Seattle Car Accident Lawyer Blog

U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour, rejected a class action lawsuit against 18 cities including  Auburn, Bellevue, Bonney Lake, Bremerton, Burien, Federal Way, Fife, Issaquah, Lacey, Lake Forest Park, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Puyallup, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma which claimed that the "red light tickets" were illegal because they were a moneymaking venture for the cities and that the fines were excessive.

The attorney for the plaintiffs, Rob Williamson, said he will appeal the judge's ruling.

The crux of the lawsuit was that when the law went in effect allowing the cities to install red light and speed cameras, the fines were supposed to be the same as what is charged for a parking ticket. Most parking tickets run between $25 and $40. Instead, the cities charged between $80 and upwards.

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 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.

Source: The Seattle Times
March 3, 2010
Reported by Emily Heffter

The Washington State Traffic Safety Commission reports that the state had the fewest amount of fatal car accidents in 2009 since 1955.

In 2009, there were 483 fatal car and truck accidents in the state.

Statistics also show that cell phone related accidents were fewer in 2009 with 827 motor vehicle accidents including 13 fatalities attributed to cell phone use.

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 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 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently conducted tests on the roof strength of small pickup trucks. Roof strength is especially important in rollover motor vehicle accidents.

The IIHS tested five small pickup trucks and found that the Nissan Frontier/Suzuki Equator has the strongest roof and earned a rating of Good. The Chevrolet Colorado was rated the worst n the group.

A rating of Good is given to vehicles that have roof strength that is twice the minimum federal standard. None of the trucks tested received the Top Safety Pick award though the Nissan Frontier came close.

The IIHS noted that 10,000 people are killed every year in the United States in rollover motor vehicle accidents. Stronger roofs save lives because they do not crush and people who are not wearing safety belts are less apt to be thrown from the vehicle because of doors or windshields opening or breaking when the roof crushes.

Small Pickup Trucks Tested

• Nissan Frontier / Suzuki Equator - Good (4.11)
• Ford Ranger - Acceptable (3.32)
• Dodge Dakota - acceptable (3.23)
• Toyota Tacoma - marginal (3.08)
• Chevrolet Colorado / GMC Canyon - Marginal (2.86)

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 and truck accidents and the family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages, including 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.

The warning period is over. The City of Bellevue begins issuing $124 tickets to motorists who run red lights starting on Wednesday. Up until now, Bellevue has only issued warnings to drivers caught on camera.

For the past month, Bellevue has sent out 1,000 warnings to drivers who were caught running lights heading north and south on 148th Avenue Northeast at the Bel-Red Road intersection and southbound at the Main street intersection.

According to a report in The Seattle Times, Bellevue police officers review and confirm the pictures of the cars caught by the cameras before citations are issued.

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 and the family of those killed. With our help, you may be able to obtain compensation for your damages including 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.

The Department of Transportation is getting tough with professional drivers who text message while driving, prohibiting all truck and bus drivers from sending text messages -- texting -- while driving a commercial vehicle.

The penalty for texting includes civil or criminal penalties and fines up to $2,750 says the DOT.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Research shows that drivers who text message take their eyes off of the road from between 4-6 seconds while texting. If the driver is moving at speeds of 55 miles an hour, they will have driven the length of a football field before their eyes look at the road.

A Vancouver, Washington man was just sentenced to 5 years in prison for Vehicular Homicide after a fatal car accident attributed to the fact that he was texting while driving. Antonio Cellestine hit and killed a bicyclist, Gordon Patterson, who was riding his bicycle at the time. Cell phone records show that Cellestine had been texting prior and during the accident.

The message is getting out to all drivers: no texting while driving!

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 car accidents and pedestrian accidents.

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.

Toyota Motor Co. has suspended the sale of eight of their vehicle models which they have recalled to fix a problem with accelerator pedals that stick.

Toyota has now recalled 6.5 million Toyota and Lexus car and vehicles total due to sticky accelerator pedals and problems with floor mats. In one case, a car accident killed the members of a man's family when an accelerator pedal got stuck on a mismatched floor mat.

