Articles Posted in Kirk Bernard

American Chronicle recently published a new article by Kirk Bernard regarding 2009 dog bite statistics. This type of data helps spread awareness about the dangers of dog attacks, thus helping prevent such bites and injuries from taking place.

Recently, a Seattle Washington dog bite victims’ advocate group has released statistics about dog attacks for the year 2009. According to the report by Dogsbite.org, in 2009 there were 32 fatal dog attacks in the United States. Pit bulls apparently accounted for 44 percent of all the fatal attacks. And pit bulls make up only 5 percent of the U.S. dog population! In 2009 alone, pit bulls and rottweilers together accounted for 56 percent of all fatal dog attacks. During the five-year period from 2005 to 2009, the same breeds were responsible for 70 percent of all the recorded deaths.

To learn more about dog bite statistics for 2009 and how you can help prevent dog attacks from happening, please read the entire article here.

A recent American Chronicle article posted by Kirk Bernard addresses different types of spinal cord injuries and their potentially catastrophic consequences. The article begins by stating that injuries to the spinal cord can be some of the most traumatic and life changing of all, mainly because the spinal cord is responsible for so many of the body´s functions. This long cord is protected by the vertebrae of the spine, and is responsible for transporting messages from the brain to other parts of the body. The spinal cord plays a vital role in movement, senses, and even unconscious bodily functions like respiration and circulation. Therefore, it´s not at all surprising that an injury to any area of the spinal cord can have catastrophic effects.

To learn more about the repercussions of spinal cord injuries and how you can better protect yourself, please read the entire article.

A recently published article on Ezines addresses spinal cord injury causation and how a person can increase their awareness to lower the chance of injury. Nobody ever dreams they will be the one to sustain a life-altering spinal cord injury, but this kind of injury does happen. In an instant, your entire world can be turned upside down and changed forever. As a Seattle personal injury attorney, Kirk Bernard knows that everyone can take a proactive approach to prevent spinal cord injuries by learning the major causes of these types of injuries and the simple measures that can help reduce the risk of injury.

To learn more about the most common causes and types of spinal cord injury and how you can protect yourself from suffering spinal cord injury, please refer to the entire article.

A recent Articlebase post by Kirk Bernard discusses the 7 most common motorcycle accident injuries. For motorcycle enthusiasts, there is nothing quite like hitting the open road. Motorcycles offer a sense of freedom that cars and trucks simply can’t. Because motorcyclists aren’t as protected as those who drive cars, however, accidents typically result in more severe injuries. In discussing the catastrophic consequences of spinal cord injury, disfigurement, and emotional trauma, the article acts as a way to heighten the awareness of motorists and motorcyclists of these risks in hopes that less serious motorcycle accident injuries will take place.

To learn more about motorcycle accident injuries to help prevent them from taking place, please refer to the full article.

Washington construction site accidents often occur because workers lack the training and education that is necessary to do their jobs. Not having the tools or training to do your job can cause devastating injuries and tragedy. According to a news report, a construction site worker recently sustained injuries after he had to jump off a steam roller, which went out of control. Officials say they believe the worker steered the machine incorrectly while working on a new roadway. The man apparently lost control of the steam roller used for paving the roads and it rolled down a hill. Thankfully, the worker did not suffer life-threatening injuries and no one else was injured. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries.

In such cases, accidents may be avoided by making sure that workers have the appropriate training and supervision needed to safely perform a job. This is especially true when it comes to operating heavy machinery. If it is determined that a construction worker was injured as a result of defective or malfunctioning machinery, he or she can file a third-party claim against the manufacturer of the defective product seeking compensation for medical expenses, loss of wages, pain and suffering and other related damages.
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A Washington cosmetic surgeon is being accused of unprofessional conduct by the state agency that licenses doctors. According to an Associated Press news report, the agency states that the Seattle doctor in 2005 botched a breast reduction on a 15-year-old girl. The Washington Medical Quality Assurance Commission states that the doctor should not have performed the procedure because he did not have the education and training required for the job. The doctor apparently put the teen’s nipples back in the wrong place giving it an “aesthetically odd and unnatural appearance.”

He is also said to have performed liposuction on the 15-year-old exposing her to risk of serious infection. The girl and her parents approached the doctor because she was a high school athlete and the size of her breasts impeded her performance as an athlete and caused her to have neck and back pain, the report states. The same doctor was also previously fined by the state agency in connection with the death of a cosmetic surgery patient who stopped breathing under anesthesia during surgery.
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Rollover accidents can be extremely devastating for the occupants of a vehicle. Because of the intensity of a violent rollover, victims may suffer catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries or even death. Sometimes, factors such as vehicle defects including tire defects, seatbelt defects, or seatback failure could cause or contribute to these injuries. That is why it is extremely important that these auto accident victims or their families consult an experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer if they suspect auto product defects, roadway defects or negligence on the part of another driver.

A recent car crash in Yakima, Washington, shows how deadly a rollover accident can be. A 67-yar-old man was killed in Pasco after his car hit another driver’s SUV. According to a news report in the Yakima Herald-Republic, the crash occurred on the Interstate 182 in Pasco. Both drivers were westbound on the highway when the man’s Honda Accord clipped the rear of a Dodge Durango SUV. The impact of the crash caused the Honda to roll over and land on its top. Officials determined that the man was not wearing his seatbelt and believe that speed may have played a part in the crash as well.
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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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