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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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The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of potentially dangerous cribs, the largest crib recall in the history of the United States. The CPSC is advising consumers to stop using The Stork Craft drop-down-side crib because it poses a serious strangulation risk to infants. Approximately 2.1 million of the cribs have been sold and are in use.

The move follows the news that 4 infants have died of suffocation after becoming entrapped in the crib’s drop down sides. There have also been at least 110 incidents in the United States and Canada when the drop-down sides of the cribs became detached, which resulted in dozens of babies either becoming entrapped between the side and the crib frame, or falling out of the crib altogether.

Drop down side cribs have a track record for injuring infants. Nearly 5 million cribs have been recalled over the past two years and the CPSC has discussed banning dropdown sides all together. Adding to the danger in this particular case is the fact that parts used to create the cribs are easily broken, missing, or misassembled. For instance, the crib’s drop-side could come off its tracks and create a “hazardous gap which can lead to infant entrapment and suffocation.”

Stork Craft has released a toll-free number for consumers to call, or to order a free repair kit: (877) 274-0277.
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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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On the morning of November 19th there was a two-vehicle versus pedestrian collision near Renton Avenue South and 62nd Avenue South. A white pickup truck, driven by a 43-year-old male, was towing a black car. The car was being driven by a 45-year-old male, using a nylon rope as a tow cable. The two vehicles were traveling southeast on Renton Avenue South approaching 62nd Avenue South. At the same time, in an unmarked crosswalk, a 44-year-old male pedestrian was crossing 62nd Avenue South.

According to preliminary investigations, the driver of the truck made a right turn onto 62nd Avenue South. The car being towed did not make the turn and continued going straight. The pedestrian’s legs got caught on the towing rope, which caused him to lose his footing. The pedestrian then fell to the ground, and struck his head on the pavement.

The victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries by SFD Medics who responded to the scene.
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As a construction accident attorney, Kirk Bernard is aware that when working on a construction site in the state of Washington, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from a construction site injury. Being aware of your surroundings and potential danger is the first step to avoid suffering an injury in a Seattle construction accident.

Make sure you wear appropriate personal protective equipment. Don’t, for example, show up at a construction site wearing thin-soled shoes. Nails could easily penetrate your shoes. Always wear a hard hat in designated areas. Tools could fall on your head, you could fall from a ladder or you could fall from a roof. Protect your head from potential head and brain injuries.

For more information regarding how you can help protect yourself against construction accident injuries, read the entire article.

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The death of a loved one can have a devastating impact on surviving family members. During this time of grief, it’s difficult to think of anything else except the loss of that special person.

But after the grieving ends, what is there to do about the ones who caused the death? Did the construction site employers, contractors and/or subcontractors fail to provide a safe environment for the loved one? Did that failure cause the accident that led to the death of the loved one?

Wrongful death can arise as a result of construction site accidents in Seattle. Wrongful death occurs when a person’s reckless or negligent actions result in the death of another. Wrongful death attorney Kirk Bernard knows that in order to win a wrongful death lawsuit, the following must be proven: defendant had a duty to the decedent; defendant breached that duty; death was caused by defendant’s breach of that duty; and the survivors have suffered damages as a result of the loss and death of the decedent.

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A recently published article by Kirk Bernard on ArticleBase addresses how an auto accident can change a person’s life forever. There are vehicle repairs to worry about, of course, but those costs are often negligible compared to the other possible consequences. You may have to deal with medical issues that will affect you for the rest of your life; you may need to miss work for a long period; or you might even be unable to continue working. Most people know that as a driver they are eligible for damages if someone else was at fault, but people are often less clear about their rights as a passenger. If you have been injured in Washington State in an auto accident while you were a passenger, you should be aware that you do have rights.

To learn more about the legal rights of a passenger injured in an auto accident, read the entire article here.

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The connection between nine deaths and extremely flammable women’s robes has instigated a recall by Blair LLC. According to a kfoxtv.com report, a Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announcement stated that four additional reports of death linked to the full-length women’s chenille robes have been reported to Blair LLC of Warren, PA since June. Because of this, the company has expanded its recall to incorporate additional products imported from the Pakistani manufacturer. The recall now includes more chenille robes and three other chenille products, all made by A-One Textile & Towel, of Karachi, Pakistan.

What has been quite unnerving to consumers is that these dangerous robes were initially recalled in April by Blair after it discovered that three robes caught fire, including one incident in which a consumer suffered second-degree burns. Considering that the robes fail to meet federal flammability standards, they present great risk of serious burns to anyone who wears the garments while exposed to an open flame, such as a stove in the kitchen. Most of the reported deaths linked to the full-length robes took place when the victims were wearing the robes while cooking. A CPSC spokesman said that the victims were mainly in their 70s and 80s.
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According to State Patrol, a collision late Friday night left a man dead on Highway 3 about three miles north of Poulsbo in Kitsap County. The man was 25-years-old, and from Marysville. He reportedly died at the scene.

The driver apparently failed to field to yield the right of way while pulling out of the Hilltop Store onto Southbound Highway 3. His car was struck by a pickup truck headed Northbound. The truck was driven by a 46-year-old Bainbridge Island man who was not hurt in the accident.

Five passengers car were hurt, including a one-year-old boy.

Two of the passengers, including a 29-year-old man and 23-year-old woman, were transported to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton. The woman suffered from broken ribs and pelvis.

Additionally, two women, ages 20 and 21, were airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious injuries. The young child was also airlifted to Harborview with a head injury. All of the passengers were from Marysville.

Both the car and the pickup were totaled in the accident. Drugs and alcohol are suspected in the crash according to the State Patrol.
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Across the mega city of Seattle, WA personal injury law firms similar to the Bernard Law Group represent a huge urban population in cases involving auto accidents, worker’s compensation, professional liability and much more. Each personal injury case is unique and Washington personal injury attorneys use their experience to ensure that their clients receive the fair compensation to which they are entitled. One of the first things that a Seattle personal injury lawyer like Kirk Bernard will do is to evaluate the client’s personal injury case with regard to the state laws of Washington, as well as federal and local statutes.

Learn more about the many fine points of a Seattle personal injury claim by reading the full article.

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