Washington Injury Attorney Blog

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.

Three young men were killed in a car accident sometime Saturday night when the BMW they were riding in crashed into a tree in the Spokane Heights area of Spokane at 44th and Eastern.

According to a report on KREM.com, the BMW was traveling at speeds of up to 90mph on a dark and windy road where the speed limit is posted as 25mph when it crashed into a pine tree.

Police believe alcohol may have been involved in the car accident as they found a whiskey bottle in the wreck.

There were no witnesses to the accident and the car was cold when police arrived at the scene around 5:00 Sunday morning.

The names of the victims have not been released but police believe two were 21-year-old males from Spokane.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent the victims of drunken drivers and their family.

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.

Peter Lenz, 13, of Vancouver, Washington, was killed on Sunday in a motorcycle accident at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Seattle Times reports Lenz was riding a warm-up lap before a race he was entering when he fell off his motorcycle and was hit by another motorcyclist.

Lenz suffered "traumatic injuries" in the accident and was pronounced dead three hours later.

The track was described as "slick" and "challenging" at the time of the accident.

The Times said that Lenz was a well-known racer despite his age. He had won nine national championships and nine regional titles said The Times.

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 motorcycle 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 family of a 24-year-old woman who died of a stroke in 2006 received a $5.3 million settlement in a medical malpractice lawsuit reports the Chicago Tribune.

The family of Samantha Medina filed their medical malpractice lawsuit claiming that Samantha's doctors and the hospital were negligent in diagnosing and treating her for a stroke when she was taken to the Central DuPage Hospital with a sudden headache and numbness on her right side. Samantha died 16 days later. The lawsuit alleged that if doctors had begun treatment promptly, Samantha would have survived.

Washington State has a wrongful death statute which allows the family of someone who was wrongfully killed due to the negligent act of another to recover damages in a civil action. Wrongful death can include medical negligence, unreasonably dangerous products, work-related injuries, car accidents and criminal attacks.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience representing families in their wrongful death actions. With our help, you may be able to recover damages in a wrongful death medical malpractice lawsuit.

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 Washington Department of Labor and Industries is investigating the death of a Renton man who killed in a tree trimming accident in Bellevue on Friday afternoon.

According to the Bellevue Reporter, the man, who was working with a tree cutting company, was struck by a falling tree part and received a fatal head injury.

The accident occurred in the 4400 block of 144th Ave. SE.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience representing people who have been seriously injured in on-the-job accidents and the family of those killed.  Families of workers killed on-the-job may be eligible to claim for compensation to provide for the surviving family.

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.

Gregory A. Ross, 31, of Renton has been charged with vehicular homicide in the car accident deaths of Jessica Stenseth, 23, and her passenger, Kiana Cormier.

The King County prosecutor's office says that Ross was driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he ran a red light and hit the car the two young women were riding in.

The police report said that Ross failed field sobriety tests, fell asleep during questioning and was found with a crack pipe in his pocket. Ross is being held on $1 million bail.

Ross' prior criminal record includes convictions for fourth-degree assault, third-degree theft, harassment and false reporting. 

Washington vehicle code RCW 46.61.520 provides that a driver can be charged with vehicular homicide if someone is killed in a car accident and the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent the victims of drunken drivers 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.

Source: The Seattle Times
Suspect in double-fatality wreck charged with vehicular homicide
by Jennifer Sullivan
Posted August 27, 2010 at 3:12PM

The Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reports that Charles A. Carnell, 33, has been charged with a felony in the amusement park accident that critically injured Teagan Marti, 12, of Parkland Florida.

After investigating the accident that left Marti with numerous fractures, spinal injuries, internal injuries, brain injuries and permanent partial paralysis, the Sauk County district attorney's office found that the accident was caused by criminal negligence on the part of the ride's operator, Carnell.

Carnell faces a fine of more than $100,000 and up to 25 years in jail.

Every year approximately four people die in amusement park accidents. In this case, it is clear that the district attorney's office feels the ride operator was criminally negligent. However, Teagan's personal injury attorney will also want to have the following questions answered: "Were operators properly trained?" "Was the ride manufacturer and installer negligent in designing a ride which would allow a rider to be released before the safety net was in place?" "Did the amusement park owner have ever measure in place to insure safety?"

Teagan's attorney may prevail in a negligence lawsuit which could provide Teagan and her family with compensation which would pay for her medical bills and care for ongoing medical and educational needs.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We reprsent people who have suffered serious injuries due to the negligent or criminal act of another. We also have more than 30 years experience represent families with their wrongful death claims.

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 News Tribune of Tacoma reports that a 16-year-old teenager, Louie Hertel, of Puyallup was killed in an all-terrain vehicle accident in Oregon on Saturday afternoon around 3pm.

