Seattle Car Accident Lawyer Blog

The Seattle Times reports that Antonio Cellestine of Vancouver has been sentenced to 60 months in prison for Vehicular Homicide after he hit a bicyclist who was riding home from work.

Cellestine was text messaging his girlfriend when his car veered into the bicycle lane and he hit and killed Gordon Patterson a 50-year-old high school teacher in September of 2009. Records from Cellestine's cell phone proved that he was text messaging using his cell phone prior to and during the car accident.

A person can be convicted for Vehicular Homicide if a person was killed and the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or driving with reckless disregard to the safety of others.

Cellestine's conviction is thought to be the first Vehicular Homicide conviction due to text messaging in Washington. This conviction comes at a time when the state legislature is considering making texting and using a hand-held cell phone in the state a primary offense.

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 a car or bicycle accident and the family of those killed. If you believe your car accident was a result of someones negligent use of a cell phone, read "What if my accident was caused by someone using 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 King County Medical Examiner's office reports that traffic accident deaths were down in 2008 when compared with 2007. In 2008, 163 people were killed as a result of motor vehicle accidents and in 2007, 170 people were killed.

Of the 163 people who died as a result of a motor vehicle accident, only 112 of the accidents occurred in King County; 51 people were injured in accidents outside of the county but the injured person was taken to a King County Hospital -- usually Harborview Medical Center in Seattle -- where they died.

King County includes the following communities: Algona, Auburn, Bellevue, Black Diamond, Bothell, Burien, Carnation, Clyde Hill, Covington, Des Moines, Duvall, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Hunts Point, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kent, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Maple Valley, Medina, Mercer Island, Milton, Newcastle, Normandy Park, North Bend, Pacific, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Tukwila, Woodinville and Yarrow Point.

Safety Precautions

The statistics show that people are taking safety precautions: only 27% of those killed in traffic accidents were not wearing seatbelts and only 16% of those killed in motorcycle accidents were not wearing helmets. Two of those killed in bicycle accidents were wearing helmets.

Traffic accident data

Some finer analysis of the data shows:

• 44% of those killed were drivers
  
• 75% of driver deaths were male
  
• 6% of those killed were teenage drivers between the ages of 16-91
  
• 24% of those killed were drivers between the ages of 20-29
  
• only one infant (a child under the age of one) was killed
  
• only two children between the ages of 1-5 years were killed
  
• no children between the ages of 6-12 years were killed
  
• 26 people died in pedestrian accidents

Alcohol Data

Blood alcohol data on car accident victims is not tally descriptive because blood alcohol tests are not always performed on those who live for more than 24 hours after an accident. However, of those tested, 40% showed the presence of alcohol in their blood stream.

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 and pedestrian 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.

Information for this posting is from:
King County Medical Examiner's Office - 2008 Annual Report prepared by David Fleming, MD and Richard Harruff, MD, PHD.

Noni Echo-Hawk-Lopez, age 6, suffered an injury to his jaw after he was hit while walking by a bicyclist in a downtown Seattle intersection by a man who then tried to leave the area. Young Noni was hit while he was walking with his father Chris Lopez and brother on Friday night outside Pike Street Market. The bicyclist reportedly picked up his bike after the accident and tried to flee until a group of bystanders tackled him and subdued him until police arrived.

According to the report on Seattle's KING 5.com, Noni was treated at Harborview Medical Center where physicians had to wire his jaw shut. He may require reconstructive surgery in the future.

The article did not what charges the bicyclist might face. Washington vehicle code establishes crosswalks at all intersections and requires vehicles to stop for pedestrians (WAC 132E-16-040 Pedestrians — Right of Way).

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. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including 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.

The American Academy of Pediatrics just released their November 2009 journal and it contains a note-worthy study reporting that boosters seats for children ages 4 through 8 greatly reduces injury in car accidents.

The most recent study cited looked at 7,151 children involved in car accidents. The study reiterated that a best practice is that children should remain in booster seats when riding in motor vehicles until they are at least 8 years old. The bottom line was that children who were involved in accidents were 45% less likely to be injured than children of the same age who were only wearing seat belts.

