Automobile Accidents

• Federal Judge Tosses Out Waiver

  Mark McLean | August 18, 2007 8:25 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  A 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...

• DUI Suspected in Mason County Crashing Injuring Five

  Mark McLean | August 17, 2007 2:28 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  A 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...

• Metro Bus Involved in Head-On Collision

  Mark McLean | August 10, 2007 7:54 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  The 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...

• Injured Deputy's Assailant Pleads Not Guilty

  Mark McLean | August 09, 2007 2:38 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Robert 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....

• Enumclaw Crash Injures Four Teens; Alcohol Likely Plays a Part

  Mark McLean | August 09, 2007 2:34 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Four 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...

• Centralia Crash Leaves Two Dead

  Mark McLean | August 07, 2007 3:17 PM | 1 CommentSeattle, WA

  Two 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...

• At Least Five Die in Minnesota Bridge Collapse

  Mark McLean | August 06, 2007 12:05 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  At 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...

• Hoquiam Teen Suffers Personal Injury in Car Crash

  Mark McLean | August 02, 2007 12:50 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  A 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...

• Deputy Struck by Drunk Driver Improving

  Mark McLean | August 02, 2007 12:38 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  King 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...

• Tanker Truck Explodes, Kills One

  Mark McLean | August 02, 2007 10:42 AM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  An 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....