Being a King County auto accident lawyer and Bellevue wrongful death attorney I see the intense devastation drunk drivers create on a regular basis. Drunk Driving is a leading cause of fatal auto accidents. Every year 12,000 people die in a fatal drunk driving accident. Californian legislators are now seeking to make the roads a little safer by forcing those with multiple offenses to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicles. These vehicle breathalyzers measure Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) and keep the ignition from firing if alcohol is detected.
One of the objections to implementing this device is that someone else can help get the car started, but think about it. If you are sober and asked to help a drunk driver start their car, aren’t you going to be afraid of the potential liability and also the danger of killing someone? This device maybe a way to remove the keys without any argument.
A primary concern with the use of these devices is that friends and passengers will breath into the device to get the car started for the intoxicated driver rendering the device useless. This objection, however, appears far fetched as a sober passenger would be less likely to get in a vehicle with an drunk driver who requires a breathalyzer to drive. The fear of injury, and death to themselves and others would be a prevalent fear. I believe this device can help collect the keys of intoxicated drivers who realize without a sober breath they are unable to start their car.
In California, they are also considering increasing the consequences of drunk driving- 5 months of jail time for first-time offenders and increasing steadily up to 36 months for those convicted of a fourth offense.
James Ballidis a California injury lawyer in Orange County has been advocating increased drunk driving laws in order to help save the thousands of lives lost every year to intoxicated drivers. His article Ignition Interlock For LA Drunk Drivers. Is California Next? Is interesting reading and may be of interest to you. If you have recently suffered injuries from a drunk driving accident in California I recommend Jim Ballidis to protect your rights and advocate on your behalf, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
I believe it is time for Washington to adopt stricter drunk driving laws and work towards saving the thousands of lives lost every year. If you have been affected by a drunk driver- please don’t hesitate to seek legal council.
Working as a Seattle car accident lawyer and Bellevue personal injury attorney, I’ve come to understand just how dangerous it can be to speed. I have dealt with countless cases that involved a speeding driver, and when it comes down to it, cruising at high speeds puts others at risk and could be considered negligent driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that speeding was involved in 31% of all fatal car accidents.
Early yesterday morning on Whidbey Island, a 24-year-old woman was injured in a car accident due to an attempt to illegally pass a vehicle on Highway 20. Driving northbound, the woman attempted to veer around a driver in front of her by passing on the right-hand side of the road. In doing so, her car ran off the road and rolled end over end, partially ejecting her in the process. After being stabilized, she was transported to Harborview Medical Hospital in Seattle, where she is listed in satisfactory condition.
I am very relieved to see that the driver made it out of the accident alive– after dealing with numerous cases involving speeding and roll-over car accidents, I know the potential for a fatality. I’m sure most of us have been in a situation where you are stuck behind a vehicle on a narrow highway that is driving much slower than you would like. It is important to recall news stories like the one above and not make any rash decisions to illegally pass the car ahead of you. Wait for a passing lane, and then you can get ahead of the other vehicle.
As a Seattle personal injury attorney and Bellevue car accident lawyer, I am always looking for optimistic news about improved safety on our roads and highways. As the baby boom generation reaches their mid-fifties and beyond, one would assume that car crashes would be on the rise. The statistics I came across, however, showed that the opposite is happening. I found that despite a rapid increase of Americans receiving social security, the rate of senior car accidents has actually gone down.
This decrease in the rate of auto accidents amongst Americans 70 and older is so striking, that it is substantially greater than that of middle-age drivers. While it seems like our parents or grandparents may be holding on to their licenses longer than they should, the fact of the matter is that senior drivers are much safer than they ever have been before. So even though there will be more older drivers on the road than ever before, these statistics show that times are changing, and the roads are getting safer . You can find the full article here: Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer: Senior Drivers Safer Than Ever.
It’s no secret that excessive drinking of alcohol leads to more car accidents as well as wrongful death and personal injury. It’s the kind of scenario that’s all too familiar to me as a personal injury lawyer in Seattle, Washington, and it’s something that all of us want to prevent.
Well, recent research suggests that, instead of making DUI offenders pay for their crime after a car accident, when the damage is done, maybe we should consider making them pay beforehand – in terms of boosting the price of purchasing alcohol.
