Washington Injury Attorney Blog

The Seattle Times reports that a woman, who was in her early 20s, was hit and killed by a Union Pacific freight train traveling on Burlington Northern tracks near the Tacoma late Friday evening.

The Portland-bound freight train was near the Black River Station at the time of the pedestrian accident.

According to the report, this is the fifth pedestrian who has been killed on Burlington Northern property in 2009. In 2008, 16 people were killed.

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

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

A pedestrian was taken to Harborview Medical Center for observation after the sidewalk he was on collapsed and causing him to fall 10' into a hole leaving him trapped for well over an hour reports Northwest News and Weather, NWCN.com.

The slip, trip and fall accident occurred at the Washington Street boat launch near Pier 48 on Alaskan Way South in Seattle around 7:45 am. Rescue workers from the Seattle fire department had to shore up the walls of the hole before they could pull the man to safety using ropes, a crane and a harness.

The man, who was in his 60s, complained of back pain after the accident.

Apparently, the tide undermined the seawall and the sidewalk.

The Washington State Department of Transportation is investigating the accident and trying to determine if other areas of the sidewalk are unsafe.

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This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been injured in slip, trip and fall accidents. Often, slip trips and falls can result in serious injuries including head trauma, broken bones, and muscle and ligament injury. Often the causes of these types of accidents are the negligence of the property owner. State law requires property owners to keep their property free from hazards and to repair sidewalks and potholes.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of a property owner, you should seek the counsel of an experienced personal injury attorney. The Farber Law Group, with offices in Seattle and Bellevue have more than 30 years experience. Contact us at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com.

More than 600 pedestrians have been killed in pedestrian-car accidents in Washington State in the past eight years. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reported that 611 pedestrians were hit and killed by motor vehicles in the years between the years 1993 and 2000.

The motorist is not usually at fault when a pedestrian is killed. In the study by the WTSC, they found that in more than 500 of the pedestrian accident deaths, the pedestrian was in the auto's portion of the roadway. While motorists must abide by the law, pedestrians should also walk smartly and avoid behaviors which risk their own safety.

Factors in Pedestrian Accident Deaths

• Pedestrian in the roadway -- Two lane roads are the most dangerous for pedestrians. Of the 600 pedestrian accident deaths, 455 of the pedestrians who were killed were walking on two-lane roads. It is incumbent on pedestrians to walk off the roadway to avoid being hit. If the speed limit on the road is above 25 miles per hours, the chance of death is greatly increased.
  
• Time of day -- The time of day increases significantly the risk of a pedestrian being killed. Only one-third of pedestrian accident deaths occur during day light hours. Pedestrians should wear light colored or reflective clothing in the evening and night time hours. Pedestrians should also walk facing traffic, in lighted intersections, adhere to traffic signals and cross streets only in marked crosswalks.
  
• Alcohol -- In 25% of all pedestrian deaths, the pedestrian had a blood alcohol content (BAC) above the legal limit for driving. Pedestrians who are under the influence may not make the smartest decisions in where they walk.
  
• Age -- The pedestrian's age is also a huge factor in pedestrian accident deaths. Often the very young do not understand the dangers of where they are walking and small children are apt to run out in a street in front of oncoming traffic. The elderly also have a higher rate of being hit in pedestrian accidents because they are not as nimble.

Remember that pedestrian safety is every one's business. If you are a pedestrian, make smart decisions about where you walk and make sure you look both ways, listen for oncoming traffic and make eye contact with motorists so you will not be a pedestrian accident victim.

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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 because of the negligence of another person. With our help, you may recover compensation for you damages including medical costs and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group today for a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Seattle's TV News station, King5.com, reports that two teenagers , a boy and a girl, were struck and killed by an Amtrak train around 7:10pm on Tuesday night in Woodland, Washington.

The pair were apparently standing on the northbound tracks waiting for a southbound freight train to pass before they crossed the tracks. They probably did not hear the sound of the approaching Amtrak train though the engineer put on the brakes and blew the whistle.

