Seattle Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A 15-year-old girl was killed and an 18-year-old man was injured in a single car accident in Everett around 12:45 am this morning.

Police had received 911 calls about two vehicles racing and when they arrived in the area they found a severely damaged 1994 Honda Civic. Apparently, the driver of the car lost control, the car went airborne and hit a guardrail according to the report on Seattle's KOMONews.com. The auto accident occurred in the 800 block East Marine View Drive.

The two victims were first taken to Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett where the girl was pronounced dead of her injuries. The young man was transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and his condition is unknown at this time.

Everett Police are investigating the car accident and ask for witnesses or anyone with information about the accident to call them at their tip line: 425-257-8450. They believe that the other vehicle involved may have been white or yellow. There have been no charges filed at this time but the driver could be charged with Vehicular Homicide if it is found that he was driving without the regard of safety to others.

This information was provided by Seattle Car Accident lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents and the families of those killed. With more than 30 years experience and offices in Bellevue and Seattle, we will work to make sure your rights are protected.

Contact The Farber Law Group today.

The Washington State Patrol has issued a media release reporting that they will be adding extra troopers to patrol for speeding, aggressive and driving under the influence (DUI) drivers on Super Bowl weekend. In King County, they will have 12 additional troopers working overtime over the course of the weekend. Cities in King County include Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Enumclaw, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kent, Renton, Redmond, and Seattle.

WSP has found that if they focus on behaviors such as speeding and aggressive driving, they can reduce the number of accidents in a given area. Aggressive driving includes behaviors such a tailgating, honking the horn when not necessary, flashing other drivers with headlights, braking suddenly, passing between cars in traffic, speeding and speeding to beat red lights.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured and families of those killed in car accidents. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including loss of wages, vehicle damages, rehabilitation costs, medical costs and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber law Group today for a free an confidential case evaluation.

The Seattle Times reports that a man driving a 2001 Honda Accord was critically injured in a South Seattle car accident after his car struck a median, flipped and he was thrown from the vehicle.

According to the report, the car accident occurred at 1:13 am Tuesday morning as the man was driving south in the 4600 block of Beacon Avenue South near Columbian Way in South Seattle. Apparently, the man over corrected after veering into the northbound lane and hit the median.

The driver was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with "life-threatening" injuries. Police are investigating the accident.

This information is brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent car accident victims and their families. With offices in Seattle and Bellevue, we have more than 30 years experience and we will hard to insure your rights are protected.

Contact The Farber Law Group today.

Matthew N. Ellmers, 24 of Eugene, Oregon is being charged in a drunk driving accident that killed four people and seriously injured another on Friday night. Police who arrived at the accident scene are calling it the worst accident they have seen. According to The Seattle Post Intelligencer, Ellmers, who had a blood alcohol limit that was three times the legal limit -- 0.21% -- was traveling at a very high speed when he ran a red light and broadsided a Toyota Highlander with five people inside. The Toyota was knocked off the road and into a pole.

Killed in the accident were Heather Mulgrave, 36, who was driving the Toyota, and her passengers Connie Vermilyea, 34, Jaziah Vermilyea, 10, and Nima Gibba, 11. Jakoba Mulgrave, 10, is in serious condition at Dorenbecher Children's Hospital with a brain injury, broken bones and internal injuries.

Ellmers suffered multiple injuries including broken bones. He is charged with first-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving. He will be moved to the Lane County jail as soon as he can be transported.

According to an article in The Register-Guard, five Eugene police are investigating the accident. The article said police were called after a disturbance at The Nile bar involving Ellmers. They were trying to track Ellmers down when the crash occurred.

The Register-Guard's comment page is pretty heated. This senseless loss of loss of innocent people has the community very upset. One person who posted to the comment page, showed a screen shot of Ellmer's MySpace page that read "If you don’t wreck you're not going fast enough!!!!"

In Washington State, about 45% of all traffic fatalities are alcohol-related. Drunken drivers who have been involved in an accident where a victim died within three years of their injuries can be charged with Vehicular Homicide.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured and the family of those killed by drunken drivers. In drunken driving cases, we investigate whether a bar or restaurant served an obviously intoxicated patron who later caused the accident. If this was the case, the restaurant or bar can be held liable as well.

