- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 11:52 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousMost seriously injured people in Seattle and Western Washington are treated at Harborview. Harborview provides outstanding care. In 1970, Seattle became a model for emergency care in the field with the creation of Medic One at Harborview. We're confident the new study will contribute to our continued leadership role in setting the best medical standards worldwide for pre-hospital emergency...
- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 11:34 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousForecasters at the National Hurricane Center said Ernesto could reach hurricane strength by the time it makes landfall on the Florida mainland. The storm was expected to strengthen as it approached the Keys and southeast Florida as early as Tuesday night exactly one year after Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast.In response cruise ship companies said they were diverting several liners to...
- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 11:22 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousUniversity of Washington physicians based at Harborview Medical Center believe that a new intravenous fluid has the potential to improve accident victims' chances of survival. The fluid is a concentrated salt solution with or without a sugar component called Hypertonic Saline/Dextran (HSD). Hypertonic fluids are expected to help accident victims survive by resulting in more rapid improvement of...
- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 10:12 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA woman who died in a scuba diving accident was identified as Cheryl Marshall, 50, the King County Medical Examiner's Office reported Wednesday. Marshall had breathing problems while diving near Alki Beach late Tuesday. Friends managed to get her to a pier along the shore in the 1600 block of Harbor Avenue, where firefighters found her without a pulse and not breathing. She was pronounced dead...
- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 5:21 PM |
Category:
Motorcycle AccidentsA Port Orchard woman died late Wednesday from injuries she suffered in a serious motorcycle accident near Gorst earlier in the day. Cindy M. Morrissey, 47, crashed when she tried to avoid a morning traffic backup on westbound Highway 16 at about 7:00 a.m. She was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The motorcycle was destroyed. Troopers said they believe excessive speed caused...
- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 12:10 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsClients often mention pre-existing conditions. They are concerned that things like degenerative disc disease may affect their recoveries. Insurance companies dwell on pre-existing conditions. But they can be effectively addressed by common sense and good lawyering. Many injured persons' medical records show degenerative disc disease, narrowing of the spinal column and or other issues. These...
- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 8:56 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA person was crushed to death under a Metro bus in downtown Seattle on Wednesday night. Police think the person was bumped into the road by a bicyclist. Wednesday's incident isn't the first time a Metro bus was involved in a fatality accident this summer. Stephanie Reynolds, 52, of Shoreline was killed June 1, run over by the rear wheels of a bus at Northwest Richmond Beach Road and 15th...
- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 8:51 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsThe driver of a car that witnesses say was going over 100 mph is under arrest after he slammed into a truck on I-5 early Thursday, injuring his passengers and the driver of a bread truck. Two passengers in the Mercedes were injured, one of them critically. Both were transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The driver of the car was taken to Valley Medical Center.The passengers in...
- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 8:51 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousThe Coast Guard relieved the skipper of the Seattle-based icebreaker Healy of command Wednesday as it continues an investigation into the deaths of two divers from the ship. In replacing Capt. Douglas Russell, Vice Adm. Charles Wurster, who commands all Coast Guard operations in the Pacific from San Francisco headquarters, said he had "a loss of confidence in the officer's ability to...
- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 8:46 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA 45-year-old man was seriously injured in a two-car crash on Highway 302 in Purdy Tuesday night, a Washington State Patrol spokesman said. The westbound man was stopped to make a turn near Key Peninsula Highway when an eastbound car driven by a 16-year-old girl crossed the roadway's center line and struck the man's vehicle, said Trooper J.J. Gundermann. Medics took the man to Tacoma General...
- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 8:46 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsTwo people were injured, including one who was airlifted to Harborview Medical center when a semi-trailer truck apparently lost its brakes and drove out of control down an eastbound off ramp from Highway 520 in Redmond. The truck crossed West Lake Sammamish Parkway near Marymoor Park, knocking over road signs as it went off the road, and then careened over about a 30-foot-embankment before...
- Michael Myers | August 31, 2006 6:29 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousInjuries on State ferries are considered maritime claims. It does not matter whether the ferry was at the dock or underway. The test to determine whether a maritime claim exists is whether the vessel was in navigation in the navigable waters of the United States.Typically maritime claims are brought in federal court. But the 11th Amendment prohibits a state from being sued in Federal Court...
- Michael Myers | August 30, 2006 7:15 PM |
Category:
Nursing Home & Elder AbuseMany of our closest friends and cherished relatives live in nursing homes. We place our trust in the caregivers. When caregivers violate that trust, they need to face the consequences. And so must their employers. The headline read: "Nurse Surprised to Face Charges". The story indicated that the nurse charged with killing her 88-year-old patient by neglect said Tuesday that she followed the...
