2009 December Archive

Only minor injuries were reported in a Washington truck accident on the Interstate 82 in Kittitas County after a semi-truck and another vehicle crashed nine miles south of the Interstate 90 junction. According to a news report in the Yakima Herald, Washington State Patrol officials said victims suffered minor injuries in the accident. Fog had reduced visibility on the highway and could have played a part in this injury big rig crash.

There are many reasons why Washington truck accidents occur. In some cases, the accident is caused due to the negligence of the other driver. But there have been many instances where the truck driver’s negligence or disregard for traffic rules, cause these tragic accidents. In this particular case, the injuries were reportedly minor. However, in most Washington truck accidents, victims, especially the occupants of the passenger vehicles, suffer catastrophic injuries or death.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident caused by the negligence of a truck driver, you may be able to seek compensation for medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, therapy and even long-term care. You need the services of an experienced and knowledgeable Seattle personal injury attorney who can help hold the negligent parties accountable and help you secure just compensation for your injuries, damages and loss.

Please contact the skilled Washington truck accident lawyers with The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington truck accident cases with useful information to help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his aggressive legal team today.

Source:http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/12/18/possible-delays-on-interstate-82-outside-ellensburg

A number of truck accidents in Washington State and elsewhere in the nation occur because of reckless truck drivers. The recklessness could involve driving under the influence, distracted driving, traveling at an unsafe rate of speed, or driving an improperly maintained vehicle. Whatever the cause of a trucker’s recklessness, it is the occupant of the passenger vehicle who suffers the horrific consequences of a large truck accident. The smaller vehicles are usually unable to withstand the powerful impact of a truck accident. This results in serious injuries or even death.

A recent WKTR news report talks about a fiery truck accident on a highway in which a 24-year-old man, who was a passenger in a 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass, died after a big rig rear-ended the vehicle. The car caught on fire and the passenger died at the scene. The truck driver, a 54-year-old man, has been charged with reckless driving. Officials say alcohol was not a factor in the crash. The Oldsmobile had just had a flat tire and was moving slowly along the exterior lanes. But the driver of the tractor-trailer was apparently not paying attention and struck the vehicle at 55 mph.

If you have been injured in a Washington truck accident as a result of brake failure that was caused by poor vehicle maintenance then you may be able to file an injury claim against the trucking company for their negligence. In such cases you may be able to seek compensation to cover medical expenses, lost earnings, cost of rehabilitation, hospitalization, therapy and other expenses. In cases where the victim is deceased, family members could file wrongful death claims as well.

Please contact a skilled Seattle personal injury lawyer at The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington truck accident cases with useful educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Please contact Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.

Source:http://www.wtkr.com/news/dp-now-fatal-wreck.d18,0,7835439.story?track=rss

Seattle personal injury lawyers have become increasingly concerned about commercial truck drivers and trucking companies that are violating federal laws that prohibit sick or disabled truck drivers from operating large commercial trucks. An Associated Press investigation recently showed that thousands of tractor trailer and bus drivers in the United States who are licensed to drive commercial vehicles continue to drive in spite of suffering serious health conditions and qualifying for full federal disability. Some truck drivers, for example, continue to operate big rigs despite suffering serious health conditions such as seizures, heart attacks and sudden loss of consciousness or “blacking out.”

Obviously, this is a disaster waiting to happen. According to a news report, a recent truck accident in Sumner, Washington, was caused by a truck driver who suffered a medical condition while he was driving. Washington State troopers say the driver lost control of the tanker truck, went up an embankment off State Route 167 and into the bottom of the overpass. The driver was seriously injured. It was indeed fortunate that innocent motorists were not killed in this truck accident.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 5,300 people died in accidents involving large commercial trucks or buses in 2006 and about 126,000 were injured. It is extremely important for trucking companies to monitor whom they hire. Unfit or sick truckers have caused devastating accidents across the country resulting in catastrophic injuries and deaths. In such cases, it is the trucking companies that should be held liable for the injuries, damages and losses suffered by innocent victims.

If you are the victim of a Washington truck accident, please contact the skilled Washington truck accident attorneys at The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington truck accident cases with useful educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Please contact Kirk Bernard and his knowledgeable legal team today.

Source:http://www.nwcn.com/news/Tanker-truck-torn-open-on-SR-167-79367767.html

Driving under the influence is one of the reasons for devastating Washington truck accidents. Recent studies have shown that a number of trucking companies around the nation do not perform background checks on their truck drivers and often times do not even perform drug screening for drivers. It is frightening to imagine a drunk or impaired driver at the wheel of a big rig, which could weigh up to 80,000 pounds.