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

Seattle's KOMO TV.com reports that a 2-year-old boy was killed and two children were injured when the off-road vehicle, a Suzuki Samurai, they were riding in went off the road and down an embankment and flipped upside down in Big Hanaford Creek near Centralia, Washington. Centralia is a city located along Interstate 5 about 27 miles south of Washington's capitol in Olympia.

The driver of the vehicle, Benjamin E. Jones, age 41, has been arrested for investigation of Vehicular Homicide and three counts of child endangerment because Washington State Patrol believes he was driving under the influence.

The accident happened when Jones was driving the sport utility vehicle off-road with four young passengers in a grassy field next to Big Hanaford Road. He lost control of the vehicle around 7 pm, went down an embankment and he and the passengers -- none of whom were wearing seatbelts -- were thrown from the vehicle. A 2-year-old boy could not be immediately be found but a State Patrol helicopter located him about a quarter mile away in the creek. He was pronounced dead at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital a few hours later.

A girl, age 16, and a boy, age 6, received minor injuries in the accident. A girl, age 4, was not injured. Jones was also uninjured.

The WSP said that that the believe Jones was drunk at the time of the accident. Vehicular Homicide can be charged if the operator of a vehicle was driving under the influence, without regard for the safety of others or driving recklessly at the time of the accident.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have received serious injuries and the families of those killed in car accidents. We work to make sure the rights of victims are protected.

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

Seattle's KOMO News.com reports that an Issaquah man was seriously injured in a pedestrian accident early Saturday morning on the Interstate 405 (I-405) in Bellevue, Washington.

According to the report, the 23 year old man was attempting to cross the freeway when he was hit by 43-year-old Edmonds woman driving a 2002 Honda Accord. The driver was not injured.

The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where he is said to be in serious condition. The Washington State Patrol says they do not know when he was attempting to cross the freeway and whether drugs or alcohol was a factor.

This information is brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents and truck accidents due to the negligence of another driver.

If you suffered serious injuries because of another persons negligence, contact The Farber Law Group. With our help, you may recover damages for your medical costs, lost wages and for pain and suffering.

A one-year-old toddler was killed and her father, Leon C. Schooler of Soap Lake, was seriously injured when the car they were riding in was involved in an accident involving a suspected drunken driver.

According to The Wenatchee World, the accident occurred on Highway 17 near Soap Lake. The toddler was in the back seat and her father was driving their 2001 Pontiac when they were involved in an accident with a pickup truck driven by Douglas McGowan, age 39, of Spokane. The little girl was killed at the scene and her father was airlifted to Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane for treatment of his injuries.

The Washington State Patrol believes that McGowan was driving under the influence at the time of the accident and they have booked him into Grant County Jail and may charge him with Vehicular Assault and Vehicular Homicide.

Vehicular Assault can be charged if a person is seriously injured in a car accident and the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Vehicular Homicide can be charged if a person was killed or dies within three years of their injuries and the driver was under the influence. In such cases, the injured parties and the family of the victim may also claim damages in civil court under wrongful death statutes.

This information is brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent the victims of car accidents and their families.

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

The National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) has called for the ban of cell phone usage in cars period. Statistics show that nearly 85% of Americans have some type of cell phone service and that approximately 6% of drivers are talking on their cell phones while driving at any point in time. Additionally, 10% of teen age drivers are talking on their cell phone or text messaging while driving. These statistics are particularly grim when you look at the statistic that with driver distraction, a driver has a four times greater car accident risk if using a cell phone -- even one equipped with a hands-free device.

It's no wonder given these statistics, technology provides parents the ability to block their teenagers from the ability to use their cell phones while behind the wheel. I thought I would mention a few of the new products here:

• Key2SafeDriving -- provides a key which wirelessly connects with a cell phone through Bluetooth or RFID and blocks cell phone use when the key is in the ignition.

• Smart Phones - which uses GPS and will disable the cell phone if a child is driving.

• Driver Assistant -- determines if a person is driving and then and will intercept incoming calls and prevent outgoing ones while driving. One driver assistant is by AegisMobility.

I'm sure we'll be seeing more technology coming out in the near future. To reiterate Washington's cell phone usage laws:

RCW 46.61.667 - prohibits a driver from using a hand-held cell phone while driving.
RCW

RCW 46.61.668 - prohibits a person from sending, reading or writing a text message while driving.

