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

Recently, a Minnesota doctor was indefinitely suspended from performing surgery after he removed the wrong kidney from a cancer patient. The wrong-site surgery occurred in 2008. And, just a few months after that, the doctor performed a biopsy on a patient’s pancreas when it should have been done on the kidney. The doctor’s defense was that he was distracted by his beeper and other patients and did not get around to reading the radiologist’s notes. The cancer patient, who was left with one cancerous kidney, had to go through another operation to save the kidney.

Wrong-site surgery occurs when a surgeon or another caregiver goes into the wrong part of the body during surgery or an invasive procedure. This is a serious problem because it results in people either suffering major, long-term health effects or having to undergo additional surgeries or procedures. We often hear about doctors operating the wrong knee, wrong side of the shoulder or the wrong finger. Sometimes, the mistake is made on internal organs when a surgeon operates on the wrong kidney, ovary or any other internal organ that is on both sides of the body.

Wrong-site surgery usually happens because of communication problems between the surgeon and his or her staff. There may be many other issues, but usually it is caused by a breakdown in communication, which can be easily avoided. If you or a loved one is a victim of wrong-site surgery, then you very likely have a medical malpractice claim against the surgeon and hospital.

If your loved one has been seriously injured by medical negligence as a result of surgical errors, please contact the reputed Seattle personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Firm to find out about your legal rights and options. Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule your FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington medical malpractice cases, which has useful, educational information to help you understand your rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source:http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=48345&catid=60

A woman sustained fatal injuries in Puyallup, Washington, after she was struck by an Amtrak train. According to a King5 news report, the fatal train accident occurred during the early morning hours near 26th Street NW and West Stewart Avenue. No passengers were on the train at the time and none of the crew members were hurt. Amtrak is looking into what caused this fatal accident.

In 2006 alone, train accidents caused 909 fatalities and 8,244 injuries nationwide, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Railroad employees, passengers in other autos who were struck at railroad crossings, injuries to passengers aboard trains or walking on or near railroad tracks are among those injured in these dangerous train accidents.

There have been several recent train accidents in Washington over the last year or so where pedestrians have lost their lives. Pedestrians must be extremely careful while walking near train tracks. It is illegal and hazardous to actually walk down the train tracks. Always remember that trains have the right-of-way. Whether you are in a vehicle or crossing by foot, never go around lowered crossing gates. It’s possible that you may not always hear a train and the engineer may not see you in time to sound the horn or come to a stop. There are also times when pedestrians are unnecessarily struck and killed as a result of a train operator or conductor’s negligence or because of lack of safety features such as crossing arms, gates or lights at the crossing.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington train 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 about train accident and other personal injury 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.king5.com/news/Woman-killed-by-train-80412297.html

A Washington State Patrol trooper was hospitalized with serious injuries after a suspected drunk driver on the Interstate 5 in SeaTac, crossed over several lanes of traffic and slammed into the back of the patrol car. According to KOMO news, officials received several reports of a possible drunk driver in a 1989 Toyota Corolla going south on the 5 Freeway in the SeaTac area. The trooper had apparently pulled over to the right shoulder of the freeway near 188th Street, in order to locate the vehicle, when the speeding Toyota crossed multiple lanes and crashed into the back of the marked patrol car.

The impact of the crash pushed the Corolla back on to the roadway where it was struck by a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer. The trooper sustained serious, but not life-threatening, injuries. The 44-year-old driver of the Corolla was arrested on suspicion of DUI and driving on a suspended license. He also has a prior DUI conviction, according to officials.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a serious crime in Washington State. According to the Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.502, driving under the influence is when “a person is guilty of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug if the person drives a vehicle within the state.” It is also illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please contact the skilled 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 experienced legal team today.

Source:http://www.komonews.com/news/local/79164637.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window Covering Safety Council have announced a massive defective product recall for over 50 million Roman shades and roll-up blinds whose exposed cords can pose a serious strangulation hazard for young children. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, more than 200 infants and young children have died from such accidental strangulation in window cords since 1990. This product defect recall involves all window coverings that can form a loop and cause strangulation. These window coverings were sold at some of the nation’s largest retailers including Wal-Mart, Target, IKEA and Pottery Barn.

Parents and caregivers are being cautioned about these window cord hazards and urged to use only cordless window products in homes with young children. These exposed cords have not only caused fatalities but also near-strangulations that have led to permanent, irreversible brain damage. In strangulation cases, brain injury can occur when oxygen to the brain is cut off.

Parents and caregivers must get rid of these corded blinds and shades to protect young children. If you still have these defective products at home, please make sure that you always move all cribs, beds and furniture away from windows and window cords. Keep all pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children. Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered.

If your child has suffered as a result of these or other recalled products, please contact a skilled Seattle personal injury attorney with The Bernard Law Group for a FREE, comprehensive and completely confidential consultation. Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington product defect cases, which has useful, educational information that will help you understand your rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.

Source:http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/12/blinds_recall.html

A 32-year-old man has been charged with causing a hit-and-run Washington car accident, which injured his passenger. According to a news report in the Wenatchee World, the man was driving on Highway 97 when he lost control of his car and drove off the road into Ruby Creek. Officials say he fled the scene of the accident leaving an injured passenger in the car. When authorities arrived, the car was partially submerged in the creek and the 29-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital with head and neck injuries. Washington State Patrol troopers found the man walking a short distance away from the scene of the crash.

Under Washington law, leaving the scene of a car accident is a serious crime. 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.”

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a car accident caused by a hit-and-run driver or as a result of an uninsured or underinsured driver, you may be able to claim compensation through the negligent party’s insurance or through the uninsured and underinsured clause under your own car insurance policy. However, dealing with insurance companies is never easy. Car insurance companies may collect premiums from you every month, but when the time comes for them to pay, they will use every tactic to stall or deny your claim. That’s why you need someone on your side, who can beat the insurance companies at their own game.

If you need assistance with your car accident claim, please contact an experienced Seattle personal injury attorney 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://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/dec/05/charges-filed-against-driver-in-blewett-pass/

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

Two workers suffered major injuries in a construction accident after they slipped and fell from the Dallas Cowboys Stadium’s roof onto a lower level. According to a news report, the two men were completing work on the top hatch of the stadium’s retractable roof just before they fell. According to fire officials, the men were not wearing the required safety harnesses. Both men fell 75 feet. One worker lost consciousness and suffered a broken leg. Another sustained a back injury and had to be airlifted to an area hospital.

Freezing and icy conditions may have caused the workers to slip and fall, officials say. The workers were employees of the stadium’s general contractor. According to the report, 175 construction accidents have been reported since work on the stadium began in 2006. Apparently, the construction group entered into a partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for additional safety measures to reduce these accidents.

This accident is another example of how following safety standards will go a long way in preventing construction accidents. When construction workers are working at a higher elevation such as the roof or from a scaffold, they are required to wear harnesses so they are protected in the event of a fall. In this case, these workers may not have been as badly injured or injured at all had they worn safety harnesses. I trust officials from OSHA will be looking into how and why this accident happened.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington construction accident, please contact the experienced Seattle personal injury lawyers at The Bernard Law Group for a free consultation. Our experts will get to the scene of the accident moments afterward to secure evidence that can be invaluable to your case. We will take the steps needed to get you the best possible results in your case. That includes holding the negligent parties accountable. If you are a construction worker who was not educated or trained properly to do your job or follow safety procedures, it is simply not acceptable and we will help you fight to remedy the situation. Call Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today for a free consultation and to receive a free copy of our informational brochure about Washington construction accidents.

Source:http://www.theshorthorn.com/content/view/18484/265/