A review of 72 studies worldwide that evaluated alcohol prices and taxes designed to curb binge and underage drinking found that, on average, a 10 percent rise in the price of alcohol resulted in a 3 to 10 percent drop in consumption, along with the same decline on wrongful death and personal injury resulting from car accidents caused by drunk driving .
Results were pretty consistent with all types of alcohol – beer, wine and liquor – and in all countries, including the U.S. All indicated that tax policy used as an intervention to lower excessive drinking rates had a substantial impact. Other effective tools against drunk driving were found to be using ignition interlock devices (the driver can’t start their car unless they are sober), sobriety checkpoints and keeping the legal age of drinking at 21.
No one likes to pay more taxes. But no one wants to see any more alcohol-related deaths on the road. Whatever can prevent these kinds of car accidents that too often result in the wrongful deaths of innocent parties should obviously at least get some serious consideration.
For more free “Straight Talk Law” information, please visit my website at www.straighttalklaw.com, where you can order free books on personal injury lawyers, Washington auto and motorcycle accidents, auto insurance, and other valuable legal information, offered as a public service by myself and my law practice in Seattle, Washington.
Although our society has become very comfortable with the concept of driving cars at high speeds, it is important to realize that auto accidents are both dangerous and common. Working for many years as a Seattle auto accident lawyer and King County personal injury attorney, I have handled a lot of cases involving car accidents. Distracted-driving and drunk-driving lead to many of these incidents, but sometimes outside conditions such as poor visibility can lead to a momentary lapse in judgment and cause a fatal auto accident.
Early in the morning last Sunday, a 27-year-old man was killed in an auto accident as he crashed into a tree in North Seattle. The accident occurred at 1:33 a.m. at the intersection of 24th Ave. NE and NE Northgate way, as the driver struggled to negotiate a turn. Two passengers in the vehicle were taken to Harborview Medical Center, with non-life threatening injuries. A dog was also in the vehicle, and has no serious injuries as well.
Hearing news stories about a tragic death such as this is always difficult, and our condolences go out to the driver’s family and friends. An accident like this, acts as a reminder to me that driving late at night and into the early morning can be much riskier than during the day. With low visibility, a driver has less time to react to what he or she sees in front of them. Losing a loved family member or friend is an incredibly painful experience. Whether it is in a car accident or not, the last thing that you and your family want to have to deal with or worry about is legal issues and complications. You deserve to know that the legal situation will be taken care of with professionalism and respect. Because I believe so strongly in this, I co-authored a book with attorney Patrick J. Kang entitled ‘In Case of Death: Straight Talk on Washington Wrongful Death.’ We have made this book available free of charge to Washington residents and it can be found by clicking the preceding link.
Despite having worked for many years as a King County car crash lawyer and Seattle fatal accident attorney, it is never easy to hear about fatal drunk-driving car accidents. It is a driver’s responsibility to avoid any type of distracted driving situation, and being drunk is a pretty big distraction. Statistics show that about 3 out of every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol related car accident, so it is truly an issue that could affect anybody.
Yesterday, a man driving in Milton died after being t-boned by a suspected drunk driver. The passenger in the victim’s vehicle is now at Madigan Army Hospital in serious condition. The accident happened as the driver, a woman believed to be in her 40’s, fled from police as they suspected her to be under the influence of alcohol. Two miles into the chase, the driver crashed into the victim’s vehicle around 6:30 p.m. on Pacific Highway East at Porter Way in Milton. The suspected drunk driver was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma in serious condition.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the two victims who had their lives put into the hands of a suspected drunk driver. It is always difficult to learn of lives lost in auto accidents. The last thing you want to worry about in these situations is legal issues. In an attempt to provide you with much deserved help and assistance, I have co-authored a book with attorney Patrick J. Kang which is a guide for families of Washington wrongful death victims. The book is called, In Case of Death: Straight Talk on Washington Wrongful Death, and is available at no charge to Washington residents by clicking on the preceding link.
Working as a Bellevue fatal accident lawyer and Seattle car accident lawyer, I have to deal with far too many tragic hit-and-run accidents. It seems incomprehensible that people would flee the scene of a car crash, but the fact of the matter is that it happens, and I will stop at nothing to bring justice to the victim and his or her family.
