Articles Posted in Automobile Accidents

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Motorcycle accidents throughout the State of Washington have been known to occur for various reasons. Most collisions involving motorcycles have to do with the inattention or negligent driving on the part of a motorist other than the motorcyclist. Other accidents have been known to be caused by dangerous road conditions, inclement weather, or even a defective motorcycle part or auto part of another vehicle involved in an accident. Aside from these more obvious causes, incidents involving animals, such as deer in the road, are another unfortunate cause of vehicular accidents.

According to a kitsapsun.com article, a Port Orchard motorcyclist hit a deer recently while riding in Mason County. The motorcyclist and his rider suffered serious injuries after being thrown from the bike, which slid approximately 25 yards, after striking the deer. Apparently, alcohol was involved in the accident, and a Washington State Patrol report even mentions that the 55-year-old motorcyclist may face vehicular assault charges since his passenger was injured. The report did not mention any other cause contributing to the accident.
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Authorities say alcohol was a factor in a Washington car accident involving four vehicles, which sent one person to a Seattle hospital. According to a news report in the Columbia Basin Herald, a 23-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of vehicular assault and DUI. The driver was apparently driving at a high rate of speed and lost control of his car, causing a chain reaction crash involving three other cars, which were legally parked on the street and thankfully, not occupied. The suspected drunk driver sustained head injuries. His passenger suffered facial injuries and was also transported to the hospital. The suspected drunk driver reportedly did not have car insurance.

Drunk driving is a serious crime in the state of Washington. It is against Washington law (Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.502) to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs or drive a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher. When a drunk driver injures or kills individuals other than himself, he could not only face criminal charges, but may also be held civilly liable for his wrongdoing.
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The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled in an auto products liability case against Hyundai Motor Co. that the auto maker withheld evidence in a lawsuit over flawed seat design and should pay $8 million to a man who was rendered paraplegic in a car accident as a result of that auto product defect. According to a Bloomberg news report, the state’s high court reversed an appellate court ruling and reinstated a trial court’s judgment. The Olympia, Washington court, in its 7-2 ruling stated that the Korean auto maker tried to undermine the discovery of evidence in the 9-year-old case.

One of the Supreme Court justices said he hoped the ruling in addition to appropriately compensating the victim will also send a strong message to Hyundai and other corporations, deterring them from involving themselves in such “deliberate and willful discovery abuse.” The victim in this case sued Hyundai in 2000, three years after he was injured as a passenger in a Hyundai hatchback that went off the road. The victim was ejected from the rear window and claimed that his injuries were partly caused by design flaws in the seat, which collapsed during the crash. In 2006, the trial court found that Hyundai officials had falsely responded to the victim’s request for internal documents and police reports relating to previous accidents. The court found that this impeded the victim’s preparation for trial and undermined this important evidence.
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A 20-year-old Grandview, Washington, woman was killed after a drunk driver going the wrong way struck her vehicle head-on on the Interstate 82, the Tri-City Herald reports. The 49-year-old man was charged with vehicular homicide. Prosecutors say the man had been drinking beer before he got behind the wheel of his truck and drove the wrong way on the Interstate 82 slamming into a 2007 Chrysler 300 driven by the young victim. The wrong-way driver apparently had bloodshot and watery eyes and emitted a strong odor of alcohol. His speech was slurred and he admitted to drinking beer, Washington State Patrol officials said.

In Washington State, it is illegal to get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is also against the law to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher. If a DUI accident results in the death of an individual other than the drunk driver, the person will face vehicular manslaughter or vehicular homicide. Conviction on these charges could mean a lengthy prison time.
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A Washington car accident killed a 25-year-old man and injured five of his passengers including a toddler, The Kitsap Sun reports. Washington State Patrol officials said that the 1993 Dodge four-door was heading south on Highway 3 when it collided with a 2002 Toyota pickup truck heading north. According to officials, it was the driver of the Dodge who failed to yield right-of-way to the other vehicle. The driver of the Dodge was pronounced dead at the scene. Five passengers were taken to a Seattle hospital in serious condition. The driver of the Toyota pickup truck was apparently not injured.