To read the full article, see the American Academy of Pediatrics Journal.

Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death in children. Make sure your car has the appropriate seat installed for your child and make sure it is installed properly. For more information, see SeatCheck.org.

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.

A popular Vancouver, Washington high school teacher , Gordon Patterson, was killed in a hit-and-run bicycle accident last Tuesday while he was riding his bicycle home reports The Seattle Times.

Police later arrested the hit-and-run driver, Antonio Eugene Cellestine, age 18, of Vancouver. Cellestine was a former pupil where Patterson worked. He faces charges of hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license.

The bicycle accident occurred on Northeast St. Johns Road. Patterson regularly commuted to and from work by bicycle. He was wearing a helmet. A memorial service for Patterson will be held on September
23 at the high school.

In 2008, a total of 714 bicycle riders were killed in crashes with motor vehicles. 87% of those killed are male and 91% were not wearing helmets. 12% of all bicyclist deaths occurred in the month of September.

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 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 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.

Approximately 2% of fatal motor vehicle accidents involve bicyclists. The most serious injuries to bicyclists and the reason for most fatalities are severe head and brain injury. It is estimated that wearing a helmet reduces the risk of a head injury by 85% in a bicycle accident.

Currently, Washington state does not have a state law which requires bicyclists to wear a helmet. However, many cities and some counties do require helmets. In Western Washington, Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Kent, Puyallup, Renton, Tacoma and Vancouver require helmets. In addition King County, which includes Seattle and Bellevue also require bicycle riders to wear helmets.

Fatal bicycle accident facts

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) on bicycle accident fatalities. In looking at the data, they following facts emerged:

• In 2008, 714 bicyclists were killed in accidents with motor vehicles in 2008. This is an increase of 14% since 2003.
  
• 87% of the bicyclists who were killed were male.
  
• 91% of the bicyclists who were killed were wearing helmets.
  
• Of those killed, 26% of the cyclists over the age of 16 had a BAC of 0.08% or greater.
  
• 34% of the fatal accidents occurred between August and October.
  
• 21% of the fatal bicycle accidents occurred between 6pm and 9pm.
  
• 13% of those killed in bicycle accidents were under the age of 16.
  
• 68% of the fatal bicycle accident occurred in urban areas.
  
• 38% of the fatal accidents occurred at intersections.

For a complete look at the Insurance Institute's analysis of the FARS data, click here.

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 bicycle 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.

The family of Kevin Black, a University of Washington scientist who was killed in a bicycle accident in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle in February of 2009, has filed a wrongful death suit against the driver of the van who hit Black and the company that employed the driver reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Washington state has a wrongful death statute which allows a family to file a civil lawsuit on behalf of their deceased loved one. In cases likes auto accidents or bicycle accidents, the family may be able to recover compensation if the court determines the person or entity who caused the death had performed a negligent or wrongful act.

In this case, the Black family is request compensation for Black's two young daughters because they feel the driver of the van that hit Black was negligent in making a U turn. The suit also requests compensation from Ambient Control Company because the driver of the van was working for Ambient at the time of the bicycle accident.

In King County, it usually takes about 18 months for a wrongful death lawsuit to be scheduled. A tentative trial date in this case is set for 2011 unless the parties to the suit settle before the trial date.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury law firm that has more than 30 years experience representing accident 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.

A 44-year old bicyclist suffered life-threatening injuries after he ran into the side of a van whose driver made a left turn in front of him reports Seattle's KOMO News.

The bicycle accident happened at the intersection of Lake Washington Boulevard South and South Orcas Street around 6:35pm Friday evening.

According to the report, a Chevy van driven by a 29-year-old driver was headed north on Lake Washington Boulevard South and made a left turn onto Orcas Street. The bicyclist, who was headed South on Lake Washington Boulevard, ran into the van. The bicyclist was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and was listed in critical condition.

Washington State statute provides that a driver turning left within an intersection should yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction. The right-of-way is not absolute but relative but the primary duty rests upon the driver who is turning to left to leave a fair margin of safety at all times.

