Traffic Fatalities: Top 6 Most Dangerous Holidays to Travel
With most Americans working full time, it makes sense that people want to take advantage of holiday long-weekends to travel to visit friends and family. Many people choose to drive to their destinations, adding traffic on the roads that can increase the risk of accidents and traffic fatalities. Data from the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) shows that increased traffic on holidays does lead to more accidents.
If you’re heading out for a short or long road-trip this upcoming Labor Day weekend, be aware that there will be more traffic on the roads and likely an increase of drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
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DUI Chase in Bellingham Leads to Single Vehicle Crash
As reported by KGMI.com, a DUI chase on I-5 in Bellingham led to charges of unlawful imprisonment and vehicular assault. According to Washington State Patrol (WSP) Trooper Jacob Kennett, the car was seen speeding and driving erratically on I-5 southbound near Bakerview Road at around 11:15 p.m. the night of Tuesday, July 19. The driver ignored troopers who tried to pull the vehicle over, continuing to drive at high speeds. At that point, troopers began pursuing the vehicle until it got off at the North Lake Samish Road exit. WSP later found the car crashed into a tree with the driver and the passenger still inside. Troopers were forced to break a window in order to save them, at which time the passenger claimed that the driver wouldn’t let her get out of the car. The passenger was then taken to the hospital to treat the serious injuries they suffered in the single vehicle crash. The driver admitted to law enforcement that he had done drugs before getting behind the wheel and now faces DUI, vehicular assault, unlawful imprisonment, and reckless driving charges.
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Washington State Drivers have a Legal Duty to Act with Reasonable Care on the Road
Washington State Resonable Care
In Washington state, drivers have a legal duty to act with reasonable care on the road. The standard of care is important for determining fault/liability and proving negligence in car accidents. In personal injury claims the following four elements must be proved for a successful claim:
- A duty to exercise reasonable care existed
- This duty was breached through negligent action(s)
- Injuries were caused by the negligent action(s)
- Actual damages were suffered such as pain and suffering and medical bills
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What to Know about a Herniated Disc Personal Injury Claim
Car accidents are responsible for thousands of injuries every year. A herniated disc may occur during a car accident when the force of the crash causes a vertebra to push into the spinal canal. This can put pressure on or irritate the spinal cord, causing pain to radiate throughout the body. If you or a loved one experienced a herniated disc after a car accident that is disrupting your life, you deserve to be made whole. Contact a local herniated disc lawyer as soon as possible to discuss whether a herniated disc personal injury claim is the right option for you.
What is a herniated disc?
Spinal discs are circles of tissue that sit in between the vertebrae of the spinal column for the purpose of holding the vertebrae together, acting as shock absorbers, and assisting with motion.
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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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Will I Automatically Get a Car Accident Settlement?
People injured in car accidents because of the negligence of another driver have the legal right to file a claim that seeks compensation for their losses. This right should not be conflated with a guarantee; people injured in car accidents will not automatically get a car accident settlement and, in fact, not all insurance claims for car accidents result in settlements. At-fault insurance companies will do just about anything they can to weasel out of paying a fair settlement – or any settlement at all – if they can get away with it. They will use the lack of damage to your vehicle or your prior medical history to claim that you could not have been injured by their driver. This is why it is so important to seek the help of an experienced car accident lawyer who knows all the insurance industry tricks.
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What to Do If You are in a Hit and Run Accident
A hit and run accident makes the stress and trauma of a car accident even worse, especially when someone is seriously injured or killed in the collision. When the person who may be responsible for the crash flees the scene without exchanging information with the other driver, there is a legitimate fear that the driver may not be held responsible for the accident and injuries they caused.
As car accident lawyers, we have seen an increase in hit and run accidents in the last 24 months. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), overall traffic crashes and injuries were down in 2020 but fatal crashes and fatalities increased and deaths in hit-and-run crashes jumped by 26 percent.
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Distracted Driving Awareness Month Kicks Off in WA State with Extra Distracted Driving Patrols
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Across the United States, Distracted Driving Awareness Month is a unified effort to raise awareness about the risks of distracted driving to help put an end to preventable deaths and injuries on our roads.
As reported by khq.com, in Washington State, law enforcement agencies are stepping up patrols for distracted driving behaviors for a week, starting today through April 11, 2022. These extra patrols will be stationed at intersections and other areas with a focus on finding drivers who are engaged in driving behaviors that take their attention away from the road. A citation for a first offense is $136 and a second offence jumps up to $234.
