Kirk Bernard – Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer

A 25-year-old man sustained critical injuries in a Tacoma pedestrian accident after a vehicle struck him on Spanaway Road and fled the scene. KOMO News reports that the man was walking with a friend when he was hit. The force of the impact pushed the man on to the hood of the car, which kept going for about 20 feet with the man on the hood. Instead of stopping, the driver increased speed, causing the pedestrian to fall off the hood. The pedestrian suffered numerous injuries, including a collapsed lung and shattered leg. Doctors are saying that his injuries could take more than a year to heal. Family members say that he will also have to undergo physical therapy in order to be able to walk again. Officials are describing the suspected car involved in the hit-and-run as a red Acura Integra or red Honda with front-end damage.

Leaving the scene of a crash, or “hit-and-run” as it is commonly called, is a serious violation under Washington State law. Under the Revised Code of Washington Section 46.52.020: “A driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the injury to or death of any person or involving striking the body of a deceased person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible but shall then forthwith return to, and in every event remain at, the scene of such accident until he or she has fulfilled the requirements of subsection (3) of this section; every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.”

Hit-and-run victims, especially those who are seriously injured, get the short end of the stick because they have no one to hold accountable for what happened to them. However, under Washington law, if you have been seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver or an uninsured/underinsured driver, you may still be able to seek compensation through your own auto insurance policy. If you are involved in such an accident, please get in touch with an experienced, knowledgeable personal injury lawyer who can help you secure the compensation you rightfully deserve.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident caused by a negligent driver, 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. We can also send you our FREE brochure, which has useful and educational information to help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://tacoma.komonews.com/content/thank-god-hes-not-dead-he-could-have-been-dead

A 68-year-old man was struck by a pickup truck as he was walking across the street in a marked crosswalk in the Silverdale area, the Kitsap Sun reports. Washington State Patrol officials say the man was walking across Ridgetop Boulevard when a 26-year-old woman driving a 2002 Ford pickup struck him. The woman will be cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian, troopers said. They say drugs or alcohol did not play a part in the crash. The pedestrian accident victim sustained severe head injuries. However, his injuries are not life-threatening.

A number of Seattle pedestrian accidents occur because of drivers who are distracted, inattentive or are simply not following the rules of the road. Washington law requires motorists to yield right-of-way to pedestrians legally walking in crosswalks. The Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.235 (1) states: “The operator of an approaching vehicle shall stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian or bicycle to cross the roadway within an unmarked or marked crosswalk when the pedestrian or bicycle is upon or within one lane of the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling or onto which it is turning. For purposes of this section “half of the roadway” means all traffic lanes carrying traffic in one direction of travel, and includes the entire width of a one-way roadway.”

In such cases where negligence is involved, the injured pedestrian can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, lost earnings, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, surgeries that may be required and cost of other therapy and treatment.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington pedestrian 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. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure, which has useful educational information about vehicular accident cases to help you better understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jan/04/pedestrian-hit-at-central-kitsap-interchange/?partner=yahoo_feeds

A Spokane Washington man has filed a $500,000 lawsuit against the state of Idaho for injuries he says were caused by potholes on the Interstate 90, the Associated Press reports. The 22-year-old man was a passenger in a vehicle pulling a trailer when the trailer became dislodged while running over potholes. According to court documents, the driver pulled into the median to reattach the trailer when another vehicle hit the same series of potholes, causing that vehicle’s steering mechanism to break. The vehicle then struck the trailer, which in turn hit the Washington man. He sustained pelvic injuries as a result of this crash.

Dangerous or defective roadways can cause serious accidents that result in catastrophic injuries or deaths to vehicle occupants. In this particular case, the potholes seem to have been extremely dangerous. If they caused a vehicle’s trailer to come loose and another vehicle’s steering mechanism to break, those were some potholes! Kirk Bernard and his legal team have represented several clients who sustained severe or fatal injuries in car accidents or motorcycle accidents as a result of poorly maintained roadways with potholes or uneven pavement.

In such cases, the governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway could be held liable for the accident and resulting injuries. Victims could seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, physical therapy and other related damages.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident in Seattle, 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. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure, which has useful educational information about car accident cases to help you better understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard today.

Source:http://www.nwcn.com/news/Spokane-man-files-pothole-lawsuit-against-Idaho-80140822.html

A 26-year-old man was fatally injured in a pedestrian accident in Marysville after he was struck by a suspected drunk driver, The Seattle Times reports. The fatal pedestrian accident occurred in the 10400 block of Smokey Point Boulevard. The pedestrian was walking along the street when he was struck. Passers by attempted to administer CPR to the victim, but paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. The 34-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide.