A recent news report talks about a deadly tractor-trailer accident where the truck driver, who officials say was under the influence, rear-ended a car causing one death and three injuries. The truck driver fled the scene of the crash. He was apprehended a short distance away from the scene of the crash and charged with four counts of DUI causing injury and a DUI involving a commercial vehicle.

A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Traffic Safety of interstate tractor-trailer drivers found that 15 percent of all drivers had marijuana, 12 percent had non-prescription stimulants, 5 percent had prescription stimulants, 2 percent had cocaine, and less than 1 percent had alcohol in their systems. There is no question that drugs – recreational or prescription – as well as alcohol, impair a driver’s judgment and reflexes on the road. This devastating accident is an example of the damages and injuries drunk truck drivers can cause. If you have been injured by an impaired or negligent truck driver, that negligent driver and his employer, the trucking company, can be held liable for those injuries.

If you are the victim of a Washington truck accident, please contact the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys with The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington truck accident cases with useful educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Please contact Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200911250593

A 17-year-old boy was killed in a Seattle car accident after the car he was a passenger in crashed into a big rig near Mossyrock. According to KIRO TV news report, the teen was riding in a car driven by another 17-year-old, and traveling north on Williams Road at State Route 12. Their car apparently stopped at a stop sign and continued north when a logging truck struck the vehicle on the passenger’s side. The teen passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was taken to an area hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the large logging truck was uninjured.

The teen’s family states that a dangerous condition at that intersection may have caused or contributed to this deadly truck accident. The boy’s friends and family members believed that a stop light at that intersection may have prevented this horrible tragedy. Washington State Department of Transportation officials apparently also met with the teen’s family, friends and community members to discuss how to make that dangerous intersection safer. Officials have promised a thorough investigation into the safety of this intersection and have promised to take action.

It would be interesting to find out how many accidents have taken place at the intersection over the last five years and whether community members have already complained to officials and asked for a traffic light at that location. In cases where a dangerous intersection or roadway caused an accident and the governmental agency in charge of maintaining the roadway knew about those dangers, the accident victims have a basis to file an injury claim.

In cases where a victim dies, his or her family could file a wrongful death claim against the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway. Such claims against governmental agencies have time limits. It would be in the best interests of these victims and their families to promptly contact a Seattle personal injury lawyer and find out more about their legal rights and options.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington auto accident, please contact the skilled Washington personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure, which has useful, educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.

Source:http://www.kirotv.com/news/21911834/detail.html

As Seattle personal injury attorneys who have represented injured victims for nearly 25 years, we are aware that a number of large truck accidents are caused as a result of brake failure. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2004, 416,000 large trucks were involved in traffic accidents in the United States. That year, 5,190 people died and 116,000 were injured in those crashes. In other words, truck accidents accounted for 12 percent of all traffic accident deaths in the country and one out of eight traffic fatalities in 2004 involved a large truck.

Defective equipment and lack of proper maintenance cause many of these tragic accidents. A study also shows that brake defects are quite common and were found in 56 percent of tractor trailers involved in accidents. In a recent Large Truck Crash Causation study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, it was concluded that at least 29.4 percent of truck accidents involve brake failure, brakes that are out of adjustment or other brake-related issues. It is also well-known that overloading trucks can also cause the brakes to fail and result in devastating accidents.

If you have been injured in a Washington truck accident as a result of brake failure that was caused by poor vehicle maintenance, then you may be able to file an injury claim against the trucking company for their negligence. Please contact the experienced Washington personal injury attorneys of The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington truck accident cases with useful educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Please contact Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

A number of Washington truck accidents occur because drivers of big rigs are not paying attention to the traffic or their surroundings. When big rig drivers make a mistake – even a small split second error – it can result in devastating consequences, especially for the occupants of the passenger car that has been hit. This is because of the sheer size and weight of the truck compared to a car. A loaded semi truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and is usually more than ten times the weight of a passenger sedan. And when such a large vehicle hits a car, one can only imagine the destruction that ensues.

According to a news report in the Sacramento Bee, local police are investigating a fatal truck accident involving a big rig and a car. The accident occurred when a big rig was pulling out of a parking lot. A Toyota Camry struck the center of the truck and became stuck underneath it. The car burst into flames and a person was trapped in the burning vehicle and died.

In this particular case, it also seems that a “truck underride” occurred. What this means is that the car went under the truck following the collision. This can cause significant injuries including severe head injuries. In this case, the vehicle caught fire when it got stuck under the truck. This also occurs frequently in underride accidents. Underride accidents could take place because the trucking company failed to install rear guards that adhere to federal truck safety standards. If the truck driver’s or the trucking company’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident and serious injuries, then the trucking firm could be held liable.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Seattle truck accident, please consult with the skilled Seattle personal injury lawyers at The Bernard Law Firm. Please contact us at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington truck accident cases with useful educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Please contact Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.