If your car accident was caused by the other driver's cell phone use, read What if my accident was caused by someone using a cell phone? Then, contact The Farber Law Group, a personal injury attorney with offices in Seattle and Bellevue with more than 30 years experience representing car accident victims and their families.

Let's take a look at one of the major causes of car accidents: speeding. Of all accident causes, it seems like it is the most preventable. The results of speeding are devastating: nearly 30 percent of all car accident fatalities are caused by speeding, that totals nearly 13,113 lives in 2005 alone.

Why is speeding so deadly? Some reasons:

• Speed increases a driver's stopping distance
  
• Speed reduces your ability to maneuver around curves or things dropped in the roadway
  
• Speed increases the distance a driver travels when reacting to a deadly situation such a brake lights in front of them, a deer on the highway or a child's ball that went into the street.

Speeding is also associated with other risky behaviors. Speeding drivers are less likely to wear their seat belts, are more likely to be under the influence or drugs or alcohol and have a higher incident of not driving with a valid driver's license.

In Washington State, the highway with the highest number of speeding cars (driving at or above 90 miles per hour) in 2007 was Interstate 90 near Preston and Issaquah. Preston reported that there were an average of 132 motor vehicles per day traveling at 90 mph or more on this one section of highway. The Washington State Patrol and local authorities have been emphasizing that area with traffic control officers.

Data shows that people are less likely to speed the older they get. It also shows that young males are more likely to speed and less likely to wear their seat belts.

A basic rule involving speeding is that you should not drive at a greater speed that is reasonable with given road conditions or other factors that might exist, regardless of the posted speed limit. For example, drive slower when roads are icy.

Basic speed laws are:

• 25 miles per hour on city and town streets
  
• 50 miles per hour on county roads
  
• 60 miles per hour on state and interstate highways

Washington State takes speeding seriously and fines can be high.

If the other driver involved in your car accident was cited for excessive speed, you should contact a personal injury attorney to insure your rights are protected. Excessive speed means the other driver was negligent in their operation of a motor vehicle. In this case, you may be able to gain compensation from them for your medical costs, loss of wages, and for pain and suffering.

Contact the car accident lawyers at The Farber Law Group. With offices in Seattle and Bellevue, and more than 30 years experience, we will work to help you recover the compensation you deserve.

Ava M. Posey, age 42, of Longview, Washington was injured in an accident involving six cars on the southbound Interstate 5 near Woodland on Friday morning. Woodland is a town about 150 miles south of Seattle.

Posey was taken to a Vancouver hospital for treatment of injuries to her back. The other drivers involved in the multi-car accident were not injured or their injuries did not require hospitalization according to The Daily News On-Line.

The report said that the accidents were due to motorists driving too fast on icy and frosty roads. Apparently, there was a chain reaction of one car hitting another after an initial accident on the icy road.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents. With our help, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries including loss of wages, medical costs and for pain and suffering.

Contact us today for a free and confidential case evaluation.

The U.S. National Safety Council is calling for the complete ban of cell phones in automobiles, including hands-free devices reports an article in The Tech Herald.

The NSC looked at statistics on car accident fatalities and injuries and find that 636,000 car accidents are caused by driver distraction including car cell phone usage, which is 6% of all vehicle accidents.

The NSC cited a Harvard Center for Risk Analysis study which said that the usage of cell phones in cars resulted in 12,000 serious injuries and 36,000 deaths.

According to the report, the NSC believes that even with the Washington State hands' free laws which calls for a blue-tooth hands-free device to be used, that cell phones still cause distraction which results in motor vehicle accidents.

This information is bought to you by Seattle car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents as the result of another driver's negligence.

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

See our article, "What if my accident was caused by someone using a cell phone? "

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) has issued a media release asking anyone who might information about a pedestrian accident that occurred on January 1 at 2:30 am in Seattle on northbound Interstate 5 around the mid Boeing Field area.

The WSP believes a 2005-2008 white Toyota, possibly a RAV4, may have hit and killed a pedestrian on the highway. They are asking anyone with information about the pedestrian accident or anyone who has seen a white Toyota with damage to the driver's side mirror and fender area to call Detective Medeiros at 425-649-1530.

This information is provided by the Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in pedestrian or motor vehicle accidents and the families of those killed.

With offices in Bellevue and Seattle, we are here to help you. Contact us today.

