Being a Bellevue personal injury attorney and dealing with Seattle auto accident cases on a regular basis I am always sad to hear serious auto accidents because they always have lasting side effects. The Los Angeles Times recently published an article on a closed auto accident case that brought attention to a lot of issues that are important to consider in an auto accident. The case involved a Washington man who witnessed his twin brother die after being struck by a vehicle.  The accident occurred when the boys were 8 years old, but 51 years later the accident remains vivid in Lynn Johnston’s mind.fatal auto accident

According to Lynn, he and his brother Lyle were playing near a residential road when they discovered a bottle. Lynn threw the bottle across the roadway and Lyle ran across the street to fetch the bottle, on the run back he stopped in the middle of the road to tie his shoe when he was struck by an Oldsmobile. The car hit Lyle’s head as he stooped over, killing him.

This was a traumatizing event for Lynn to witness and afterwards he experienced a plethora of problems. Lynn started having frequent nightmares and performing poorly in school.  Lynn would hide in closets and have frequent emotional outbursts- and after dealing with the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for a while, a psychologist urged his parents to relocate to Washington State.

Years later, Lynn decided to investigate into the fatal auto accident and find out what became of the driver. He discovered that the driver told police a different version of the story- stating that Lyle ran in front of the car, and she had swerved to avoid the collision. In spite of her version, police suggested the story be sent to the prosecutor’s office and she be tried with a crime. Lynn also discovered, however, that nothing became of the case and the driver was allowed off- scot free. But, it was now too late to file charges since the statute of limitations is three years.

From this story, I would like to point out a few different things.

1)      Fatal auto accidents are extremely stressful on the family and loved ones- and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a very real consequence of these accidents. Persistent nightmares, behavior changes, depression and disinterest in activities the individual used to enjoy are some of the common symptoms.

2)      The Statute of Limitations is the cutoff period for filling a claim on an issue. For most things it is a 3 year period and if you do not file a claim in this short window your case will never be resolved. If you are involved in an auto accident or any type of accident where serious injury or death resulted make sure you contact an attorney as soon as possible.

3)      After an incident such as this, which results in death or serious injury make sure you speak with an attorney. Even if it is decided your case does not require an attorney, an experienced lawyer will be able to point you in the right direction and give you advice on how to deal with the aftermath of the accident- help you figure out how to pay your medical bills and tell you whether or not to pursue your case.

For more on the story visit the Arizona Republic website through the previous link.

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