car accident lawyer bellingham Tag

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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What You Need To Know About Lane Change Crashes

Drivers change lanes pretty much every time they head out on the freeway or a four-lane road. Most of the time, lane changes go smoothly and cars merge seamlessly into the lane they move into. Unfortunately, lane change crashes do happen and when they do, they can come with deadly consequences.

If you or a loved one was injured in a lane change accident because of the negligence of another driver, contact a car accident lawyer for help. The injury attorney can assess the details of your accident and injuries and discuss your legal rights. If they take on your case, they will fight for the settlement you deserve.

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When Road Hazards Cause Car Accidents

There are many causes of car accidents, including distracted driving and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Today we’re going to talk about road hazards and how they can cause car accidents. Motorcycles, in particular, are vulnerable to road hazard accidents and must pay particular attention to road conditions but this is an important topic for all drivers.

What are road hazards? Road hazards are any object or debris, including fallen cargo, animals, construction materials or tools, loose gravel, fallen trees or electrical wires, very rough roads, uneven expansion joints, standing water, snow or ice, etc. that is on the road unexpectedly.

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Despite Pause in Coronavirus Phased Reopening, Puget Sound Traffic is Back

Anyone who lives in or visits the greater Seattle area knows that you’re likely to hit a traffic jam at one of several times throughout the day and sometimes, even into the night. This congestion increases the chance of getting into a car accident such as a rear-end accident, multi-vehicle accident or road-rage accident.

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Recovery From the 5 Most Common Car Accident Injuries

On average, there are about 16,438 car accidents across the United States per day and thousands more are injured when we account for passengers and pedestrians. While not everyone is injured in a car crash, there are a lot who are. The injuries range from mild to severe. Soft tissue injuries like whiplash, scrapes and bruises and broken bones are common injuries caused by car crashes.

If you are injured in a car accident, you should go in for a medical evaluation as soon as possible. The physician can perform visual and manual tests to confirm any injuries and the severity of the injuries you sustained. They may write a prescription for an x-ray, physical therapy, chiropractic care, or painkillers to help you manage the pain. In this post we discuss how to recover from common car accident injuries.

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Little known Summer Driving Hazards that Lead to Car Accidents

We know that weather conditions change from season to season and that means that road conditions and other car accident risk factors change as well. Many associate snow and ice with increased risk of traffic accidents, and there is truth in the association, but what about summer driving hazards? People may be surprised to learn that according to the highway safety advocate group, We Save Lives, and a 24-year study of traffic accidents conducted by the NHTSA, there are 29 percent more deaths in the summer months as there are in the winter months. This is for a variety of known reasons, including road trips and more cyclists and motorcyclists on the road. Today we are going to talk about some of the less known reasons that car accident fatalities increase in the summer.

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Determining Who to Sue After a Car Accident

If you were involved in a serious car accident, you may be feeling overwhelmed with your physical recovery. But as the medical bills stack up and your lost wages accrue, your thoughts may turn to suing the at-fault party. Personal injury lawsuits seek to recover damages from the at-fault party. In some cases, however, there may be more than one party who could be held responsible for the accident. If handled by a skilled personal injury lawyer, this scenario can actually be beneficial to the injured party or parties because it can make it easier to recover the full compensation the victims deserve. Remember that in crashes with multiple passengers who suffered catastrophic injuries, one insurance policy may not be enough to provide reasonable settlements for all the victims.

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Car Accidents: Failure to Yield

When a driver turns on their vehicle and proceeds into the roadway, they automatically owe a duty of care to their fellow drivers and pedestrians on the road. This means that a driver has a legal duty to operate their vehicle with reasonable care and to follow the rules of the road while driving. This includes following all traffic signals, rules of roundabouts, etc. but also driving safely for current traffic, road, weather and visibility conditions. An important rule of the road is yielding to other drivers and pedestrians when appropriate. If there is a failure to yield the right of way when it is legally required to do so, that driver may be legally liable for any traffic accident that happens as a result.

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