Seattle Injury Blog

September 5, 2007

Progressive Insurance Fined

Washington State’s insurance commissioner Mike Kreidler fined Progressive Insurance group more than $150,000 after the company unlawfully calculated and charged incorrect premiums to more than 62,700 policy holders. From October 2005 through April 2006, both Progressive Classic Insurance and Progressive Northwestern Insurance companies used unapproved rates to calculate premiums for uninsured bodily injury and property coverage’s. The companies both undercharged and overcharged customers in Washington State. Once the mistake was realized, the company had already overcharged around $720,000. To date, the company has refunded around $341,645 to those overcharged customers. This is not the first time that Progressive has been charged for such infractions. The first violation occurred in 2005 and the company was fined $10,000.

The money paid in such fines is collected by the Insurance Commissioner and deposited into the states general fund. The fund supports various programs for Washington State residents. In 2006, the commissioner collected $2.2 million in fines.

Article Source: http://www.insurance.wa.gov/news/dynamic/newsreleasedetail.asp?rcdNum=567

September 4, 2007

Vehicles Hit by Rocks Thrown on I-5

By Kirk Bernard

Three vehicles were hit by falling rocks while driving on southbound I-5 August 29th near 272nd Street. The softball and basketball sized rocks were thrown onto the freeway at about 2:15am.One of the rocks went through the windshield of a semi truck. The driver sustained minor injures and was treated at the scene. Two other vehicles, an SUV and a sedan were also hit by rocks. Troopers believe that who ever threw these rocks meant to hurt someone.

This is not the first incidence of someone throwing rocks onto I-5. In 1990, Les Miller was killed instantly when a 16 pound rock was thrown onto I-5 hitting his vehicle. It took investigators some time, but they eventually found kids who threw the rock. State troopers are increasing patrols in the Federal Way area hoping to find those behind this most recent act. They are also asking that anyone with information about the rock throwing to contact the Washington State Patrol at 425-649-4370.

Article Source: http://www.komotv.com/news/local/9446131.html

August 16, 2007

Suggestions for Auto Accident Safety

By Kirk Bernard

Many drivers will be involved in an auto accident at some point in their lives. According to the National Safety Council, one in eight drivers will be in an accident this year. If you happen to be one of those drivers involved in collision, here are some tips to help you minimize stress, prevent injury, and save your time and money.

-When driving, stay calm and protect yourself. Avoid road rage and stay rational when encountering irrational drivers.

-If you are involved in an accident, stop. Don’t leave the scene until you speak to the other driver or to the police.
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August 12, 2007

Tips to Survive the I-5 Lane Closures

By Kirk Bernard

Between August 10th and 29th, drivers in western Washington will face one of the worst traffic headaches in the state’s history. Beginning Friday night, I-5 northbound between Spokane Street and the I-90 exit will be reduced to two or three lanes for construction. The lanes on I-5 will narrow to 10 feet wide and there will be no HOV or shoulder lanes. With the closures, officials are expecting traffic congestion that will affect Seattle and all surrounding regions. Here are some suggestions to help you avoid the backups:

• Drive on roads west of I-5. Many northbound roads, including Airport Way South, First Avenue South, Fourth Avenue South, Highway 99, and East Marginal Way South will have their stoplights retimed to make green lights longer along northbound routes. Other measures will also be taken by police and the Coast Guard to help the congestion.

•Use van pools. Van pools registered with transit agencies will have a special rate for the month of August. An eight person van will cost each rider $45, much cheaper then the normal rate of $81.50. Metro provides the van, gas, maintenance, and the insurance. These vans can also use the designated bus and truck lanes on streets like Airport Way South. For more info, visit http://transit.metrokc.gov/tops/van-car/vanpool.html or call 206-625-4500.
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August 11, 2007

Minneapolis Bridge Collapses, Recovery Beginning

By Kirk Bernard

The Interstate 35W Bridge unexpectedly collapsed during the evening commute August 1st. The eight lane bridge, a major artery of Minneapolis, was undergoing repairs when it buckled sending dozens of vehicles into the Mississippi River below. The bridge, built in 1967, was about 1,900 feet long and rose about 64 feet above the river. Over the last week, road crews were out working on the bridge’s joints, guardrails, and lights. During the evening of the collapse, workers were laying concrete on the surface of the bridge completing a routine resurfacing project. This was considered the final phase of the construction project. There were 18 construction workers on the bridge during the collapse, only one is still unaccounted for.
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August 10, 2007

Man Left Paralyzed after being Rear Ended

By Kirk Bernard

A man was left paralyzed July 28th when a non-mounted speaker in his truck flew forward and hit him. The 27 year old Redmond man was stopped at the NE 70th ramp meter light attempting to get onto northbound I-405 when a Ford F-250 pick up truck rearended him. The speaker flew forward during the accident and struck him, breaking his neck. The injured man was left a quadriplegic and remains at Harborview Medical Center in serious condition. The driver of the Ford F-250, a Bothell man, was not injured in the crash.

The Washington State Patrol is urging people to be cautious when mounting devices, such as speakers, in their vehicles. Appropriate brackets designed to withstand impacts or sudden stops should be used.