- Michael Myers | August 30, 2006 12:56 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsOn August 15, 2006 the fourth victim of a helicopter crash that killed three Payette National Forest firefighters and their pilot was been identified. Ms. Lillian M. Patten of Olympia, Washington was a fire lookout. She was on her way with other team members to a guard station when the helicopter crashed. Aviation experts from the U.S. Forest Service and the National Transportation Safety...
- Michael Myers | August 29, 2006 8:49 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousDell said Monday it will recall 4.1 million notebook-computer batteries made by Sony because they can overheat and catch fire. The company negotiated conditions of the recall with the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, which called it the largest electronics-related recall ever involving the agency. "In rare cases, a short-circuit could cause the battery to overheat, causing a risk of...
- Michael Myers | August 28, 2006 10:30 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsTwo men were ejected from a 1999 Porsche Boxster convertible after it struck a tree Saturday. Both men died at the scene. The crash happened when the driver lost control and struck a tree. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner identified the men as Jeffery Brown, 18, of Bothell, and John Muguerza, 44, of Snohomish. It's challenging to bring claims against friends or loved ones. But that's...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 8:37 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA bicyclist suffered life-threatening injuries Monday afternoon after being struck in a hit-and-run accident near 20th Avenue East and Union Street. Seattle police said the driver failed to stop after his truck hit the cyclist. Police are looking for a full-sized, red, Chevrolet Blazer-type vehicle, possibly from the 1970s or 1980s. It has a white or silver stripe with a damaged front...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 8:16 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA memorial fund has been set up in the name of Jasmine Ball of Olympia, who drowned in a rafting accident in the Yakima River. Donations are being taken in her name at South Sound Bank branches in Olympia. Friends and family are trying to raise money to help with funeral costs.Drowning accidents are tragic. While no amount of money can bring back loved ones, brining a claim can make sure that...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 6:41 PM |
Category:
Medical MalpracticeA USA Today article reports that the frequency of wrong-site surgery is increasing. The problem is "getting worse" and, because of underreporting, one expert states that: "I can assure you that this is just the tip of the iceberg." The USA Today points out the obvious when it observes "It is such a catastrophe when this [wrong site surgery] happens."Wrong site surgeries happen for a variety of...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 6:35 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousNumberous passengers on the Crown Princess cruise ship were injured after the vessel listed between 15 and 38 degrees to the right. The ship departed from Canaveral, Florida for New York on the final leg of a nine-day Caribbean voyage. In addition to claims aginat the cruise line, claims are also being brought agains component manufacturers including the manufacturers of the ship's autopilot...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 6:28 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousHigh winds and five- to seven-foot swells capsized a Makah tribal canoe near the Dungeness Spit late Wednesday afternoon, killing a Canadian tribal chief and hospitalizing three canoeists. Jerry Jack, 55, of Gold River, British Columbia, was pronounced dead at the scene, Clallam County Undersheriff Rich Sill said. Wrongful death claims may be brought regardless whether the accident occurred...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 6:23 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA Tacoma man died Friday night at Harborview Medical Center from injuries he suffered in an accident that killed his wife on Interstate 90 on Friday. Hoa Lam, 31, was a passenger in a 1994 Acura driven by his wife, Hgan Thi Than, 27, of Olympia. Than was driving west when she crossed into the eastbound lanes and went over the guardrail about six miles east of Ellensburg about 10:15 a.m.,...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 1:00 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA man trying to walk across Aurora Avenue North was hit and killed by a vehicle Friday night. The man, in his mid-50s, apparently was jaywalking near North 115th Street when he was hit at about 9 p.m. by a female driver, according to Seattle Police. The man was not using a nearby crosswalk, police said.Washington is what's called a pure comparative fault state. Even if the injured person was...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 12:59 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA 28-year-old bicyclist was badly injured in a collision with a sport utility vehicle at the intersection of 20th Avenue and Union Street. The woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center with injuries to her face, body and arms, as well as possible internal injuries. When a pedestrian or bicyclist is struck by a motor vehicle, the pedestrian or bicyclist can recover medical expenses under the...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 11:34 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousAn outing on Lake Washington turned deadly Wednesday evening when two people apparently drowned after jumping into the water from a small boat to cool off. A 34-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, both from Seattle, were on the boat along with the man's 18-year-old cousin when the three decided to take a quick swim before heading to shore. The man and the woman drowned. Accidents like this...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 8:08 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousThe first wave of lawsuits against Princess Cruise Lines have been filed and hundreds more are expected. Some attorneys involved indicate that some passengers may get millions of dollars.The Crown Princess suddenly tilted 15 degrees to the side for about 30 seconds as it left Port Canaveral on its way to New York. The incident two weeks ago sent objects and people flying across the...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 8:07 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA state trooper was involved in an injury accident on an Interstate 5 onramp. Trooper Nick King, 28, suffered a concussion in Monday's accident and is recovering at home. King's patrol car rear-ended a Seattle man's Mazda Miata on the southbound onramp from 236th Street Southwest and state Route 104. Leonard Whitfield, the other driver, was treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. ...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 8:06 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA woman died and three others were hospitalized after a single-car accident on Interstate 90 Friday morning. Hgan Thi Than, 27, of Olympia was driving west in a 1994 Acura when she crossed into the eastbound lanes and went over the guardrail about six miles east of Ellensburg at about 10:15 a.m., according to the Washington State Patrol. There are many potential causes of one-car accidents. ...
