One of the vehicles was driving west, and crossed into eastbound traffic and collided with another vehicle. This collision caused a third vehicle to crash into them. All three drivers were injured, and one died hours later at Harborview Medical Center. Another of the drivers had severe leg trauma, and the third is being held for observation.

The Renton Police Traffic Unit is launching an investigation into the crash. So far it looks like no drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident, which occurred at 4:40 in the afternoon. As an auto accident attorney, I know that sometimes accidents happen no matter how hard you work to prevent them. Not all accidents are due to gross negligence, but that doesn’t make them any less tragic when they occur. An accident like this can change the life of a family forever, so it’s important to do everything you can to avoid a tragedy like this one.

The driver, from Everett, was taken to Providence Colby Hospital with severe leg injuries. Troopers suspected drunk driving because of the smell of alcohol on the driver and in the vehicle. They also found marijuana in the car. State Troopers expressed surprise that car was even able to get onto the walkway; it was so clearly marked and protected by the median and pylons.

No matter how many precautions you take or how closely you follow traffic laws, it can sometimes be impossible to predict what a reckless or inebriated driver will do. Too often it is those individuals who are following the law that end up paying the price for these kinds of accidents. As a Seattle auto accident attorney, I see these kinds of accidents all too often. That’s why it is so important to stay alert while on the road, and to make sure that you and no one you know ever gets behind the wheel after drinking.

Between 10 PM and 6 AM, certain curb space in the downton, Fremont and Capitol Hill neighborhoods will be restricted to cabs-only. Seattle Mayor McGinn said that they worked hard to keep these stands away from residential areas and in places that worked to benefit the local businesses. Local business owners are also happy that the couple thousand partiers who flood the city on the weekends will have a new way to get out of town.

Being a Seattle Area Personal Injury Lawyer, I know that it isn’t always easy to find a cab in Seattle late at night. That’s why I’m glad that the city is creating this new option for people to get home safely. Hopefully this will encourage people to leave their cars at home when they go out on the weekends, and grab a cab instead!

According to the National Safety Council, speeding is the third leading contributing factor to traffic crashes, contributing to over 13,000 fatalities each year. People may speed because they are in a hurry, not paying attention or don’t think they will get caught. Whatever the reasons, speeding is potentially very dangerous. Please take the time to slow down on the road.

If you or a family member have been injured in a car accident, you need to contact a dedicated Seattle car accident attorney. Car accidents due to the negligence of others can be extremely devastating. Call me at Premier Law Group and I can help make your decision less stressful by devoting my time to your case in order to ensure you the medical care that you deserve as well as any financial compensation. I will work hard to get you the best possible outcome. For more information and a FREE CONSULTATION, contact me at (206)285-1743.

I would hope that each person whose property was damaged was adequately insured, so that they will not suffer financial loss, however rate increases may still be a concern.  Each year, there are tens of billions of dollars in property damage related to car accidents in the United States.  Much of this loss is absorbed by insurance companies, but of course they pass that cost on to their customers.

If your home has been damaged by a car being driven into it, you need to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible in order to protect your rights.  Obviously, if anyone is injured in such an accident, the need to understand your legal options becomes even greater.  As a veteran Lynnwood personal injury attorney, I can explain your options so you know where you stand.  I have experience working with insurance companies on behalf of clients, and will work with the system to protect your legal rights and financial well-being.  For more information and a FREE CONSULTATION, contact me at Premier Law Group at (206)285-1743.

Based on information provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are an extremely safe mode of transportation.  There are tens of thousands of traffic fatalities every year in the United States and on average only about 10 of those involve occupants of school buses.  While this is an extremely low number, certainly any number higher than zero is too many.  Injuries to children in vehicle accidents can sometimes have lifelong consequences both physically and emotionally.

If your children have been injured in a school bus accident, you need to contact a Seattle car accident attorney as soon as possible.  Obviously, the first priority is your child’s health and emotional well-being, but with the possibly long-lasting health concerns, it is important to protect your family’s legal rights as well.  Jason Epstein is an experienced, dynamic bus accident attorney who can work with insurance companies to help ensure your child’s health, and protect your family’s legal interests.  For more information and a FREE CONSULTATION, contact Jason at Premier Law Group at (206)285-1743.

Each year, there are over 200 hundred speeding-related fatalities in Washington.  We all know how dangerous speeding can be, but we sometimes forget what actually comprises speeding.  Of course, driving faster than the posted speed limit is speeding, but sometimes drivers forget that when road, weather, or visibility conditions are poor, driving too fast for those conditions is also speeding.  When the road is icy, or it is raining or snowing hard enough to decrease visibility, or when there is fog or smoke obscuring your vision it is critical that you remember to slow down, and leave more room between yourself and the car in front of you than you normally would.

This particular pile-up happened on a stretch of open road, but given that the cause was smoke from a fire, something similar could certainly happen in one of our local communities, like Bellevue.  If you have been injured in a Seattle car accident where other drivers were driving too fast for the road conditions, you need to speak with an experienced attorney who can explain your options.  Jason Epstein is a savvy, aggressive Bellevue car accident attorney who can protect your legal interests while you care for your health.  For more information, and a FREE CASE EVALUATION, contact Jason at Premier Law Group at (206)285-1743.

