By

Master Forge brand grills sold at Lowe’s stores have been recalled because of a product defect, which can apparently cause fires. According to a news article in Consumer Reports, the flexible rubber hose on the LP gas tank can come in contact with the burner box, causing the hose to melt and rupture when the grill is lit. So far, Sagittarius Sporting Grills has recalled 10,000 of these Master Forge five-burner gas grills. The firm is aware of two complaints, and so far, no injuries have been reported. These defective gas grills were imported from China by LG Sourcing and sold and Lowe’s stores from September to November of 2009 for about $500. Those who have these gas grills at home are asked to stop using them immediately and contact the company for a free repair kit.

Recently, many brands of gas grills manufactured in or imported from China have been recalled for these types of fire hazards. Some of the recalled models of gas grills have caused injuries and property damage. These are product defects, which have the potential to cause serious burn injuries and even death. Seattle personal injury attorneys are available to help when product manufacturers put defective or substandard products on the market without proper quality control. Those injured by such products may be able to hold negligent manufacturers responsible for resulting injuries or fatalities.
Continue reading

By

A recent American Chronicle article posted by Kirk Bernard addresses different types of spinal cord injuries and their potentially catastrophic consequences. The article begins by stating that injuries to the spinal cord can be some of the most traumatic and life changing of all, mainly because the spinal cord is responsible for so many of the body´s functions. This long cord is protected by the vertebrae of the spine, and is responsible for transporting messages from the brain to other parts of the body. The spinal cord plays a vital role in movement, senses, and even unconscious bodily functions like respiration and circulation. Therefore, it´s not at all surprising that an injury to any area of the spinal cord can have catastrophic effects.

To learn more about the repercussions of spinal cord injuries and how you can better protect yourself, please read the entire article.

By

A 44-year-old woman suffered critical injuries in a Washington train accident after her minivan was broadsided at a crossing by a train traveling at 48 mph. According to an Associated Press news report, the woman had just dropped off a child in an elementary school when the accident occurred. She was transported to a local hospital.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration, in 2006 alone, train accidents caused 909 fatalities and 8,244 injuries nationwide. Railroad employees, passengers in other autos at railroad crossings, passengers aboard trains, or pedestrians walking on or near railroad tracks are among those injured in these dangerous train accidents. Sometimes, these collisions happen because of the fault of other drivers. But very often, these accidents occur due to the lack of safety features at these street-level train crossings or when the safety features such as crossbars or lights fail to work at the crossings. These types of accidents could also occur as a result of the train operator’s error.
Continue reading

By

Three people sustained injuries in a rear-end car accident on the Highway 502. The accident occurred when an eastbound 2003 Mazda pickup stopped to turn left into a driveway when the vehicle was struck from behind by a Nissan Altima. The driver of the pickup truck sustained head injuries while the other driver and his passenger sustained head and neck injuries. Washington State Patrol blames the accident on speed and inattention and cited the driver of the Nissan Altima for speeding.

Rear-end auto accidents are usually caused as a result of carelessness. However, victims of such accidents are very often left with severe back, neck or head injuries that require continued treatment and medical expenses. Recently, The Bernard Law Firm obtained a $91,000 settlement for a Kirkland Washington woman who was rear-ended in Mill Creek. She was a professional body builder who was forced to quit competitive body building due to neck, back and right wrist strain that required surgery and lengthy hand therapy.
Continue reading

By

An alarming report in the Chicago Tribune talks about an increase in reports of violent attacks by felons living in nursing homes. Many nursing home facilities are apparently not complying with a four-year-old disclosure law that requires them to notify state and public health officials when they admit offenders. As a result, some offenders in that state have been living in facilities undeclared for as long as a year.

There have been several recent incidents involving felons abusing or seriously injuring other nursing home residents. Most recently a 22-year-old mentally ill felon pleaded guilty to brutally raping a 69-year-old woman who lived in the same nursing home. In that case, the felon’s background screening had been improperly handled by the nursing home because they used the wrong birth date. In Illinois, nursing homes are required to conduct criminal background checks on all new residents and immediately notify state health authorities when someone with a serious felony conviction is admitted.