- Michael Myers | August 27, 2006 8:02 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA Comair flight carrying 50 people crashed a mile from Lexington's airport Sunday morning. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that 49 of the 50 on the plane were killed. Aviation injuries and deaths are frequently caused by human error. In this case, a plane was on the wrong runway. Sometimes human error can be attributed to the airlines. Other times it can be attributed to...
- Michael Myers | August 26, 2006 8:26 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsTwo people were pinned by a car in a downtown parking garage. The accident happened at the Medical Dental Building at 1629 Sixth Ave., where a parking attendant and a customer were hurt when a Lexus sedan suddenly barreled backward while exiting the garage and pinned them against a wall, Seattle police reported. One victim, a woman in her 50s, and the 21-year-old male parking attendant,...
- Michael Myers | August 26, 2006 8:21 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA 22-year-old Everett man is in custody after his Ford pickup truck lost its load, killing one person and injuring several others northbound on Interstate 5. The fatal five-vehicle collision occurred when a metal shelving unit fell out of the truck bed. As mentioned in prior blog entries, Washington has strict laws about securing loads. There are heavy fines and expansive civil liability for...
- Michael Myers | August 26, 2006 8:11 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA fatal collision and a semi-truck fire in Shoreline snarled I-5 between Seattle to Everett. Investigators believe a metal shelving unit fell from the back of a pickup. A Honda Civic reportedly traveling behind him swerved to avoid the shelving, crossed into the left lane and was hit broadside by a Lincoln Town Car. The driver of the Honda died at the scene.Serious accidents on the state...
- Michael Myers | August 26, 2006 9:45 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsAuthorities confirmed that a 21-year-old Navy sailor has died from injuries received in a one-car crash near Lake Tahuyeh that also killed his girlfriend. The sailor was identified as Anthony Garecht, 21, formerly of Lodi, Calif. He was a seaman apprentice aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, based in Bremerton. His girlfriend was identified as Hope Christina Graham, 21. She is...
- Michael Myers | August 26, 2006 4:10 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsTwo men were taken to Harborview Medical Center early this morning after a two-car collision on the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Two cars crashed into each other in the viaduct's southbound lanes near Pier 48, with one of the vehicles striking a guardrail just south of the Columbia Street onramp. A pedestrian walking on a street below the viaduct was struck by falling debris. The pedestrian may...
- Michael Myers | August 26, 2006 4:09 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA pickup truck was seized in connection with a hit-and-run accident that killed 12-year-old Justin Freeman. He was struck while riding his skateboard on the road with friends.It's important to report hit and run accidents. It's also important to know where children are playing and supervise them closes. Personal injury claims can be brought against caregivers who fail to adequately supervise...
- Michael Myers | August 26, 2006 4:05 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsQueen Anne resident Mary Katica Aylward, 83, was killed in a traffic accident at the intersection of Sixth Avenue West and West Blaine Street. Nearby residents say it's not the first time someone has died in a car wreck at that intersection, and they are urging the Seattle Department of Transportation to install four-way stop signs so that it doesn't happen again.Accidents like this may be the...
- Michael Myers | August 25, 2006 3:28 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousTwo soft drink companies have stopped using ingredients that can form cancer-causing benzene, according to a proposed lawsuit settlement. Parents sued Atlanta-based In Zone Brands Inc., maker of BellyWashers, and Preston, Washington-based TalkingRain Beverage Co., over drinks containing benzene, which is linked to leukemia. If you are aware of injuries or death resulting from unsafe food or...
