Everett-Bellingham WA

Everett-Bellingham WA - Accident News and Resources including car, bicycle, motorcycle and truck accidents and much more.

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish Counties comprise the Pacific Northwest Interior

Across these diverse counties, residents and visitors encounter gorgeous mountain views, extensive waterways, the beautiful Puget Sound, and the vast network of San Juan Islands.

Whatcom County, Washington, on the border with Canada, is an established college town with a growing population

Whatcom County has a population of approximately 200,000. The county seat and largest city is Bellingham. The county name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water."

The largest industries in Whatcom County include manufacturing, agriculture, and healthcare. Whatcom County is the location of Western Washington University.

Island County - A unique and beautiful region composed entirely of islands

As of the 2010 census, its population was 78,506. Its county seat is Coupeville, while its largest city is Oak Harbor. Its name reflects the fact that it is composed entirely of islands. It contains two large islands, Whidbey and Camano, and seven smaller islands - Baby, Ben Ure, Deception, Kalamut, Minor, Smith, and Strawberry.

San Juan County - A beautiful maritime archipelago of 743 islands

San Juan County is a county located in the Salish Sea in the far northwestern corner of Washington State. As of the 2010 census, its population was 15,769. Of the hundreds of islands in the county, only 60 islands are inhabited.

Skagit County - Situated between near the majestic Cascade Mountains, the fertile Skagit Valley, and the powerful Skagit River

Skagit County, with a population of 116,901, is situated in the gorgeous Skagit Valley. The county seat and largest city is Mount Vernon. The majestic Cascade Mountains stand to the east, overlooking a fertile valley boasting a variety of agricultural crops. Running through the valley is the powerful Skagit River flowing westward toward the beautiful San Juan Islands.

Snohomish County - Home of the world's largest aerospace-industry manufacturing facility

Snohomish County, with a population of 772,501, is the third-most populous county in Washington. The county seat and largest city is Everett. The county is located between the sparkling blue waters of Puget Sound and the rugged, snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Mountains. Snohomish County begins 12 miles north of Seattle, a little under 100 miles south of Vancouver, and a short ferry ride away from the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Peninsula. Snohomish County is home to over 20,000 businesses, ranging from small family farms specializing in organic foods, to the world’s largest advanced manufacturing facility producing state-of art aerospace equipment.

The region's climate can contribute to accidents throughout the Northwest Interior

The climate is generally mild and typical of the Puget Sound region. The year-long average daily high and low temperatures are 59 and 44.1 °F. The western region of the Northwest Interior has a marine oceanic climate that is strongly influenced by the Cascade Range and Olympic Mountains, and gets an average of 42 inches of rain per year.

In Accident Data Center, find recent accidents at the links below:

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County car accidents;

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County pedestrian accidents;

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County motorcycle accidents;

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County bicycle accidents;

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County train accidents;

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County truck accidents.

When someone is injured in an accident in the region, it is important to gather information about what happens next.

Being injured in a serious accident is always a shocking and scary experience, and dealing with the aftermath is exhausting and stressful. Accident victims are forced to deal with hospitalization, medical treatments, missed work, and lost income, often while trying to manage pain and disability from their injuries. And then the insurance adjusters start circling. Find out more about accidents and what issues an injured person needs to be aware of by going to this link.

What to do after a serious injury accident in Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, or Snohomish County

When someone has been injured or killed in a motor-vehicle collision, the accident victim and their family members are left with medical bills, lost income, and other costs. It is important to get legal assistance to help the accident victim recover, or when the accident is fatal, to help the family members get fully compensated for their losses. Learn more about how a Pacific Northwest personal injury attorney will help injured victims and families.

