Seattle Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A new report from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries entitled Preventing Injuries in the Trucking Industry provides insight and statistics on accidents and injuries in the trucking industry.

According to the report, injuries and fatalities in the trucking industry are more than all other industries combined. The four most common and costly injuries include:

• Upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders
• Falls
• Motor vehicle collisions
• Struck by or against an object

During the period of the report, from 1998-2005, there were 63 trucking fatalities in Washington State, accounting for 10% of work-related fatalities in Washington State. Nearly 80% of the fatalities were in the "general freight" category. Causes of the fatalities included highway accidents, being hit by another truck and tripping on a trailer hitch and falling against concrete.

Trucking is an absolutely vital industry and injuries to truck drivers account for 21,000 lost work time claims in the period of the report and almost 38,000 medical only claims.

SHARP -- Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention -- is looking for ways that accidents and injuries can be prevented. These include:

• Insuring all equipment is in proper working order and new vehicles designed for worker safety.
  
• Insuring that vehicles are designed so that employees can climb in and out safely.
  
• Replacing straps before they break -- making sure loads are secure
  
• Providing ladders and stairs to cabs and trailers
  
• Requiring proper footwear
  
• Training employees on using equipment and proper securing methods for loads
  
• Training drivers in defensive driving

This information was brought to you by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a trucking or construction accident, you should contact a law firm that has experience in representing trucking accident victims and their families to insure your rights are protected. The Farber Law Group has more than 30 years experience in Western Washington including Everett, Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Bellingham, Tukwila and Kent. We also partner with other attorneys throughout the Northwest including Alaska, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation. With our help, you may recover compensation for your injuries, including pain and suffering and lost wages.

Posted by The Farber Law Group | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Construction Accident , Motor Vehicle Accidents , Trucking Accidents

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Ray De Lorenzi writing for the American Associate for Justice reports that "Allstate ranks as the worst insurer for consumers" with their tactics of "Deny, Delay, Defend." The Association for Justice did an extensive review of legal documents and financial filings and ranked the 10 companies that "refuse to pay just claims, employ hardball tactics against policyholders, reward executives with extravagant salaries and raise premiums while hoarding excessive profits."

The Association says that Allstate has an aggressive strategy of denying claims at any cost. According to the Association, agents were rewarded with items like refrigerators for falsifying documents like claiming that a fire was arson.

To view the Association's report "The Ten Worst Insurance Companies in America -- How they Raise Premiums, Deny Claims and Refuse Insurance to Those Who Need It" -- click here. The reports lists the following companies as the 10 worst:

1. Allstate - for having an aggressive strategy to deny claims
   
2. Unum - for claiming a multiple sclerosis patients symptoms were "self-reported"
   
3. AIG - for engaging in fraud
   
4. State Farm - for its deny and delay tactics
   
5. Conesco - for making claims processing so difficult that elderly patients either died or gave up
   
6. WellPoint - for canceling the policies of pregnant women
   
7. Farmers - for offering the staff incentives for having low claims
   
8. UnitedHealth - for delaying claims and reimbursing low.
   
9. Torchmark - for preying on low-income and minority policy holders.
   
10. Liberty Mutual - for adopting aggressive tactics and refusing to renew policies.

After you read this full report, you'll realize that having a skilled personal injury attorney is vital when you have been involved in serious accident, been a victim of malpractice or lost a family member because of the negligence of another person.

When looking for a skilled personal injury attorney, we hope you'll talk to us. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience in representing people with serious injuries and families with wrongful death claim. We will work for you on a contingent fee basis, that means that you do not pay any attorney's fees unless we collect a settlement The major insurance companies use computerized claims adjusting and it helps them offer low and unreasonable settlements. With the help of the professional injury attorneys at our firm, we will be proactive on your behalf.

Read some of our tips on how to deal with insurance companies:

• When should I hire a lawyer?
  
• Should I talk to a claims adjuster?
  
• How much treatment should I get?
  
• How do I negotiate workers' compensation along with my negligence claim?
  
• What is computerized Claims Adjusting?

Posted by The Farber Law Group | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Bicycle Accidents , Boating Accidents , Car Accidents , Construction Accident , Motor Vehicle Accidents

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The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that a tow truck driver was killed by a flatbed truck when it rolled over him when he was preparing it to be towed in the 4400 block of 26th Avenue West of Magnolia. The King County Medical Examiner's Office identified the driver as Shawn Cary McKinney age 44.

Seattle Police Department spokesman Mark Jamieson says that Lincoln Towing, McKinney's employer, had been contracted to tow the truck because of a car theft investigation. McKinney had called his dispatch asking that a larger truck be sent out to tow the flatbed truck. The second tow truck driver discovered McKinney crushed to death.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

This information was brought to you by the Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who are seriously injured or killed as a result of construction or workplace accidents. Contact us today for a free case consultation.

Posted by The Farber Law Group | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Construction Accident , Motor Vehicle Accidents , Trucking Accidents

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The Washington Department of Labor and Industries and the Washington State Patrol is investigating the death of a construction worker who was hit and killed by a construction vehicle while working on a Highway 304 in Bremerton, Washington. The Kitsap Sun reported that Ricky C. Schaff was hit and killed by a Ford water tank trunk when it was backing up. Washington State Patrol Lt. Ken Noland said the backup alarm was sounding at the time.

Both Schaaf and the 26-year-old driver of the water tank truck were employees of Ceccanti Inc., the contractor on the project. Bremerton Mary Cary Bozeman called the accident a "tragedy."

State troopers said that the driver of the truck voluntarily submitted to a blood test but it did not seem that he was impaired at the time of the accident.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, in 2006, 87 Washington State workers were killed on the job.


Workplace injuries and deaths involve worker's compensation. In addition, a worker's family may be entitled to compensation from 3rd parties if it is found that negligence on their part contributed to a death or serious injury. Click here for a useful list of Construction Accident Resources.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a construction accident, you should retain an attorney experienced in personal injury. At The Farber Law Group, our lawyers are familiar with worker's compensation laws and laws regarding 3rd parties. While money cannot fully compensate for a serious and debilitating injury or the loss of a loved one, compensation for medical expenses, lost earnings can help insure a stable future for you and your family. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

Posted by The Farber Law Group | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Car Accidents , Construction Accident , Motor Vehicle Accidents , Pedestrian Accidents

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