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Why Low Speed Accidents Can Still Cause Serious Injuries
Different types of motor vehicle accidents come with their own risk factors. A low-speed or low-impact collision may cause less property damage than a high-speed crash but studies have shown that soft-tissue injuries and other potential lasting damage are still a serious concern.
If you have been injured in a low-speed accident, do not let the at-fault insurance company bully you into giving up on a settlement. If you were injured in a low-impact crash, contact a personal injury lawyer for help.
What is a low-speed car accident?
A low-speed car accident typically describes a crash that occurs under 10 miles per hour. Most of the time, there is little to no damage to the vehicle but the potential for serious injuries to the body is there.
Common low-speed crash scenarios:
- A car in a parking lot crashing into a car as it backs out of a spot.
- A car that comes to a stop and then rear-ends the car in front of them because they believe it is safe to move forward*.
- A car rear-ends a vehicle at a stop sign or stop light because they did not come to a complete stop in time*.
*The second two examples are types of low-speed rear-impact car accidents.
Challenges with low-speed accidents
Apart from the risk of injuries, low-speed accidents can be very stressful because insurance companies will often try to deny claims outright due to the lack of or minimal property damage. Their excuse may be that it’s not possible that your injuries were a result of the accident when there is little to no damage to your vehicle. In many cases, the only way to get the at-fault insurance company to pay for your medical bills and pain and suffering settlement is to hire an experienced car accident lawyer who can negotiate on your behalf.
Low-speed collisions can still cause serious injuries
Rear-end low-impact injuries happen on a regular basis. That’s because, even in accidents where vehicles were traveling at 5 miles per hour, a sudden rear impact to a vehicle can cause an occupant’s neck to whip backward and then forward with the force of the impact. The neck can whip back and forth at a higher acceleration than the acceleration of the vehicle, which causes significantly more injury to the occupants than to the vehicle itself. This type of injury is known as whiplash. Other issues can also occur in “low-impact” crashes, including herniated disks that can lead to chronic pain, weakness, numbness or tingling, and reduced function that can linger for months to years.
It has been claimed that 85 percent of the neck injuries caused by car accidents are the result of rear-end collisions and that 10-15 percent of those who suffer from soft tissue injuries after car accidents are never able to achieve a full functional recovery. In some cases, surgery is required.
Seek the help of a car accident attorney
If you or a loved one was injured in a collision because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced car accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
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Head-On Crash on Birch Bay-Lynden Road Leads to Explosion and Reckless Driving Charge
As reported by Whatcom-News.com, on Sunday, January 9, first responders were dispatched to the area of Birch Bay-Lynden Road and Rathbone Road in response to a car versus semi-truck crash. When responders arrived, they found the semi-truck and its trailer in flames and the passenger car about 300 feet away with its engine separated from the body of the car. A field of debris around the scene of the accident indicated that there had been at least one large explosion in the head-on crash.
NWFR team members had to extricate the driver of the car who was then transported to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center under advanced life support protocol with possible broken bones. The driver of the semi-truck was uninjured, though the truck and trailer were completely destroyed.
An investigation by Washington State Patrol Troopers (WSP) found initial indications that the semi-truck had been traveling westbound on Birch Bay-Lynden Road and the car had been traveling eastbound when they crashed into each other. The car crossed over the centerline and crashed head-on with the semi-truck.
The driver of the car was charged with reckless driving by the WSP.
What is reckless driving in Washington State?
As per RCW 46.61.500 (effective January 1, 2022), any person who drives any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving. Violation of the provisions of this section is a gross misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to three hundred sixty-four days and by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars.
What is a head-on crash?
One of the scariest types of collisions a person can be involved in is a head-on crash. This type of accident happens when the front-end of two vehicles collide, most commonly on a road with no median to stop the vehicles from crossing lanes. According to data gathered by the Fatal Analysis Reporting System in 1999, 75 percent of head-on accidents occurred on un-divided two-lane roads.
Common causes of head-on collisions
- Rural roads, neighborhood roads and other roads that lack a median meant to stop vehicles from crossing over into the opposing lane
- Poor construction-zone redirecting
- Distracted driving
- Failure to maintain vehicle control, failing to pass or overtake another vehicle
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or when fatigued
- Poor weather conditions such as ice
- Breaking traffic rules or ignoring traffic signs and signals
- Being unfamiliar with the area can cause confusion and lead to a driver turning down a one-way road and crashing head-on into another vehicle
The exact cause of the driver crossing over the median and crashing head-on with the semi-truck is unclear but these common causes offer some insight into what may have led up to the crash.
Seek the help of a car accident attorney
If you or a loved one was injured in a collision because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced car accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
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