Seattle Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Waleligne A. Afele, a driver for Stita Taxi, has been charged with Vehicular Homicide due to the car accident death of David Doerr, 43, near SeaTac airport in November of 2009.

According to a report in the Seattle PI, Afele made an unsafe lane change on Interstate 5 when he realized he was missing the Route 518 airport exit. Afele started a chain reaction of events when attempted to cross several lane of traffic to make the Route 518 exit. Afele hit the Toyota Land Cruiser that Doerr was driving, causing it to roll on to its roof and it was hit by another vehicle.

Washington State vehicle code RCW 46.61.520 -- Vehicular Homicide -- provides that a driver can be charged with vehicular homicide if a person is killed in a car accident and a driver was driving without regard for the safety of others or driving recklessly. Investigators say there was no evidence that Afele was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the taxi accident.

Some people writing into the P-I blog feel that the taxi fare system is partially at fault. They say, taxi drivers charge per mile but they want to get in as many fares as possible during their driving time and many of them driver aggressively to do so.

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. When a loved one has been killed due to the negligence of another, their family may file a wrongful death suit on behalf of their deceased loved one.

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 passenger in a silver Lexus was mortally injured in the 5550 block of Rainier Avenue South early Saturday morning when the driver of the car he was riding in crossed the center line and hit another vehicle. The victim, a man, was taken to Harboview Medical Center in Seattle where he died of his injuries.

The driver of the Lexus and a person in the car he hit were both taken to Harborview Medical Center with injuries.

A witness said told police that he was following the Lexus after he was involved in a hit-and-run accident. He said the Lexus was speeding at the time of the car accident.

The driver of the Lexus could potentially be charged with Vehicular Homicide. RCW 46.61.520 provides that a person can be charged with Vehicular Homicide if a person dies as a result of negligent operation of a vehicle including driving recklessly, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs of driving without regard to the the safety of others.

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
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011338169_fatal13m.html?syndication=rss
Man killed early Saturday in two-car crash on Rainier Avenue South
March 13, 2010

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

A wrong-way driver, a female, has been jailed and is being investigated for Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, and driving under the influence after a car accident that killed two and injured two in Everett.

According to a report in The Everett Herald Net.com, the woman drove the wrong way on Broadway near Interstate 5 around 9:30pm and ran head-on into Nissan sports utility vehicle, killing the driver of the Nissan and a male passenger. Two other male passengers of the Nissan were seriously injured in the accident.

Vehicular Homicide, RCW 46.61.520, can be charged if a person dies in a car accident and the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Vehicular Assault, RCW 46.61.522, can be charged if a person is seriously injured by a drunken driver.

Every year, of the nearly 700 traffic fatalities in Washington state, approximately 45% are alcohol related.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car accident caused by a drunken driver or if a loved one has been killed, you should contact a personal injury attorney that specializes in representing drunken driving victims and their families. At The Farber Law Group, we aggressively represent victims and their families and will work to determine if a bar, restaurant or other establishment may be liable for over-serving. 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 Tacoma News Tribune reports that a 19-year-old man was critically injured in a single car roll-over accident on Vashon Island a little after midnight on Thursday.

According to the report, the car accident occurred as the man was driving north bound in the 24300 block of 75th Avenue. Apparently, he lost control of the his Ford Bronco and went off the roadway and rolled into a ditch.

The man was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment.

Police believe that alcohol and speed may have been factors in the car accident.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in 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 25-year-veteran with the Washington State Department of Corrections, Bruce Ramsey, was killed in a motorcycle accident when a car driven by a teenage girl allegedly pulled in front of him on Highway 2 in Sultan on February 17th.

According to a report written by Everett Herald Net writer, Andy Rathbun, the motorcycle accident occurred around 3:30pm at U.S. Route 2 and Rice Road.

The 16-year-old driver of a Honda sedan and her 17-year-old male passenger were not injured in the accident. An ongoing investigation will determine whether the teen driver will be cited and whether driver inattention may have been the cause.

Ramsey's death is the 53rd fatality on US 2 between Snohomish and Stevens Pass since 1999.

In 1997, the U.S. Safety 2 Coalition was formed to lobby for making the highway safer including creating a divided highway with barriers between the east and west lanes. Crossover accidents have been problematic on the highway with the last cross-over accident fatality occurring on July9th.

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 motorcycle accidents due to the negligence of another 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 Everett Herald-Net reports that Teresa Ort has been charged with felony hit-and-run driving in the pedestrian accident death of Paula Stierns. Stierns was walking on U.S. Route 2 near Sultan after a day of fishing with her husband when Teresa Ort struck her with her Suzuki Vitara on October 9 of 2009. Stierns died of brain and neck injuries.

