Tacoma is Washington state’s third-largest city, with approximately 202,700 residents. Known as the city of destiny, it was designated as the Northern Pacific Railroad’s western terminus in 1873. Tacoma is the second largest city in the Puget Sound region and the third largest in the state. Located 32 miles south of Seattle, 31 miles north of our state capital, Olympia, and 18 miles south of Sea-Tac International Airport, Tacoma has recently enjoyed a renaissance of sorts as more Washingtonians are calling the city home.

With such close proximity to major cities like Seattle and being a thoroughfare to and from centers of commerce and industry, the dangers on the highways in Tacoma have increased. Tacoma auto accidents change the lives of both the victim and their families. In fact, in the year 2001, over 3 million people were seriously hurt in motor vehicle accidents, and approximately 42 thousand people were killed.

The Bernard Law Group, has years of experience in auto accident and wrongful death cases in Tacoma. Our skilled and experienced team of Tacoma car accident lawyers will examine the facts, evaluate your claim, determine which parties and insurance companies are responsible, and organize all of the details of preparing and presenting your case.

Seattle’s KOMO TV News Station reports in an article that a driver who was texting while driving over 60 miles per hour crashed into the back end of a Boise patrol car on Interstate 84 in Meridian, Idaho.

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

Though the patrol car was empty at the time of impact, the driver suffered injuries and was taken to a hospital in Meridian for treatment. The 37 year old driver had been drinking, but his blood alcohol was under the legal limit.

Prosecutors have filed vehicular homicide charges against the driver more than a year after a 73-year-old pedestrian was run down on a Seattle street.

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

Prosecutors say that the driver, a 40 year old woman, was stoned on marijuana when the pickup truck she was driving hit the 73 year old man at a First Avenue South crosswalk near South Dearborn Street. The victim died minutes after the pedestrian accident in Seattle, which occurred March 30, 2008. The crash was witnessed by two Seattle police officers.

According to court documents, the elderly man was walking slowly with a cane in the four-lane street’s left lane when the pickup sped around the stopped vehicle on the right side and hit him. He was rushed to Harborview Medical Center by aid crews, but died from multiple internal injuries.

“The defendant failed to slow for the stopped traffic, changed lanes and proceeded through the intersection slamming into Mr. Fuller,” Deputy Prosecutor Amy Freedheim said in court documents.
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According to a report from SeattlePI.com, a Spanaway man, 26 year old Ryan D. Allen, died this weekend after crashing his speeding truck on State Route 512 in Puyallup. Witnesses reported that he might have been traveling up to 100 miles per hour when he ran his truck off the road.

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

The fiery Washington car accident happened about 2am. According to reports, the truck careened across all lanes of traffic, through a guardrail and rolled a couple of times before bursting into flames. The driver was ejected and died. He was not wearing a seat belt.

According to a report from the Seattle Times, Brian J. Wilson, Police Chief of Federal Way, was in a minor car accident in his unmarked police car because he was checking his BlackBerry device at the time. The car accident in Washington happened at the intersection of South 324th Street and Pacific Highway South in Federal Way on March 18. Pacific Highway South is part of State Route 99.

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

The article states that Wilson was stopped at a red light when he checked his BlackBerry. He then let off the brake and hit the car stopped ahead of him, due to driver distraction.

Wilson has issued an apology, and was given a verbal reprimand. However, he will not be ticketed or formally reprimanded. This is due to a city policy which does not hold officers responsible for accidents with less than $700 in damage. Many people believe that the Washington State Law forbidding text messaging while driving should apply to everyone, though there is an exemption for emergency vehicles.
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A Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy swerved and ran his cruiser through a fence and into an apartment building, in an effort to avoid an accident. According to a report from the Everett HeraldNet.com, the accident occurred on 112th Street SW between 2nd Place W and 3rd Avenue, W in Everett.

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

A sheriff’s spokeswoman, Rebecca Hover, said that the deputy had been responding to reports of a stolen car and was driving with lights flashing when another car pulled into the intersection.

Early Sunday near Kent, three people were killed in a Washington car accident after the driver of a Mazda Protege entered northbound state Route 167 in the wrong direction, according to a report. She then crossed three lanes of traffic, and according to Washington State Patrol, hit another car head-on. The driver was a 21 year old Kent woman.

At Bernard Law Group, we handle personal injury lawsuits that are the results of auto accidents in Washington State every day. Call our attorneys at 1-800-418-8282. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
The others who died were driving in a Honda Accord. The 69 year old woman and 72 year old man were both from Renton.

The accident happened approximately 1:45 a.m. when the Kent woman drove onto the northbound state Route 167 ramp at South 277th Street. She hit the other car in the HOV lane.
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A report from seattletimes.com stated on February 26, 2009 that Sherry Varo, 17, had been killed after being hit by two vehicles in this fatal pedestrian accident. Kerry Varo, 15, was also riding his bike that night when he witnessed the accident. He saw the pedestrian get hit by the first car and thrown into the next lane. Kerry Varo then attempted to wave at vehicles to stop but it was too late. A second car came and struck the victim dragging her more than 50 ft.

Kerry Varo immediately phoned his mother to let her know what happened. Police wanted to talk to witnesses so he would be getting home late. Kerry Varo was unable to see who got hit due to the velocity and darkness.

Kerry Varo’s mother, Silvia Varo, then walked from her home to the accident scene where the body of the 17 year old girl was still found.

Silvia Varo told the Register-Guard Newspaper, “I just thought it was just so sad, for whoever’s girl that was.”

When Silvia Varo returned back home and realized her daughter was not home yet, she walked back to the accident scene.

Crying Silvia Varo said, “It was my girl. She’s gone.”
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A report from seattletimes.com stated on February 13, 2009 that Getnet Endeshaw’s, 28, was struck by several cars and killed. According to police reports Endeshaw’s cab spun out of control on the icy roads and ended up facing south in the northbound lanes. Attempting to get out of harms way, he jumped out of his car and was struck by three vehicles in this tragic car accident in Washington.

Friends have been gathering at the St. Gebriel Church of Ethiopians to console each other. He is described as “the best”, not only a good husband, but a great father and son.

Wassie Kebde Hermel, friend, said, “He was so happy to be a father. He brought his daughter to church.”

The seattletimes.com website reported in an article on February 19, 2009 that an ironworker was crushed to death at a construction site on the Microsoft Redmond campus at 4480 154th Place Northeast, off 156th Avenue Northeast. According to witness reports, the ironworker was attempting to set a rebar formation that had just been cut from a crane into cement when it fell onto him. The iron worker was tied to the rebar formation when a support gave way underneath him. An ironworker who was helping guide the rebar escaped unscathed.

Jim Boye, Redmond police spokesman, said, “The crane operator is devastated. He witnessed the whole thing.”

CPR attempts, as well as the use of a defibrillator, were all useless, and the ironworker was pronounced dead at the scene.

Work at the construction site has come to a standstill while the Washington work related death is investigated.

Construction sites are dangerous by nature; however, there are certain factors that increase that inherent hazard. One of the leading causes of construction related deaths is being struck by objects. About 75 percent of struck by fatalities involve heavy equipment used in construction work such as trucks or cranes. According to Department of Labor statistics, the number of workers fatally struck by a vehicle was at a seven-year high in 1998.
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