Source:http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/2384793.html

The driver of a pickup truck sustained major injuries after a big rig jackknifed and struck him head-on, according to a report in the News Sentinel. A Cherokee Freight Lines big rig was heading east on a two-lane highway when the traffic suddenly slowed. The truck’s driver slammed on his brakes to avoid rear-ending the traffic, but instead the rear trailer jackknifed. The out-of-control big rig crossed into the opposing lane colliding head-on with a Nissan pickup. The smaller vehicle’s driver was trapped in the wreckage and had to be extricated by emergency personnel. The big rig’s driver sustained minor injuries. Officials believe that the big rig driver will be found at fault for driving at an unsafe speed.

When a truck is said to have “jackknifed” it means that the back end of the big rig whips around toward the truck cab and the driver loses control of the truck. Basically, the big rig becomes this huge steel projectile traveling down the road at highway speeds taking down everything in its path. Needless to say, these types of accidents have the potential to cause serious personal injuries and fatalities to other commuters. As officials have said in this case, this injury accident could have been avoided had the truck driver been driving at a safe speed. In such accidents, the truck driver and the trucking firm could be held liable for injuries caused to victims. In cases that result in fatalities, families of deceased victims can also file wrongful death claims against the trucking companies.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington truck accident, please contact the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about big rig accident cases, which offers useful, educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Please contact Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today to discuss your Seattle truck accident case.

Source:http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2009/12/11/news/1_wreck_091211.txt

Officials in Ellensburg, Washington, are faulting the driver of a semi-truck for causing an injury car accident on the Interstate 82. According to a news report in the Yakima Herald, two people were injured in the accident, which occurred after the 58-year-old truck driver made an unsafe lane change forcing a Mitsubishi Lancer on to the shoulder. The car then struck a guardrail before re-entering the roadway and hitting the semi’s trailer, Washington State Patrol officials said. The Lancer’s driver suffered a head contusion and a sore chest. His passenger was hospitalized with a neck injury. Officials say drugs or alcohol were not involved. The truck driver was cited for making an unsafe lane change.

This accident is an example of how large trucks can overwhelm and intimidate other motorists on our roadways. In trucking accidents, if the truck driver is found to be at fault for the collision, his employer (the trucking company) can also be held liable for the injuries and damages caused to victims.

If you have been involved in a Washington truck accident, please call The Bernard Law Firm. We can get our accident reconstruction experts on the scene immediately so that important evidence is not lost. Trucking companies send their insurance adjusters to the scene within moments of the accident in order to protect their interests. As a victim, you need someone on your side, fighting for your rights, protecting your best interests and holding the negligent parties accountable.

Contact the knowledgeable Seattle personal injury lawyers at the Bernard Law Firm. Email us at info@bernardlawgroup.com or call 1-800-418-8282 to receive a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation that we will provide at no cost to you. We will also send you a FREE informational brochure that has useful and educational information that will help you understand your legal rights to their entirety. Contact Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.

Source:http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/12/02/two-men-injured-in-collision-with-semi-on-i-82

A 46-year-old motorist was killed in a Washington truck accident after he lost control of his car that slid into the back of a semi-truck on the northbound Interstate 205, near State Road 500 in Vancouver. According to a KGW news report, the semi-truck had pulled into the right shoulder because of ice on the freeway. The motorist was changing lanes in his 1991 Mazda pickup truck when he lost control and struck the rear of the tractor-trailer. Police suspect the weather conditions coupled with the speed of the vehicle given those conditions, may have contributed to this fatal car accident.

This account gives another instance of how bad weather could also contribute to devastating crashes. Washington truck accidents are sometimes caused by driver error. In this particular car accident, that seems to have been the case, if the news report is accurate. But there are many cases where truck driver errors could lead to catastrophic auto accidents. What’s clear is that when a truck and a smaller passenger vehicle are involved in a collision, it is usually the occupants of the smaller sized vehicle who are badly affected, often suffering severe damage and injuries.

If you are a victim of a Washington truck accident that you suspect was due to the negligent actions of a driver, please consult with the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Firm. We will schedule a free and comprehensive consultation for you immediately. Our accident reconstruction experts will be on the scene right away in order to secure the important evidence that is needed in your truck accident case. Call Kirk Bernard and his dedicated legal team today to get a FREE informational brochure about Washington truck accidents and to find out how we can help you get the best possible results in your truck accident case.

Source:http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Fatal-wreck-reported-in-Clark-County-on-I-205-milepost-35-78595792.html