Seattle Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Halloween can be dangerous for young pedestrians. According to Safe Kids USA, twice as many young pedestrians are killed in pedestrian accidents on Halloween compared to the other days of the year.

To prevent a tragedy, parents should talk with their children about pedestrian safety on Halloween and accompany them while trick or treating. Don't assume they will remember the spiel you gave them last year.

Here are some child safety tips for the holiday:

• Children under the age of 12 should be acocmpanied by an adult. Children younger than 12 often forget safety rules when they are excited.
  
• Walk on sidewalks and paths.
  
• Walk facing traffic, if there is no sidewalks.
  
• Look both ways before crossing the street and cross in crosswalks.
  
• Make sure wigs, hats and masks don't obscure a child's view.
  
• Make sure your child's costume is not so long as to cause them to trip.

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 the family of those who have been killed.

Related Posts:

Fall walking/jogging safety tips for pedestrians

Safety tips to avoid car-pedestrian accidents

Pedestrian safety in school zones

Continue reading "Pedestrian safety on Halloween" »

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children remain in rear-facing child seats at least until two years of age. This is a change to their previous recommendation of 1-year-old or 20 pounds.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has even broadened that recommendation and they say that children should ride in rear-facing seats as long as possible.

Why are rear-facing child seats safer?

The reason that rear-facing child seats are safer is that, in a car accident, they provide more support of a child's neck, head and spine.

Even with these recommendations, it is not easy for parents to keep their child in a rear-facing seat. Many rear-facing seats are only designed to 20 pounds and a 2-year-old can often weight 40 pounds or more. Or, a child who is tall but is skinny, may outgrow a seat long before they reach the weight that the seat is rated for. Therefore, parents may be required to purchase more than one car seat while their child is young.

Purchasing a child safety seat is often a confusing problem for many parents. A child must fit the seat and the seat must fit the car. This sounds like an easy objective to achieve, but it can be more difficult than one might thing.

One federal study found that, in up to 73% of the cases, child seats were not even installed in cars properly.

Parents are encouraged to consult Consumer Reports for information on child seat protection, ease of use and fit in various motor vehicles.

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.

Related Posts:

Car booster seat ratings just released

Winter coats and child car seats may not be a safe combination

NHTSA holds forum on child car seat safety

Continue reading "How long should a child be in a rear-facing seat?" »

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

Related Posts:

New car feature drivers most want? Blind spot detection

Construction worker killed when dump truck backs over him

Tips to avoid driveway back over accidents

Continue reading "New law requires crossover mirrors on trucks in New York city" »

We saw an article posted on Transportation for America, an organization that campaigns for pedestrian safety, about a mother who was charged and found guilty of vehicular homicide after her young son was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver.

How could this happen? Raquel Nelson, of Atlanta, was crossing the street with her children after stepping off of a bus at a bus stop located directly across from her apartment complex. Nelson and other people who lived at her apartment complex routinely crossed the road there to get home because the nearest crosswalk was a half mile away.

Nelson's youngest son was struck and killed by a driver who than drove off. Nelson was charged and convicted because she had failed to walk the half mile in the dark to go to the nearest traffic signal. The jury convicted her of vehicular homicide and a judge sentenced her to probation and community service.

A charge of vehicular homicide is generally reserved for a person who is driving recklessly or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs so it was quite a surprise that the Cobb County prosecutor decided to charge a grieving mother with a serious crime when she didn't even own a car.

Transportation for America has started a campaign to get Nelson's conviction overturned. We'll quote them here:

What about the highway designers, traffic engineers, transit planners and land use regulators who allowed a bus stop to be placed so far from a signal and made no other provision for a safe crossing; who allowed – even encouraged, with wide, straight lanes – prevailing speeds of 50-plus on a road flanked by houses and apartments; who carved a fifth lane out of a wider median that could have provided more of a safe refuge for pedestrians; who designed the entire landscape to be hostile to people trying to get to work and groceries despite having no access to a car?

This article certainly makes one think about the plight of the approximately 4,000+ people killed in pedestrian accidents every year. Of those killed in pedestrian accidents, the old and the young are the most common victims because these are the citizens who walk. The elderly, age 70 and over, are the most at risk for being killed in a pedestrian accident with the rate of pedestrian accident death approximately 62% higher for people 70 and older than for people under the age of 70.

