Washington Injury Attorney Blog

The Everett Herald Net reports that a 45-year-old man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious injuries after his vehicle was rear-ended on Highway 99 in Lynnwood.

According to the report, the accident occurred around 3:50pm and there were multiple vehicles involved in the accident.

Whose at fault in a rear end car accident?
In rear end car accident, fault is frequently found with the following driver. Causes of rear end motor vehicle accidents include "tailgating", driver distraction such as using a cell phone or a driver not anticipating the traffic flow.

Of course proof of negligence of either driver is required to apportion fault. In any accident, an investigation must be conducted to determine which driver is at fault. The driver of the first car must exercise ordinary care not to stop or slow without giving the driver behind him or her adequate notice of his/her intentions. The following driver must exercise due care by following at a reasonable distance and providing a proper lookout.

Rear End Collision Injuries
Victims of rear end collisions can be seriously injured even in low speed accidents. That is because, even at a low speed, the impact of being hit can cause a person's headto snap forward and back causing a hyperflexion/hyperextension or "whiplash" injury. Because the head's movement is greater than the normal range of motion, the neck muscles can be ripped or stretched.

Whiplash is not the only injuries someone can suffer in a rear-end accident, however.

Continue reading "Lynnwood rear end car accident seriously injures man" »

The World Health Organization estimates that motor vehicle accidents will kill 1.9 million peope a year between now and 2010. Starting May 11, 2011, the WHO -- with the participation of dozens of countries -- have kicked off a global road safety campaign called "Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2010" and their goal is to save millions of lives.

Motor vehicle accidents affect all nations and is the leading killer of the world's young, ages 15-29. With 1.3 million people killed annually in motor vehicle accidents, car accidents are the ninth leading cause of fatalities globally.

In addition to those killed in motor vehicle accidents, 20-50 million people are injured every year, many seriously.

The Global Plan to reduce motor vehicle fatalities includes:

• Improving road safety
• Improving vehicle safety
• Improving emergency services
• Building up road safety management.

The plan also seeks legislation and enforcement of safety precautions including helmets for bicyclists and motorcyclists; mandatory seat belt use; mandatory child safety restraints; reduction in drinking and driving; reduction of speeding.

The Global Plan seeks to save 5 million lives every year and prevent 50 millision serious injuries in the ensuing decade.

Source:
World unites to halt death and injury on roads
Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 set to save millions of lives

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car, truck, bicycle and pedestrian accidents and the family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages which includes medical care, loss of wages and for pain and suffering.

Related Posts:

NHTSA study reveals 40% of police officers killed in car accidents weren't wearing seat belts

Insurance Institute asks for regulation of SUV, pickup and van bumpers to reduce accident repair costs

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

Continue reading "World Health Organization kicks off "Decade of Action for Road Safety"" »

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" »

Distracted driving is one of the number one causes of car accident deaths. Distracted driving remains a significant problem in Washington state even through the hands-free cell phone law was enacted. An average of 160 people are killed every year in Washington in car accidents in which the driver was distracted. Distracted driving includes behaviors such as text messaging, eating, reading, applying make-up, attending to children and fiddling with radio controls.

When we look at accident statistics involving distracted driving, in 66% of the cases it is the driver who is killed. 25% of the people killed in car accidents where distracted driving was a factor occur to people between the ages of 16 and 25.

The top 5 counties in Washington State where a death was related to distracted driving are:

• King
• Pierce
• Yakima
• Snohomish
• Thurston

The hours between 3:00pm and 5:59pm is the peak time for distracted driving-related fatalities with the average of 23% of deaths occurred during those hours.

The distracted driver is a negligent driver and thus can be held accountable for his or her actions just as if he or she was driving under the influence of alcohol or breaking another of the myriad of traffic laws.

If the automobile accident in which you were injured was caused by someone using a cell phone or otherwise distracted, you may have a valid case in which you can seek compensation for your damages. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience representing car accident victims and their families.

Related Posts:

Texting and driving: teenagers aren't the only ones doing it

Truck driver was using cell phone and speeding in accident that killed 11

Continue reading "Washington state averages 160 distracted driving fatalities per year" »

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration just released a study which looked at incapacitating injuries in children under 8 years of age when involved in motor vehicle accidents. The results of the study tell us what we should all know:

Child safety seats when properly fitted and used through 8 years of age dramatically reduces the incidence of incapacitating injuries and death.

The study found that children fared the worst in rollover car accidents and that their likelihood of incapacitating injury was more than three times than of children properly restrained. In side-impact car accidents, unrestrained children was eight times more likely to receive incapacitating injuries.

What are incapacitating injuries?

Head injuries - in car accidents, head injury is the most common injury to children. They are the most dangerous type of injury because they permanently injure a child's developing brain which can lead to lifelong impairment. These injuries include concussions, skull fractures and whiplash. Effects of a brain injury can include "neuropsychological problems, neurological deficits, frontal lobe injuries affecting social interactions and interpersonal skills, and injuries to the brain centers that control reading and writing."

Thoracic Injuries - these include rib fractures and lung injuries. Children under the age of 1 were most likely to sustain this type of injury.

Abdominal injuries - these include small and large-bowel injuries.

Upper Extremity Injuries - Fractures of the humerus, radius and ulna bones in the arms.

The NHTSA report provides parents with information they need to realize the importance of using child safety seats. Read the complete report here.

For information on choosing the correct infant and child booster seat, see The Safety Restraint Coalition Coalition. Based in Kirkland, Washington, they have a lot of information for parents and child care givers.

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

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

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the major causes of accidental death and disability in the United States. Causes of TBI can include falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries and violence.

Because brain injuries are so devastating, there is a great effort in creating technologies to prevent and protect from these injuries. Seat belts, motorcycle and bicycle helmets are an example of technologies that have reduced the incidence of severe injury.

Causes of TBI

• Falls account to more than 35% of TBI injuries. Falls account for half of the injuries in children under the age of 14 and are the leading cause of brain injuries in older adults.
  
• Motor vehicle accidents - 17% of all TBIs are caused by motor vehicle accidents and this is the leading cause of TBI-related deaths.
  
• Struck by/against events -- Getting hit in the head or colliding with a fixed object accounts for 16.5% of all TBI injuries.
  
• Assault and domestic violence/child abuse -- 10% of TBIs in the general population are caused by assault. War-related injuries are not included in this figure.
  
• Bicycle accidents - account for 3% of accidental brain injuries..

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience in representing brain injury victims and their families. Brain injury litigation is complex and requires attorneys who are experienced in the medical and legal issues involved. With our help, you may recover compensation for your injuries.

See our Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Resources

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.

Seven people were injured this morning in a bus accident when a truck t-boned a King County Metro bus in in Seattle.

According to a report in the SeattlePI.com, a truck was backing out of a driveway near 4th Avenue South and S. Stacy Street around 11:30am when it hit the bus.

The injured reported back and neck pain after the bus accident and were transported to the hospital.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have suffered serious injuries, including whiplash injury, in motor vehicle accidents. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including medical costs, lost wages and for pain and suffering.

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