When Is a Fatal Car Accident Considered Wrongful Death?

Losing a loved one in a fatal car accident is always shocking and devastating. Surviving family is left to pick up the pieces – both emotionally and financially – and may be left wondering how they are going to get by without their suddenly deceased family member.

According to IIHS, there were 33,654 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2018, resulting in 36,560 deaths. The accidents and deaths resulted in a death rate of 11.2 deaths per 100,000 people and 1.13 deaths per 100 million miles traveled. But how do we know when a fatal accident rises to the level of wrongful death?

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Seeking Justice for Sexual Misconduct by a Medical Professional

We place a lot of trust in doctors to help keep our minds and bodies healthy. While the vast majority of health professionals are committed to acting with the utmost integrity, there are a tiny percentage who are predators. When a doctor or other medical professional sexually assaults or acts indecently with a patient, they have broken the duty of care they are expected to uphold and should be held accountable for their actions. Civil lawsuits for sexual misconduct fall under personal injury laws while criminal charges fall under criminal law.

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Does Sexual Misconduct Fall Under Medical Malpractice?

We trust doctors and other healthcare professionals to provide competent and respectful medical care and this is what we get the vast majority of the time. In rare cases, a healthcare professional breaks the trust given to them by acting in a negligent or inappropriate way. When a doctor uses their position of power or authority to make unwelcome and/or inappropriate sexual contact or sexual comments, sexual misconduct may have occurred. Sexual misconduct is a type of medical malpractice.

Patients who are victimized by sexual misconduct have the right to hold the medical professional accountable for their actions. A medical malpractice claim may be appropriate. Speak to a medical malpractice attorney who can discuss your legal rights and options.

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Avoid Flooded Roadways Because Of Increased Risk of Car Accidents

In Whatcom County, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on reports of flooding in certain areas from mid-fall through mid-spring. This is because when it rains a lot, rivers, creeks and ponds can overflow onto the roadways. Drivers should avoid any flooded roads if at all possible because driving through a flooded area impacts the operation of your vehicle and increases your risk of being in a car accident.

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How to Drive Safely on an Icy Hill

The USDOT Federal Highway Administration data shows an average of 536,731 icy road accidents every year. Out of these accidents, about 1,836 people die and 136,309 more are injured. NOAA records accident fatalities for a range of weather-related accidents such as flood, wind and cold but not for icy roads. If they did, they would find that the average icy road fatality count is 3.6 times the total deaths from all other weather hazards combined (507 combined deaths over a 10-year average compared to 1,836 for ice alone). See chart at icyroadsafety.com.

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What Types of Evidence Are Gathered for Personal Injury Cases?

A personal injury claim is filed to recover damages for people who were injured because of the negligence of another. Cases involving serious, long-term injuries can yield large settlements but even with less serious injuries people can recover substantial damages for medical expenses and lost wages during recovery. A lawsuit brought by a personal injury lawyer is also a way to hold the negligent party responsible for their behavior. Common types of personal injury claims include wrongful death, motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and medical malpractice.

If you have spoken with a personal injury lawyer and they have agreed to take your case, the attorney will begin moving through the steps of a personal injury claim; beginning with gathering all relevant documents and evidence.

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NSC: New Year’s Day Holiday Period Traffic Fatality Estimate for 2021

The National Safety Council estimates that 384 people will die in traffic accidents on U.S. roads this New Year’s Day holiday period and an additional 43,800 will suffer an injury severe enough to require medical attention. While this year is not normal, many will still choose to gather with friends and family to celebrate the new year. As it is with most holiday celebrations, alcohol is almost always involved. More people traveling on the roads combined with more people consuming alcohol, leads to increased traffic accident deaths year after year.

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What You Should Know about Drugged Driving Accidents

To drive safely, drivers must be fully alert and focused. Thousands of unnecessary collisions happen every year because drivers get behind the wheel while they are impaired with drugs or alcohol. A drugged driving accident is when a crash occurs because the driver was impaired from the effects of recent drug use. After alcohol, marijuana is the most commonly found substance in drivers’ blood after they are involved in a crash. The bottom line is that drugged driving endangers the driver, their passengers, and other vehicles and pedestrians on the road.

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Bellingham Woman Involved in Fatal Highway Crash in Skagit County

As reported by kgmi.com, a Bellingham woman named Sonja Bratz was involved in a fatal highway crash in Skagit County on the evening of Friday, December 18. According to state troopers, Bratz was driving southbound on State Route 20 when she crossed over the center line and struck a vehicle driven by an Anacortes woman. Bratz died at the scene of the accident and the driver of the other vehicle was airlifted to Harborview. At this time, it is unknown if alcohol or drugs were involved; the cause of the accident is still under investigation.

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December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

Since 1981, every president of the United States has proclaimed December as National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month or, more recently, National Impaired Driving Prevention Month to create awareness about the dangers of driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol. December is chosen for the simple reason that the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day have consistently higher rates of drug and alcohol related crashes. December, 2020 was declared National Impaired Driving Prevention Month by President Trump.

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