According to the report, the teen was in Oregon visiting family and took the ATV – a Yamaha Rhino 450 – out for a ride. He apparent hit some large tire ruts and rolled the ATV.

ATV accidents happen too often even though the federal government, as long as 20 years ago, called the vehicles an "imminent hazard." There are approximately 7.6 million of the popular vehicles in use and every year approximately 800 people are killed in ATV accidents and approximately 130,000 injured.

While ATV manufacturers blame riders for accidents, ATV stability and design are in question. More than half of the ATV accident fatalities occur when the vehicles roll over on their sides or flip. This kind of accident occurs when the rider hits something or on a steep slope.

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 ATV 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 number of fatal occupational injuries decreased in 2009 to 4,340 which was down from 5,214 in 2008. This is the smallest number of fatal occupational injuries in the past ten years. Economic factors appear to be a huge factor in the decrease of fatal accidents because dangerous occupations such as construction work employed fewer people.

In Washington state, the number of workplace fatalities was 75 which was the lowest number in the state since 2000. There were 9 construction fatalities in 2009 down from the 20 construction accident deaths in 2008.

An overview of the 2009 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries:

• Workplace homicides declined only 1 percent in 2009 while there was an overall decrease of 17% of fatal work injuries. The 2009 homicide fatalities included 13 Fort Hood shooting victims.
  
• Fatal injuries to salaried and wage workers dropped by 20 percent while self-employed worker fatality rates were down only 3%.
  
• Private construction accidents deaths declined by 16%
  
• One sector had an increase of fatalities and that was in building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations.

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

Source:
United States Department of Labor - OSHA

The family of Max DeVries, 61, who fell off an operating room table while undergoing brain surgery to install a lumbar drain which allows cerebrospinal fluid to drain, has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against St. Joseph's Hospital of St. Paul, Minnesota.

DeVries was undergoing the procedure and part of his skull had been removed when he rolled off the surgical table, hitting the exposed portion of his brain on the floor, causing additional injuries.

DeVries never recovered from the stroke he had suffered and the injury from the fall; he died approximately a month later.

The wrongful death lawsuit claims that the hospital was negligent in providing proper restraints for DeVries.

Washington state has a wrongful death statute which allows the family of a person who dies due to the wrongful or negligent act of another to sue on behalf of their deceased loved one.

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 experience representing medical malpractice 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.

Source:
The Seattle Times
Heavy patient falls off operating room table - later dies
Published: July 28, 2010

The Los Angeles Times reports that at least eight people were killed and dozens were injured at an off-road truck race on a dry lake bed in Lucerne Valley, California.

According to a report, a driver in the race lost control of his off-roader and it went airborne, landing on spectators.

Six spectators were killed at the accident scene and two died at hospitals a short time later.

The race was described as 200-miles long and the drivers race around a 50-mile loop at speeds up to 60 mph.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are personal injury law firm that represents people who have been seriously injured due to the negligent or wrongful act of another 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.

Patricia A. Lambine, 46, of Greenacres, Washington was killed in a bicycle accident on U.S. Highway 41 near Blanchard in northern Idaho on Saturday morning around 6:30am.

According to a report by The Seattle Times, Lambine was riding a bicycle in support of a runner who was running a leg of the 185 mile team relay race from Spokane, Washington to Sandpoint, Idaho.

Lambine was killed and an unidentified 17-year-old runner was injured when a vehicle driven by Bowden S. Kahuhu, 31, of Newport, Washington, crossed the center line and onto the shoulder and hit the two. It is suspected that Kahuhu may have been driving drunk at the time.

Both Lambine and the teen were wearing reflective gear when they were hit.

Kahuhu faces Vehicular Homicide charges. Washington State Vehicle Code RCW 46.61.520 says that Vehicular Homicide can be charged if someone is killed in a motor vehicle accident and the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving recklessly, or driving without regard for the safety of others.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent victims of drunken driving and their family. We have more than 30 years experience representing families with their wrongful death cases.

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 journal Pediatrics just published a study that says that using an infant safety seat designed for motor vehicles outside of a car poses a risk of serious head injury.

According to the study, the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention program has had reports of many injuries due to the misuse of the seats.

Injuries include:

• The seat falling from an elevated surface like a table
  
• The seat overturning and the child suffocating on a soft surface like a bed
  
• The seat overturning and the child suffering strangulation due to the restraint strap.

Pediatrics is encouraging car seat manufacturers to provide engineering and design improvements which may reduce the tipping hazard. Pediatricians, parents and child care providers need to be aware of the potential hazard of misusing Child Restraint Systems.