For more information about Transportation America's campaign on Nelson's behalf, click here, "Demand full pardon for Raquel Nelson".

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 the family of those killed.

Related Posts:

Pedestrian injured, dog killed in Gresham, OR drunk driving accident

Pedestrian critically injured in accident on Aurora Avenue in Seattle

Pedestrian accidents, a concern for the elderly

Continue reading "Shocking story: pedestrian convicted of vehicular homicide even though her son was killed by hit-and-run driver" »

The Spokesman-Review reports that Eileen C. Jensen was not criminally negligent in the death of her daughter who was fatally injured in a Spokane car accident. Vehicular homicide charges were brought against Jensen because her baby's car seat was improperly installed.

The car accident occurred on a Spokane street when Jensen rear-ended another vehicle. The airbags in Jensen's Honda deployed and caused a brain injury to her daughter, Chloe Jensen, who died 11 months later.

Vehicular Homicide, RCW 46.61.520, can be charged if a person is killed in a motor vehicle accident and the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, was driving recklessly or driving with reckless disregard to the safety of others.

Witnesses described Jensen's driving prior to the accident as "aggressive" and "reckless."

Jensen's public defender successfully argued that Jensen's lapse was not criminally negligent.
Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen concurred and charges were dismissed.

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 Seattle and Bellevue car accidents and the family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

Related Posts:

Spokane court charges mother with vehicular homicide in baby's car seat death

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NHTSA holds forum on child car seat safety

Continue reading "Post Falls mother found not criminally negligent in car accident death in which daughter's car seat was not properly fastened" »

The number one cause of death to young children is motor vehicle accidents. In fact the statistic is chilling: five American children are killed every day in a car accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NHTSB) held a forum this week to provide recommendations on child car seat safety.

Studies have shown that small children in rear-facing car seats are five times safer than children in forward-facing car seats yet parents are not getting this message. In addition, poorly designed car seats, improper installation and poor seat fit can effect how well a car seat protects in a car accident.

In other countries like Sweden, children remain in rear-facing car seats until they are 4-years-old.

Car Safety for Children:

• All children under the age of 13 should ride in the rear seat.
• Car seats should be placed in the center of the rear seat.
  
• Infants should be in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the age of 1 or weight at least 20 pounds. Though this is a minimum requirement, studies suggest children should be in a rear-facing seat as long as possible.
  
• Children should remain in forward-facing car seats until they are at least 4 years of age and are at least 50 pounds.
  
• Children between the ages of 4 to 8 should be placed in booster seats.
  
• After children are 8 years old and at least 4 feet 9 inches tall, they should remain in the rear seat and be required to always wear seat belts.

For great information on car seats and booster seats, see The Car Seat Lady web-site.

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 Seattle Motor Vehicle Accidents and the family of those killed.

Related Posts:

Car booster seat ratings just released

New car accident study affirms what we all know, "Child safety seats up to the age of 8 reduces risk of incapacitating injury"

Child booster seats are proven to save lives and reduce injuries

Correct position of child safety seats reduces car accident injury by 43 percent

Continue reading "NHTSA holds forum on child car seat safety" »

The journal Pediatrics just released a new study which compared the car accident injury rate among New York children before and after car booster seats were mandated for children between the ages of 4 and 7.

A child booster seat law went into effect in New York State in March of 2005. The study showed that the rate of car accident injuries in the 4 to 6 year old age group dropped by 18% after the booster seat law went into effect. Before the law went into effect, only 29% of 4-6 year old children were strapped into booster seats. After the law went into effect, usage went up to 50%.

Booster seats were designed for children who have outgrown traditional car seats but need to be raised in a position so that lap and shoulder belts correctly fit across the shoulder and hips.

In Washington state, a Child Restraint Law went to effect on June 1, 2007. The Washington state law requires children under the age of 8 years old to be in a booster seat unless the child is four feet nine inches or taller. The fine for improperly securing a child starts at $112.

Improper seat belt fit without a booster seat

Proper car seats are crucial for car safety. Last week, three children ages 2, 5, and 7 were injured --, one critically -- in a Mount Vernon car accident. None of the children were properly secured in child safety seats. on the same day, a 5-year-old child was critically injured after being ejected from a vehicle in Toppenish rollrover car accident; in this case as well, the child was not properly restrained.