Officials have not released the teens names but a Portland news station says they were Katie Blacklaw and Eddie Densin, freshmen at Woodland High School.

Woodland, Washington is approximately 20 miles north of Vancouver and 85 miles south of Olympia

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

To contact The Farber Law Group, call 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com.

The Seattle Times reports that a young woman was struck and killed while attempting to cross Interstate 5 near the Everett mall on Sunday Night. The report said that the woman was perhaps between 19 and 25 years of age. She was killed around 8:30 at I-5 near State Route 526. She was hit by one vehicle and then run over by another.

This is the second pedestrian accident death on the I-5 within the month. Last week, a Fort Lewis soldier was killed as he attempted to cross the I-5 near Fort Lewis.

We all know that no pedestrians are permitted on Interstate Highways and the death of these two young people is a tragedy, not only for the victim but for the motorists who accidentally hit them.

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

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

In a tragic parking lot accident in Federal Way, a driver in her 80's accidentally hit the accelerator of her car instead of reverse and hit and killed her friend who was also in her 80's.

A report on KOMONews.com reports that the pedestrian accident occurred in the Top Food and Drug Store parking lot at 31515 20th Avenue South in Federal Way on Sunday around 12:00pm. The two women had been shopping together and the driver accidentally accelerated as her friend was getting into the car.

Police said that no charges will be filed in the accident.

Elderly drivers face many challenges. Car accident statistics show that after 70 years of age, the rate of car accidents increases. Elderly people may experience decline in their health including slower reaction time, poor vision, and cognitive skills. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publication reports that in 1997 while seniors were 9% of the population they accounted for 14% of traffic fatalities and 17% of pedestrian fatalities.A Taskforce made up of team members of the Department of Licensing, Washington State Patrol and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission defined At Risk Drivers as:

Drivers whose behavior, physical or cognitive capabilities, or other traits present substantial risk to either themselves or others.

The Taskforce found that elderly and medically impaired drivers were a major problem area.

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

Contact The Farber Law Group today for a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Details are sketchy but the Everett HeraldNet.com reports that a child was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after being hit by a vehicle at the intersection of 55th Avenue NE and 95th Place NE around 2:40pm in Marysville.

Police are investigating 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 injured, and the families of those killed, in pedestrian accidents. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

In a horrifying pedestrian accident, two pedestrians have been seriously injured, one losing her leg, after two suspected DUII drivers collided with each other on MLK Boulevard in Portland, Oregon and crashed into a sidewalk full of pedestrians.

Injured in the pedestrian accident was Laure Rasmussen, 27, lost a leg and sustained serious injuries in her other leg. She is in serious condition at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland. The other person injured is Austin Putnam, 37, who is listed in fair condition at OHSU Hospital with injuries to both of his legs.

The accident occurred when a Zoe T. Hoeltzel, 30, turned her Volvo onto MLK Boulevard in front of a Dodge Charger driven by Lee Percy Brown, 21. The Charger crashed into the Volvo and pushed it into a crowd of pedestrians.

Brown is charged with DUII, one count of reckless driving, one count of assault in the third degree and one count of assault in the fourth degree.

Hoeltzel is charged with DUII, one count of vehicle assault of a pedestrian, one count of assault in the third degree and one count of assault in fourth degree.

In Oregon, a DUII charge is for "Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants" and it is a Class A misdemeanor or a Class C felony. Punishment can be up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $6,250.

In Washington State, approximately 45% of all traffic related fatalities in 2007 were alcohol-related. Drunken driving and driving while intoxicated leaves victims seriously injured and victims deserve compensation for their injuries including pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured due to a drunken driver, you need to contact a personal injury law firm who will work to insure your rights are protected. At The Farber law Group, we have more than 30 years representing victims with serious injuries.

Contact The Farber Law Group today for a free case evaluation.