- Michael Myers | August 25, 2006 3:01 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousThe U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has issued an opinion in Murphy v. IRS, holding that the tax code provisions imposing income tax on damages for emotional distress are unconstitutional because the damages do not constitute "income" within the meaning of the 16th Amendment.
- Michael Myers | August 25, 2006 2:50 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsOn August 21, 2006, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) passed a regulation regarding event data recorders (EDRs). This rule specifies uniform requirements for the accuracy, collection, storage, survivability, and retrievability of onboard motor vehicle crash event data in cars equipped with EDRs. The rule also contains an extensive discussion of privacy issues...
- Michael Myers | August 24, 2006 4:05 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsIn Seattle, cyclists can be fined $42 if they're caught riding without a helmet. There was some opposition at first, but now, most cyclists comply. Starting in 2003, Seattle required cyclists of all ages to wear a helmet. The rural areas of King County surrounding Seattle have had a helmet rule even longer -- since 1994. The rule in Seattle -- a board of health regulation, not a city or county...
- Michael Myers | August 24, 2006 11:35 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousOut of prison, Victor David wants to reunite with the wife he abused. Victor David has long insisted he isn't the "monster" behind what some have called the most egregious case of spousal abuse in state history. He proclaimed his innocence nine years ago after medics pulled his emaciated, battered wife, Linda, from the cramped and dirty sailboat where authorities say she was kept as a...
- Michael Myers | August 24, 2006 11:34 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA teenager who told authorities that retired Tacoma police officer Lee Giles Jr. and his girlfriend raped him for years is filing a $15 million claim against the City of Tacoma, his lawyer said Wednesday. Russell Van Camp, a Spokane lawyer representing the teen, said he mailed the claim to the city Wednesday. It contends the Tacoma Police Department was responsible for years of abuse the teen...
- Michael Myers | August 24, 2006 11:33 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA King County nursing assistant is on the run after being charged with second-degree rape. Lamin Darboe, a 39-year-old nursing assistant, was working at Kindred Hospital in Seattle. He is accused of taking advantage of a stroke victim who is paralyzed and cannot speak. Not only does the the stroke victim have claims against Mr. Darboe, it also has claims against his employer for, e.g., negligent...
- Michael Myers | August 24, 2006 11:12 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA team studying what to do about safety and traffic on Highway 2 hopes to get some ideas from the public at the Evergreen State Fair. The idea is to get information beyond what statistics can provide. The Washington State Department of Transportation is studying the section of road between Snohomish and Skykomish, locally known as the "highway of death." Between 1994 and 2005 there were 2,554...
- Michael Myers | August 24, 2006 11:12 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsAn Amtrak train hit a car that stalled on the tracks in Kelso. The driver ran from the disabled vehicle just before impact, and that no one was injured in the collision. The Amtrak train was headed northbound to Seattle. Fortunately the driver was not injured. Unfortunately railroad crossing cases are unfortunately quite common.
- Michael Myers | August 21, 2006 10:01 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousIn 2002, a Miami jury awarded a 78-year-old woman $21,000,000.00. The woman had been previously injured in an automobile accident. The key evidence: The at fault driver's cell phone records. The studies indicate that driving while speaking on a hand held cell phone is more dangerous than consuming enough alcohol to exceed many state's legal limits before getting in an automobile. The key to...
- Michael Myers | August 20, 2006 9:51 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousThe terrorist attacks of 9/11 affected our nation as a whole. Part of that affect was felt in personal injury litigation. Following 9/11 jury verdicts dropped precipitously.As a result of declining jury verdicts, insurance companies began offering less money to settle personal injury claims. There is a direct relationship between their perceived risk at trial and the amount offered at...
- Michael Myers | August 20, 2006 8:00 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousAs motorcycle makers report record sales 14 years in a row, the industry and the government are looking to curb a rising number of injuries and deaths. They are encouraging motorcyclists to ride sober, wear protective gear such as helmets, take training courses and get licensed. Motorcycle accidents almost always result in broken bones or more serious injuries. If you have been invovled in a...
- Michael Myers | August 20, 2006 12:55 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsVictoria Washines was driving southbound on Track Road just South of Wapato. She veered off the road way, over corrected and rolled her truck. Her 29-year-old passenger, Cialita Keys was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Key's is in serious condition after the rollover accident.Even if the driver was drinking, the injured passenger can recover under the driver's liability insurance...