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 accidents and those who have been injured by dangerous or defective products.

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 Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the recall of the first generation of Nap Nanny® Recliners while the death of a baby girl from Michigan is being investigated. The preliminary investigation into the child's death found that the baby was caught between the Nap Nanny® and a crib bumper after the Nap Nanny® was placed into a crib. The Nap Nanny web-site says the product is not for use in a crib and it is intended to be used on the floor only.

The CPSC and Baby Matters LLC, of Berwyn Pa. has had approximately 22 reports of small infants hanging or falling out over the side of the Nap Nanny®.

The CPSC says that 30,000 units are being recalled. For more information, see the Nap Nanny® website.

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 or defective products.

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.

George Shangrow, 59, a Seattle music director was killed in a car accident on Saturday evening around 5:50pm when a car driven by a teenager crossed the center line and hit the car he was driving.

The car accident occurred on Highway 20, approximately one mile east of Winthrop.

According to a report in The Wenatchee World, Shangrow's vehicle was hit head-on by a vehicle driven by a 16-year-old teenage boy from Twisp. The teen was taken to Mid-Valley Hospital in Omak for treatment of collar bone and ankle injuries.

The report described the weather at the time of the motor vehicle accident as a "pounding rainstorm."

Shangrow was the founder of the Seattle Chamber Singers and Orchestra Seattle. He also conducted the Seattle Symphony and other regional orchestras.

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. 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 family of Juanita Jackson, 76, was awarded a $114 million in a case of nursing home abuse and neglect that caused her death.

Jackson was moved to a Florida nursing home in March of 2003 for rehabilitation. According to the lawsuit, the nursing home knew that Jackson was a fall risk but did not take preventative measures to protect her. Jackson suffered a serious fall after being at the nursing home only two weeks and suffered a traumatic brain injury and fractures to her upper arm.

Jackson never recovered from the fall and she developed bedsores and suffered malnutrition and dehydration before she died.

In Washington State, the family of a person whose death is caused by a negligence or wrongful act of another may file a wrongful death lawsuit to seek compensation on behalf of their deceased loved one. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience representing victims of nursing home abuse and neglect.

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.

Thanh Diep, who preyed on vulnerable and elderly women, faces 14 years in prison when he is sentenced on Friday morning.

According to a report in The Seattle Times, Diep pleaded guilty to stealing cash and jewelry from seven different women. He also stole Wonedith Peters', 86, pet Chihuahua dog which he gave to his girlfriend.

Diep had a history of similar crimes and spent two years in prison in 2000 for residential burglary, second-degree theft and obtaining a signature by deceit.

Financial exploitation is one way that the elderly can be victimized. Other forms of victimization can include physical abuse, sexual abuse, healthcare faud and abuse and neglect.

If someone you know is a possible victim of elder abuse or neglect, a personal injury attorney who specializes in this area of law can advise you.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured by nursing home abuse and neglect and the family of those who have died.

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.

Six people were killed and 4 people were critically injured in a greyhound bus accident in California reports the Fresno Bee.

The bus accident happened around 2:15 on Highway 99 near Fresno.

According to the report, the bus, which was traveling from Los Angeles to Sacramento, apparently hit an overturned SUV which was in the innermost lane of the highway and then may have collided with another vehicle before losing control, going off the road and running into a large tree.

One report said that one of the dead may have been in the SUV.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the motor vehicle accident.

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. 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.

KTVB.com reports that Herbert Weatherford, 71, of Dreary, was killed in a tractor accident

According to the report, the man was driving his tractor up a steep hill on when it slid and rolled at least four times. The report said that Weatherford was an experienced logger and heavy equipment operator.

The man was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston where he died a short time later.

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 on-the-job 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.

A 71-year-old man, William Parker, died after two pit bull dogs attacked him while he was walking. The man suffered severe dog bites and then went into cardiac arrest and died after the attack.

Parker's daughter was hospitalized in critical condition after the dogs attacked her.

Another man, Kevin Stringell, also suffered dog bites.

The dog attack occurred at 230 North Manassas Street in downtown Memphis, TN.

Two firefighters who came to the man's rescue were also attacked by the dogs and they were treated at a local hospital and released.

The owner of the dogs has been arrested for violating the sex offender registry act. The dogs have been impounded.

Every year, approximately 885,000 require treatment after a dog attack and approximately 16 people are killed. Dog bite injuries can be horrific and many of them require multiple surgeries to repair the damage. Dog bite injuries can leave a person with disfiguring scars, post-traumatic stress syndrome and permanent nerve damage.

Washington State has a Dog Bite Law which can find the owner of a dog that injures a person to be held liable for the person's damages including medical costs and for pain and suffering.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent dog bite 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.