A 25-year-old man died in a Washington auto accident after he drove the wrong way on Interstate 90 and crashed into a truck. According to a news report in the Snoqualmie Valley Record Reporter, the Bremerton man was driving a 2000 Jeep Cherokee east in the westbound lanes near milepost 28. The Jeep narrowly missed a Washington State Patrol trooper’s vehicle and crashed into a bakery truck. The Jeep driver died. His 25-year-old female passenger sustained serious injuries as did the driver of the truck. Both injured victims were transported to a Seattle hospital. Police believe that alcohol was a factor in this fatal car accident.
It is against the law in Washington State to drive under the influence of intoxicants such as alcohol or drugs. It is also illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, there were a total of 521 traffic accident fatalities in 2008. Out of those, 225 or 43 percent were alcohol-related collisions. Also, 182 of these DUI collisions (about 35 percent), involved a driver with a blood alcohol level of more than 0.08 percent.
In cases where someone has been struck by a drunk driver, the victim can file a claim against the driver’s insurance seeking compensation. Victims in such cases, can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, cost of hospitalization and other related damages. If the drunk driver who caused the accident dies in the crash, then a claim for compensation can be filed against the driver’s estate or his liability insurance. These can be complicated claims and are best handled by an experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer who has successfully represented injured car accident victims.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident as a result of someone else’s negligence, please contact the experienced Washington personal injury attorneys of The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE brochure, which has useful, educational information to help you better understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.
Source: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/svr/news/85102512.html