- Michael Myers | August 18, 2006 9:45 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousRecreational facilities - including ski resorts - the attempt to limit their liability for injuries. For instance, they frequently utilize disclaimers. Disclaimers are usually included in fine print on their tickets. This fine print typically says the facility will not be liable for an injury suffered by a patron.Many courts, however, have held that these limitations of liability are...
- Michael Myers | August 17, 2006 9:43 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousThe West Virginia Court of Appeals held in 2002 that even though an injured person settled his medical malpractice suit against the negligent doctor, the hospital where the doctor worked could be sued. In the case, the plaintiff settled with the doctor for a confidential amount. The hospital then argued that the claim against it should be dismissed because it was only vicariously liable for...
- Michael Myers | August 16, 2006 9:14 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousComparative fault and comparative negligence the two are frequently used interchangeably defenses used when the person alleging that he or she suffered personal injuries also bears some responsibility. The most common application of comparative fault come when two cars collide and both drivers played a roll in the collision. Comparative fault is also used in less obvious circumstances.For...
- Michael Myers | August 15, 2006 9:23 PM |
Category:
Workplace InjuriesChase Anderson was working about 20 feet above the sub floor on the EnCana drilling rig when he fell about 11 p.m. Friday night. He was transported to Kadlec, and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He suffered four, six inch gashes down to the skull. After testing, it was found he had abdominal bleeding and a fracture C-5 vertebrate. He also broke the tips off C-6 and C-7....
- Michael Myers | August 15, 2006 9:08 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA pedestrian was hit by a car in the 19500 block of International Boulevard at 2:20 p.m. Monday. He was knocked under a Metro bus, but does not appear to have been injured by the bus, the sheriff's office said. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in serious to critical condition, police said. A sheriff's spokesman said there was no further informatio on the cause of the accident...
- Michael Myers | August 15, 2006 8:52 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA young boy died when his mother struck him with the family van while backing out of the driveway of Monday evening in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood. The boy ran out of the yard and was trying to get his mother's attention, but she didn't see him behind the van. The boy was rushed to Harborview Medical Center where he died from his injuries, the King County Medical Examiner's Office said...
- Michael Myers | August 15, 2006 8:37 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA head-on collision on U.S. 2 killed two people and injured four others on Monday.A Subaru, which was westbound on the highway, crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a Jeep Wrangler, said Keith Leary, a state patrol trooper.Marva D. Peterson, 56, Snohomish, the driver of the Subaru, and Roger J. Thomas, 40, Marysville, the driver of the Jeep, died at the scene, according to a state...
- Michael Myers | August 15, 2006 8:33 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousThere is a two year statute of limitations in Washington for bringing defamation claims. Defamation is the "catch all" term used in Washington to describe both libel and slander.Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. There are also instances where the otherwise defamatory statement is considered "privileged". One frequent privilege invoked is the litigation privilege. It prevents...
- Michael Myers | August 14, 2006 8:25 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsUnfortunately, pregnant woman are involved in automobile accidents. When they are involved in accidents, there can be injuries to their unborn children.Like in other contexts, an unborn child has rights in utero. For instance, a claim can be maintained against the at-fault driver for the injury suffered during the accident. This is true even if the accident was caused by the mother or father...
- Michael Myers | August 13, 2006 7:58 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousNo one knows for sure how many California lawyers lack malpractice insurance, but estimates run as high as 20 percent. That means almost 31,000 of the state's nearly 153,000 active lawyers have no way of compensating clients if they mess up a case. Tough luck for the consumer. But that could change under a proposal now being circulated by the State Bar to enact rules requiring attorneys to tell...
- Michael Myers | August 13, 2006 7:57 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsResearchers have found the following:Drivers 65 and over killed in car accidents were significantly more likely to die of a chest injury (47.3 percent vs. 24.0 percent in the youngest group)Younger drivers were more likely to die of a head injury (22.0 percent vs. 47.1 percent in the oldest group)Older drivers were more likely to die at a date after the crash date ("delayed death")Frailty or...
- Michael Myers | August 13, 2006 7:01 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousKing County Superior Court Judge Jim Rogers presided over a case where jurors awarded $1.75 million to a 26-year-old woman who said she did not give proper consent when a Centralia osteopathic doctor performed a hysterecomy on her three years ago. Medical malpractice laws in Washington were recently rewritten. You should contact an attorney about these changes.
