Washington Injury Attorney Blog

The Tacoma News Tribune reports that a Ryan Butler, a 32-year-old boat racer from Buckley, was killed on Saturday when he crashed his hydroplane during the Black Lake Regatta.

According to the report, he crashed his boat during a heat of racing on Saturday. The boat sank after the accident.

This boating accident occurred on the same day the Seafair pirates landed at Alki Beach as part of the kick off of Seattle's Seafair Festival.

Hydroplane racing is the main attraction of the Seattle's Seafair festival.

Hydroplane racing is a dangerous sport as the boats reach speeds of up to 200 MPH. Racing deaths used to be considered almost common place but safety features including safety vests, Kevlar cockpits and design improvements have improved operator safety. However, this is the second hydroplane fatality this year. The first accident occurred on Lake Lawrence in April.

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 who have died.

Related Posts:

Boaters injured in Lk. Washington boating accident when boat gets stuck under 520 bridge

American Lake boating accident: teenage kayaker seriously injured in hit-and-run

Coast Guard warns pleasure boaters to "exercise caution" around large passenger vessels

Continue reading "Boater killed during Black Lake Regatta hydroplane race" »

A Seattle woman, Kitzie Nicanor, was injured along with two other people as she sat on a Miami beach when she was hit by an ATV driven by an on-duty Miami police officer early Sunday morning.

Nicanor's injuries were were not reported but her friend, Luis Almonte suffered a shattered femur in the accident. Nicanor and Almonter had been sitting on the beach waiting for sunrise when they were hit.

According to a report on PoliceOne.com, the officer, Derrick Kulian, was on-duty and reportedly had been drinking at a The Clevelander hotel bar prior to driving his ATV. Kulian was apparently joy riding with a female, Adelee Sharee Martin, that he had met at the bar and was driving with his lights out. Martin was thrown from the ATV in the accident and suffered minor injuries.

One witness told The Miami Herald that Officer Kulian fled the accident scene on foot.

The Miami Herald reports that Kulian, and a second police officer, Rolando Gutierrez, had both been drinking at the Clevelander Hotel. Both officers reportedly are being processed for termination.

This certainly seems like a scandal in the Miami police department. The police were charged with patrolling the beach due to a rash of thefts yet their reckless behavior resulted in the injury of citizens they were hired to protect.

Related Posts:

Puyallup teen killed in Oregon ATV accident

Olalla man killed in ATV accident near Port Orchard, woman injured

Man critically injured in Snohomish ATV accident

In an accident such as this one, the victims may have a strong civil suit not only against the officer but also against the Miami police department, especially if it is revealed that drinking on the job was condoned and that other officers attempted to cover for the offending officers.

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 to the negligence of another.

Continue reading "Seattle woman injured after being hit by police ATV in Miami" »

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 Montana press is reporting that a female boater from Washington State is missing after a Montana boating accident. The press says that the woman and her husband were in a boat on the Smith River in Meagher County, Montana when it capsized around 2pm on Monday.

The woman's husband was able to make it to shore and people nearby went for help. The Meagher County Search and Rescue, the Meagher County Sheriff's Office and a helicopter form Malmstrom Air Force Base all coordinated in a search for the woman.

The Pacific Northwest has many waterways, lakes and rivers and the Puget Sound and unfortunate boating and watercraft accidents occur very year. In Washington State alone, there are approximately 20-30 boating accident fatalities every year.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in boating accidents and the family of those killed.

Source:

Authorities search for woman missing after Smith River boating accident
Billings Gazette

Related Posts:

Boaters injured in Lk. Washington boating accident when boat gets stuck under 520 bridge

2 injured in sailboat accident in San Juan Islands

2 people die in Columbia River boating accident near Wishram, one is missing

Continue reading "Washington woman missing after Montana boating accident" »

Devin Mason, 56, of Tacoma was killed in a Lake Lawrence boating accident while participating in a hydroplane race when his boat went airborne and flipped over. The race was a sanctioned event sponsored by the American Power Boat Association. Lake Lawrence is located approximately 8 miles south of Yelm which is east of Interstate 5.

The News Tribune reports that Mason's boat was traveling at speeds of more than 80mph when it flipped. Mason reportedly emerged from the accident and waved his arms but was unconscious when the rescue boat arrived a short time later. The man apparently succumbed to his injuries before he could be taken to the hospital.

According to the United States Coast Guard, there were 17 fatal boating accidents in 2009 in Washington state, resulting in 22 deaths.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in boating accidents and the family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for damages.

Related Posts:

Boaters injured in Lk. Washington boating accident when boat gets stuck under 520 bridge

Puyallup River boating accident injures one

Columbia River Washington boating accident, 1 missing

Continue reading "Tacoma man killed in hydroplane boat accident" »

The Seattle Times reports that two boaters -- a man and a woman -- were injured in a Lake Washington boating accident when their 38-foot boat become wedged underneath the Highway 520 bridge on Monday night.

According to the report, the man was stuck below the deck until the Seattle Harbor Patrol arrived to extricate the pair.

