bellingham car accident lawyer Tag

Common Traffic Violations that Lead to Car Accidents

Traffic violations occur when drivers break traffic laws that regulate the operation of vehicles on streets and highways. There is a long list of traffic violations that drivers must avoid to prevent traffic tickets and potential car accidents. When a driver breaks a traffic law such as running a red light, they endanger themselves, other drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians who are sharing the road with them.

There are many reasons that drivers violate traffic laws and receive traffic tickets. When a car accident happens as a result of one driver violating a traffic law, the responding officer will generally issue a traffic ticket and explain the traffic violation in their collision report. Insurance companies review the collision report and will often assign liability for injuries to the driver who violated the traffic law.

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Defective Product Recall: 3.3 Million Ford Vehicles

Ford announced a product recall of 3.3 million vehicles that might not shift into the correct gear, causing them to move in an unintended direction or roll away when placed in park. The National Highway Safety Administration has received six reports of property damage and four reports of injuries that might have been caused by the problem. Fortunately, no deaths have been reported due to this recall.

If you or a loved one was injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by a defective product, contact an experienced car accident lawyer for help. The injury lawyer can discuss your legal rights and assist you in recovering a full and fair settlement for your injuries.

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Why you Need a Car Accident Police Report

You’ve probably heard that if you’re in a car accident, you should call 9-1-1 so a police officer can come and make a police report about the accident. The car accident police report will contain details about the crash, statements from anyone directly involved in the accident, and other important information such as road conditions and whether a traffic law was violated.

Insurance adjusters lean heavily on police reports for car accident settlements and lawsuits, especially if the officer’s report shows that their client may not have been mostly or completely at-fault for the crash.

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What Happens When Car Accident Settlements Exceed Insurance Policy Limits?

The vast majority of car accident settlements are paid by the at-fault insurance company. One thing that people may not think about is that insurance policies and policy limits vary from insured person to insured person, which means that not every policy will have a high enough limit to cover a full and fair settlement. A policy limit or an insurance limit is the highest amount an insurer will pay for a claim that their customer’s insurance policy covers.

Those who are severely injured in an accident by a person with a low policy limit may run into trouble negotiating a settlement that covers their losses and injuries. While it can be a challenge to collect injury compensation beyond an insurance policy limit, no situation is hopeless. We recommend contacting an experienced car accident lawyer who can assess all your legal options.

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How to Get a Car Accident Police Report in Washington State

If you’ve been in a car accident or were one of the direct witnesses of an injury car accident, you should call 9-1-1. Ideally, emergency responders will arrive, including police officers who can conduct a brief investigation and write up a Police Traffic Collision Report. While not admissible in court, accident reports are used by insurance companies to help determine fault in motor vehicle accidents.

Am I required to call the police for a minor accident in Washington State?

In Washington State it is not required by law to call the police for minor accidents (though insurance information must be exchanged before parties can legally leave the scene of the crash). It is usually a good idea to call the police anyway, even when injuries and property damage are minor. Having an accident report can help you get a full and fair settlement for your injuries and losses.

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What is the Average Settlement for Whiplash and Concussion?

There are an average of 17,000 car accidents every day in the U.S., causing thousands of whiplash and concussion injuries. While these injuries are not typically life threatening, they can cause debilitating symptoms including neck pain, dizziness, difficulty focusing, headaches, and disorientation.

What is a whiplash injury?

A whiplash injury is an injury that affects the neck. It is caused by the force of the collision that pushes the neck backward and then forward, most commonly in a rear-end or T-bone accident. This violent motion injures the muscles and nerves and/or the tendons and discs in the neck. A whiplash injury car accident lawyer can discuss your legal rights.

What is a concussion?

Traumatic brain injuries such as concussions are fairly common in collisions. These injuries may occur when the head smacks into the steering wheel or from the sheer force of the brain being violently thrown forward, causing the brain to slam into the skull. A concussion can cause disorientation, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and more. A traumatic brain injury car accident lawyer can discuss your legal rights.

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Car Accident Settlements for Post-Concussion Syndrome

Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, are a common injury caused by motor vehicle accidents. While most concussion symptoms improve within a week or two and resolve completely within a month, some patients end up dealing with Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS). PCS is a complex health condition that affects 30 percent to 80 percent of patients with mild to moderate brain injury. If the following symptoms persist after a month or two, it could be a sign that you are experiencing PCS: headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, insomnia, loss of concentration and memory, and irritability. Women and older adults as well as those who have had previous concussions are at greater risk of developing PCS.

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How Pregnancy Affects Car Accident Settlements

Getting injured in a car accident is always a scary and unsettling experience but it is even scarier for pregnant women who are protecting a fetus in their womb. A serious accident while pregnant can cause medical complications for both the mother and unborn child, including premature labor. When you factor in the additional potential for damages – injuries and expenses related to the accident and resulting injuries – it is reasonable to ask: how much can pregnant women get from a car accident settlement?

In this article, we will discuss the risks to a pregnant mother and her fetus from a car accident and car accident claims for pregnant women.

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Determining Fault in Accidents Caused by a Medical Emergency

It can be tricky to determine fault in any motor vehicle accident but when the driver who caused a crash was experiencing a medical emergency, it adds to the confusion. Insurance companies are just as interested in determining fault in accidents caused by a medical emergency as they are in any other accident.

If you or a loved one was injured in an accident with a driver who experienced a medical emergency, it is in the injured party’s interest to seek help from a local car accident lawyer to help fight for the settlement you deserve.

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Eldridge Ave Scene of 2 DUI Crashes in Bellingham Over the Weekend

While most people take drinking and driving seriously after decades of public education campaigns, there are still far too many people who choose to get behind the wheel intoxicated. The choice to drive drunk often has deadly consequences for the driver, their passengers, and anyone they crash into. 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 DUI crashes. Tragically, these were preventable deaths.

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