Ort said that she did not realize that she had hit a person but thought she had hit garbage that had fallen from a truck. Ort admitted that she had been drinking before the accident.

Police investigator Al Baker, of the Snohomish County sheriff's office, tracked down Ort after finding pieces of a fender under Stiern's clothing and were able to track down Ort's car.

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 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.

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.

Matthew McDonald, 27 of Snohomish, pleaded guilty to four counts of vehicular homicide in the car accident death of former Kirkland Mayor Bill Woods' son and daughter-inlaw, Tom and Hilda Woods, and their friends, Brad and Melissa Agerup.

McDonald had a blood alcohol level of .123 after drinking beer for 12 hours when he hit car carrying the Woods and the Agerups. Both couples were killed in the car accident and McDonald initially fled.

A sentencing hearing will be held March 6 and the prosecutor will ask for a 6 1/2 year sentence reports The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Vehicular Homicide can be charged if a person is killed in a car accident and a driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

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.

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.

Two young brothers have died of injuries sustained in a Saturday night car accident along the Bay Street curve in Tacoma. The Bay Street curve is an area where Tacoma police have installed speed cameras in order to slow down traffic. Jordan Davis age 11 died a short time after the car accident and his brother, Jared Davis, age 8, died Sunday evening after he underwent surgery for his injuries.

According to a report written by Stacey Mulick in Tacoma's The News Tribune, the car accident occurred around 10:35 after the mother, a 41-year-old Bonney Lake woman, and her two sons left the Monster Truck Show held at the Tacoma Dome. The woman lost control of the car along the curve and went over the concrete lane divider and into oncoming traffic. Her car was hit by a small SUV on the passenger side.

The Tacoma Police department is investigating the mother for Vehicular Homicide as they believe alcohol and speed may have contributed to the accident. Vehicular Homicide can be charged if a person is killed in a car accident and the driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs or driving with reckless disregard to the safety of others.

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.

The Washington State Patrol, in a media release, reports that while they arrested 257 motorists for driving under the influence (DUI) over New Year's weekend and there were 33 alcohol-involved motor vehicle accidents, no one was killed.
Last year, there were five car accident fatalities in Washington state related to drunk driving and 291 DUI arrests over the New Year's weekend..

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. We aggressively represent the victims of drunken 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.

On October 27th, Timsina Narmada was killed as she attempted to cross the Benson Highway in Kent. On December 17, Maximiliano Diaz-Salazar was killed as he attempted to cross the same highway. In both pedestrian accidents, the Washington State patrol determined that the pedestrians were not crossing the highway lawfully.

The Washington State Patrol reminds pedestrians to be safe and be sure to use crosswalks and pedestrian crossing when crossing a roadway.

Washington State Vehicle Code, RCW 46.61.240, states that pedestrians must yield the roadway when crossing a road that does not have a marked crosswalk.

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 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 a couple, John and Carol Munkberg, killed by a drunken driver have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the owners of two saloons that served alcohol to the drunk driver that killed them. The lawsuit is against Doug and Denny Freier who own two Big Horn County Wyoming saloons reports the Trib.com.

John and Carol Munkberg were killed in a car accident in January of 2008 caused by Randall LaBrie whose blood alcohol content at the time of the accident was 0.16%, two times the legal limit. LaBrie and his two passengers were also killed in the car accident.

The Munkberg family is represented by Pat Crank , the former Wyoming state attorney general. In seeking compensation from the bar owners, the lawsuit tests a 2002 Wyoming Supreme Court decision which limits a bar owner's liability when they serve an obviously drunk person.

Many states have a "Dram Shop Act" which can hold a liquor seller liable for any damages caused by an intoxicated person if they sell or serve alcohol to a person under the legal age or to an obviously intoxicated person. A dram shop includes bars, restaurants, hotels and night clubs.

The lawyers at The Farber Law Group have successfully navigated complex Dram Shop litigation to provided compensation needed for victims who suffered catastrophic and serious injuries and for families whose loved ones were killed. Our investigators determine whether a business continued to serve an intoxicated person.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent victims of drunken drivers 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.

The Seattle Times reports that four people were killed in a two-car accident on Sunday northeast of Marysville when a suspected drunken driver ran a stop sign.

The car accident occurred near the intersection of 108th Street Northeast and Highway 9. All four of the victims were traveling south on Highway 9 in a Hyundai when their car was hit by a Ford Explorer. Two of the victims reportedly died instantly.