James A Kernodle, 56 was killed in a single car accident two miles of south of Tenino around 10pm last night reports The Olympian. Tenino is a town 15 miles south of Washington's capitol, Olympia. The driver of the car, Karen L. Clark, 57, was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia with an arm fracture and possible chest injuries.

According to the report, Clark was driving eastbound on 180th when she over corrected and her car went off the road and into a tree. Kernodle was pronounced dead at the accident scene.

Police suspect that Clark was driving under the influence (DUI) at the time of the accident. In Washington State, 0.08% BAC is considered intoxicated. Clark may be charged with Vehicular Homicide. A driver can be charged with Vehicular Homicide if a person dies as a result of a car accident and the driver was found to be driving recklessly or under the influence. In addition, the family of a person killed as a result of Vehicular Homicide can bring a suit for wrongful death.

This information was brought to you by the 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 due to the negligence of another person.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation.

The Washington State Patrol, in a media release, reports that there was a 42% decrease in fatal car accidents in Jefferson and Clallam counties in 2008. There were only 8 fatal accidents in 2008 compared with 14 in 2007. They noted that 6 of the fatal accidents occurred on State Route 101.

The Patrol says the decrease in accidents is due to a number of factors including:

• Stopping and ticketing traffic violators
• Issuing 7,000 speeding tickets
• Arresting 302 DUI impaired drivers

They also recovered 6 stolen vehicles, made 220 drug arrests, made contacts with 800 aggressive drivers and issued 1,550 tickets to people not wearing seat belts.

The Patrol has found that if they look for aggressive driving, they can reduce the number of accidents. Aggressive driving include tailgating, speeding, honking the horn when unnecessary, flashing headlights to annoy other motorists, braking suddenly, passing traffic and then slowing down and speeding to beat red lights.

The Farber Law Group, with offices in Seattle and Bellevue, represents people who have suffered serious personal injuries due to car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents, pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents.

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

The Centralia Chronicle reports that the bodies of a man and a woman have been found in a car that was upside down in a water-filled drainage ditch just west of Centralia in Lincoln Creek Valley. Centralia is a city off of the Interstate 5 south of Olympia, WA.

According to the report, motorists in a passing pickup truck heard a dog barking and they stopped to investigate. The motorists found the dog trapped inside the Pontiac Firebird along with the two dead occupants. Police theorize that the vehicle was traveling southbound when the driver lost control on the muddy road, and the car careened across the road and upside down into the ditch. The ditch is very narrow and the driver and passenger would have been unable to open the car doors.

Police believe they know who was in the car and will release the names after they notify the next-of-kin.

This report was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people with serious injuries due to car accidents and the families of those killed. We have more than 30 years experience in Western Washington representing accident victims and their families.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

The Tacoma Daily Index reports that the Tacoma Pierce County DUI Task Force conducted an "emphasis patrol" on State Routes 512 and 7 and on Meridian and 176 streets on January 3rd. They selected highways and roads where there have been an excessive number of motor vehicle accidents.

According to the report, the task force issued 288 speeding tickets, 183 tickets for unsafe driving including aggressive driving, driving with a suspended license or for teenagers violating intermediate license restrictions.

Speed reduction on these highways and roads has been the focus of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission along with the task force. Other participating police agencies included: Fircrest, Fife, Tacoma, Bonney Lake, Sumner, University Place, Roy, Dupont, Lakewood and Puyallup Police Departments in conjunction with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We help people who have suffered serious car accidents which resulted in injuries including broken bones, traumatic brain injury and whiplash. We help victims recover compensation for damages including for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber law Group today for a case evaluation. With offices in Bellevue and Seattle, we will work to preserve your rights.

The U. S. Transportation Secretary, Mary E. Peters, said that highway deaths due to car accidents should decline by 10% in 2009. In 2008, approximately 31,110 people were killed in auto accidents between January and October compared with 34,502 during the same months in 2007.

The reason for the decreased number of fatalities is in part due to people driving less due to higher gas prices . However, even with motorists driving fewer miles, there are fewer deaths per mile driven. In 2008, there 1.28 fatalities per million miles driven compared to 137 miles during the same time frame reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Other factors in lower car accident deaths are:

• Seat belt use -- nearly 85% of Americans now wear their seat belts.
• Safer vehicles -- automobiles are built safer and safety devices such as air bags are built in.
• Stricter law enforcement -- alcohol-related deaths in car accidents have fallen from 609% in 1982 than less than 40% in 2004.