- Michael Myers | August 13, 2006 6:59 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousResume fraud is a pervasive issue in the Seattle and throughout the state. Many people tend to exaggerate their accomplishments on their resumes. This is problematic in its own right but takes on especially significant proportions when the exaggeration is made by a physician. In a decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court, it was held that doctors can be sued for misrepresenting their...
- Michael Myers | August 13, 2006 6:51 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousAccidents treat people differently. Two people can be in the same car during a crash. One is severely injured. The other one isn't. But that doesn't mean only the injured person has a claim. The uninjured person has a claim of his or her own if (1) they were in fear of being injured themselves and/or (2) witnessed injury to a close family member. If you or a person close to you has a claim...
- Michael Myers | August 13, 2006 2:48 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA Seattle police officer died after a speeding sport-utility vehicle struck his patrol car in the city's Central District early Sunday morning. The officer was driving northbound on 23rd Avenue South through a green light at about 4 a.m. when an eastbound GMC Yukon ran a red light and struck the middle of his patrol car, police spokesman Sean Whitcomb said. "The officer was killed instantly." ...
- Michael Myers | August 12, 2006 6:49 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousWhen parents are injured as the result of someone else's negligence they have personal injury claims. It is quite possible that their spouses (or in some cases their domestic partners) have loss of consortium claims (basically, for the loss of at least part of the relationship) with a loved one. The children of the injured parent are often overlooked. But children, and even stepchildren, may...
- Michael Myers | August 12, 2006 3:34 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousWhen the Institute of Medicine issued a landmark report in 1999 saying that up to 98,000 people die each year in hospitals because of medical errors, a national effort was launched to improve patient safety. And patient rights groups began pushing for disclosure of more information when problems or medical errors occur. But there are still significant problems. Not just with patients dying...
- Michael Myers | August 12, 2006 3:08 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousThe Bellingham Herald reports that the City of Bellingham has set aside $400,000 to cover a potential settlement in a lawsuit after a train crashed into a woman's car in 2001. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Alizon Veit, named both BNSF Railway Co. and the City as liable parties for the crash.As this case illustrates, train crashes can involve the fault of several parties (drivers, train...
- Michael Myers | August 12, 2006 2:53 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousOver the past 10 years whiplash injuries have increased. There are approximately 3,000,000 whiplash injuries per year attributable to stiffened bumper systems designed to protect the cars and avoid property damage repairs by the insurance industry. Studies show that car bumpers can withstand 10 - 12 mph low speed (yet hard impact) crashes with little or no damage. But these crashes kill a...
- Michael Myers | August 11, 2006 6:25 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsPerson's injured in automobile collisions will often receive benefits under the personal injury protection (PIP) portions of their insurance policies. Despite the fact that they have been paid premiums, the insurance companies will oftentimes seek to recoup these payments when the injured person's personal injury claim settles against the at fault party. This comes as an unwelcome surprise to...
- Michael Myers | August 11, 2006 6:21 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousWe've probably settled a 1000 cases. And without exception the clients--regardless of sophistication--are focused on how much they will net...on how much they will put in their pockets. It's difficult to have to tell them that their precise calculation of attorney fees, costs advance, insurance subrogation, etc. are IRRELEVANT to the decision whether to settle their cases. The only relevant...
- Michael Myers | August 10, 2006 6:12 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousHome Owner's Insurance provides a significant breadth of coverage and can be implicated when there otherwise doesn't appear to be a means of recovery. A good example came up a couple of years ago. One of our clients' sons was hit in the eye with a bottle rocket. The child who shot the bottle rocket didn't have any money. And neither did his parents. But his parents did own their home. We...
- Michael Myers | August 10, 2006 8:53 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsPassengers face what seems like a difficult choice: go without compensation or make a claim when they are injured in an accident caused by a friend for family member. Ryan P. Leitch was involved in a roll-over accident. He died at the scene.His passenger, James P. Kendrick of Naches, suffered neck injuries. The injuries were significant and he was transfered to Harborview Medical Center.But...
- Michael Myers | August 09, 2006 6:03 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousVideo surveillance is pervasive. Statistics show that the average person is videotaped without his or her knowledge 10 or 15 times a day.Video surveillance is also highly advantageous in proving both liability and damages in a personal injury case. Video cameras are installed almost everywhere. They are at many intersections and also in many places of business.In a recent case against...
- Michael Myers | August 09, 2006 9:58 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousYou are entitled to recovery of lost wages after being involved in an accident. Sometimes insurance carriers take the position that you should not be entitled to recover any compensation for the time you were off work if you are salaried. This position is inconsistent with Washington law. The insurance company does not get the benefit of your agreement with your employer - you do. We have...