Now that the snow in Western Washington and Seattle is abating, motorists are digging their cars out of snow banks, ditches and even their own driveways. It's important that people take care in doing so. The following tips can help keep you safe and avoid an auto accident.

• Dig your tail pipe out -- you don't want to be overcome with carbon monoxide poisoning while trying to extricate your car while its exhaust system is clogged.
  
• Clear the snow from atop your car, windshield and rear view mirrors. Obviously snow on your mirrors and wind shield will prevent visibility, but snow slipping from your car top while your are driving may also prevent visibility and cause an accident.
  
• Wear bright clothing, put up a road flair and use flashlights while digging your car out on a roadside in the evening or after dark. You don't want to become a pedestrian accident statistic.
  
• Take breaks while doing the digging so you don't get a back injury.

This information was brought to you as a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car and pedestrian accidents.

Contact us if you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of another driver.

Police have charged Anna Hanibal with Driving Under the Influence (DUI), reckless driving and assault in the third degree in the pedestrian accident at SE 16th in SE Portland reports NWCN.com.

According to the report, an unidentified 40-year-old man was in the crosswalk at SE 16th around 1:15 am when he was struck and seriously injured including two broken legs.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a drunken driver, you should contact a personal injury attorney. A personal injury attorney will work to help you receive compensation for your injuries including medical bills, rehabilitation costs and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group, a law firm located in the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years.

The Everett Herald.net reports that an 8th grade student at Cedarcrest Middle School was injured in a pedestrian accident when he crossed the street against the light at 88th Street NE and 67th Avenue NE in Marysville, Washington.

The student, who was walking to school at the time, suffered minor injuries.

Cedarcrest's principal sent a letter home reminding students and their parents.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) provides the following safety tips:

• Walk on sidewalks
• Cross at marked crosswalks or intersections •
• Look left, right and left for traffic
• See and be seen
• Make eye contact with drivers
• Obey traffic signals

Read the WSDOT's full "Safety Tips for Pedestrians."

A legal crosswalk exists at every location where roads intersect even if it is not marked.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured and the families of those killed in pedestrian accidents. With more than 30 years experience in the greater Seattle area, we will work to insure you are compensated for your injuries.

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

Seattle's KOMO News.com reports that a woman was killed by a Amtrak passenger train in downtown Puyallup on Sunday afternoon. The woman, who was dead at the scene, apparently deliberately walked in front of the train near the intersection of Meridian and Stewart Avenue. Witnesses said that they believe her actions were deliberate.

This information was brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are personal injury attorneys based in Bellevue, Washington and we represent people who have been killed or seriously injured in car accidents, construction accidents, train accidents or due to the negligence of another.

If your or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed due to the negligence of another, contact us today for a free case evaluation.

Seattle's KIROTV.COM reports that two women were seriously injured in a pedestrian accident when they were hit by a car in a crosswalk at South 72nd Street and Pacific Avenue in south Tacoma. Both women sustained head injuries and appeared to be seriously injured. The windshield of the car was shattered when one of the women made impact. One of the omen is described as being in "very serious" condition. Both women appear to be in their mid-20s.

The Tacoma police are investigating the accident. At this writing they have conflicting reports but appears as if the 78-year-old Spanaway woman who hit the women had the green light.

This information was brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who are seriously injured in pedestrian accident and auto accidents. We will work to ensure that you receive compensation for your injuries including medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

The Seattle Times reports than an Amtrak passenger train hit and killed a man in Auburn Washington today. This makes nearly a dozen pedestrian/train fatalities in Washington State this year. The unidentified man was killed around 3:26 pm near 37th Northwest and B Street. A passing motorist witnessed the incident and phoned 911. Fire Department officials believe the death was a suicide.