When the act of drunk driving causes a fatality to an individual other than the driver, the intoxicated driver could face vehicular homicide charges, under Washington law. The Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.520 states: “When the death of any person ensues within three years as a proximate result of injury proximately caused by the driving of any vehicle by any person, the driver is guilty of vehicular homicide if the driver was operating a motor vehicle: (a) While under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, as defined by RCW 46.61.502 or (b) In a reckless manner; or (c) With disregard for the safety of others.”

If you are the victim of a drunk or negligent driver or if you have lost someone as a result of such negligence, please understand that you have rights. You may be able to file a personal injury claim or a wrongful death claim against the at-fault party. You could seek compensation to cover medical expenses or funeral expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, physical therapy or long-term care if the accident resulted in catastrophic injuries to the victim.

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

Source:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theblotter/2010548385_a_34-year-old_marysville_man_w.html

A woman sustained critical injuries in a Seattle pedestrian accident after she was struck while walking near the intersection of Rainier Avenue South and South Andover Street. According to a news report in the Seattle Times, a man was driving north on Rainier in a Toyota Corolla when he drove up on to the sidewalk at Andover hitting the pedestrian. The driver then fled the scene of the accident. He was stopped a short distance away. Officials are investigating this as a drunk driving and vehicular assault case. The woman was taken to a Seattle hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Both driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and leaving the scene of an accident are serious crimes in Washington State. Drunk drivers whose actions result in serious injury or death face not only, criminal charges, but can also be held civilly liable for causing serious personal injuries or wrongful death. Victims in such cases may seek compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, physical therapy and even long-term care, if the injuries are catastrophic.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a drunk driver, please contact the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Firm. Call 1-800-418-8282 or send an email to info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation that we will provide at no cost to you. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure that has useful and educational information that will help you in understanding your legal rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010413964_webpedestrianaccident03m.html?syndication=rss

A 33-year-old woman succumbed to injuries she sustained in a Washington car accident after she was hit by a car that was being driven by a 20-year-old woman. According to a news report in The Olympian, the woman was walking on Centralia Street in the northbound shoulder near Harrison Avenue when a 1993 Saturn four-door vehicle going south struck her. Washington State Patrol officials said the pedestrian sustained head trauma and a broken leg. The driver and her passenger were uninjured. No charges are expected to be filed.

Washington pedestrian accidents occur due to several reasons. In some cases, driver inattention or negligence could cause it. Alcohol or drugs may also play a part in vehicle versus pedestrian collisions. In some other cases, the pedestrian may be at fault for jaywalking or illegally crossing or walking on a roadway. A dangerous condition on the roadway or a defective roadway, which lacks sidewalks, crosswalks or proper signage, could also lead to tragic pedestrian accidents.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington pedestrian accident, please contact an experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer, who has a successful track record handling these types of cases and helping victims and their families secure fair compensation for their injuries, damages and loss. Victims or their families (if the victim is deceased) may seek compensation from the at-fault party to cover medical and funeral expenses, loss of earnings, pain and suffering and other related damages.

Please contact The Bernard Law Firm by calling 1-800-418-8282 or send an email to info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule a FREE comprehensive and confidential consultation that we will provide at no cost to you. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure that has useful and educational information that will help you in understanding your legal rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/981447.html

A woman died after she was hit by a Kitsap Transit bus. The pedestrian accident victim was apparently walking south on State Route 305 near Johnson Way when on oncoming transit bus struck her. She was pronounced dead at the scene. None of the occupants of the bus were injured. The cause of this fatal pedestrian collision has not yet been determined.

Most of us are pedestrians at one time or another, every day. Most of the time, we take it for granted that we can walk on the roadway without any problems or incidents. However, pedestrian accidents are becoming an increasingly common occurrence in Seattle and the rest of Washington State. Most of these pedestrian accidents result in serious or catastrophic injuries, if not death. Washington still has a record for safety that compares favorably to many other states. However, pedestrian accidents do happen because of various factors. It can of course, happen when pedestrians are not careful on the roadway. Many of these incidents occur because motorists fail to yield right-of-way by not watching the road carefully and failing to look out for pedestrians.

If you are pedestrian who has been injured in an accident, contact your Seattle personal injury lawyer immediately. If you have been hit by someone who is on-the-job, remember that the person’s employer can be held accountable for your injuries as well. Please do not sign any papers or talk to any insurance adjusters until you have consulted with your attorney and your doctor. If you are able, be sure to collect names and contact information for eyewitnesses. Any information you gather or photographs you take on the scene immediately after the accident could help bolster your case.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Seattle pedestrian accident, you need helpful information. Call Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team for a free brochure about what action you need to take if you have been in a Washington pedestrian accident. Or contact us today for a free and comprehensive consultation and evaluation of your case.

Source:http://www.komonews.com/news/local/78384542.html