talk to us. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience in representing people with serious injuries and families with wrongful death claim. We will work for you on a contingent fee basis, that means that you do not pay any attorney's fees unless we collect a settlement The major insurance companies use computerized claims adjusting and it helps them offer low and unreasonable settlements. With the help of the professional injury attorneys at our firm, we will be proactive on your behalf.

Read some of our tips on how to deal with insurance companies:

• When should I hire a lawyer?
  
• Should I talk to a claims adjuster?
  
• How much treatment should I get?
  
• How do I negotiate workers' compensation along with my negligence claim?
  
• What is computerized Claims Adjusting?

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that Redmond police have decided to cite a driver who was involved in a bicycle accident earlier this week. The bicyclist, a 43 year old Kirkland man, was commuting to work on his bicycle along the 14400 block of Old Redmond Way when a pickup truck made a right turn in front of him. The accident left the bicyclist with severe head injuries. He remains in Harborview Medical Center in stable condition a few days after the accident.

The driver of the pickup truck, a 48-year-old man from University Place in Pierce County, was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident. However, the Redmond police are citing him for "inattentive driving." It is the duty of all drivers to give their driving the attention required based upon the weather conditions, traffic level, roadway conditions and the presence of pedestrians or bicyclists.

An "inattentive driving" citation is also given to people using cell phones while driving when they are involved in an accident.

Jim Bove, a Redmond policeman spokesman said, "Whether you are driving a vehicle or riding a bike, it's important to be aware of your surroundings." He said that there have been at least three accidents involving bicyclists in the past month and this one has been the most serious. The pickup driver was said to be unfamiliar with the area.

This information was brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured or killed in bicycle accidents. In the past year, more than 700 bicyclists died in accidents with two-thirds of those suffering traumatic brain injury.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, contact The Farber Law Group immediately. We will work to insure you are compensated for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any damages for permanent disabilities that you may have suffered.

The Wenatchee World reports that Craig J. Elsner fractured his lower back in a bicycle versus car accident near Chelan on Highway 97A.

The accident occurred around 9:20 am. Elsner, age 40, collided with a car driven by 79-year-old Tommy G. Thompson when Thompson abruptly turned into a driveway in front of him according to The Washington State Patrol. According to The Wenatchee World, Thompson has been charged with "making an unsafe U-turn."

Elsner was taken to Lake Chelan Community Hospital for treatment.

Every year, approximately 540,000 bicyclists are treated in Emergency Rooms. Many times bicyclists have suffered minor scrapes and bruises but they also suffer serious personal injuries including head injuries, brain injuries and spinal cord damage. Bicyclists injured in an accident with a car may be entitled to compensation for injuries and damages caused by the accident including medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, contact The Farber Law Group. Our attorneys have more than 30 years experience in representing bicycle accident victims.

We handle bicycle accident cases on a contingent fee basis. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

In the eighth train-pedestrian fatal accident this year in Washington State, a woman bicyclist was killed by an Amtrak train in Bellingham around 7:45pm Tuesday evening.

The 49-year-old woman has yet to be identified according to KOMO TV news. The woman was at a pedestrian crossing marked with signs at the time of the accident. There is some speculation that she may have been listening to music and did not hear the train. Trains are allowed to travel at 35mph in that stretch of track.

This information has been brought to you by the Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. Based in Bellevue, Washington we represent car accident victims, bicycle accident victims and people with severe personal injuries and wrongful death.

Contact us for a free case consultation.

The City of Bellevue, Washington, is installing red light cameras at some key intersections to catch aggressive drivers who are running red lights. The Seattle Times reports that the cameras will be installed within the next six months at up to six busy intersections. The City of Bellevue also plans to place speed cameras to catch speeding drivers near three elementary schools.

Every day, aggressive drivers run red lights, endangering the lives of motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, approximately 1,000 people are killed and 90,000 are injured every year by motorists running red lights. The problem seems to be increasing at an alarming rate.

Motorists who run red lights usually site the reason as "being in a hurry." A study done by the California Board of Audits show that the red light cameras reduce the number of crashes. The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running sites a Charlotte, North Carolina red light camera program for cutting the number of car crashes in the city by 10%.

In Washington State, RCW 46.61.050 -- Obedience to and required traffic control devices, is the code that is relevant to running a red light.

If you or loved one is seriously injured or killed by a driver running a red light, then that person is responsible for your damages, including pain and suffering, because of their negligence. Contact The Farber Law Group so that your rights are protected. Contact us today for a free case consultation.

The Wenatchee World reported today that a cyclist was injured after a collision with a car. The cyclist was taken to Central Washington Hospital for treatment. The accident occurred on Chelan Avenue in downtown Wenatchee. The car was coming out of an alley when the collision occurred. The Wenatchee police are investigating the accident but they did not cite the driver of the car at the scene.

According to the United States Department of Transportation, there were 8,540 collisions between bicycles and automobiles reported to the police between the years of 1988-1993 in Washington State. Some of the interesting facts in the study include:

• One-half of all collisions between bicycles and automobiles involved cyclists who were 15 years old or younger.
  
• 80% of the collisions involved male cyclists.
  
• More than one-half of the collisions occurred at intersections.
  

If you are involved in a bicycle accident, here are some recommendations:

• Do not make any assumptions at who is fault.
  
• Use your cell phone and call 9-1-1.
  
• Do not move your bicycle – leave it where it lays so the police can use the position of the bicycle, etc. to help make their determination.
  
• Get contact information from any witnesses.
  
• Take pictures. While most cyclists travel light, most cell phones come with a built-in camera these days.
  
• Seek medical attention. Cyclists tend to be pretty stoic about pain but you should be treated immediately.
  
• Do not given a written or recorded statement to anyone.
  
• Do not settle your case until you understand the full extent of your injuries.
  

If you or a family member has been seriously injured in a bicycle accident, you may need to seek legal representation. The Farber Law Group has over thirty years experience in representing personal injury cases. Call today for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Bicycle Accidents , Car Accidents , Motor Vehicle Accidents

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