A bicyclist who is injured in a collision with a vehicle may be entitled to compensation for damages including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and for any permanent disability or disfigurement. If you or a loved one has been involved in a bicycle accident, you should contact the knowledgeable and experienced bicycle accident lawyers at The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience in the greater Seattle area.

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.

Seattle's King5.com reports that James McClurkan, age 69, died at Tacoma General Hospital on Sunday after being hit by an SUV driven by a local woman while bicycling in Bremerton on Saturday around 1pm.

According to the report, McClurkan, who was wearing a bicycle helmet, was hit by a Nissan Murano SUV near Wildcat Lake. The impact of the collision caused McClurkan to hit the SUV's hood and windshield and then roll off into a drainage ditch.

Police are investigating the cause of the bicycle accident but they don't believe alcohol or speed were the cause.

Bicycle accidents can cause serious injuries. Every year, approximately 67,000 people suffer head injuries in bicycle accidents and more than 700 die, many of them from traumatic brain injury.

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 families of those killed in bicycle and car accidents. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Seattle's KOMO News.com reports that John U. Leoni, age 35, of Seattle was killed on Wednesday night in a bicycle accident on Highway 99 in Seattle.

According to the report, the Leoni collided with a car, a Porsche, a little after 10pm in the southbound lanes near the Dexter Avenue exit. The driver of the car, is suspected of driving under the influence at the time of the accident. The driver was taken to the hospital with injuries.

If the driver is determined to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident, he or she could be charged with Vehicular Homicide, RCW 46.61.520. This Washington State statute provides what if a person succumbs to injuries as a result of negligent operation of a motor vehicle, the driver can be charged.

In addition, the family of the person killed as a result of Vehicular Homicide, can bring a suit for wrongful death.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent car accident victims and their families.

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

The Seattle Times reports that a man has been critically injured in a bicycle accident on Dexter Avenue North in Seattle on Saturday morning. The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

According to the report, the man, who his in his 50's, was hit by a pickup around 11:30. Apparently, the truck was making a left turn onto Dexter when he hit the bicyclist.

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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 and bicycling accidents and the families of those killed.

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

The Seattle Times reports that Marc and Laura Paolicelli, parents of a 19-year-old Colorado man, who was killed while bicycling in Seattle, have settled their wrongful death lawsuit with Nelson & Sons Construction of Woodinville.

The Paolicelli's son, Bryce Lewis, was killed two years ago in a bicycling accident near the University of Washington when a Nelson & Sons dump truck made a sudden right turn and hit Lewis and his bicycling companion, Caleb Hall. The two bicyclists were in a bicycle lane when they were hit.

The report did not disclose the settlement amount.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury firm with offices located in Seattle and Bellevue. If you or a loved one is seriously injured due to another's negligence, or a loved one killed, we will try to help you obtain compensation for your damages.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com to discuss your case.

The Seattle Times reports that Carol Salomon, age 60, died of injuries she sustained in a bicycle accident while riding her bicycle in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle on Wednesday morning. Salomon, who was an assistant professor of languages at the University of Washington, was riding her bicycle on North 56th Street and First Avenue Northeast when she was hit by a Toyota Prius around 10:30 am.

Salomon was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where she died of her injuries. Police said she was not wearing a helmet.

The driver of the Prius, a 37-year-old man, had two passengers in his vehicle at the time of the bicycle accident. No one in the car was injured.

No information about the cause of the accident was provided.

This is the second fatal accident involving a staff member of the University of Washington. In February, Kevin Black, a molecular neurobiologist, was killed in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle.

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. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience in representing accident victims in the Pacific Northwest. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Call the Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com.

A Wenatchee man, Phillip Rich, age 29, crashed into a car while delivering newspapers on his bicycle on Wednesday afternoon reports The Wenatchee World. The bicycle accident occurred around 3:15 at the corner of Valleyvue Road and Western Road in Wenatchee when Rich apparently ran a stop sign and ran into a car driven by Kathlyn E. Jessup, age 61.

According to the report, Rich suffered a head injury and an injury to his ankle. He was taken to Central Washington Hospital for treatment.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have serious injuries due to car accidents, bicycle accidents and motorcycle accidents.

