Automobile Accidents

• Lawsuits Require Time, Energy and Constitutional Fiber

  Michael Myers | December 20, 2006 1:51 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Mediations are hard work. But nothing like going to trial. Or the commitment of time, energy and expense that goes into preparing for trial.A signficant amount of effort is required to successfully mediate a case. But the effort expended at mediation pales in comparison to the work necessary to take a case to trial. If your case can't be settled then you have to be prepared to do the...

• 17,000 Children Injured on School Buses Each Year

  Michael Myers | December 20, 2006 1:07 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  New national data show school bus-related accidents send 17,000 U.S. children to emergency rooms each year, more than double the number in previous estimates that only included crashes.Safety belts, or "safe belts" as they are called by Kanye West, are needed on school buses to help reduce these numbers. Fortunately some Washington legislators support a new law that would require safety belts.

• Community Shows its Support for Injured Medina Boy

  Michael Myers | December 18, 2006 7:25 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  After a bad accident families in Medina rallied behind Ethan Zilz. Ethan was struck by a Puget Sound Energy utility truck on September 29, 2006. His injuries resulted in the amputation of his left leg below the knee.We have represented a number of people who have suffered amputations. Their progress seems to directly linked to the support they receive from family and friends. We applaude...

• Serious Injuries in Tacoma Crash

  Michael Myers | December 18, 2006 7:18 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Washington State Patrol related that 20-year-old Alexander Moore was going west on Pullman Airport Roadwhen he drifted right, overcorrected and crashed into a ditch on the opposite side of the road.Two of the four people in the car were thrown from the vehicle. One of the passengers, 19-year-old Angelica Messenger, was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Two others, Patrick Kelley...

• Employee Falls from Van and Dies--Catering Firm Fined

  Michael Myers | December 18, 2006 1:42 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  The Department of Labor and Industries investigates accidents that happen at work. (It also investigates accidents involving elevators.)In November of this year the Department announced it has fined a catering company a total of $4,500 for safety violations related to Yen Nguyen's fatal fall from a food-delivery van along the West Seattle Bridge.The Department's reports and their findings are...

• Event Data Recorder--The Little Black Box Is a Big Deal In Motor Vehicle Accidents

  Michael Myers | December 18, 2006 1:17 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  More and more investigations by the police are including data from the Event Data Recorder. Event Data Recorders are also known as EDRs or little black boxes. EDRs are installed on most newer cars and record information regarding speed and braking prior to an accident. This data becomes part of the accident investigations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants...

• Drunk Driver Causes Massive Accident on 520

  Michael Myers | December 17, 2006 9:10 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Washington state troopers say a drunk driver is to blame for a high speed crash that injured 6-7 people and shut down the eastbound lanes of the 520 floating bridge early this morning. The four-car crash happened as crews were doing a monthly inspection of the bridge ahead of the massive wind storm. Under most if not all auto insurance policies, coverage is provided for accidents even if the...

• Air Crashes--How Soon May Lawyers Solicit

  Michael Myers | December 17, 2006 11:24 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  There is a 1996 federal law that prohibits lawyers from contacting relatives within 30 days of a plane crash. The law was designed to prevent the undignified solicitation that previously occurred following a major air disaster. The federal government believed that the family members should be given 30 days to put their affairs in order before they were contacted by personal injury attorneys. ...

• Mediation and Arbitration--Part Deux

  Michael Myers | December 16, 2006 9:06 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Sometimes the terms "mediation" and "arbitration" are confused. They sound similar and are both forms of "alternative dispute resolution" (sometimes referred to as "ADR"). But they are really quite different.Arbitration is like a private trial. An arbitrator (usually a retired judge or very seasoned attorney) serves in a role like a judge. Though arbitration is typically less formal than...

• Mediation and Arbitration--Part One

  Michael Myers | December 15, 2006 9:05 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Sometimes the terms "mediation" and "arbitration" are confused. They sound similar and are both forms of "alternative dispute resolution" (sometimes referred to as "ADR"). But they are really quite different.Mediation is a facilitated settlement negotiation. The parties gather in separate conference rooms and a neutral third party (usually a retired judge or very seasoned attorney) shuttles...