Seattle Car Accident Lawyer Blog

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission is not keeping it a secret where and when the joint task force of DUI patrols will be taking place. They are publishing all the information on a web-site called watikileaks.com.

The watikileaks web-site shows the times, dates and places where extra DUI police patrols are looking for drunken drivers.

The web-site and the DUI emphasis patrols are all part of "Target Zero" an initiative of the Traffic Safety Commission and local law enforcement to get drunken drivers off of the road. There goal: zero traffic accident fatalities or serious injuries within the next two decades. Deterrence in a huge party of the strategy in enforcement of DUI laws.

Alcohol abuse is a leading cause of car accident deaths in Washington State. In fact, approximately 48% of all Washington car accident deaths, alcohol, drugs and medications were a factor.

Aggressive enforcement of drunken driving has already lowered the number of fatalities in the past few years.

Using the watikileaks.com web-site is easy. A driver can choose a county and a list of the DUI emphasis patrols are listed. For example:

• August 26-27 - DUI patrols will be throughout downtown Redmond and Seattle.

• September 2-5 Extra DUI patrols will be out in the following King County cities: Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Newcastle, Sammamish, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, and North Bend areas.

• September 9-10 - Extra DUI patrols will be in Downtown Kirkland.

• September 10-11 - Extra DUI patrols will be out in Redmond.

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 accidents involving drunken drivers and the family of those killed.

Continue reading " Washington Traffic Safety Commission totally candid about where and when DUI emphasis patrols will take place " »

A Ohio jury has awarded a a $1.1M injury award to a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a motor vehicle accident when a police officer turned into his path, resulting in a collision.

Henry Jontony, 48, was injured when a police officer, responding to a non-emergency call, turned suddenly into Jontony's path.

Jontony suffered a concussion and injuries consistent with whiplash in the accident. He was eventually diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury which left him permanently disabled. His symptoms included confusion, short-term memory problems, anger management, and problems with filtering out background noises. His long term care costs are estimated at $5M and his medical costs are about $41,000.

Jontony and his family sued both the police officer and the city where the police officer worked under the "vicarious liability." Respondeat superior -- also known as vicarious liability -- is the doctrine that employers are liable for negligent or acts of their employees when the act that caused harm was within the course of the person's employment.

The attorney for the city argued that Jontony's injuries were not so severe as he was still able to drive a car and live at home. The jury, however, awarded just about $1.1 million including $50,000 to Jontony's spouse for "loss of consortium." Loss of consortium refers to "loss of companionship" or the inability of a person's spouse to have normal marital relations.

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 motor vehicle accidents caused by the negligence of another. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

Citation: Jontony v. Colegrove, No. CV-08-677987 (Ohio, Cuyahoga Co. Com. Pleas July 1, 2011).

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Senate Bill 5000 known as "Hailey's Law is now in effect and police are using the law to impound vehicles of drunken drivers for 12 hours after they make a DUI arrest.

Hailey's law was enacted to keep intoxicated persons from getting behind the wheel of their vehicle until a suitable sobering up period has passed.

It may be surprising to some, but a person who is arrested for suspicion of DUI can be booked and processed and released in sometimes as little as 1 to 2 hours. Some of those DUI drivers then were taking possession of their vehicle while they were still intoxicated and sometimes getting into motor vehicle accidents.

In one such case, Hailey French, was seriously injured in a head-on accident when she her car was hit by a driver who had been arrested for driving under the influence just two hours prior to the accident.

Hailey's Law allows police to call a tow truck company to deal with the DUI driver's car. If another registered owner of the vehicle is not intoxicated, they can get the vehicle out of impound in less than 12 hours.

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 accidents caused by drunken drivers and the family of those killed.

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Continue reading " 12 hour DUI impound law "Hailey's Law" now in effect " »

Shenekwa E. Asbery, 24, of Lacey, was killed and two other people were seriously injured when the minivan they were riding in was hit by a box truck on Interstate 5, just north of SR 512 around 3:15am this morning.

The Seattle Times reports that Asbery was riding in the rear seat of the van when it slowed down or stopped on the freeway. A box truck driven by a 24-year-old Tacoma man was unable to avoid the minivan and struck it.

The force of the accident sent both the minivan and the box truck across two lanes of traffic.

The 28-year-old man driving the minivan and a 26-year-old female passenger were taken to the hospital after the accident.

The driver of the box truck reportedly suffered neck injuries.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident. At this point, it appears that the minivan may have had mechanical problems prior to the collision.

Mechanical problems are sometimes factors in car accidents. Brake failure and under-inflated or flat tires are two common problems which cause car accidents. Many mechanical problems can be prevented with regularly scheduled maintenance and inspections.

If you have been involved in a car accident caused by negligence on part of the driver, poorly maintained highways or mechanical problems, call a personal injury lawyer who can help you receive compensation for your damages.

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 motor vehicle accidents and the family of those who have died.

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Speeding is a huge factor in traffic accidents and speeding was the leading contributing cause for car accidents in Washington State. In 2009, there were 8,744 traffic accidents in King County alone where speeding was a contributing factor.

Speeding can be deadly because it increases a driver's stopping distance, reduces maneuverability around curves and increases the distance a driver travels when reacting to situations such as cars stopping ahead of them. Speeding is also associated with other risky behaviors such as drinking and driving, aggressive driving and distracted driving.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission has been working on changing driver behavior in an effort to reduce traffic accidents. To that end, they helped fund King County Target Zero Task Force which provided extra law enforcement patrols that specifically targeted speeding drivers.