Recalls include the following vehicles:

• 2009-2010 RAV4
• 2009-2010 Corolla
• 2009-2010 Matrix
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• 2007-2010 Camry
• 2010 Highlander
• 2007-2010 Tundra
• 2008-2010 Sequoia

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed due to a defective automobile, you may be eligible for compensation for your damages. Contact The Farber Law Group, a Washington personal injury law firm that specializes in representing motor vehicle accident victims and their families.

Call 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

The Washington State Traffic Safety Commission reports that seat belt compliance remains very high in the state at over 96 percent reports The Seattle Times.

Washington is one of the sates with the highest seat belt compliance in the country.

In 1986 the seat belt usage in the state was 36% and there were 582 car accident deaths. In 2008 there were 362 car accident fatalities.

Washington state is working towards 100% seat belt compliance saying it saves lives and saves money. Accident victims who were not wearing seat belts have an average cost of $11,000 more per accident than those who were wearing seat belts.

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 and the families of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages, including 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.

We just came across some software that parents can purchase on a subscription basis which blocks text messaging while driving. Parents can install the software -- txtBlocker -- and set it to establish areas where their teens are not allowed to use cell phones and it blocks the sending and receiving of text messages while driving to prevent car accidents.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving is a factor in up to 80% of all car accidents. One statistic says that almost 50% of teenage drivers admit to text messaging while driving. This past week in Bellingham, a pedestrian was hit and killed and the teenage driver admitted that he was text messaging at the time of the accident.

The txtBlocker software also lets parents know where their teens were driving and, with Speed Alerts, lets parents know if their teen was traveling at an excessive speed.

Texting while driving has become a serious health and safety issue and many believe it is akin to drinking and driving in its danger.

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 and the families of those killed. Read What if My accident was caused by someone using a cell phone? if your believe your accident was caused by some one's negligent use of a cell phone.

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 Bellevue Reporter reports that the city of Bellevue has installed red light cameras at two intersections on 148th Ave NE including at the intersections of Main Street and Bel-Red Road.

The city of Bellevue will issue warnings to offenders until February 2nd and after that, tickets will be issued which will cost motorists $124. The tickets do not count as a moving violation.

Late last year, Bellevue installed speed cameras near Stevenson and Lake Hills Elementary schools. Since installing those cameras, they have seen the number of citations drop for each month. In October, they issued 1,088 citation and in December the number dropped to 732. The police department believes that this is proof that the cameras help modify driver behavior.

Red light and speed cameras have been a contentious issues; A class-action lawsuit against 22 cities -- including Bellevue -- and camera manufacturers will be heard by U.S. District Court this month.

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 and the families 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.

Local Directory for Bellevue, Washington

Snow is predicted for the Seattle area and Western Washington this weekend. For those driving outside of the city, it is important be prepare your vehicle in case you are involved in a car accident or slide off of a road. You should have enough safety equipment if you are stranded. Being prepared might save your life.

Safety kit essentials

• flashlight
  
• hot pack
  
• screwdriver
  
• whistle
  
• light stick
  
• SOS sign
  
• fresh batteries
  
• cell phone and charger
  
• extra clothes, gloves and blanket
  
• food and water

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 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 TriCityHerald.com reports that Gerardo Laireano-Alejandro, 28 of Othello, was injured in a roll over car accident on Highway 17 around 8 am on Sunday.

According to the report, Laireano-Alejandro's vehicle slid on ice before it rolled. The Washington State Patrol suspect that excessive speed contributed to the car accident.

Tips for driving in icy conditions

As winter is approaching, here are some tips for motorists in icy conditions:

• Keep your windshield fluid reservoir full and use your defroster and wipers for good visibility
  
• Everyone in the vehicle should wear seat belts
  
• Make all driving maneuvers including braking, changing lanes, turning and changing speeds slowly
  
• Warn other drivers using your signals and speed whenever you are stopping, turning or changing lanes
  
• Keep a proper following distance, allowing for the icy conditions
  
• Pump the brakes gently if you don't have antilock brakes.
  
• Keep your speed down.

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 and the families 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.

Oregon is joining Washington and California in banning all drivers from using hand held cell phones while driving. Other Western states including Montana, Idaho and Nevada do not have a ban in place yet according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The Oregon cell phone ban will go into effect on January 1st, 2010 and drivers who are caught will receive a $90 fine. Drivers, however, will be able to use a hands free device while driving and some certain drivers, like law enforcement officers working for public safety, will be exempt. Unlike Washington's ban, Oregon's hand held ban will be a primary offense.