In summary, traffic deaths have steadily fallen from 47,000 in 1988 to around 32,000 in 2009.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. Representing people who have suffered serious injuries due to car accidents for more than 30 years, we have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to serve you.

Contact The Farber Law Group today.

Suzanne Austin, age 29, was injured in a pedestrian accident in downtown Wenatchee on Wednesday afternoon. The Wenatchee World did not report the extent of her injuries but said that she was in satisfactory condition at Central Washington Hospital on Thursday morning.

The pedestrian accident occurred while Austin was walking in a crosswalk . She was hit by a Pontiac Grand Prix driven by 21-year-old Ana Guillen according to the report. Guillen will be cited for failing to yield.

Most pedestrian accidents are caused by the negligence of the motorists and, in this case, the driver failed to yield the right-of-way to a person in a marked crosswalk.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, you should contact a personal injury attorney immediately. At The Farber Law Group we have more than 30 years representing people who have been seriously injured in accidents. If your injuries make it so that you are unable to come to our office, we will come to you.

Contact us today.

Flooding through Washington State and the Pacific Northwest is making driving a real hassle and dangerous with all three major highways across the Cascades closed including Interstate 90 -- a major thoroughfare between Seattle and Spokane -- which is closed due to avalanches. A 20-mile stretch of the Interstate 5 -- a major North-South freeway which runs from Portland to Seattle -- is under 3 feet of water in some places. Interstate 90 has been closed on and off because of avalanches and mud slides.

While it is hard to get around Washington State this week. It is very important that during times of flooding such as this that motorists pay attention to flood areas because in flooding situations, almost half of the accidental deaths are related to motor vehicles. If you are one of 40,000 people evacuating a flood area or if you are out and driving, the following information is intended to keep you safe:

• Remember that flash floods can come on suddenly. You never know when a dam or levee will fail so be extra cautious during this season.
  
• In flood-prone areas, do not drive unless you have to or you have been ordered to evacuate.
  
• Beware of large puddles. Cars are likely to stall in large puddles. Besides the stall, you might do major damage to your electrical system. Engines can be damaged if water gets into the engine block through an air intake.
  
• If you come to a flooded area, do not attempt to drive through it. Turn your car around and go in the other direction. Even if you are driving a large SUV, only two feet of moving water and carry your vehicle away.
  
• If water looks like it is above your tail pipe, do not drive in it. You may need to measure with a stick. Drive to higher ground and wait. Six inches of standing water can come into your car's passenger compartment.
  
• If your car stalls in water, leave it and get to higher ground.
  
• Drive using your high beams.
  
• Drive slowly and be ready to abandon your car.
  
• Don't stay with your car to keep yourself dry in a low lying area.
  
• Never drive around a closed road sign.
  
• Check the Washington State Department of Transportation web-site for their Travel Alerts and Slowdowns. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are an experienced personal injury attorney firm with offices in Seattle and Bellevue. Contact us if you have received serious injuries in an automobile accident. We will work to help you recover compensation for your damages.

Clark County reported between 10-15 accidents yesterday during snowy conditions. Many drivers slid off the road and were waiting for tow trucks. Accidents occurred on Highway 14 at Cape Horn, another on Interstate 205 and another on state Highway 502. This was all reported in the Columbian.com, the news service serving Clark County.

Why so many accidents? Aren't people in Washington State and the Pacific Northwest used to driving in the snow?

More accidents occur in snowy conditions because people do not adjust their driving to suit the conditions. Here are some tips to avoid an a car accident:

Tips for Winter Driving

• Decrease your speed
• Allow lots of stopping distance -- three times the normal distance between you and the car in front of you
• Insure your tires are of good condition and have a decent amount of tread
• Use traction tires and chains when recommended
• Keep your headlights turned on to increase your visibility
• Use low gears on hills
• Never use cruise control
• Use extra caution on bridges and overpasses because they tend to become icy and freeze first
• Watch for black ice in shady areas
• Never pass snow plows and other heavy equipment doing work on the road
• Avoid driving in blizards and white-out conditions

This information is brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have suffered serious personal injuries due to car accidents caused by the negligence of another driver. If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries in a car accident including whiplash, fractures, a visit to the hospital, you need to contact the personal injury attorneys at The Farber Law Group. With our help, you may be able to recover your medical costs and property damage.