Last Sunday in Everett, a 45-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run car crash while crossing the street at 1100 block of 128th Street Southwest in Everett. The man was struck by a Ford Ranger pick-up and then struck by two other cars after he had fallen. The suspect has yet to be found, but police believe that he or she was driving a stolen dark-blue 2005 Ford Ranger, Washington license B35457F. It is also believed that earlier in the day, the same person was the culprit in a hit-and-run case in Lynwood, where fortunately, nobody was injured.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victim of this heinous crime. The suspect in this case is subject to the serious crime of “felony hit-and-run,” and if found, the family of this Everett man will have the opportunity to receive due justice. It is always difficult to learn of lives lost in auto accidents. The last thing you want to worry about in these situations is legal issues. In an attempt to provide you with much deserved help and assistance, I have co-authored a book with attorney Patrick J. Kang which is a guide for families of Washington wrongful death victims. The book is called, In Case of Death: Straight Talk on Washington Wrongful Death, and is available at no charge to Washington residents by clicking on the preceding link.
This weekend in Clarkston, a 24-year-old man was killed in an accident resulting from a race against his friends. The man drove his car into a ditch on the side of Highway 193, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Despite the car catching fire, the passenger in the vehicle escaped alive, with injuries. The other car in the race was so distracted by the scene of the crash that it ran off the road, injuring both driver and passenger.
There is a very important lesson that can be learned from this incident: auto racing on public streets is illegal for a reason. The danger and risk to life is too great to justify any amount of fun that one finds in street racing. In this case the drivers only caused damage to themselves and the passengers in their vehicles, but the distracted driving could lead to injury or death for innocent people on the road. Please don’t let anyone you know partake in this dangerous activity and feel free to use examples like this one to show just how risky it is.
It is always difficult to learn of lives lost in auto accidents. The last thing you want to worry about in these situations is legal issues. In an attempt to provide you with much deserved help and assistance, I have co-authored a book with attorney Patrick J. Kang which is a guide for families of Washington wrongful death victims. The book is called, In Case of Death: Straight Talk on Washington Wrongful Death, and is available at no charge to Washington residents by clicking on the preceding link.
Although it is not a happy topic to consider, it is important for me as a Washington personal injury lawyer and King County car accident attorney to understand the dangers that are present to pedestrians. As safe and relaxing as a stroll down the streets of your neighborhood may be, the fact of the matter is that 12.5% of auto-related fatalities in the state of Washington are fatal pedestrian accidents. Distracted driving or any kind of negligent driving can lead to very serious consequences for people walking down the street.
Yesterday evening in Issaquah, a woman was struck by a vehicle while walking her dog. As she was crossing a crosswalk, a gray Mazda turned out of a residential area and headed downhill striking the pedestrian. The dog was killed in the collision, and the woman sustained life threatening injuries when she hit the windshield. The result could prove fatal, as she is currently at Harborview in critical condition. The driver of the vehicle was very cooperative with the cops and medics who arrived on scene, but the woman did not have her driver’s license on her, and has yet to be identified.
Pedestrian injuries and fatalities are all too common, especially in residential areas. It is important to understand that while these accidents are oftentimes out of the control of the pedestrian, you can decrease the likelihood of being in the situation by understanding the statistics behind car accidents. Straighttalklaw.com has a wealth of resources that are provided for you to answer any questions you may have. If you, or someone you know has been in a pedestrian accident, check out my website, and see if our FAQ section can help you out, or go to the contact section to seek my help directly.
Night time driving is accompanied by various hazards; decreased vision, depth perception impairment, and of course there are more drunk and drowsy drivers on the roads at night. The statistics for night time driving are shocking—there is 60% less traffic yet 40% of all fatal car accidents occur at night. Being a Seattle personal injury lawyer and Tacoma wrongful death attorney I have seen the repercussions of these Seattle car accidents all too often.
At 3 a.m. this morning a woman believed to be 19 or 20 years old was taken by helicopter to Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center after suffering injuries from the accident.
The woman drifted towards the right shoulder, overcorrected and crossed into oncoming traffic while traveling North on highway 97 near Toppenish, Washington. Her 1995 Altima rolled over and was found up-side-down.
Though it is unknown if drugs, alcohol or drowsy driving were involved in this incident it is important to remember how serious a task driving is. With car accidents being the most common cause of death among teenagers and causing thousands of deaths and serious injuries every year we need to make sure we are always ok to get behind the wheel. If there is any doubt in your mind if you should be driving due to intoxication, drowsiness or simply an inability to see- please pull over and wait until it is safe to resume your trip.