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

The Everett HeraldNet.com reports that Snohomish County has agreed to pay a bicyclist $300,000 for a bicycle accident he suffered in late 2005 when he was hit by a public works employee while riding his bicycle to work.

According to the report, Ryan Abbott, who was in his late 20's, was riding his bicycle east on Hewitt Avenue around 6:25 am in downtown Everett when a county utility worker pulled in front of him. Abbott suffered broken elbows which rendered him unable to perform his physically demanding job at a lumber yard. The settlement will allow him to train for a new career.

The case did not go to trial and the settlement was reached with the help of a mediator.

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 families of those killed in bicycle accidents, car accidents, motorcycle accidents and pedestrian accidents. With our help you may recover compensation for your injuries. With offices in Seattle and Bellevue, we are here to help you.

Contact The Farber Law Group.

A University of Washington molecular neurobiologist, Kevin Black, 39, of Ballard was killed in a bicycle accident on Wednesday morning in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle.

The bicycle accident occurred around 9 am near Northwest 64th Street and 24th Avenue Northwest in Ballard. According to the report in The Seattle Post Intelligencer, Black was riding south on 24th Avenue when he was hit by a van driven by a female also heading south. Police are investigating the cause of the accident but Black may have attempted to pass the van on the left as the van made a left turn.

Bystanders provided CPR on Black and he was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where he was pronounced dead.

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 families of those killed in car accident, motorcycle accident and bicycle accidents.

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

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that a bicyclist was killed in an accident while biking to work on Thursday morning around 6:30am in Skyway, Washington, south of Seattle.

According to one report, the man was riding his bicycle near 130th and Renton Avenue South when he was struck by a car driven by a man in his late 70's. Police said that alcohol or drugs were not a factor.

John Urquhart of the King County sheriff's office said the man was "riding legally" at the time of the accident.

Every year approximately 540,000 bicyclists are injured in accidents and more than 700 are killed. There is no state law requiring bicyclists to wear helmets but Snohomish, Pierce and King Counties do require them. It is unknown whether the cyclist in this accident was wearing a helmet.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, as service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in bicycle accidents and the families of those killed.

Contact The Farber law Group today for a free and confidential case evaluation. We handle bicycle accidents on a contingent fee basis; you pay nothing unless we recover a settlement for you.

See our Bicycling Resources.

Dean Kahn, writing in the Bellingham Herald, thinks it is time for a bicycling under the influence law. Some states such as California and Delaware apply driving under the influence laws to bicyclists and impose fines from $150 to $1150. In Washington State, bicyclists can not be arrested for bicycling under the influence.

According to Kahn's article, one federal official said that in 30 percent of adult bicycle fatalities, the bicyclist was intoxicated at the time of the accident. While cars pose a much greater risk, there are still some risks to other involved while bicycling under the influence.

"He [the drunken bicyclist] can still cause an accident," said Bellingham police Sgt. David Richards. "He can still cause an injury accident. He can still cause a fatal accident."

In reading the comments on The Bellingham Herald web-site, many people don't believe that another law is needed. They say that existing laws regarding public drunkenness should be adequate. Bicyclists are also subject to other traffic laws and can be ticketed for offenses like running a red light or making an illegal left hand turn. Perhaps a specific inclusion of bicycles in driving under the influence laws is not needed.

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been killed or severely injured by drunken drivers. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or a loved one killed because of the negligence of another driver, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experiences in the greater Seattle area.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

The Seattle 911 blog written by Casey McNerthney reports that a 5-year-old West Seattle boy was hit by a van while riding his bicycle around 4:40 pm on Friday. The boy's head apparently hit the concrete but it appears that he only suffered cuts and bruises and no serious injuries.

The bicycle accident happened at the 1600 block of Southwest Barton Street when the boy rode into the street from the sidewalk mid-block. The vehicle that hit the boy was a van driven by a 23-year-old person. Police said the van driver was not intoxicated and was not cited.

Comments to the blog reminded bicyclists to wear helmets and reflective clothing and lights at this time of day. Also, a child of the age of 5 years old should have constant adult supervision while bicycle riding.

This information was brought to you by 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 bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents and car accidents.

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