Slushy Roads Increase Risk of Car Accidents
Slushy roads are a result of winter weather, which has shown up in the Pacific Northwest with our first snowfall this week. The snow quickly turned to slush, creating slushy road conditions all over the county. About 70 percent of the population of the United States lives in states that snowy / slushy / or icy conditions during the winter months, which means that the increased risk for slushy road car accidents when slush shows up affects the majority of Americans. Data from FHWA shows that over 1,800 people die each year in car crashes due to driving in snowy and icy conditions.
According to AAA, driving on snowy roads can increase the time it takes your vehicle to stop by 10 times, increasing the risk of rear-end accidents, T-Bone accidents and “slide-off” roadway accidents. If you were crashed into in a slushy road accident, contact a car accident attorney who can help you secure a fair settlement.
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Read MoreWhatcom County Wakes Up to Flooded Areas and Stranded Drivers
Whatcom County is prone to the risk of flooded areas, particularly in early fall when rain increases but it is too warm to snow. Certain low-lying areas such as Iowa Street and east toward Mt. Baker Highway may accumulate more flood water, increasing the risk of car accidents and stranded drivers. As reported by Whatcom-News.com, first responders were busy overnight evacuating and rescuing stranded drivers and posting signage on flooded roads around Whatcom County.
The flood was caused by heavy mountain rain and snow melt that pushed the Nooksack River levels into official minor and moderate flood stage in all forks and in the main channel combined with heavy lowland rains through the county that saturated the soil, leaving nowhere for some of the rain to go. The result is surface water and creek and stream flooding; possibly reaching record levels.
Read MoreVeterans Day DUI Crash Leads to Minor Injuries
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. In Whatcom County alone, it is not uncommon to see a headline or two a month about a DUI crash. When a driver chooses to get behind the wheel while intoxicated, they are making a choice that could endanger both themselves, their passengers, and others on the road.
Read MoreRisk of Snow Car Crash Increases on Mt. Baker Highway
Bellingham and the surrounding areas are home to some beautiful country roads. Heading east, the Mt. Baker Highway takes us up a winding, narrow road to Mt. Baker Ski Resort. While we love snow on the mountains for skiing, snowboarding, and sledding; snow and ice on the roads leading up to the mountain increase the risk of snow car crash occurrences.
If you or a loved one is injured in a snowy road crash, you may benefit from the help of an experienced car accident attorney. Clients are taken on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless a settlement is recovered on your behalf.
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Read MoreWho Pays My Medical Bills in a Car Accident?
If you were involved in a car accident, you may be dealing with extensive injuries and ask, who pays my medical bills in a car accident? It is natural to wonder who pays your medical bills in a car accident that was someone else’s fault. While a personal injury settlement is ultimately designed to cover all your accident-related medical bills, it can take years before you see any money. In the meantime, your healthcare providers will expect payment. So, how do medical bills get paid while you wait for a settlement? The answer may vary a little depending on the state where you live and the type of car insurance you have. The best way to ensure that your medical bills after a car accident are paid on an ongoing basis is to work with a car accident attorney.
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Read MoreWhy Did I Receive a Low Ball Settlement Offer?
Insurance adjusters are trained to make a low ball settlement offer possible so they think you will accept your injury claim. And they often get away with it by being friendly and making it sound like they are on your side. While the adjuster understands that this offer is meant to be a launching point for negotiations, they are hoping that you don’t know that. The offer is typically made shortly after you open an injury claim, well before you know what your medical expenses will be, let alone the pain and suffering you will endure through the recovery process.
What you need to know about low ball settlement offer
Getting a low-ball settlement offer can be very disappointing; maybe because you know in your gut that it won’t be enough to cover all your current and future medical bills and lost wages but also because you are dealing with a traumatic injury and want to be treated with respect.
Read MoreHead On Crash Leads to Recommended Vehicular Assault Charge
A recent head on crash injury in Whatcom County has led to a recommendation for a vehicular assault charge.
Head On Crash Leads to Recommended Vehicular Assault Charge
As reported by whatcom-news.com, a head-on crash occurred in the Marietta area at the intersection of Bancroft Road and Country Lane about 11:30 p.m. on Friday, October 15. According to Washington State Patrol troopers, 19-year-old Lea Serena-Gole was impaired while driving a 2007 Toyota RAV4 SUV south on Bancroft Road in the Marietta area. She failed to negotiate a curve in the road, causing her to cross over the center line and crash head-on into a 2013 Jeep Wrangler going north. Both the 26-year-old Bellingham woman who was driving the Jeep and Serena-Gole suffered non-life-threatening injuries but only the driver of the Jeep was transported by ambulance to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center. Both vehicles were deemed totaled and towed from the scene.
Read More4 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 including vehicle rollover occurrences. 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 the 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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Read MoreString 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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Read MoreHow to Prevent A Car Accident: Fall Safety Tips
The first several weeks of fall in the Pacific Northwest are usually beautiful with a little rain and plenty of sunshine, even if temperatures are starting to cool. Still, we all know what lies ahead as we inch toward standard daylight time: darker evenings, and colder, wetter weather. We could even see ice or snowfall by the end of November. As we transition out of summer weather, it’s a great time to ask the question, how to prevent a car accident? Here are fall driving safety tips to reduce our chances of getting into a car accident.