Article Source: http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_073107WAB_speaker_paralyzed_SW.cd0f27f1.html

August 9, 2007

Tips for Handling Bills Denied by Health Insurance

By Kirk Bernard

An internet survey recently conducted by PNC Financial Services Group found that out of 1,000 consumers, close to one in four said they had a legitimate claim denied by their health insurance. Here are some helpful hints when dealing with denied claims:

1. Get Help: Seek help from your doctor, hospital business office, and employee benefits office. These offices can be a lot more powerful then you. Also seek help from the Patient Advocate Foundation, a non profit group who employs case managers specifically to help people work out insurance company issues.

2. Be Persistent: Appeal, appeal, appeal. “You may go through three or four levels of appeals before you get a favorable resolution” says Nancy Davenport-Ennis, co-founder of the Patient Advocate Foundation.

August 8, 2007

Cable Barrier Issues

By Kirk Bernard

Questions about highway cable barriers were once again raised after a fatal crash occurred July 22nd in Fife. Sunday’s accident was the first fatal crash involving the cable median barrier to happen outside of the Marysville area. A review of the cable barriers, ordered by Gov. Christine Gregoire, concluded that the barriers have performed excellently except for a 10 mile stretch of I-5 in Marysville where eight people have died in cable related accidents. According to the report, median crossover collisions account for about one fifth of disabling injuries and fatalities on state highways. State officials say that cable barriers work about 95 percent of the time and are built to handle impacts of up to 62 mph.

The fatal accident Sunday morning closed northbound I-5 for several hours and backed up traffic for six miles. The deceased driver, 21, was driving southbound at speeds estimated to 100 mph when his car drifted to the left shoulder. He hit the cable barriers, proceeded through the median and struck several cars heading northbound. According to state trooper Cliff Pratt, it appeared that at least one of the cables was severed during the crash.
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July 21, 2007

Senior Drivers Less Likely to Cause Accidents then Young Drivers

By Kirk Bernard

According to a RAND study released July 17th, drivers age 65 and older are one-third as likely as drivers age 15-24 to cause automobile accidents. Researchers found in 2001 that drivers 65 years of age and older accounted for about 15 percent of all licensed drivers in the United States, but only 7 percent of all accidents. Drivers aged 15-24 accounted for around 13 percent of all licensed drivers and caused about 43% of accidents. “Not only do seniors drive much less that younger drivers, they drive at safer times during the day and avoid poorer road conditions” said David Loughran, the lead author of the study. Loughran goes on to say that young drivers pose the greatest risk to traffic safety while seniors who drive pose the greatest risk to themselves. The study adds that seniors who drive are generally in poorer health and are frailer then younger drivers. It also says that older driver’s are seven times more likely to be killed during a two car accident.

The study projects that by the year 2025 drivers 65 and older will represent 25 percent of the driving population. In response to the aging driving population many states have imposed more rigorous age based licensing requirements for older drivers. Only two states thus far, Illinois and New Hampshire require older drivers to take road tests. However, many state legislators are continuing to consider tightening the licensing requirements for older drivers. The RAND study concludes that instead of imposing stringent age based licensing requirements, states should improve car and road design to make travel safer for older drivers. The study says that the new age based requirements would be costly to both states and seniors and the benefits of doing so have not yet been validated.

RAND is a leading non-profit research organization who provides objective analysis and solutions to the public and government agencies. For more information and access to RAND’s entire report titled “Regulating Older Drivers: Are New Policies Needed?” please visit their website at www.rand.org.

July 19, 2007

Class-Action Rights Court Ruling

By Kirk Bernard

A victory for consumers happened Thursday July 12th when the Washington State Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that consumers cannot sign away their class-action rights. Many times consumers sign contracts agreeing to resolve their disputes through mandatory arbitration. Most people do not realize that when they sign this type of contract they are also waving their right to file a class action law suit against the company. A consumer may come across this type of contract when signing up for such things as credit cards, wireless service, buying new cars, and for employment. According to Justice Tom Chambers, the class-action waiver denies large number of consumers the protection of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act.

In 2004, five consumers sued Cingular Wireless, now AT&T, citing improper billing for long distance calls and roaming charges. The consumers were overcharged from an average of $1 to $45 each month for calls that were supposed to be free. Instead of going after Cingular individually, they decided to band together and form a class-action law suit against the company. They filed the suit for themselves and for others who were similarly overcharged. Even though none of the five consumers were significantly overcharged, they claimed that Cingular unilaterally overcharged the public large sums of money. After filing the suit, a King County Superior Court judge denied the class-action because of the contract the consumers had previously signed with Cingular. The judge ordered the claimants into individual arbitration with the company.

Fortunately for consumers, the Washington State Supreme Court disagreed with the judge’s orders. In the court’s majority opinion, class action “is often the only meaningful type of redress for small but widespread injury,” and “claims as small as those in this case are impracticable to pursue on an individual basis even in small claims court, and particularly in arbitration.” A spokesperson for AT&T stated that the company still believes that consumers are better off pursuing arbitration rather than through class-action.