- Michael Myers | August 09, 2006 7:11 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousParents can be sued for injuries caused by their children. For instance, where a man was injured by a boy riding a bicycle, he was able to sue the boy's father for failing to control his child. This ruling was issued by the Montana Supreme Court.In the case, the injured man claimed that the child was riding his bike in a crowd when he collided with the injured man. The father argued that he...
- Michael Myers | August 09, 2006 5:53 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousSeattle remains an important port on the West Coast. The maritime industries are a signficiant part of our economy and heritgage. As a result, Seattle is also a key jurisdiction for the resolution of maritime cliams. Martime claims come in a variety of forms. They can involve fisherman and crew members on container ships. Maritime claims also exist where persons--not typically thought of as...
- Michael Myers | August 08, 2006 10:27 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsAn Aberdeen woman (Deborah Vaughn-Alejandro) died on July 30, 2006. She was a passenger in one of four vehicles that were involved in the wreck. The State Patrol reports that the accident that killed Deborah Vaughn-Alejandro was one of five accidents that took on a portion of I-5 where state Department of Transportation had lanes closed for construction. In addition to claims agains the...
- Michael Myers | August 08, 2006 10:09 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousNearly 40 people have died in motorcycle crashes around the state this year. Since 1999, the number of motorcycles licensed in the state is up 60 percent, while the number of motorcycle deaths has risen by 89 percent.In Thurston and Mason counties, at least three people have died this year in motorcycle crashes and at least eight other wrecks caused serious injuries to riders.• Gregory Allen...
- Michael Myers | August 08, 2006 10:06 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsAs reported earlier, a Renton man was burned over most of his body and his passenger ejected when their sport utility vehicle crashed. There are allegations it was involved in a hit-and-run accident.The accident happened just before 3 a.m. Monday on the offramp from northbound Interstate 5 to South 200th Street in SeaTac.It began with a minor hit-and-run accident on I-5 in Federal Way. The...
- Michael Myers | August 08, 2006 9:57 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA French official said that Floyd Landis' doping samples contained synthetic testosterone -- indicating the substance came from an outside source.The announcement came after a second doping test came up positive earlier Saturday. The American Tour de France champion responded by saying he "never taken any banned substance" and that he won because he "was the strongest man" in the race.The...
- Michael Myers | August 08, 2006 7:11 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousTwo people were hurt after a fiery crash on I-5 near SeaTac Monday morning. State Patrol troopers said it started as a hit and run crash on I-5 North in Federal Way between a Ford Excursion and another vehicle. There were no injuries in that crash, but the Excursion took off. Troopers say the driver eventually flipped the car while trying to get off the South 200th Street exit and the car...
- Michael Myers | August 08, 2006 6:54 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA 21-year-old Everett woman died over the weekend after a boating accident in Eastern Washington.Olga Davydenko died Saturday after she was thrown from a boat on Alta Lake near Pateros in Okanogan County. She was hit by teh boat's propeller.According to an Okanogan County Sheriff's Office news release, she had been riding in the bow of the boat when the boat's driver made a sharp turn, ejecting...
- Michael Myers | August 08, 2006 6:43 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsAs reported earlier, Washington State Patrol investigators are trying to figure out what caused a car to plow into an oncoming car Friday, killing a Woodinville man.A trooper interviewed the driver of the car at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where she was being treated for several broken bones, trooper Keith Leary said.The accident closed down the highway for about two hours.The woman's...
- Michael Myers | August 08, 2006 6:35 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousTwo brothers were killed in separate motorcycle accidents on the same stretch of road and within just two hours of each other. One was headed to the scene of his brother's accident.Steven Kerr, 37, of West Sunbury, was killed late Saturday when his motorcycle crashed into a speed limit sign on state Route 38, state police said.Less than two hours later and only about 100 yards away, 29-year-old...
- Michael Myers | August 07, 2006 10:59 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA teenager was run over by a boat driven by his sister during an outing on Lake Sammamish. The 16-year-old boy was swimming with his father near a buoy offshore Thursday evening around 9:30. The boy was in critical condition in Harborview Medical Center Friday in the intensive care unit.His 18-year-old sister was in the family's 19-foot ski boat returning from visiting friends on another part...