The driver of the Explorer at first fled the accident scene but a woman living in the neighborhood persuaded him to return to the scene. He was transported to Providence Everett Regional medical center with minor injuries. He most likely will be charged with vehicular homicide if it turns out that he was driving under the influence at the time of the accident. His male passenger was treated for minor injuries.

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 speeding SUV carrying up to eight people ran a stop light, hit another car and then flipped, falling onto a third car in the Midland area about 8 miles south of Tacoma on Wednesday night. One person in the SUV was killed and two other people were injured in the multi-car accident. Several people riding in the SUV fled on foot after the accident including the SUVs driver and they are being sought by Pierce County sheriff's deputies.

According to a report on KOMO News.com, the accident occurred on 97th Street East and Portland Avenue East around 9pm. The Sheriff's office believes that the SUV was speeding at the time of the accident and failed to stop for the red light.

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 due to the negligence of another. Contact us and we will work to help you obtain 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.

Two young men in their twenties were killed and two other young men are in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after their car hit a tree in Lynnwood.

According to a report in the Everett HeraldNet.com, the single-car accident occurred around 2am at the intersection of 176th Street SW and North Road. Two men were killed in the accident and one had to be extricated from the car wreckage.

In their preliminary investigation, excessive speed appears to be the cause of the accident. The car was estimated to be traveling between 70 and 80 mph in a 35mph posted zone. The driver apparently failed to negotiate a turn that was marked 25 mph.

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.

Seattle was just listed as number 5 on the list of safest cities for pedestrians to walk or bike. In a report released yesterday by Transportation for America and Surface Transportation Policy Partnership -- two advocates for "complete streets" -- the best and worst walking cities was provided. Complete streets are those that include separate areas for walking of biking and streets that are clearly marked for other transportation forms.

According to Transportation for America, 76,000 Americans were killed in pedestrian accidents in the past 15 years. In the last 10 years, 3,906 children under the age of 16 were killed. Children and the elderly are more apt to be severely or injured in pedestrian accidents. Washington state has lower rates of fatal pedestrian accidents than the U.S. average; In Washington, 1.03 pedestrians are killed per 100K people while the U.S. average is 1.26.

In a study that looked at 52 different metro areas with more than a million residents, Seattle was ranked in the top five safest for pedestrians. The research studies include the number of people who walk to work, amount of sidewalks, size of city blocks, and the number of deaths.

Worst 5 cities for walking or biking:

1. Orlando-Kissimmee
   
2. Tampa-St. Petersburg
   
3. Miami-Fort Lauderdale
   
4. Jacksonville
   
5. Memphis

Best 5 cities for walking or biking:

1. Minneapolis
   
2. Boston
   
3. New York
   
4. Pittsburg
   
5. Seattle

Transportation for America believes that cities should promote walking and bicycling and that the cause of many "accidents" is poor roadway planning. They believe that sidewalks and bike paths and other transportation infrastructure should be designed with walking and biking in mind and geared towards older people as well.

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 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.

Police have arrested a Sultan woman in the hit-and-run pedestrian accident of Paula Stierns who was killed as she walked across the 311 Avenue SE bridge south of U.S. Route 2 in Sultan in early October.

According to a report on King5.com, police did a lot of detective work to find the person responsible for Stiern's death. Police handed out flyers, obtained tips from citizens and researched possible cars based on a broken piece of plastic they found under Stierns body.

Police have not identified the woman they have in custody. One report said that she is 46 years old and that she claimed she thought she hit garbage. She was apparently afraid to come forward after she learned she had killed someone.

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.

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 Everett police officer has been charged with first degree manslaughter in the killing of Niles Meservey, 51, who was shot seven times in a restaurant parking lot in Everett. Officer Troy Meade, 41, who is an 11 year veteran was not justified in using deadly force says Snohomish County Deputy Prosecutor Mark Roe.

Meservey was killed on June 10 while he was in his Chevrolet Corvette that was boxed in by several police vehicles. Mersevery's car was idling but not in gear when he was shot. Police had been called to the Chuckwagon Inn in North Everett by someone reporting a drunk customer trying to drive.

A wrongful death suit has also been filed against the city of Everett by Meservey's daughter, Tanda Louden.

See the Everett Herald Net for a fine and detailed accounting by Herald Writers Jackson Holtz and Diana Hefley of the shooting and its aftermath.

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 in their wrongful death claims. Washington state has a wrongful death statute that allows the family of a person who has died due to the negligence or the wrongful act of another to recover damages in a civil action. Wrongful death claims can arise from car accidents, medical negligence, product liability, criminal attacks and supervised activities like school sports.

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.