- Michael Myers | August 31, 2007 8:22 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsAccidents seem to happen more frequently over the summer. Last weekend was no exception. A seven-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 just south of the King-Pierce county line Saturday morning left a 14-year-old boy seriously injured and closed all southbound lanes of the freeway for more than five hours.At its worst, traffic on southbound I-5 was backed up seven miles, nearly to Kent, said Lauren...
- Chelsea Gilbert | August 30, 2007 8:57 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsThree young people were injured in a car accident Wednesday night when the stolen car they were riding in crashed into a utility pole. They had previously been stopped by the police but took off as officers approached the car on foot.Mark Jamieson of the Seattle Police Department said the three injured young people -- the driver and two passengers -- were taken to Seattle's Harborview Medical...
- Mark McLean | August 24, 2007 1:39 PM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)Sue Ann Gorman of Gig Harbor was mauled by two pit bulls in her home Tuesday morning. The pit bulls entered the house through an unsecured pet door in Ms. Gorman's home. Ms. Gorman was sleeping beside her neighbor's Jack Russell Terrier, Romeo. Romeo was killed and Ms. Gorman was severely injured in the attack. She said she tried to protect Romeo and, in doing so, suffered wounds that will...
- Mark McLean | August 24, 2007 12:55 PM |
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MiscellaneousA plane crash north of Ketchikan, Alaska killed four Holland America Line patrons on a "flightseeing" tour. Five other Holland America patrons were seriously injured. Three of the five survivors were airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and are in critical condition. The plane was operated by SeaWind Aviation.Victims of the crash include Eric, Christine and (three year old)...
- Mark McLean | August 23, 2007 3:53 PM |
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Workplace InjuriesA 28 year old Tenino man died last week when he slipped at an Olympia construction site, hit his head on a backhoe and fell 15 feet into a ditch. The construction site was operated by Olson Brothers Excavating, Inc. This was the second construction-related death in a week in Thurston County. Washington's Industrial Insurance Act allows for fault-free "worker's compensation" benefits to...
- Mark McLean | August 21, 2007 3:54 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsKoti Hu, the Next Generation Worship Leader at Westminster Chapel church in Bellevue, is improving after he suffered a broken neck and spinal injuries when he was rear-ended on an I-405 on-ramp nearly three weeks ago. Mr. Hu is currently rehabilitating his injuries and his condition seems to be improving. In many cases of brain and spinal injuries, the injured person will likely incur damages...
- Mark McLean | August 21, 2007 3:39 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsMaria Federici suffered severe personal injuries--including (permanent) blindness, shattered bones in her face and severed arteries--when cargo from a U-Haul trailer in front of her fell out of the trailer and hit her vehicle. The accident and Ms. Federici's subsequent injuries led to "Maria's Law" which mandates stricter tie-down requirements and increases penalties for violators. Apparently...
- Mark McLean | August 21, 2007 1:32 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA pickup truck veered off the roadway, crashed into a tree and went up in flames on Highway 8 near McCleary on Saturday. The driver of the truck was killed and the passenger, Puyallup's Paul Orris, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition. Matthew A. Lingley, a 26-year-old Graham man, was driving a 1988 Ford flatbed truck eastbound on Highway 8 when the truck left the...
- Mark McLean | August 18, 2007 8:25 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Federal District Court Judge in Florida recently issued an opinion holding liability waivers invalid when they are applied to conduct which violates certain safety statutes. The Court held:"It would be against public policy to enforce contract clauses purporting to exempt liveries from liability for violating these [safety] statutes...the provisions are invalid as against public policy when...
- Mark McLean | August 17, 2007 2:28 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Sunday accident on Highway 3 in North Mason County injured five people, including two children. "As the Port Orchard driver began to pass the pickup, he hit the left rear corner of the truck, according to Washington State Patrol reports. The Port Orchard man's van then hit, head-on, a 2006 Toyota Scion traveling in the northbound lane, according to reports." Police suspect that the driver of...
- Mark McLean | August 17, 2007 8:04 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently tossed out a jury verdict awarding a cancer victim $300,000. The victim won her lawsuit alleging that the radiation she was exposed to at Hanford Nuclear Reserve caused her cancer. The Court of Appeals tossed out the verdict because it was not brought within the mandatory statute of limitations (the time period one has to bring...
- Mark McLean | August 17, 2007 7:49 AM |
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Medical MalpracticeHeart attacks are a leading cause of death in America. Sadly, however, they also could be prevented in many cases. Diet and exercise are the best forms of prevention. But sometimes heart attacks occur because doctors misdiagnose them and their warning signs. Recent articles suggest that misdiagnosis often occurs because health care organizations are focused on the bottom line. When patients...
- Mark McLean | August 16, 2007 3:18 PM |
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Miscellaneous18 passengers were injured when a cruise ship in the Arctic Ocean was hit with ice falling from a nearby glacier. Three passengers and a Russian crewman were flown to hospital in Tromso after the incident, which happened off the Svalbard Islands 300 miles north of Norway on Wednesday.Two of the passengers have serious but non-life-threatening injuries after being thrown around on the ship when...
- Mark McLean | August 16, 2007 3:01 PM |
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MiscellaneousWashington Attorney General Rob McKenna is one of 24 attorneys general throughout the country warning consumers to be wary of defective tires sold by Hangzhou Zhongce, or "HGR" , a Chinese tire manufacturer. Apparently, defective HGR tires have been suspected in causing a litany of car accidents in recent months. A recall is expected soon. Even though HGR is a foreign corporation, it is still...