Oregon has had a cell phone ban in place for teenagers since 2007 but it was listed as a secondary offense. In 2010, the restrictions for teenagers will increase, prohibiting teens from using a hands free cell phone.

All drivers in Oregon are prohibited from text messaging while driving.

If you believe your car accident was caused by someone using a cell phone, read, "What if my accident was caused by someone using a cell phone?"

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 families 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.

Governor Christine Gregoire has declared October 18-24 as "Teen Driver Safety Week." Car accidents are the leading cause of fatalities among teenagers in Washington State. So far this year, 33 teenagers have died in traffic accidents. In 2008, 37 teenagers between the ages of 16-19 were killed in motor vehicle accidents and 258 sustained serious injuries.

The Washington Department of Transportation has developed a web-site in conjunction with WA Teen Driver Safety week and has a lot of resources for teenage drivers and their parents including information on Washington's intermediate driver licensing law. The web-sites report that there are a lot of ways parents can educate their teenager and keep them safe while driving:

• Know and enforce the intermediate driver license
  
• Restrict night driving.
• Restrict passengers.
  
• Supervise teen driving.
  
• Require seat belt use.
  
• Prohibit drinking.
  
• Choose a safe vehicle for your teen to drive, avoiding sports cars and trucks and small SUVs.

See the DOT web-site for more information.

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 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.

Smarter Highways coming to a freeway near you--

Smarter Highways is the name of technology which includes sensors and electronic signs which alerts drivers of road conditions so they can alter their driving accordingly reports the Bellevue Reporter. Sensors collect data about traffic conditions and then provide real-time information to drivers resulting in a safer and smoother trip. Smarter Highways has been installed in other countries and it has been shown to reduce car accidents, including rear-enders by 30%.

The Washington Department of Transportation plans to install the sensors and signs on Northbound Interstate 5 between Boeing Access Road and Interstate 90 in this coming summer. They also will install the technology on SR 520 between Interstate 5 and 130th Avenue NE in Bellevue in summer 2010. The DOT plans the to install the technology on the I-90 between I-5 and 150th Avenue SE in Bellevue in the spring 2011.

Says Washington state Transportation Secretary:

“Traffic engineers call it active traffic management, but it’s really about making our highways smarter.

The Smarter Highway technology alerts drivers with signs to change lanes or reroute when something like a car accident or road work blocks the highway ahead. It also warns drivers to reduce their speed before they counter slower-moving traffic which reduces rear-end car accidents. Panic braking is often the cause of rear-end accidents when traffic suddenly slows.

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 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.

Every year, there are more children injured and killed as they are getting on and off a school bus than riding in a school bus. Getting on and off the bus are the most dangerous parts of the school bus ride. It's important that drivers know the laws regarding stopping for school bus. Clearly stated:

It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus when red lights are flashing and the STOP sign is out.

In Washington state, it is estimated that 4,000 motorists go through STOP signs on school buses every year, endangering the lives of children and. Drivers who illegally pass a school bus can be fined $394 for their first offense. Washington Vehicle Code 46.61.370 allows school bus drivers to report any drivers who run a STOP sign and fill out a violation form; no law enforcement officer must investigate or fill out the citation.

For drivers, here are the rules for stopping around school buses:

• If a school bus has amber lights flashing in the front and back, motorists should slow down and prepare to stop.
  
• If a school bus has red lights flashing and the STOP paddle extended, motorists must stop, no passing is allowed. On a two lane roadway, traffic in both directions must stop. If there are 3 or more lanes, motorists must stop if they are traveling in the same direction as the school bus.
  
• Motorists must remain stopped until the lights have stopped flashing and the STOP sign is pulled in.
  
• If a bus is pulled over on the shoulder or a parking line and only amber lights are flashing, motorists do not have to stop.

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 pedestrian accidents and car 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.

October 5-9, 2009 is the "Drive Safely Work Week," a network of employers for traffic safety sponsored event which encourages employees to drive safely. Board member companies include Abbott, AmeriFleet Transportation, Anheuser-Busch, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, General Motor Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, Monsanto, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and UPS.