The development and widespread use of “smart phones” is not helping to cure the distracted driving epidemic. Now, instead of only being able to text and call, drivers are able to respond to email, surf the web, play games, and use social networking sites like Facebook. A survey completed by CareerBuilider showed that out of 5,200 respondents, 54% admitted to checking their smart phone while driving. Smart phones create an even greater safety risk due to the number of distractions presented to drivers using them. With an ongoing stream of seemingly random thoughts, facts, and musings, the explosion of Twitter has created yet another distraction for drivers.

On an early Friday morning in March, you may have noticed a black BMW stopped in the middle of I-5 at about 7:45 a.m. At 7:51, a tweet appeared under the account “Mikeym” saying “That black BMW stalled in the center lane of I-5? Yeah, that’s me. Sorry, I don’t like it either.” Tweets complaining about traffic, which are sent by people on the road, appear at all hours of nearly every day. The Washington State Department of Transportation uses its Twitter account to make drivers aware of stalls, lane closures, and accidents, presenting a major problem.

Twitter is yet another distraction to drivers using smart phones, yet the WSDOT is using it to broadcast traffic updates. Reading tweets or sending tweets diverts significant attention away from the road in the same way that reading a text does. While the government bans texting while driving, state agencies send out traffic alerts that are being read on handheld devices. At least 22 states that have banned texting while driving provide traffic updates through Twitter like the WSDOT. Those who use social networks while driving are putting lives at risk by tweeting behind the wheel, and governments that use Twitter for traffic updates are only adding to the problem. WSDOT says that the tweets are meant to be read before hitting the road.

A rise in cell phone use while driving over the last decade has created a problem for society that leads to tragic accidents that change the lives of innocent people. The use of Twitter to complain about traffic or check for traffic updates from your local department of transportation is equally, if not more dangerous than texting while driving. Despite efforts to curb the distracted driving problem, the number of accidents involving texting while driving has actually increased. The only way to stop the epidemic from growing any further is for each person to make a pledge to end distracted driving. Visit Teens Against Distracted Driving, an organization I created to educate young drivers about the dangers of distracted driving, to take the pledge to not text while driving.

This information is provided by Premier Law Group. Premier Law Group is a group of King County Personal Injury attorneys who work with Seattle auto accidents, Bellevue Motorcycle Accidents , Washington serious injuries, Bellevue sexual harassment cases, and Tacoma employee rights cases among other practice areas.  Contact our Seattle law office  to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. Or, visit Straight Talk Law where you can order free books on Seattle auto accidents, buying Washington auto insurance, and other valuable legal information.

Wednesday, October 14^th, on his way to school at Beverly Elementary School a 7-year-old-boy was struck by a car and sustained serious injury.  The accident occurred at 164^th Street South West and 52^nd Avenue West in Lynwood around 8:20 a.m. when the boy was walking to school with his two sisters.

The boy was behind his sisters when he was struck. The boy’s injuries put him in serious condition at the hospital, but do not appear to be life-threatening.  The cause of the accident has not been identified at this time.

As parents, we are always nervous about our children being exposed to the dangers of the world. Although this story may make you even more apprehensive about allowing your young children to show some independence there are some things you can do to help increase your children’s safety but instilling safe habits.

1.       Pick a walking route that is safe and has sidewalks, crosswalks and streetlights.

2.       Make sure you walk this chosen route with your child several times until they are familiar with the correct path and procedures

3.       Tell your children they are only to go the way you show them and they are not to take any “short cuts” or other routes

4.       Make sure they always look left- then right—then left again before entering a crossing

5.       Teach them to never run out in front of cars

6.       Make sure they know what signals means and proper pedestrian laws

7.       All traffic signals should be followed and they should always do as the cross-walk attendant tells them

8.       Wear bright clothing when walking is dim lighting

9.       Never get into a car with a stranger

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A recent texting while driving study by the Auto Club of California has concluded that the texting while driving epidemic continues to grow in spite of California’s laws prohibiting it. Texting is now ingrained in our society- with over 5 billion text messages sent every day in the United States. The distracted driving problem, however, is not only limited to text messages, but also to e-mails, and facebook and twitter updates. And with smart phones quickly gaining popularity this problem is not going away anytime soon without a proactive way of dealing with it.

The study revealed that not only is texting worse than it was before the law was in place it also showed what demographics are most often guilty of the crime. Young women are most likely to text while drive- with 4.3% of the young female population texting on the road at any given time- dominating their male counterparts which came in at only 2.1%. The use of smart phones and their various applications while driving, however, was dominated by young males with 3.1% of those driving engaging in the activity compared to only 1.6% of the young female population.

California enacted its texting while driving laws over 19 months ago with a meager fine of $20.00, the cost of a meal and this law doesn’t appear to combat the problem proactively.

The Auto Club seeks to end this dangerous habit by getting the California legislature to impose harsher consequences on violators. Studies show that imposing stricter consequences, having a ticket go on a driver’s record, for example, are extremely effective in preventing drivers from engaging in dangerous and illegal behavior.

Studies show making offenses reflect on a drivers record are a far better deterrent than tickets alone, particularly when the ticket is a mere $20.00. California’s auto club seeks to increase the fines and make it an offense that will be reflected on a driving record- hopefully decreasing the numbers and saving the thousands of lives lost from texting offenses.

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