However, some homes still fail to conduct these important background checks or make serious errors on the checks, or simply fail to report these felons to officials. Some of these offenders, as a result, went on to commit assaults and serious crimes inside the homes. As a result of the nursing home’s negligence and their failure to take these background checks seriously, they exposed their own residents to danger.
Continue reading

By

A recently published article by Kirk Bernard on ArticleBase provides 7 tips to help Washington residents prevent and survive a dog attack. This information is valuable to know even if you do not anticipate being attacked by a dog. No one ever does. However, in the U.S. alone, approximately 5 million people are attacked by dogs every year and about 1,000 dog bite victims go to hospital emergency rooms every day. It is also helpful to know that laws in Washington State protect dog bite injury victims.

To learn more about how you can help protect you and your loved ones from dog attacks, or help you or a loved one survive a dog attack, please read the entire article by clicking here.

By

Jaguar Land Rover North America is recalling 4,001 Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles because of possible airbag defects, which might prevent the front passenger airbag from deploying in the event of a car accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these affected 2010 Range Rover models may experience airbag lamp illumination on the instrument cluster. The NHTSA report states: “This warning lamp may clear on each subsequent ignition cycle. The passenger airbag will be disabled when the airbag warning lamp is illuminated as a result of this defect and the passenger airbag warning disable lamp in the overhead console will also illuminate.”

The deployment of the passenger side airbag may fail to occur in case of a car accident. This could cause devastating personal injuries and even death to the passenger. When this recall begins, Land Rover dealers will update the vehicles’ restraint control module with the integrated diagnostics system tool with updated software.
Continue reading

By

A 58-year old Seattle man was killed in a pedestrian accident after he was struck by a pickup truck while attempting to the cross Benson Highway in an unincorporated area of Kent. According to a news report, the man was not in a crosswalk when he tried to cross the five-lane highway. Washington State Patrol officials said the driver of the 2000 Toyota pickup truck could not stop in time to avoid colliding with the man.

This is apparently the second pedestrian-car collision in the last seven weeks along the Benson Highway. A 22-year-old woman was killed in October when she tried to cross the highway to catch a bus. That pedestrian was not in a crosswalk either. Officials say it is not illegal to cross the highway, but pedestrians must yield right-of-way to vehicles when they are not in a crosswalk. Officials say that pedestrians should use a crosswalk when crossing any street, especially at night time when visibility is greatly reduced.
Continue reading

By

A Washington construction site can pose numerous dangers to a worker. One of the less-talked-about dangers in construction sites involves nail guns. There was a recent news report about a construction worker who miraculously survived a nail that went through his heart. The accident occurred when he was in the middle of a construction job. The nail gun bounced off a ladder and the worker’s hand slipped and hit the trigger. He was taken to a hospital where surgeons opened his chest cavity and removed the nail. Doctors said that he might have bled to death had someone pulled out the nail instead of getting him to the hospital first.

Nail gun injuries have been steadily increasing over the last five years. According to a recent study, 42,000 people – more than 100 a day – show up in the nation’s hospital emergency departments annually with nail gun injuries. Treating these wounds reportedly costs the United States at least $338 million a year in emergency medical care, rehabilitation and workers’ compensation, according to an estimate by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Accidental discharge and defective nail guns, which suddenly begin to shoot out nails, cause a majority of injuries at construction sites. If you have suffered a nail gun injury as a result of someone else’s negligence or as the result of a defective product, you may be entitled to compensation.
Continue reading

By

Washington State Patrol officials are looking for a driver who they say caused a fatal car accident and then left the scene of the crash in Whatcom County. According to a KGMI news report, the car struck and killed and pedestrian on Blaine Road south of Lynden-Birch bay Road. Witnesses described the car as a dark-colored sedan. Authorities believe that the car may have front-end damage.

Leaving the scene of any traffic accident is a serious crime in Washington State, especially if another individual has been seriously injured or killed. According to the Revised Code of Washington Section 46.52.020: “A driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the injury to or death of any person or involving striking the body of a deceased person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible but shall then forthwith return to, and in every event remain at, the scene of such accident until he or she has fulfilled the requirements of subsection (3) of this section; every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.”
Continue reading

Contact Information
900 Aurora Ave N #100
Seattle, WA 98109
Voice: (206) 298-9900
Fax: (206) 285-9400
Toll Free: (800) 418-8282

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2016 – 2024, Bernard Law Group
JUSTIA Law Firm Blog Design