Car Accident Attorney Blog Bellingham

4 Vehicle Rollover Crash Snarls Traffic On I-5

It’s fall in the Pacific Northwest and that inevitably means more rain and wet roads. Rainy and wet road conditions can increase the risk of a crash. According to the Federal Highway Administration, 74 percent of all weather-related car accidents happen on wet pavement and 46 percent happen during rainfall. For comparison, 12 percent of weather-related accidents occur on icy roads while 14 percent occur on snowy or slushy pavement. That means that wet roads contribute to five times as many car accidents as icy or snowy road conditions.

One of the biggest factors in the danger of wet roads versus icy or snowy roads is driving behaviors; drivers are more likely to slow down and leave extra space between vehicles when they know that roads are icy versus when they are wet. What drivers need to know is that it takes about three times longer to brake on wet roads than on dry roads so we should be slowing down in the rain or after a rainfall. An accident that happened in Bellingham yesterday afternoon may have been worsened by the wet roadway.

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String of 3 DUI Crashes Reported Over the Weekend

While we have made great strides on education around the consequences of drinking and driving, there are still far too many accidents involving alcohol. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), each day about 28 Americans die in DUI crashes. In the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, more than 10,000 people died every year in drunk driving car accidents.

We Fight for Victims of DUI Crashes

Tario & Associates, P.S. has over 40 years’ experience representing victims of drunk driving car accidents. When you have been seriously injured through no fault of your own you may need a legal advocate who will fight for the settlement you deserve. Free consultations and no up-front fees make hiring a car accident lawyer the right choice for many accident victims. Contact us today!

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Bellingham Street Race Leads to Crash Death of 28-Year-Old Passenger

As reported by whatcom-news.com, a street race in Bellingham, WA the evening of September 28, led to the death of a 28-year old passenger. A police investigation revealed that first responders were called to the intersection of Woburn, Iowa and Yew Streets after a report of a crash about 8:45 p.m. When they arrived, they found a 2007 Dodge Charger resting on its side after colliding with a tree. According to the report, witnesses reported seeing two cars traveling east on Iowa Street involved in a street race and when they passed the intersection, one of the cars lost control and crashed into a tree.

The 24-year-old driver, who was later transported by ambulance to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center to treat his injuries, was out walking around when police arrived. His 28-year-old passenger stayed in the car with critical injuries and was eventually declared dead at the scene.

According to the report, the driver showed signs of intoxication and the investigation provided probable cause to arrest and charge him with suspicion of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, and driving while his license was suspended.

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Top 6 Reasons You Can’t Trust Insurance Adjusters for your Accident Claim

Unfortunately, most people are involved in at least a few motor vehicle accidents over the course of their lives. In the days after the accident, you will very likely receive a phone call from the at-fault insurance adjuster (a representative from the at-fault driver’s insurance company) in an attempt to settle your accident claim as quickly as possible. What you need to understand is that adjusters are highly trained to steer the conversation in a direction that will ultimately benefit the insurance company; not you.

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Early Analysis Shows Bicycle Accident Fatality Rate Increased During COVID-19

While the COVID-19 Pandemic is not over and it may be a little longer before 2020 bicycle accidents and injuries data are fully analyzed, we have enough information now to know that more bicyclists were killed in accidents in the early part of the pandemic as a percentage of total traffic accidents. Everyone remembers the almost empty streets that marked the stay-at-home orders in the early days of the pandemic. With so few cars on the road during those months, it makes sense that car accidents dropped dramatically. The rate of bicycle accidents and corresponding injuries, on the other hand, increased during the pandemic shutdowns. As we begin to analyze the numbers, the picture becomes clearer.

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What Should I do When an Insurance Company Offers Me a Settlement Check?

One of the worst parts of being in a car accident is having to deal with insurance adjusters after the accident. You know they aren’t really on your side but they try to make themselves as friendly as possible to coax you into accepting their initial settlement offer. Inevitably, the offer is made before you have even had a chance to receive most of your medical care or had the damages on your vehicle assessed. It’s certainly made before you have had the chance to recover from your injuries. How can you possibly accept an offer before you know the full extent of your damages?

Still, we sympathize with those who are tempted to accept this initial settlement offer; it’s a stressful time and you may already have medical bills piling up that you are worried about paying for. If you think you will get sucked in by talking to an insurance adjuster, know that you are not obligated to speak to them. (You are required to report your accident to your own insurance company). When you hire a personal injury attorney, they will negotiate on your behalf, deflecting the common tactics commonly used to get injured victims to settle early on.

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Medical Factors That Affect Senior Drivers Accident Risk

Most of us are aware that as we age, safe driving can become more difficult. Adult children often get to a point with their elderly parents where they worry about their ability to drive safely. And there is reason to be concerned. According to cdc.gov, in 2018, almost 7,700 senior adults, ages 65 plus, were killed in traffic crashes. An additional 250,000 were treated in emergency departments for crash injuries. Older drivers, especially those 75 and up, are more vulnerable to injury in a crash than middle-aged drivers (aged 35-54); contributing to a higher crash death rate among this age group.

With an aging population, we will have an increasing number of senior drivers licensed to drive between now and 2030. Data from the Federal Highway Administration, points to a 60 percent increase in licensed drivers aged 65 and older in the United States between 2000 and 2018. What does this mean for safety on our roads? The good news is that older drivers tend to be more responsible than other age groups; they are less likely to drink and drive and more likely to wear their seatbelt.

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What to Do If you are Injured in a Car Accident in Another State

Traffic and personal injury laws vary from state to state. If you were involved in a car accident outside of your home state, you may be wondering how you can recover damages. What if the state you had the accident in has very different accident laws than your home state? Read on to find out the best way to ensure you get the settlement you deserve.

What Do I Do if I am Injured in a Car Accident in Another State?

Any time someone is injured in an accident that has the potential for a complicated accident claim, a personal injury lawyer should be consulted. If you were injured in an out-of-state accident, the best thing to do is contact a car accident attorney in that state for a free consultation. The reason for this is because, in most cases, your accident claim will need to follow the laws in the state you were injured. If your accident claim does need to be filed in your home state, the accident attorney can let you know during the consultation. In addition, the injury lawyer can discuss your legal rights, provide information about the value of your case, and explain how they can help you to get the settlement you deserve.

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US Probing Issues with Tesla’s Autopilot After Series of Crashes

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), several collisions with parked emergency vehicles has prompted the U.S. government to open a formal allegation into Tesla’s autopilot feature. Officials are trying to determine whether the partially automated driving system has trouble spotting parked safety vehicles. The NHTSA posted the action to their website on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.

Since June of 2016, the NHTSA has investigated 31 collisions that involved partially automated driver assist systems. Out of those crashes, 25 involved the Tesla Autopilot; 10 deaths were reported in these accidents. In 2018 alone, there were 11 crashes where 17 people were injured and one was killed while driving a Tesla on Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control.

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Rollover Crash Injures 3 People in Ferndale, WA

As reported by nationwidereport.com, three people were injured in a single-vehicle rollover crash on Saturday, August 14. The accident happened in a Ferndale residential neighborhood near the intersection of Malloy Avenue and Thornton Street. When first responders arrived, they found two people in the vehicle. One person refused medical aid, another was treated and released at the scene and the third person had fled the area before help could arrive.

Rollover Crash Injures 3 People in Ferndale, WA

According to bystanders, the vehicle appeared to be speeding as it traveled northbound on Malloy Avenue. At one point, it crossed the center line and ran off the road on the west side. It then rolled at least once, before ending up right-side up in the front yard of a residence. The residential yard and a car parked in the home’s driveway suffered property damage.

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