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. 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.

Every year on average there are approximately 37 deaths due to children being left in hot cars. This year, there have already been 18 fatalities from hyperthermia or heat stroke. This number is higher than previous years and we are not even into July which historically has the highest numbers of deaths.

Some of the hotter states have had multiple child fatalities so far this year. There have been six child deaths in Texas, two in Tennessee and two in Missouri.

Inside temperatures in motor vehicles can easily rise to 140 degrees or more in a short time.

Some hyperthermia deaths have been caused when parent inadvertently leave their small child strapped into a rear child seat. Other deaths have been caused when children climb into a vehicle to play and get locked in.

Safety Tips

• Never leave child in an unattended vehicle
• Never allow kids to play in or around cars and trucks,
• Lock your vehicle so children can not climb inside.

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. 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.

Summer is supposed to be fun for kids but summer is the time when emergency rooms see more accidental deaths in children including drowning, heat related injuries and sun burns.

The following are some things to think about in the summer to avoid tragic accidents:

Swimming Pool Accidents - Many people think that pool parties are safe because there are many adults around. The truth of the matter is that adults can be very preoccupied at parties. At parties, a safety monitor should be designated who's job is to be "life guard" at the pool. Another safety measure is to move excess pool toys and inflatables out of the water so that they do not block the view.

Floaties and life vests in swimming pools -- These devices often give a false sense of security and can slip off or not keep a child's head out of the water. Adult supervision is still required.

Drowning -- A child can drown is a matter of a minute or two. Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death in children between 1 and 14.

Sunburns - Many people have the misconception that you cannot get a burn on a cloudy day. However, on on cloudy days UV exposure can be very harmful and sunscreen, hats and protective clothing should be used.

Heat stroke -- heat stroke and exhaustion can happen early in the season before the high temperatures of mid-July and August because many people haven't become acclimatized to the temperature.

Car Temperature - The inside temperature of a car can quickly rise to more than 170 when the outside temperature is between 80 to 100 degrees. Children can suffer brain damage or heat stroke at these high temperatures so never leave a child in a car alone.

Children left in cars -- Every year, between 15 and 25 children are accidentally left in the back seat of their parents or caregivers cars and die due to heat. We did not see these types of accidents before child seats were moved to the back. Visual clues or seat monitors should be used to avoid this type of tragic accident.

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

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.

One of the most tragic pedestrian accidents are driveway back over accidents in which a family member, friend, or neighbor accidentally backs over and seriously injures or perhaps kills a child. In 2007, there were approximately 2,000 children injured when a car or truck backed over a child and almost 100 deaths. Every year, the numbers are very similar.

Some vehicles come equipped with object detection devices but even with sensory systems like rear view cameras, half of drivers still hit objects behind them. One of the reasons is that each vehicle has blind spots or zones in which drivers do not have clear vision. Minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks have the largest blind spots. Blind spots can also exist in the front of cars and children can be hit and run over when a vehicle pulls forward into a driveway.

Tips to prevent a back over accident:

• walk completely around your vehicle every time you drive
  
• make sure children are in the house and haven't run outside to say "bye"
  
• teach children to never play around vehicles
  
• be especially careful at hectic times such as family parties, holidays
  
• be extra careful on days when the weather is considered "nice" when neighborhood children are out roller skating, playing and riding their bicycles

Click here for a free brochure with safety tips by the National Safety Council.

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 pedestrian 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.

This is not a pleasant post but it is one that must be written because it is important that parents, caregivers and motorists be aware that one of the deadliest types of car/pedestrian accidents occur in driveways. Today, we entered the term "driveway accident" into a Google news search and found the following news stories:

• Wenatchee World. April 14: A 17 month old boy suffered cuts, scrapes, and bruises when he was hit by the undercarriage of a vehicle that was backing out of a driveway.
  
• The Olympian: April 14: A 3-year-old girl, Saniah Marcus, died after an accident in which her mother's 25-year-old fiancé pulled out of the driveway and ran over and killed the girls while she was riding her tricycle in University Place.
  
• KMOX News, April 12: A 6-year-old Pontoon Beach girls, Lyvia Roach, was killed after she was run over in a driveway near her home.
  