Contact The Farber Law Group today.

The Seattle Times reports that three people suffered serious injuries in a car accident when a speeding BMW slammed into a Subaru that was stopped at a stoplight on Lake City Way Northeast at Northeast 95th Street around 2am. Two people in the Subaru and one in the BMW were taken to area hospitals with life threatening injuries.

According to the report, the driver of the BMW may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident. The driver was jailed on suspicion of Vehicular Assault.

Vehicular Assault (RCW 46.61.522) can be charged if a person is seriously injured when a motorist was driving recklessly, under the influence of alcohol or drugs and or driving without regard for the safety of other people. If a person is killed while someone was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, then the driver can be charged with Vehicular Homicide.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured, or a loved one killed due to the reckless actions of a drunken driver, you should contact The Farber Law Group. A personal injury firm with a track record of recovering millions of dollars in compensation for the victims of the negligence, we will work to help you recover compensation for your damages.

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

A 1993 Lexus that was speeding in the 100 block of Point Brown Avenue SW in Ocean Shores, crossed the center line, smashed into a van parked in front of a residence, throwing the driver and passenger out of the car and severely injuring both. The impact was so intense that the car split in half and flipped over at least twice.

The 43-year-old driver was taken to Grays Harbor Community Hospital. The passenger was also taken to Grays Harbor Hospital and then transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Komo News.com reports that Deputy Chief Russ Fitts of the Ocean Shores Police Department believes that alcohol and excessive speed were believed to be factors in the crash.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We have represented victims of drunken drivers for more than 30 years. Contact us if you or a loved one has sustained serious injuries due to a drunken driver and we will work to help you recover compensation for your injuries.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently published their report rating small cars in crash tests. With more people looking to purchase smaller cars because of high gas prices, it is important to look at what cars are going to be the safest in a car accident. All of the cars that were tested had high ratings in frontal crashes. However, many of them did not do as well in the side evaluation and rear crash protection.

Of the cars tested, the Suzuki SX4 and the Toyota Matrix had good ratings in both front and side crashes. The Ford Focus, Mini Cooper and Chevrolet HHR were given good ratings in front crash tests and acceptable ratings in side crash tests.

The Hyunda Elantra and Saturn Astra had good results in front crash testing but marginal results in side crash testing.

Of all of the cars tested, the Chrysler PT Cruiser performed the worst. While it had good ratings for front crashes, it has poor ratings in both side and rear crash tests.

The car makers still have some work to do when it comes to rear crashes in small cars. The Mini Cooper and Ford Focus both got good ratings in rear crash tests and the Hyundai Elantra and Saturn Astra got acceptable ratings.

To see the complete report, click here.

This information was provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have serious injuries such as whiplash, brain injury or spinal cord damage due to car accidents. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured, contact the personal injury firm with more than 30 years experience, The Farber Law Group.

Call us today for a confidential and free case evaluation.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released a report stating that while the number of older motorists -- ages 70 and older -- has increased about 10% the number of fatal accidents in this age group has decreased by 21%. The report covers a period of 10 years, 1997-2006. The report compares the age 70+ group with drivers between the ages of 35-54 years of age and said the 70+ age group had a greater decline in fatal car accidents in the same time frame.

Statistics show that per mile traveled, car accidents and fatal crashes begin increasing around 70 years of age and rise considerably after 80 years of age. This is due to slower reaction times, decreased cognitive ability, vision impairments and medical conditions.

One or the largest decreases in fatal accidents among the elderly were multiple car accidents in intersections. Statistically, this is an area where the elderly tend to have more accidents.

The report speculates that the reasons fatal accidents have declined among the elderly may be partially due to newer and safer automobiles along with the elderly self-limiting their driving including:

• Driving fewer miles
  
• Making fewer trips
  
• Avoiding night driving
  
• Driving shorter distances
  
• Avoiding interstate highways
  
• Avoiding driving in adverse weather conditions including snow and ice

This information has been brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are experienced personal injury attorneys with offices in Seattle and Bellevue. We represent people who have been seriously hurt in car accidents.

Contact The Farber Law Group today to discuss your case.