Articles Posted in Wrongful Death

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The website seattletimes.com reported in an article on April 28, 2009 that the family of Bryce Lewis, 19 who was killed when a dump truck struck the bike she was riding, has settled out of court. The family attorney stated that parents Marc and Laura Paolicelli of Colorado, agreed to an unrevealed sum of money from Nelson & Sons Construction of Woodinville.

According to Police Reports, Lewis and friend Caleb Hall were riding in a bike lane on Eastlake Avenue East near the University Bridge in 2007 when a dump truck owned by Nelson & Sons and driven by David McClane made a right turn without warning the riders. Apparently unaware he had hit anything, McClane kept driving for a short period before stopping.

Months after the tragic bike accident in Washington, a large group of bicyclists carried out a wheeled demonstration along the streets of Seattle in memory of Lewis and to call on city officials to take more actions to ensure bike safety, particularly in the Eastlake neighborhood.

Christensen said, “Nelson & Sons stepped forward and did the right thing and the family was satisfied by their gestures.”

Accidents involving trucks account for over 130,000 injuries in the United States. There are 5,000 deaths each year and close to 35% of the injuries are catastrophic. Trucks over 10,000 pounds (semis and tractor-trailer) represent only 3% of all registered vehicles but are responsible for over 25% of vehicle related deaths.
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The website pnwlocalnew.com reported in an article on January 14, 2009 that the search for Lynn Stafford-Yilmaz 45, had been called off. Stafford-Yilmaz’s van was found with no sight of the woman when the Puyallup ferry she was riding from Seattle to Bainbridge arrived at Eagle Harbor. Washington state police reported that Stafford-Yilmaz’s personal items were found on the passenger deck.

Marine divisions from the Seattle police department, Bainbridge police department, along with a coast guard helicopter, searched the area with no luck in this wrongful death case. Commander Michael Long, chief response for the Seattle coast guard, stated that the search had been exhaustive.

Long said, “We have saturated the search area and have not located anyone. Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.”
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The Seattle Times published an article on January 18, 2009 about the tragic story of a young 6 year old boy who was killed by flying debris launched from a Monster Truck during a performance in Tacoma, Washington. Crime scene investigators were taking a closer look at the drive train from a “monster” truck to try to determine why ripped parts came off the vehicle.

Sebastian Hizey 6, was struck with a metal ring-like object that came from the monster truck as it was performing doughnuts on the field. Jessie Hizey, the child’s father, was interviewed by the News Tribune of Tacoma and stated that a metal ring about 7-12 pounds flew at his son partially severing his skull. This accident may lead to a premises liability lawsuit.

Hizey said, “You go out for a night of fun, and you loose your son.”
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The newstribune.com website reported in a story on January 19, 2009 that a Fort Lewis soldier had died while on post. The family of the soldier has yet to be contacted and so the identity of the soldier was not released. The only information that was released by the army was that the soldier died from his injuries sustained during a Washington car accident sometime before 6 am.

Based on Allstate data for 197 U.S. cities with more than 100,000 people, Seattle ranks 150th. Drivers here are 20 percent more likely to have an accident than those in other areas — and file accident claims on average once every 8.3 years. In Tacoma, ranked 157th, residents are 22 percent more likely to have an accident, and file accident claims every 8.2 years.
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A tanker truck owned by Reinhard petroleum of Federal Way, Washington,and carrying 10,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline, crashed and burned on Interstate 5. The driver was killed. According to Seattle’s Komo4 News, the driver, William Neil Adams, age 56, of Scappoose, Oregon, was driving the truck from Linton, OR to Salem when the truck went off the road, hit some ice, rolled and then caught fire.

According to reports, Adams had a long career in trucking, they he had only been with the company for about a year. He was the father of two teenage children. The family recently lost their home in a fire and was reportedly living with relatives.
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A bicyclist was hit by a driver this morning in the Skyway neighborhood. According to King County sheriff’s Deputies, the cyclist was killed.

Sgt. John Urquhart said that the accident happened on South 130th Street and Renton Avenue South around 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning. The driver was a man in his 70s, and the male cyclist died at the scene. There was no further information available about the driver or the victim.

Urquhart also said that police are investigating how the fatal Renton car crash happened. The road will remain closed for several hours, he added.
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Police still searching for two people involved in deadly car accident

Washington State Police are looking for two people involved in a deadly hit-and-run car crash Thanksgiving Day in Toppenish, Washington.

At Bernard Law Group, we handle personal injury lawsuits that are the result of an auto accident in Seattle every day. Call our attorneys at 1-800-418-8282. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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The family of the student murdered in Tacoma, Washington while attending Foss High School has filed a lawsuit against Tacoma School District. The family of the student is seeking $35 million.

According to the Seattletimes.com, the wrongful death lawsuit, filed Thursday, states that the family says the district should have known that the teen accused of the shooting in January of last year was dangerous.

The shooter had attended four high schools previously, and had a history of psychiatric hospitalizations and suffered from hallucinations. He has also spent time in Western State Hospital. He has been charged with murder in this case.

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A family was awarded $100 million in a wrongful death suit — the largest settlement known for a wrongful death case in Michigan. The settlement stemmed from the 2005 murder of 20-year-old girl in Troy, Michigan.

At Bernard Law Group, we handle wrongful death lawsuits in Washington State every day. Call our attorneys at 1-800-418-8282. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In the Michigan case, the girl was beaten with a baseball bat and stabbed to death in her parents’ home by her boyfriend. He then put her body in a trash bag and into a garbage can. It was discovered in her family’s garage by police and her parents, according to the attorney for the girl’s parents.

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A jury in Tennessee awarded the family of a young mother more than $1 million in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Ginger Williams, 34 and suffering from end-stage renal disease, died one day after doctors released her from the emergency room at Maury Regional Hospital. According to her mother, doctors and the hospital neglected to give her daughter a blood test that would have detected an elevated, deadly potassium level. The jury ruled that Williams died after a break-down in communication kept her from getting proper medical care.

Doris Howell and her grandson were awarded $1.25 million.

Attorneys for the prosecution worked for three years to prove two doctors, two nurses and the hospital didn’t give the blood test to detect her elevated potassium level.
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