This information was brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are railroad accident lawyers located in the Seattle area. With more than 30 years experience, we work for people with serious injuries caused by the negligence of others.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

The Seattle Times reports that a highway flagger was killed when a dump truck backed up on Olympic Highway 101 near Brinnon, Washington South of Dosewallips State Park in a tragic construction accident. Washington State Patrol reports that Lynette Anderson, 49, of Beaver, Washington died around noon at milepost 310, Canal View Street.

State troopers said that the accident occurred Monday afternoon while crews were working on a paving project.

Dump trucks are equipped with a beeper that sounds when a truck is backing up. State Troopers are investigating to determine if safety equipment was malfunctioning at the time of the accident.

This information was brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who are seriously injured or killed in construction accidents in Washington State. We have represented people with wrongful death claims for more than 30 years.

Contact us today for a free case consultation.

Seattle's King5.com reports that a Woodinville jogger, Karl Eels, 36, of Bothell, Washington was seriously injured in a pedestrian accident after being hit by a driver who then drove away. The accident occurred on the Woodinville-Duvall Road. Eels was jogging along the shoulder of the road when he was hit from behind and thrown 25 feet.

The King County Sheriff's Office is asking the public for help in identifying the driver. Witnesses describe the vehicle that hit Eels as a "light burgundy 2003 or 2004 Nissan Pathfinder with a roof rack." The King County Sheriff's Office number is 206-296-3311 or call 911. Please call them if you have any information regarding this accident.

This information was brought to you as a service of Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience in representing people with serious personal injuries caused by car accidents, pedestrian accidents and motorcycle accidents.

If you have been seriously injured, we will work to insure that you are fully compensated for your injuries including your medical costs and compensation for pain and suffering. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

A 32-year-old man was arrested and booked on investigation of vehicular assault after he hit a 56-year-old woman with his van on Fifth Avenue South and South Jackson street reports The Seattle Post Intelligencer. Police believe he may have been intoxicated at the time of the accident.

Police say that the woman was struck at 12:30pm. The unidentified woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with "life threatening" injuries.

In Washington State, RCW 46.61.522 is Vehicular Assault. A driver can be charged with vehicular assault if someone is seriously injured and the driver was found to be driving recklessly, under the influence of drugs or alcohol or without regard for the safety of others.

Even though the State charges a driver with a crime, the victim may still file a claim in civil court to recoup damages for pain and suffering as well as medical costs. In this case, the victim needs to hire a Seattle car accident attorney.

This information was brought to you by Washington Injury Attorney, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are your Seattle car accident attorney group. We represent people who have suffered serious personal injuries such as whiplash, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury due to car accidents.

Contact us today for a free case consultation.

The Everett HeraldNet reports that a woman was struck by a car at the intersection of Highway 99 and 188th Street SW in Lynnwood.

The woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where she is being treated for serious personal injuries.

Marybeth O'Leary, a spokeswoman for the Lynnwood fire department, said the unidentified woman is in her 30's and that the accident is being investigated.

If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, you should contact the Bellevue-based personal injury attorney at The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience in representing people with serious personal injuries including car accident victims, bicycle accident victims and pedestrian accident victims.

Contact us today for a free case consultation.

The Seattle Times reports that a four-year-old Sammamish boy was run over by a car in his pre-school parking lot. The pedestrian accident occurred around noon at a church in the 14400 block of Northeast Eighth Street when a man driving a Toyota Corolla apparently backed over the boy.

The boy was taken to Harbor View Medical Center in Seattle where he was treated for scrapes and bruises. Bellevue Police Officer Greg Grannis said it was remarkable that the toddler had no serious injuries, "Considering he was actually run over by a car -- not just knocked down, but the tires ran over his pelvis."

The Renton man who hit the boy will not be charged since the accident occurred on private property. He did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs and he voluntarily gave police a blood sample.

This information was provided to you by the Washington Injury Attorney Blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in pedestrian accidents. If you or a loved one was a pedestrian and was seriously injured in an accident, contact The Farber Law Group immediately.