The couple was taken to University of Washington Medical Center with undisclosed 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 boating accidents and the family of those killed.

Related Posts:

2 injured in sailboat accident in San Juan Islands

Boating accident injures Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg and friends

Coast Guards report on sinking of Seattle-based Katmai which killed 7 crew

Continue reading "Boaters injured in Lk. Washington boating accident when boat gets stuck under 520 bridge" »

The Washington Department of Health has designed Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland, Washington a Level III Trauma Center.

Level III Trauma centers can perform 24-hour emergency surgery and resuscitation. Previously, Evergreen Hospital was designated a level IV trauma center.

Evergreen was ranked #2 in Washington state and Top 10% in the nation for General Surgery by HealthGrades.

Harborview Medical Center in Seattle provides Level I trauma services in the region for patients requiring neurosurgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery or a maxillofacial surgeon.

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, construction accidents and slip, trip & fall accidents.

Related Posts:

Trauma Center Levels

Harborview Level I Trauma Center - Seattle

Overlake Hospital Emergency & Trauma Center Level III - Bellevue

Continue reading "Kirkland's Evergreen Hospital designated Level III trauma center" »

Richard Neil Larsen, 43, was found not guilty of the 2008 fatal boating accident which killed Ron Scott, 49, and injured four people in Scott's boat reports Seattle's KOMO News.

Larsen had been charged with one count of homicide by watercraft and four counts of watercraft assault as a result on the September 2008 boating accident. His two week trial on these charges ended with the jury acquitting him of any wrong-doing.

Scott had been motoring his Bayliner with friends aboard when his boat was hit by Larsen's 21-foot Supra between Interlake and Inlet Islands. When the Supra hit the Bayliner, it went over the top of the Bayliner and Scott was knocked into the water. Six people on the Bayliner were injured.

Larsen's defense successfully argued that Scott was at fault in the boating accident because he parked his Bayliner in a narrow channel and did not have any lights on.

The U.S. Coast Guard keeps boating accident statistics and, according to their numbers, there are between 7.5 to 9.9 deaths per 100,000 registered boats in Washington state every year. In both 2008 and 2009, there were 22 fatalities in boating accidents in Washington state which was down from a high of 26 in 2007.

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

Related Posts:

American Lake boating accident: teenage kayaker seriously injured in hit-and-run

Spokane, Washington man charged after boat accident on Newman Lake severs wife's arm

Woman killed in Lake Washington boating accident was teacher for Bellevue School District

Continue reading "Boater "not guilty" in Lake Tapps boating accident in which man was killed, 4 injured" »

The West Seattle water taxi -- the Rachel Marie -- ran into the sea wall at Pier 50 on Sunday, injuring at least seven people of the estimated 78 people on board in the Seattle boating accident. The taxi was carrying many Seahawks fans who were headed to Qwest field for the game.

One person was thrown overboard but was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard reports The Seattle Times.

Most of the injuries were thought to be minor but several people were taken to the hospital.

The water taxi, which is operated by King County, makes 20 runs a day. The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the boating accident but initial thought is that there was a mechanical malfunction.

When a person is injured in an accident that occurred as part of mass or public transportation, the municipality and third-party insurance companies may be liable for any injuries sustained including medical costs.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in boating accidents and motor vehicle accidents. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including pain and suffering, medical costs and lost wages.

Related Posts:

Seattle metro bus accident injures 7

Poulsbo woman killed in pedestrian accident when Kitsap Transit bus hits her

Transit bus injures pedestrian in downtown Olympia

Continue reading "7 injured in Seattle water taxi accident at Pier 50" »

Two people were injured when the mast of the sailboat they were on collapsed and hit them. The Washington sailboat accident occurred near Lummi Island on Saturday afternoon around 2pm. Lummi Island is part of the San Juan Island chain and is east of Bellingham outside of Bellingham Bay.

One of the injured suffered a head injury described as a concussion and the other person suffered an arm injury. Both of the injured were taken by the Coast Guard to a hospital.

According to the report by KOMO News of Seattle, the sail boat was a 127-foot Zodiac. The sailboat was chartered.

The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the boating accident to determine if dry rot or the way the mast was rung up was the cause of the mast snapping.

If it is determined that the cause of the boating accident was caused by negligence due to failing to maintain the sailboat, or failure to train the crew, the victims may be able to obtain compensation for their damages.

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 Seattle sailboat accidents and the family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including medical costs, loss of wages and for pain and suffering.

Related Posts:

CONCUSSION

Concussions are in the spotlight during Brain Injury Awareness Month

What to look for in brain injuries

Continue reading "2 injured in sailboat accident in San Juan Islands" »

The M.V. Kirkland, a 1924 ferryboat owned and operated by Argosy Cruises, had a fire on board early Saturday morning as it was docked at Marina Park in Kirkland.

The Seattle Times reports that no one was injured in the fire.

