car accident lawyer bellingham Tag

Wrong-Way Driver Causes Head-On Car Crash on I5 Everett

About 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 11, a wrong-way driver crashed into another vehicle on northbound I-5 in a wrong-way highway crash that left both drivers injured. The driver, who suffered serious injuries in the head-on crash, may have had a medical issue before the collision. According to Washington State Patrol and reported by HeraldNet, the accident occurred just south of the exit to Broadway and 41st Street. The driver knocked over some signs as she entered the on-ramp then drove less than a mile before crashing into another vehicle who was driving in the correct direction. The driver in the other vehicle suffered minor injuries.

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NSC: New Year’s Day Holiday Period Traffic Fatality Estimate for 2021

The National Safety Council estimates that 384 people will die in traffic accidents on U.S. roads this New Year’s Day holiday period and an additional 43,800 will suffer an injury severe enough to require medical attention. While this year is not normal, many will still choose to gather with friends and family to celebrate the new year. As it is with most holiday celebrations, alcohol is almost always involved. More people traveling on the roads combined with more people consuming alcohol, leads to increased traffic accident deaths year after year.

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Single-Vehicle I-5 Crash Reveals Empty Vodka Bottle inside Abandoned Vehicle

A single-car collision on I-5 near Blaine on Sunday, November 29 damaged about 50 yards of cable barrier after the vehicle struck the median. When State Patrol and Blaine Police arrived at the scene of the accident about 5:30 p.m., they found an abandoned vehicle and an empty bottle of peppermint vodka along with the suspect’s driver’s license through the broken driver’s side window. When police later contacted the suspect, he admitted to crashing his vehicle and walking away from the scene but claimed he had fallen asleep while driving. Questions about the bottle of vodka went unanswered.

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What is a 50/50 Car Accident Claim?

When a car insurance company investigates a car insurance claim against one of their members, they are hoping to find a way to assign at least 50 percent of the blame to the other driver. It is very common for at least some fault to be assigned to each driver. A 50/50 car insurance claim is when an insurance agency determines that liability – or fault – for the accident is shared equally between the drivers. Even a small mistake made by one of the drivers could cause a 50 percent fault determination; particularly if the accident could have been prevented had the mistake not been made. If it is a 50/50 at-fault accident, and both parties agree on their share of the fault, it is called a split liability agreement. In practical terms, this means that any treatment for injuries or property damage costs will be shared equally between the parties and that the claimant will only be able to collect 50 percent of the value of their claim.

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Great Daytime Visibility Reduces the Risk of Car Accidents

Visibility is incredibly important to our ability to drive safely. We know that our visibility declines when it’s dark, rainy or foggy and that car accidents increase during these times. But what about daytime visibility? Drivers tend to take it for granted and can become overly confident on a sunny day. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are more motor vehicle accidents during daylight hours than at night. This could be because of the glare of the sun, but also because there are typically more cars and pedestrians on the road during the day.

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How To Reduce Your Risk of a Night Time Driving Accident

Many studies have shown that night is the most dangerous time to drive, with accidents peaking on Saturday nights. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers are three times more likely to have a fatal accident at night than during the day. There are various reasons for this including, rush hour, the large percentage of drivers – especially older drivers – who don’t see well in the dark, the increase in impaired drivers and feelings of fatigue. According to stack.com, our bodies produce more melatonin when it’s dark and this increase leads to a surge in feeling fatigued and tired.

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Nov. 1-8 is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week

Thanks to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), Nov. 1-8, 2020 is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. It makes sense when you consider that we “fall back” to Standard time this week, which affects our sleep pattern. The goal of their annual campaign is to reduce the number of drivers who drive while sleep-deprived by raising awareness and education about the dangers of drowsy driving and how to prevent it. There are many dangers associated with driving drowsy and the alarming statistics presented in this article show why we need to raise awareness.

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Do Graduated Driver Licensing Systems Reduce Fatal Teen Crashes?

According to the CDC.gov, 2,364 teens aged 16-19 were killed in car accidents in 2017. In addition to this, about 300,000 teens were treated in emergency departments for injuries they sustained in motor vehicle crashes. In order to reduce teen fatality and injury rates, states have licensing laws in place.

According to transportation.gov, graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs are in place in some form in all 50 states. GDL systems restrict certain driving privileges of new drivers. Over time the restrictions are lifted as the driver gains experience or takes tests to prove competency. Most states follow a three-step process that starts with passing a written test to obtain a learner’s permit. The next step is passing a driving test to get a provisional license and the final step is obtaining a full license. Washington uses a graduated driver’s licensing system (GDLS) that moves unlicensed drivers from an instruction permit to an intermediate license and then finally to a valid driver’s license.

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The Rainy Season is Here. How Much Does Rain Affect Car Accidents?

The rainy season is here in the Pacific Northwest if our five-day weather forecast is any indication. We don’t get the most rain of all the states in total inches but we sure have a lot of drizzly days that keep our roadways wet. We know that weather plays an important role in road conditions and the accident rate but the question is, how much does rain affect car accidents?

If you were injured in a wet weather accident because of the negligence of another driver, you should speak to a car accident attorney as soon as you have received appropriate medical care. The injury lawyer can assess the details of your accident and injuries and discuss your legal rights. If your case is taken on, the lawyer will fight for a fair settlement on your behalf.

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How Many Car Accidents Will You Get in Over Your Life?

Let’s face it: getting into a car accident isn’t fun. We all hope to avoid them and yet almost no driver will go their entire life without being in a collision. But how many car accidents will you get in over your life? According to data from the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, the average driver will file a claim for a motor vehicle crash about once every 17.9 years. This means that over your driving life from say, age 16 to age 85, you are likely to experience three to four accidents.

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