• Journal Courier: April 14, 2010: A woman apparently ran over her 2-year-old son in the driveway of the family's West Center Street home.
  
• Standard-Examiner: April 9, 2010. No charges expected in Roy fatal driveway accident against a mother who accidentally ran over her 4-year-old son, Tyler Foote, in the driveway of their Roy home.
  

With results like these, it seems like driveway-related motor vehicle injuries to children is an epidemic. Driveway accidents are likely to cause traumatic head injuries and have a 10 times increase in death as compared to other pediatric accidents. Every year, more than 100 children are killed and thousands are injured when a car or SUV backs over them.

Education and public awareness is the key to protecting young and vulnerable children from devastating accidents. Always ensure adult supervision or children when backing your vehicle. If you need to move a vehicle, even only a short distance, place the child inside the vehicle while you move it. Adequate fencing and door locks can also keep children away from driveways.

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 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 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.

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.

The National Safety Council mission is "to educate and influence people to prevent accidental injury and death." To that end, they want to let parents, caregivers, and motorists that often the most deadliest car/pedestrian accidents occur in one's own driveway.

Every year, more than 100 children are killed and thousands more are injured when a car backs over them, often in their own driveway. The NSC cautions drivers to walk around their car before backing out and making sure drivers know where children and pets are before backing out.

Now that the temperature is getting warmer in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma metropolitan area, parents, grandparents and caregivers are reminded to not leave a child unattended in a car. In 70º weather, the temperature in a car can rise much higher than that in a short period of time and small children and pets are susceptible to heatstroke which can result in a serious injury including brain injury and even death.

Several times a year, one will read a heart wrenching story about a harried parent forgetting their child and leaving them in the car while they go to work. Some times a change of routine, a harried morning or some other cause will cause the parent to have a lapse and forget their child. The consequences are devastating. The NSC suggests to parents that they do something to remind themselves that a child is in the back seat. For example, a woman could leave her purse in the back seat or a stuffed toy or some other reminder can be placed in the front seat as a reminder.

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

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

We came across a book that might be worthwhile reading to parents of teenagers who are embarking on their driving career. Entitled, Licensed to Drive! Using the Power of Story to Instill Wisdom and Safety in the Next Generation of Drivers by Lynn Bieber, MS MFT, the book teaches teen drivers by telling stories.

Car accident statistics are very worrying to most parents: In a given year, more than 4,000 teenage drivers are killed in car accidents and even more will have their lives altered because of serious injuries and disabilities such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and severe facial cuts and fractures.

The premise of this book is that teenagers can relate to a story better than a lecture. Written by a licensed Marriage Family Therapist the author raised four children and her youngest son was killed in a car accident. She writes from her wisdom and experience.

If you have a teenage driver, you might want to purchase this book. Click here for more information.

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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 car accidents and the families of those killed.

To discuss your case, contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

An Auburn teenage may have his car keys taken away after he received two separate tickets by two separate officers at one traffic stop in Auburn reports the Washington State Patrol (WSP).

According to the report, a WSP airplane spotted the vehicle the youth was driving, a Mazda RX7, speeding on westbound SR-18 near Auburn. A call to a trooper went out and before the trooper caught up with the vehicle, an Auburn Police Department motorcycle officer had stopped the Mazda for speeding in a school zone.
The WSP trooper issued the teenager a citation for Negligent Driving 2nd degree infraction for speeding on SR-18 and on the off-ramp to 304th street. The Auburn police officer issued the teen a citation for speeding at 31mph in a 20mph posted school zone.

The teenager was driving on a an intermediate driver's license. In Washington State, teenagers are issued intermediate license which states if you commit 3 driving violations your license will be suspended until age 18. The teen already had a violation so he will probably lose his license.

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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. With out help, you may recover compensation for your injury including pain and suffering.

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.

The Bellevue city council has approved a pilot program to install traffic cameras around designated elementary schools and intersections where there has been a problem with speeding and running red lights. The presence of cameras should reduce car accident rates and improve pedestrian safety around school.

