SeaTac Man Dies in Rollover Accident in Naches | Seattle Personal Injury Attorney

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In another fatal auto accident this weekend, the death toll continues to rise on Washington roads. A SeaTac man, identified as Timothy Landry, 20, was fatally injured in a rollover accident near Naches, Washington. The Washington State Patrol reports that Landry was the driver of an F150 carrying four passengers. The WSP says that Landry was driving too fast for conditions on a gravel forest service road and lost control sending his vehicle down a steep embankment and rolling over.

The four passengers were identified as Jordan Beers, Michelle Nguyen, Desiree Lagerquist, and Joseph Santos. All four passengers were taken to Yakima Regional Medical Center. Three were treated and released, but Lagerquist is listed in serious condition.

State Patrol have also indicated that drugs or alcohol may have been a factor in this accident and that none of the four occupants of the vehicle were wearing their seat-belts.

First, I cannot remember another summer that has been as deadly on our state’s roadways. Tragically, many of the fatalities have been of relatively young men and women. Undoubtedly this has left giant holes in the hearts of many families. My thoughts are with them.

This also brings up an issue that I have been blogging about from the beginning. Drugs and alcohol are killers when they are mixed with operating machines that weigh three tons and travel at high speeds. It is hard to believe that people still drive when impaired. The stories of wrongful deaths and serious injuries caused by drinking and driving are everywhere. Sadly, some people do not heed the warnings all around them and still get behind the wheel when they shouldn’t. The most horrible of all is when someone who has made the bad decision to drink and drive causes the wrongful death or serious injury of an innocent victim who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Now, writing as an attorney who handles wrongful death and serious injury claims in Washington, this situation can create a legal problem for some of the victims. At first blush it would seem that the passengers could not have been at fault for this accident, right? After all, they didn’t do anything that caused the accident. They weren’t in control of the vehicle, they didn’t grab the steering wheel, and they didn’t make the choice to drive drunk. However, in Washington, a person who gets in the car with someone that they know, or reasonably should know, is drunk can be held contributory negligent for making that choice. That means that ultimately a jury will decide how much responsibility the passenger must bear for getting in the car with someone they knew to be drunk. This is a very complicated and technical legal issue. If you find yourself in this situation you should consult with an experienced personal injury attorney.

This blog is provided by www.straighttalklaw.com, where you can order free books on Washington auto accidents, auto insurance, and other valuable legal information, offered as a public service by Jason Epstein and his law practice Premiere Law Group in Seattle, Washington.