- Mark McLean | August 10, 2007 7:54 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsThe driver of a Honda Civic was killed in a head-on collision with a Metro Bus Tuesday morning. The accident occurred on State Route 169 near Renton, Washington. Apparently, the driver of the Civic hit the bus head-on while attempting to pass slower trucks. The driver of a southbound Honda Civic apparently tried to pass several dump trucks but couldn't get back into the southbound lanes in...
- Mark McLean | August 09, 2007 3:49 PM |
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MiscellaneousA surprising number of cruise ship patrons are injured aboard ships every year. Holland America Line is a giant of the cruise line industry. Holland America's cruise tickets contain small print forcing requirements on its patrons including a one-year limitation on claims and that all lawsuits must be filed in Seattle courts, among others. Holland America also recognizes the power of a...
- Mark McLean | August 09, 2007 2:38 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsRobert Beltran Cedeno, the alleged drunk driver who struck King County Sheriff's Deputy Donn Potteiger pleaded not guilty to Driving Under the Influence yesterday. Doctors were forced to amputate Deputy Potteiger's leg as a result of the accident.Cedeno's guilt or innocence in his criminal trial is a separate issue from his liability in the civil context for causing Deputy Potteiger's injuries....
- Mark McLean | August 09, 2007 2:34 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsFour teenagers were badly injured in a single-car motor vehicle accident near the Muckleshoot Reservation outside of Enumclaw early Wednesday morning. Two of the teens were airlifted to Harborview Medical Center. Officials believe that alcohol played a role in the crash.Drinking and driving obviously carries potential criminal penalties. But it also affects civil liability. Under Washington...
- Mark McLean | August 07, 2007 3:17 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsTwo people died following a car crash near Centralia last week. Apparently, the driver was speeding, left the roadway and hit a tree, killing both himself and a passenger.The driver of a 1990 Honda Civic, Gabriel S. Escamilla, 35, of Centralia, and passenger Candace M. Leyva, 21, were headed eastbound on Seminary Hill Road about 9:50 p.m. when the car left the roadway at Grimes Road and hit a...
- Mark McLean | August 07, 2007 2:49 PM |
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MiscellaneousApple and AT&T are facing a potential class-action lawsuit over the battery life of the new iPhone. The suit alleges not only that the iPhone was defective, but also that corporate officers knew of the defects and fraudulently withheld that information from customers. The lawsuit follows a complaint sent to Apple CEO Steve Jobs by the New York State Consumer Protection Board which asks him to...
- Mark McLean | August 06, 2007 2:21 PM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)Father Dennis Kemp, Pastor at St. Monica's Church on Mercer Island, has been suspended during the pendency of an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct with a minor. Details surrounding the allegations have not been released and the King County Prosecutors' Office has declined to press charges.It appears that Father Kemp will not face criminal charges for the alleged conduct. ...
- Mark McLean | August 06, 2007 12:05 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsAt least five people were killed and eight are still missing in the wake of the tragic Interstate 35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis on Thursday. Investigators still have not determined the exact cause of the accident. However, new information has surfaced that warning signs were present before the crash during construction projects on the bridge. [C]onstruction crews working on the Interstate...
- Mark McLean | August 06, 2007 11:12 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)Home Depot could be held liable to a Louisiana couple for injuries the wife suffered when she was struck by a 600-pound box that fell from one of the store's shelves.A Louisiana couple has hit Home Depot Inc. with a lawsuit, asking the court to hold the home improvement giant accountable for the substantial injuries the wife allegedly sustained after being hit by a 600 pound box that fell from...
- Mark McLean | August 02, 2007 12:50 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Hoquiam teenager is in critical condition after a vehicle she was a passenger in crashed into a pole in an early Sunday morning accident. The 19 year old driver admitted that alcohol played a role in the crash. The driver of the car told officers that she had been drinking and that she was traveling around 55 to 60 miles per hour just prior to the collision. She said she lost control of the...
- Mark McLean | August 02, 2007 12:38 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsKing County Sheriff's Deputy Donn Potteiger is improving after being struck by a drunk driver while on duty. However, Deputy Potteiger was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center where doctors were forced to amputate his leg.Potteiger was hurt after being hit by an alleged drunk driver. His right leg was amputated below he knee Monday evening.Washington worker's compensation laws allow...
- Mark McLean | August 02, 2007 12:16 PM |
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MiscellaneousSamsung customers recently filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, alleging that it knowingly sold faulty camcorders, forcing customers to pay as much as $150 to fix them.In a lawsuit filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Samsung is accused of ignoring customer complaints that its camcorders with an image sensor device known as a CCD imager...
- Mark McLean | August 02, 2007 11:41 AM |
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MiscellaneousBarBri, the nation's leading preparation course for bar examinations throughout the country, recently settled a class action lawsuit brought by its customers, alleging BarBri violated antitrust laws by, among other things, colluding with Kaplan (an LSAT preparation course) to stay out of each other's dominant areas of emphasis. The case settled for $49 million.
- Mark McLean | August 02, 2007 10:51 AM |
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MiscellaneousIn the latest scandal involving Chinese food exports, tainted ginger has recently been recalled. Apparently, the ginger contained a toxic pesticide.State and federal health officials are now working to determine how the ginger got into this country and how widely it has been sold. It's not the first time that contaminated Chinese ginger has been a problem.U.S. port inspectors in Seattle have...
- Mark McLean | August 02, 2007 10:42 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsAn accident between a tanker truck, motorcycle and a pickup truck on Highway 101 north of Shelton recently left one dead and others injured. Apparently, the pickup truck ventured into on-coming traffic and struck the tanker. The tanker exploded after the collision. The driver of the tanker, Phillip Simpson, and the driver of the motorcycle, George Strock, both suffered serious injuries....