Articles Posted in Personal Injury

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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.

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A woman was injured after she crashed into a van hauling a trailer with granite slabs on Highway 305, the Kitsap Sun reports. The woman was traveling north on the highway in a Toyota Camry. Those who saw the incident told officials that the woman was veering in the lanes. Apparently, she first veered right and then to the left of the van before smashing into the van’s trailer. The car struck the van on the rear of the driver’s side. The impact from the collision knocked the trailer loose, causing the trailer’s tires to blow out. The granite slabs spilled and broke on the highway. The woman was transported to a Seattle hospital. Police are investigating this crash.

Such accidents are extremely dangerous because debris spilled on the highway could cause additional accidents and possible injuries. In such cases, it is very important to pinpoint the cause of the accident. It is possible here, that a mechanical problem with the Toyota, or a product defect caused the driver to veer and drive erratically in the first place. In any auto accident where malfunctions or auto product defects are suspected, it is critical that the vehicle be preserved in its current state unaltered, so it can be examined by an accident reconstruction expert carefully, for defects and other problems.
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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.

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A police officer was injured in a Seattle car accident, when a 21-year-old driver in a sport utility vehicle turned in front of the officer’s car. According to a Fox news report, the police officer was on his way to work when the SUV suddenly turned in front of him at the intersection of East Pine and Boylston on Capitol Hill. The officer was taken to the hospital, but his injuries were not considered to be major or life-threatening. The driver of the SUV was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a serious crime in Washington State. According to the Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.502, driving under the influence is when “a person is guilty of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug if the person drives a vehicle within the state.” It is also illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher.
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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 pedestrian has been struck and killed in a Seattle car accident after a wrong-way driver hit him and fled the scene. The hit-and-run suspect was later apprehended by police and arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. According to an Associated Press news report, the accident occurred as the pedestrian was crossing at the intersection of Bell Street and Western Avenue. The motorist was going west on Bell Street in a white 2006 Honda. The Honda then turned left at Western after hitting the pedestrian, traveling the wrong way down the one-way street. The pedestrian was transported to a Seattle hospital where he died shortly afterward. The driver of the Honda was later stopped and arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and vehicular homicide.

Driving under the influence of intoxicants is a serious crime in Washington State. According to the Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.502, driving under the influence is when “a person is guilty of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug if the person drives a vehicle within the state.” It is also illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher.
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Incidents of nursing home negligence and abuse are hitting an all-time high in the United States. This is definitely a major concern. The news accounts get more and more disturbing. A recent news report says that a nursing home was fined after health investigators found several incidents of “widespread deficiencies,” which could immediately put residents in jeopardy.

The 120-bed nursing home is facing a hefty fine after an investigation revealed that several residents were being abused. In fact, an employee told investigators that she saw two other employees mocking a resident who stuttered because that individual has Parkinson’s disease. Another resident told investigators that an employee had threatened to strangle her.

What officials found turned out to be hardly surprising. The nursing home was chronically short-staffed and because employees were being over-worked, incidents of staff “burnout” and employees calling in sick have increased exponentially.
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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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Tire defects can become a serious factor in car accidents causing devastating injuries and in numerous cases, fatalities. Many car accidents are the result of what is known as “tire tread separation.” The aftermath of such accidents can be catastrophic. Tread belt separations frequently cause tire blowouts. Even when the tire does not lose pressure, the driver often loses control of the vehicle when the tire tread and belt separate from the tire. Even experienced and skilled drivers can lose control of their vehicles. There is also more of a chance that a vehicle can roll over, causing serious personal injury and even deaths.

There was a recent report of an SUV rollover crash involving tire tread separation, which resulted in four people getting ejected from the vehicle. Thankfully, there were no life-threatening injuries. Apparently, in this case, the tread came off a rear tire, causing it to blow out. The driver ended up losing control of the SUV. The SUV then rolled over ejected three men, who were not wearing seatbelts as well as a woman who was wearing her seatbelt. In such accidents where people are ejected in spite of wearing a seatbelt, it is important to look into whether there were any seatbelt defects.
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Washington construction site accident can result in serious if not catastrophic or fatal injuries. A lot of construction accidents in Washington State and elsewhere in the country occur because of trench collapses in the construction site. A recent construction site fatality was caused by a loose embankment. This incident caused the death of a 27-year-old worker. The embankment reportedly gave way, burying the worker. The injuries he sustained proved fatal.

Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are apparently investigating how and why this embankment collapsed. They should inspect the construction site for safety violations, verify whether this worker had sufficient training to do his job and also whether he was being properly supervised. OSHA must also look into how well the embankment was secured before the man began work and the contractor’s prior history to check if OSHA had investigated them in the past.

OSHA investigations typically take up to six months. But, if you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington construction site accident, it definitely, would not be advisable for you to wait that long before contacting an experienced construction accident lawyer. What many workers and their families do not realize is that employers are constantly protecting themselves, thanks to their team of insurers and attorneys who watch their backs. But, who is looking out for the victim? Who’s watching your back?
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