- Michael Myers | August 07, 2006 9:21 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousOn September 12, 2001, 16 guests from Holland America Line's ms Maasdam were involved in the crash of a sightseeing plane over Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. There were no survivors. The guests were traveling on a seven-day Caribbean cruise with a group of University of Washington Husky football fans who planned to arrive in Florida to attend this weekend's scheduled UW-Miami football game. The...
- Michael Myers | August 07, 2006 7:52 AM |
Category:
Workplace InjuriesSix pipeline workers were nearly electrocuted Thursday when their construction equipment either touched or got too close to high-voltage power lines.The accident happened east of Arlington underneath the Bonneville Power Administration's 230,000-volt Snohomish-to-Murray line.Arlington Fire Department Chief Jim Renkin said the workers were unloading sections of gas pipeline when the accident...
- Michael Myers | August 06, 2006 10:38 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsSources in Ohio reported former senator and astronaut John Glenn and his wife, Annie, were discharged Sunday from a hospital where they had been recovering from what he called a "very serious" car accident."I do not recommend you go test your air bags the way we did the other night," Glenn said.Neither Glenn nor his wife was seriously injured, said Dr. Paul Beery. Beery said the former senator...
- Michael Myers | August 06, 2006 10:31 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousBetween 700 and 800 bicyclists a year are killed in crashes with motor vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Another 45,000 or so are injured.Those are enormous numbers. The cyclists injured because of driver negligence need the best legal help available. Injured riders, for instance, are entitled to Personal Injury Protection (PIP) under the driver's...
- Michael Myers | August 06, 2006 10:03 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsYou are involved in an accident. Not only did you suffer injuries, your car is also damaged. The insurance carrier for the at-fault driver has an obligation to promptly adjust and settle the property damage claim before the bodily injury component is resolved.Unfortunately, many insurers do not abide by this law. And even if they do, they frequently omit certain key forms of compensation you...
- Michael Myers | August 06, 2006 7:04 PM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsKOMO News reports that one person is dead and another suffered serious injuries in a head-on crash near Mill Creek Friday morning. The initial investigation showed a 32-year-old woman was driving southbound on SR-527 when she crossed the centerline in the 18300 block and collided head on with another car.The driver of the other car, a 57-year-old Woodinville man, died on the way to the...
- Michael Myers | August 06, 2006 6:54 PM |
Category:
Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)Last Friday six people were shot at a Jewish Charity in Seattle. Acts of violence like this implicate both criminal and civil laws. The person who filed the shots will be charged with murder. The victims and their families also have personal injury claims agianst him. More likely than not, he will not have assets sufficient to satisfy any judgments entered against him. But the victims and...
- Michael Myers | August 05, 2006 8:09 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousIn previous entry, we discussed the challenges faced by older attorneys. Older attorneys frequently find themselves defendants in malpractice actions. This can happen because of a number of factors including failing memories and not keeping up with evolving standards of practice. A related challenge can be calendaring. In the modern law office, almost all calendaring is done electronically. ...
- Michael Myers | August 05, 2006 9:50 AM |
Category:
MiscellaneousA Princess cruise ship listed heavily while at sea on its way to New York Tuesday, injuring some of the passengers aboard. The Crown Princess, owned by Princess Cruises, had just departed from Port Canaveral at when it experienced problems with its steering equipment and rolled heavily to one side. The ship, which began sailing a month ago, listed to the portside of the vessel. Princess Cruises...
- Michael Myers | August 04, 2006 10:48 PM |
Category:
MiscellaneousSafeco reported strong second-quarter results, reflecting consistent, profitable underwriting performance across all major lines of business. The Seattle company produced net income for second-quarter 2006 of $199.7 million. This compares with net income of $187.3 million for the same quarter last year.Think about that next time a claims adjustor tries to low-ball you on a personal injury...
- Michael Myers | August 04, 2006 8:00 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsA 39-year-old Bellevue man and a 24-year-old woman from Gold Bar were injured when the sport-utility-vehicle they were riding in collided Thursday with a state Department of Transportation (DOT) truck on Interstate 90 near Issaquah.The collision took place about 12:20 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of I-90 near West Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast, the State Patrol reported.A DOT crew was doing...
- Michael Myers | August 02, 2006 8:10 AM |
Category:
Automobile AccidentsThe woman who died in a Redmond car crash early Sunday has been identified by the King County Medical Examiner's Office as Emily Smith, 22.Smith, of Bothell, died when an eastbound 1993 Honda Prelude in which she was riding left Redmond Way near Willows Road about 2 a.m. Sunday, went through a guardrail and hit a tree, Redmond police reported. The driver, 21, of Redmond, was taken to Harborview...