A number of car accidents in Seattle and elsewhere in Washington occur as a result of drivers failing to yield the right-of-way at intersections. That’s exactly what happened in this car accident. The driver, whom officials say failed to yield the right-of-way, was killed, and all of his passengers were seriously injured. I hope that these injured victims recover from their injuries.
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A Washington car accident involving a Valley Transit bus injured at least three people, the Union-Bulletin reports. The collision apparently occurred at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and Main Street in Walla Walla, Washington. There was not much information as to what caused the car accident. A city ambulance transported a 28-year-old woman to a local hospital with injuries. A 20-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man were treated at the scene for unspecified injuries, as well.

In any case where a collision occurs at a street intersection, it usually means that one of the vehicles did not yield right-of-way to the other. One of the vehicles may have also run a red light slamming into the other. In such cases, where a negligent driver may have caused an accident, he or she could be held liable for the accident or injuries caused. If the negligent driver works for a public or private bus carrier, then the bus company or transit authority could also be liable for the victims’ injuries.
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A 43-year-old Seattle man has been killed in a rollover car accident involving several vehicles on the Interstate 5 just north of Highway 518, the News Tribune reports. The victim was apparently driving a 1996 black Toyota Land Cruiser heading south on the 5 Freeway when there was a crash between a white Ford Crown Victoria operated by a taxicab company and a Toyota Land Cruiser. After the impact, the Toyota rolled over and landed on its roof where it was struck by a 2000 Toyota Camry. The driver of the taxi and the Camry were not injured, but the driver of the Land Cruiser, who authorities say, was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead. The incident is still under investigation.

In cases that involve multiple vehicles and victims, it’s always a good idea to get legal representation, especially if you’ve suffered serious personal injury and damages. That’s because in these accidents, the investigation is bound to be complicated and will invariably involve insurance adjusters and attorneys for several other parties. There will be conflicting reports and accounts from those involved in the accident as well as eyewitnesses.
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A 22-year-old woman sustained critical injuries in a Washington pedestrian accident after a car hit her and left the scene. According to an article in the News Tribune, the young woman from Kent, Washington, was walking along the 2400 block of Benson Road when she was struck. Washington State Patrol troopers apparently found the woman in the northbound lanes of the roadway, 150 to 200 feet from where she was hit. The woman was transported to a Seattle hospital for treatment of critical injuries.

Pedestrian accidents can cause extremely critical injuries including traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, broken bones, coma or even death. In the United States, about 1,000 innocent pedestrians are injured every day by negligent drivers. According to the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), there were a total of 5,648 pedestrian accidents in the state in 2007. In those incidents, there were 208 fatalities and 867 serious injuries.
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As November begins, residents of the State of Washington must brush-up on new laws pertaining to hand-held cell phone use. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, November 2009 marks the beginning of the ban against hand-held cell phones.

Based on the announcement, the other six states participating in the new ban besides Washington include California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Oregon, New York, and Utah, as well as the District of Columbia. Considering that Utah has defined the offense of using a hand-held cell phone as careless driving, it leaves one to question why all the other states issuing the ban have not done the same. On the other hand, speaking on a cell phone while driving will not be considered an offense in Utah unless a motorist is also committing some other moving violation other than speeding.

Many residents of Washington are likely to support the ban against hand-held cell phone use. This support is likely considering that it should contribute to lowering incidents of auto collisions caused by these devices distracting a driver or preventing a motorist from having both hands on the wheel. However, while Washington has banned texting while driving for all drivers, it has not issued a ban on young/novice drivers from using cell phones while driving, nor has a ban been placed against bus drivers from using cell phones while transporting a large bus with many passengers in tow.
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A recent article reported that a 6-year-old boy from Hoquiam was hit by a car on Halloween night and suffered leg and head injuries. It was noted that his condition was considered satisfactory on the morning of November 2, 2009. Although, sadly, this young child was hurt, he is lucky that he did not suffer more catastrophic injuries, which is unfortunately what usually occurs when vulnerably exposed pedestrians are struck by automobiles.

Apparently, while the State Patrol collision report stated that the young boy “darted out between cars” while crossing the street, the man accompanying the boy for trick-or-treating claims that the child did not jump into the road amidst traffic. When there are conflicting stories in auto accident and pedestrian accident incidents, law enforcement often turns to witnesses, as was the case in this particular situation. Based on the interviews witnesses provided regarding this pedestrian accident, law enforcement is currently standing by the claim that the driver was not at fault.

Although this particular accident was determined to have been caused by pedestrian inattention, some form of driver inattention may have also played a contributing role considering that many pedestrian accidents in Washington are caused by negligent motorists.
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