Speed cameras will be installed near the following elementary schools:

• Stevenson
  
• Lake Hills
  
• Sunset

Red light cameras will be installed on the following streets:

• Northeast 8th
  
• Bel-Red Road
  
• 148th Ave NE

Police Chief Linda Pillo said:

"The effort is expected to improve traffic safety in the affected areas, while reducing risk to our officers. With only minimal impact to our budget, the red-light cameras should provide efficient enforcement and help us continue to protect our community's children."

Statistics will be gathered from these cameras and the data will be reviewed by the city council every six months according to King5.com.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have serious injuries due to car accidents. We have more than 30 years experience in the greater Bellevue and Seattle metro areas and offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

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

If you have a teenage driver, you might want to read U.S. News & World Reports ranking of The 5 Most Dangerous Cars for Teens. Using crash test results by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and by looking at what automotive experts have written about today's popular cars, US News created a short list of cars that they would not recommend parents purchase for young drivers.

Every year between 5,000 and 6,000 teenage drivers are killed in automobile accidents. In fact, car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers. Given those statistics, it's great to have the U.S. News report. What I like about their report is that they provide an alternative to each car they pan that is safer but still delivers the same cachet for the teen driver.

List of Dangerous Cars for Teenagers:

• Smart Fortwo --has poor safety data, especially in side crashes. A safer alternative is the Mini Cooper.
  
• Volkswagen New Beetle -- has blind spots and poor side impact crash results. A safer alternative is the VW Rabbit.
  
• Mitsubishi Eclipse -- looks sporty but it has poor visibility and blind spots. A safer alternative is the Scion tC.
  
• Jeep Wrangler -- has marginal scores in side impact crashes and performs mediocre in rollover tests. A safer alternative is the Honda CR-V.
  
• Chevrolet Aveo -- has mixed crash test results and also does not provide safety equipment like side curtain airbags and anti-lock brakes. A safer alternative is the Suzuki SX4.

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 loved ones of those killed in car accidents.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or e-mail attorney@hgfarber.com to discuss your case. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue for your convenience.

Police have determined that an 11-month-old infant that was thrown from a vehicle in a Federal Way roll over crash was in a car seat that was not properly installed reports King5TV.com. Read more about the accident here.

The infant, a little boy, suffered critical head injuries and the driver, a 30-year-old man, had to be extricated from the Mercury Sable which rolled several times after the driver lost control at Southwest 356th Street. Both the baby and the man are being treated at Harborview Medical Center but their conditions have not been released.

This accident illustrates the importance of proper installation of infant and toddler seats to insure a child's safety. Inspection stations are available to verify that an infant seat or booster seat is properly installed. In Bellevue, AAA Washington performs the inspections. In Seattle, Children's Hospital, Carter Motors, Odessa Brown Children's Clinic , The Car Seat Lady, and Swedish Medical Center perform the inspections. You can also check with The National Highway and Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) "Child Safety Seat Inspection Station Locator" for a list of other inspection stations near you.

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 car accidents. With more than 30 years experience in representing accident victims in the greater Seattle area, we will work to insure your rights are protected.

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

A small baby -- 5-month-old Kellan McCarty of Georgia -- died after a single car crash on Wednesday morning. Trooper 1st Class Josh Taylor with the Georgia State Patrol said that preliminary investigation of the accident showed that the baby's child seat was improperly installed, according to the Florida Times-Union.

The motor vehicle accident occurred when the infant's cousin, who was driving a sport utility vehicle, lost control of the vehicle. She over-corrected and hit a ditch and ran into a tree.

This tragic accident is a sober reminder to parents in Washington State that proper installation of car seats for both infants and small children is absolutely necessary to prevent injuries and deaths. According to studies, parents are more apt to incorrectly install an infant seat than a booster seat for small children.

See the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia web-site for instruction and videos which demonstrate the proper positioning and installation of child car or booster seats.

Inspection stations are available to verify that an infant seat or booster seat is properly installed. In Bellevue, AAA Washington performs the checks. In Seattle, Children's Hospital, Carter Motors, Odessa Brown Children's Clinic , The Car Seat Lady, and Swedish Medical Center perform the inspections. You can also check with The National Highway and Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) for a list of other inspection stations near you.

This information has been 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 a car accident, motorcycle accident, trucking accident or bicycle accident through no fault of their own.

Contact The Farber Law Group today for a free case evaluation. With the help of The Farber law Group we may be able to help you recover compensation for your damages.