The fire appears to have been contained to the engine room of the historic ferry which was refurbished in 1996.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in boating accidents and the 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 United States Coast Guard just released their annual report, "Recreational Boating Statistics 2009." Every year, the Coast Guard compiles statistics on recreational boating accidents. They base their data on accident reports filled out by people involved in the accidents.

In 2009, there were 736 boating accident fatalities and 3,358 injury accidents arising from 4,730 recreational boating accidents.

The Coast Guard reports that the number of deaths was 3.81 percent greater than the prior year even thought the number of boating accidents had decreased by 1.23 percent.

Causes

The leading causes of boating accidents include:

• Operator inattention
  
• Operator inexperience
  
• Excessive Speed
  
• Improper lookout
  
• Alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption is involved in 16% of boating accident fatalities.

Education

Boating safety education is imperative; In 86% of boating accident deaths, the boat operator did not under go boating safety instruction.

Life jackets

The report also highlights the fact that wearing a life jacket saves life. According to Rear Admiral Kevin Cook, the Coast Guard's Director of Prevention Policy

“Nearly 75 percent of the 736 people who died in boating accidents in 2009 drowned, and 84 percent of those victims reportedly were not wearing a life jacket.   The two most important things boaters can do to prevent the loss of life is to wear a life jacket and take a boater education course.”

Washington State Accident Statistics

In Washington State, there were 111 boating accidents in 2009 which was higher than the three previous years that saw 96, 97 and 98 accidents. There were 22 fatalities in the state.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent boating accident victims 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: "Recreational Boating Statistics 2009."

A windsurfer suffered injuries in a boating accident on Lake Coeur d'Alene around 4PM on Friday afternoon.

The man suffered a deep laceration on his calf when he was sucked under a party boat, The Osprey, and was sucked under the boat and got cut by either the boat's propeller or engine.

A report by KREM.com says that a gust of wind pushed the windsurfer too close to the boat.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in boating accidents and the 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 Seattle Times reports that two tourists from Hungary, a 16-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man, are feared dead after a barge ran into an immobilized "duck" boat on the Delaware River in Pennsylvania.

The boating accident occurred around 2:30pm after the duck tour boat was adrift after a small fire occurred on board and the engine was shut down. 35 people were successfully rescued after the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident and in the meantime the Ride the Ducks tours have been suspended across the nation including in Seattle where the tour is very popular. The Ducks tours provide a tour both on land and in the water on a authentic WWII amphibious landing craft. The NTSB investigation will determine whether proper safety procedures were followed and whether there were enough life vests per 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 boating 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.

Two people are were killed and one person was injured in a boating accident on Pend Oreille lake near Sandpoint, Idaho late Saturday night reports KHQ.com.

According to the report, the boating accident occurred around 11:30pm under Long bridge. Witnesses said the boat, which was described as a "speedboat", was speeding before it crashed into the cross members under the bridge.

The report said the people that were killed were a married couple in their 30s. An unidentified man was treated at a local hospital and was expected to be released on July 4th.

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

Edgar Cedillo, 33, of Washington State was killed while he was working on a dock in Juneau, Alaska. The work-related accident occurred around 2:25pm on Friday afternoon at Auke Bay, approximately 15 miles from downtown Juneau.

According to a report on the Juneau Empire, Cedillo got caught between the boat and the dock as he attempted to secure a commercial fishing vessel to the dock.

Cedillo was pronounced dead at the dock; an autopsy will be performed.

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 work-related accidents and the family of those killed. We have more than 30 years experience negotiating Washington states wrongful death statute which allows the family members of a person who was killed by the negligent or criminal act of another to receive compensation for 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 Woodinville man has undergone surgery and is in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after a bicycle accident in Kenmore on Thursday.

A report by the SeattlePI says that the bicycle accident occurred around 2:55pm in the 15500 block of Juanita Drive Northeast. It is suspected that the bicyclist may have had some sort of medical emergency because he was seen riding erratically and then swerved across northbound Juanita Driver where he ran into the side of a southbound truck driven by a 47-year-old Everett man.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in bicycle accidents and the family of those killed.

Contact The Farber Law Group 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.

Two people have drowned and another person is missing in a fishing boat accident on the Columbia River near Wishram, Washington. A fourth person was rescued after accident and is being treated for hypothermia.

According to the Yakima Herald.com, the boating accident occurred Friday morning around 7:45am when the 18-foot fishing boat capsized amidst high winds of 25 to 35mph and gusts to 40mph and heavy swells.

Yakama Tribal Council chairman said that all four fishermen were enrolled in the Yakama tribe.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury law firm in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area and we represent boating accident victims and their families.

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

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering two boater education courses in Bellevue which enable boaters to receive their Washington State boaters education card.

In Washington, a boater education safety course or an equivalency is required before a person can operate boat of 15 horsepower or more.

The classes are offered on April 24 or May 8 at Bellevue Fire Station 9 which is located on 12412 SE 69th Way.

To register for a class contact Terry Hopper, Public Education Officer, at TerryHooper@verizon.net or call 425-885-0259.

This information is provided by Washington Boating Accident Lawyers at The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in boating 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.