The main message of the campaign is that, regardless of the job, "getting home safely is the most important thing anyone will do today."

The event puts the focus on driving with intent. Employees are reminded that distracted driving is dangerous:

 Research shows that driving while distracted is the leading factor in most car accidents and near-accidents. In fact, four out of five crashes and more than half near-crashes involve some form of driver inattention.

Increasingly, distracted driving has been on the forefront of motorist's minds because of the ubiquitous use of cell phones. If you believe your car accident was caused be someone's negligent use of a cell phone, you'll want to read our article, "What if my accident was caused by someone using a cell phone?"

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 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.

An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) survey found that people would support the use of technology which would keep an intoxicated person from being able to start a car even if they did not have a prior driving under the influence (DUI) conviction. Even though this technology is not yet available, 2 of every 3 people surveyed thought that such a device would be a good or very good idea if the technology were reliable. 40% of the respondents reported that they would even favor such a device in their own vehicle. Even 50% of the people who say they drink four or more times a week support the idea.

Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research says:

"The results are clear-cut and a bit surprising. We didn't expect to find support across the board for the idea of detecting alcohol in everybody, but this survey tells us people are ready to crack down on all impaired drivers, not just those who've had DWI convictions."

The IIHS calculates that 8,000 lives could be saved every year if intoxicated people were prohibited from driving. In 2008, 11,773 people were killed in car accidents involving drivers with a BAC of 0.08% or more.

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 killed by drunk drivers.

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 Transportation, in their quarterly report, says that serious injury and fatal car accidents have been reduced on roads and highways where rumble strips have been installed reports The Seattle Times. In fact, the DOT reports that these kinds of accidents dropped 57 percent on the highways and roads where the strips have been made.

Rumble strips are grooves or raised dots or pavement markers which alerts inattentive drivers that they are driving off of a highway or approaching a hazard. Rumble strips alert drivers with noise and vibration when motorists drive over them. They can be installed on the right (or outside shoulder) and on a divided highway, the are installed on the median side. The DOT has installed rumble strips into 2,000 miles of roads in the state and have plans to install 650 more miles with them.

State statistics show that 18% of all car accidents are single vehicle "run-off-the-road" and they account for 30% of all accident fatalities. In 2008, there were 522 car accident fatalities in Washington state which is the lowest number since 1955.

Bicyclists say that shoulder rumble strips can create a hazard for them unless they are installed with an unobstructed width of paved surface for the cyclist.

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 and bicycle 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 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration just launched "National Child Passenger Safety Week" campaign to educate parents and caregivers on how to properly install and use child safety and booster seats. The campaign runs betweens September 12-18.

The NHTSA wants parents to know that car accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 6 and 8 to 14. In fact, 6,532 children ages 14 and younger were killed in car accidents in 2007.

Child safety seats save lives. The NHTSA estimates that 358 lives were saved in 2007 because of the proper use of child safety and booster seats. When correctly used, child restraint systems are 60 percent effective in preventing car accident fatalities.

The NHTSA reminds parents and caregivers that they must use the correct seat based on a child's age and size. They also remind parents that no one under the age of 13 should ever sit in the front seat of a car and that children should ride in a booster seat until they are at least 8 years of age or 4'9" or taller.

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 and the families of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including 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.

School began today in Seattle and last week in Bellevue and across Western Washington. It's time to take a look at pedestrian safety in school zones.

Washington State law, RCW 46.61.400, defines the rules for driving in a school zone and assigns a penalty for breaking those rules. Remember that the speed limit in a school zone is 20mph. A speeding ticket will cost you from $189 to $784 depending on how fast you were going.

According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, if a pedestrian is hit by a car is going 20 mph, the pedestrian has a 80%-90% chance of survival. If the same car were going 5-10 mph faster, the pedestrian has a 90% change of being killed; Speed makes a huge difference!

Remember to slow down in a school zone because speed kills. A school zone is defined as 600 feet long. Watch for flashing lights and signs.

Last year there were 4,378 pedestrian accident deaths, which was 12% of all motor vehicle accident deaths. In 20% of the pedestrian accident deaths, the accident was a hit-and-run.

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 pedestrian accidents and car accidents and the families of those killed. With our help, you may be compensated 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.