Bellingham Child Killed in Truck Accident: Drugs and Alcohol Involved in Crash
As reported by kgmi.com, a Bellingham child was tragically killed yesterday in a collision between the car he was riding in and a truck that was heading north on Highway 9, south of Nooksack. According to a report by the State Patrol, the truck crashed into a vehicle that was driving south after the driver had pulled off the road and then entered back onto the roadway in the path of the northbound truck. The driver of the vehicle was injured but the truck driver was not. Troopers say drugs and alcohol were a factor in the crash.
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Read More5 Surprising Reasons Car Accident Fatalities Are Highest in the Summer
It comes as a shock to many that summer actually has a higher risk of fatal car accidents than winter. In fact, the summer months have 29 percent more car accident deaths than winter months (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)! How is this possible with all the rain, snow and ice that lines the road in the winter months? There are several reasons that traffic deaths increase in the summer; we’re going to take a look at the top five today.
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Read MoreHow to Get Compensation for Your Construction Zone Accident
It’s road construction season in the Pacific Northwest. In Bellingham alone, there are several road projects happening right now. While construction projects are needed from time to time, accidents can and do happen in road construction zones. According to the Federal Highway Administration, 27,037 people (about 773 per year) lost their lives in work zone crashes between 1982 and 2017. The NSC reports that 842 people were killed and 39,100 people were injured in work zone crashes in 2019. Overall, work zone deaths have increased by 44 percent since 2010. There are several specific safety issues that come along with construction zones that drivers and construction companies need to be aware of to prevent construction zone accidents.
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Read MoreNSC: Motor Vehicle Deaths Up for First Three Months of 2021
Motor Vehicle deaths are a tragedy that we deal with every single day. In the U.S., we lose an average of 90 people in car accidents daily. Tragically, most collision-related fatalities are preventable. Public education campaigns and traffic enforcement are important tools to help change dangerous driving behavior. Preliminary numbers for 2021 show that motor vehicle deaths are up for the first three months of 2021.
If you lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident because of the negligent or reckless behavior of another, you may be entitled to compensation through a car accident claim. A personal injury attorney can explain your legal rights and help you recover a full and fair settlement for your losses.
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Read MoreCan I Make a Personal Injury Claim for PTSD and Emotional Distress Caused by a Car Accident?
Most people think about physical injuries when it comes to car accidents but it’s important to understand that emotional distress, psychological trauma, anxiety and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are relatively common problems caused by collisions. This is particularly true when someone was killed or very severely injured in the accident or when cars burst into flames or become mangled beyond recognition.
Emotional injuries can be extremely debilitating – just as much if not more so than physical injuries – making it difficult to work and causing loss of enjoyment of life. According to the American Psychological Association, car accidents are the leading cause of PTSD among the general (non-military) population. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that nine percent of people who survive car accidents develop PTSD.
Read MoreNSC Memorial Day Holiday Period Traffic Fatalities Estimate for 2021
Many people look forward to holiday weekends to get together with friends and family. Sadly, whenever there are more cars on the road combined with holiday drinking, car accidents and traffic fatalities increase. This Memorial Day period*, the National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that 415 people may die on U.S. roads. In addition, they estimate that 47,300 people will seek medical care for injuries they sustain in crashes over the holiday weekend.
*Memorial Day is always observed on the last Monday in May but the holiday period is a 3.25-day weekend that begins Friday evening and runs through Monday. In 2021, the Memorial Day weekend extends from 6 p.m. Friday, May 28 to 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 31.
Read MorePersonal Injury Claims for Failure to Yield Accidents
When it comes to sharing the road with other drivers and pedestrians, you must learn when you have the right-of-way and when you should yield. For example, a driver at a four-way stop must wait until it is their turn to go or they risk crashing into another vehicle who actually had the right-of-way. Failure to yield accidents lead to some very serious injuries every year. If you were the victim of a failure to yield accident, you may find this article helpful.
What is failure to yield the right-of-way?
When a driver is guilty of failure to yield the right-of-way, it means that they didn’t allow other traffic, such as cars or pedestrians, to go when they had the right-of-way.
Read MoreSemi-truck vs Motorcycle Crash Sends Motorcyclist to Hospital
As reported by Whatcom News over the weekend, first responders were dispatched to the scene of a semi-truck versus motorcycle crash in Blaine, Washington at the intersection of Alderson Road and Blaine Road. The accident – that happened on May 14 – caused the temporary closure of Blaine Road between Alderson Road and Bay Road while rescuers extricated the motorcyclist from underneath the front of the semi-truck. North Whatcom Fire and Rescue and Whatcom County Fire District 7 crews used hydraulic jacks to lift the truck’s front axle to remove the patient. The patient was then transported to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center via advanced life support (ALS) protocols due to his leg injury.
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Read MoreMotorcycle Accident Statistics for Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
Motorcycle riders are overrepresented in fatal traffic crashes with a higher fatality rate than drivers. The numbers are stark, with approximately 25 fatalities per 100 million miles of travel on a motorcycle compared to 0.80 fatalities per 100 million miles of passenger car travel.
Motorcycle accident statistics
- Motorcycles represent only three percent of registered vehicles but they account for 14 percent of traffic-related fatalities.
- A motorcycle driver is 27 times more likely to die in a crash than a car driver and 80 percent of all motorcycle crashes result in injury or death compared to 20 percent of all passenger car accidents.
- In 2019, 5,014 motorcyclists died in motorcycle crashes.
- Motorcyclists are also at an increased risk for single-vehicle accidents; 34 percent of motorcycle accidents do not involve any other vehicle compared to only 14 percent of car crashes.
Bellingham Man Charged with Vehicular Assault and Felony DUI After High-Speed Crash
As reported by the BellinghamHerald.com, a Bellingham man lost control of his vehicle and crashed on the evening of Tuesday, May 4 in Whatcom County. The accident took place on Marine Drive near the intersection of Ferndale Road, just west of the Nooksack River. The passenger in his vehicle was hospitalized for resulting injuries. Twenty-nine-year-old Toby William Solomon was booked into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of vehicular assault, felony DUI, driving with a suspended license and possession of a dangerous weapon.
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