The Seattle PI.com reports that between July 15 and August 7, the emphasis patrols wrote 1,245 speeding tickets and also made three DUI arrests, three felony arrests, four aggressive driving violations, 15 cell phone citations, six seat belt tickets, 50 uninsured motorist tickets and 15 suspended/revoked license violations.

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 motor vehicle accidents and the family of those who have been killed.

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Continue reading " King County targets speeders, patrols write more than 1,200 tickets between July 15 - August 7 " »

New York state has become the first state in the U.S. to require convex or cross over mirrors to be installed on the front of large trucks with a gross weight of 26,000 pounds or more when driving within New York city.

The law is intended to avoid pedestrian accidents which are caused by blind spots. The push for the law to be enacted came after a four year old boy was killed when a delivery truck hit him while he was riding a tricycle. The truck driver did not see the boy because he was within the truck's blind spot.

The new law is not supported by the New York State Motor Truck Association and their position is that it will not increase safety and that the law only applies to trucks actually registered in the New York state.

There are blind spots in most motor vehicles, areas of the road that can not be seen while a driver is looking forward or with the rear-view or side mirror. In trucks, because they are so large and high of the ground and the operator has such a high seating position, the blind spot can also be directly in front of the vehicle.

Many safety organizations call for safety measures in large SUVs as well. When backing up, a blind spot in the SUV can hide small children or vehicles including bicycles, which has resulted in the death of at least 50 small children.In fact, blind spot detection features are the safety feature that motorists want most in a new car.

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 who have been killed.

Source:

Truckinginfo
New York Law Requires Convex Mirrors on Trucks in Big Apple

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The Washington State Patrol is looking for leads from anyone who may have knowledge of a drive-by shooting that occurred on State Route 167 near Route 410 on August 8th near Sumner..

According to the WSP media release, two teens were shot when the driver of of a black newer model Mazda 6 fired a shot at a car, striking an 18-year-old male in the forearm and a 17-year-old female in the back. Fortunately, neither of the victims were seriously injured.

THE WSP describes the suspected shooter as a white male with dark hair and with either a goatee or clean shaven.

The Tacoma News Tribune is describes the incident as a case of "road rage". Road rage is defined as an aggressive or angry behavior by a driver which can include gestures, insults, driving in a threatening manner and can lead to collisions or assaults. In this case, the suspect driver nearly caused a collision just prior to the shooting.

Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call detectives at 253-538-3172.

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 motor vehicle accidents and the family of those killed.

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In a new study sponsored by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, two-thirds of drivers in 14 big cities with red light camera programs give a thumbs up to the use of the cameras. This comes after an Institute study which found that, in the cities where the red light cameras are used, red light running car accidents have been reduced by 24%.

Public perception has not always supported the use of red light cameras and there is a vocal group that contends that red light cameras are solely a money making proposition for the cities. However, the studies indicate that motorists change their driving habits and that there are fewer car accidents in all intersections, not just the ones where the red light camera is installed.

Red light running often results in a T-bone or broadside accident. In these types of car accidents, vehicle damage is often huge and passenger injuries are much more severe than when a similar car is involved in a rear-end or front accident.

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 motor vehicle accidents and the family of those killed.

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Denise Eslich, 51, was awarded a $470,000 settlement which includes $220,000 in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages after the car she was driving was T-boned at an intersection by a trucker running a red light.

Eslich suffered multiple injuries due to the accident including fractures to her clavicle and humerus, requiring multiple surgeries to her shoulder and a single surgery to her arm. She also suffered chronic pain in her lower back due to connective-tissue injuries and had to undergo a nerve ablation procedure.

Eslich field suit against Stephen Cart, the truck driver, and also his employer, Jedd Enterprises LLC. The legal doctrine of respondeat superior provides that an employer is responsible for the actions of an employee in the scope and course of employment.

An eyewitness to the accident testified that Cart accelerated upon the light turning yellow. Expert testimony also established that the signal light must have been red when Cart entered the intersection.

The award to Eslich covered her medical costs and lost earnings (compensatory damages) as well as $250,000 in in punitive damages.

Citation: Eslich v. Cart, No. 2010 CV 04499 (Ohio, Stark Co. Com. Pleas June 29, 2011).

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents due to the negligence of another.

Continue reading " Motor vehicle accident settlement: victim awarded $470,000 in T-bone accident " »

The New Mexico Supreme Court held that a pharmaceutical company, whose representatives hosted a luncheon in which an employee of a doctor's office became inebriated and then was involved in a motor vehicle accident in which a child was killed, is liable to the victim under social host liability.

Social host liability is defined by case law and finds a social host liable in civil actions in cases where alcohol was served to an obviously intoxicated person who then was involved in a motor vehicle accident in which a 3rd party was seriously injured o called.

Social host most often refers to a private individual who serves alcohol in a private setting. Dram shop liability refers to a bar or restaurant over-serving an individual.

In the case before the New Mexico high court, representatives from several pharmaceutical companies hosted a luncheon and paid for alcoholic beverages consumed by Alicia Gonzalez. When Gonzalez was subsequently in a car accident in which Gina Delfino's son was killed, Delfino sued under the Liquor Liability Act (LLA).

The court ruled that social host liability is not limited to private settings and since the pharmaceutical defendants hosted the luncheon, paid for the alcoholic beverages and escorted Gonzalez to her car that they were in fact social hosts.

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 motor vehicle accidents caused by drunk drivers and the family of those killed.

Citation: Delfino v. Griffo, 2011 WL 1772266 (N.M. Apr. 8, 2011).
Plaintiff counsel: AAJ member Esteban A. Aguilar Sr. and Brian S. Colon, both of Albuquerque.

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