State:

Washington

Legal Data Center

Top 7 reasons to hire an experienced personal injury attorney

What every family needs to know about a wrongful death case

How Bellingham car accident victims answer "How are you?" could impact their claim

Bellingham accident victims can expect insurers to dispute future expenses

Bellingham remembers the wrongful death of this child

Accident reports by county

Island County, WA - 15

San Juan County, WA - 2

Skagit County, WA - 113

Snohomish County, WA - 326

Whatcom County, WA - 155

Legal Resources

Everett-Bellingham WA

Inattention blindness: what makes distracted driving so dangerous [VIDEO]

Everyone by now should know that driving while distracted is one of the most dangerous things you can do behind the wheel. But lots of people also think that multi-tasking is possible, and while other drivers might not be able to do two things at once, there are ways to juggle tasks safely. More and more research says this is not so. If you're trying to have a conversation on the phone, whether you are listening or speaking, your mind is engaged in cognitive tasks. Even if you aren't holding your phone - a manual task - your mind is focused on this primary task of your conversation. Which means that if you are trying to talk about your dinner plans while you're driving, your mind is focused on trying to choose between pizza and Chinese, not what's in front of your windshield.

Here is a great video that explains why distracted driving occurs.

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5 Tips for the first conversation with the insurance adjuster after a car accident

Many accident victims are nervous about their first contact with the insurance company’s adjuster, and justifiably so. Assuming anyone who was recently in a car wreck is dealing with injuries and emotional stress that come from a traumatizing event, it’s hard to think clearly through a claim negotiation. Here are some tips for that first contact with the insurance adjuster to help you advocate for yourself or a loved one and set the stage for financial recovery instead of further anxiety and financial stress.

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Studies show those who hire a lawyer recover 3.5 times more money on average than those who do not

If you've been injured in an accident, you might be wondering if it's worth it to hire an attorney. How do you know? The headline of this story alone will tell you that sometimes it makes sense to hire one. One of the reasons lawyers can get their clients so much more money for a claim is that insurance company negotiators often don't look at all the factors that your attorney will. Accounting for things like future wage loss and medical bills usually aren't volunteered by insurers, no matter how much of a "good neighbor" they might seem. Click the link for more tips and answers to frequently asked questions to help you decide to hire a personal injury attorney for your accident claim.

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Negligence is the key issue in most personal injury cases

Negligence is one of the biggest factors in personal injury - otherwise known as tort - cases. The idea behind negligence is the belief that every member of society is supposed to act responsibly and avoid putting other people at risk – much like the golden rule. Every time someone is hurt doesn’t automatically mean negligence was involved, however. So it’s up to the plaintiff to show that a reasonably prudent person in the defendant’s position would have done things differently under those same circumstances, and that would have avoided the problem in the first place. To learn more about negligence and how it factors into personal injury claims, click here.

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5 Tips to help you during the first conversation with the insurance adjuster after a car accident

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When a bicycle accident is fatal, survivors have hard decisions to make

No one wants to lose a loved one to an accident. But to lose someone because of the negligence or recklessness of another person makes the loss that much harder. Survivors often face anger and confusion in the aftermath of a wrongful death, and yet have so many decisions to make, from funeral arrangements to learning how to live without their loved ones. And making ends meet can be more pain on top of what feels insurmountable. If your loved one was killed while riding their bike, it is unfortunately not likely that the insurers from the negligent driver’s car company are going to offer compensation that fully covers your losses. Having a personal injury attorney on your side can make your financial recovery possible so that you can focus on the emotional healing. Click for more information on filing wrongful death claims from a bike accident.

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Bicyclists lack the protection motorists have in crashes, and that means worse injuries

Little is there to protect your body from the ground if you are thrown over your bike’s handlebars. Always wear a helmet, because it can be the only thing that protects you from injuries. Yet it is technically not a law in all cities that bicyclists must wear helmets. A car has seat belts, airbags, and other safety features that are engineered to protect driver and passengers in case of a crash. However, a bike lacks these features. Chances are, if you have wrecked your bike and gone over the handlebars, you were injured and might be facing a long road to recovery.

If this accident happened because of the recklessness or negligence of another party, don’t face the burden of finding compensation for your losses alone. Click to learn more about your legal options if you were hit on your bike.

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Traumatic Brain Injuries are not uncommon for bicyclists hit by cars

Riding a bike offers little protection between rider and the environment. If you are on your bike and are hit by a vehicle, or your crash was caused by some factor beyond your control, you are likely dealing with a lot of injuries. In a collision between a bike and a car, the injuries a bike rider receives are almost always far worse than what the driver walks away with, especially if the cyclist’s head takes the impact of the hit. If you have a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) after a bike crash, you will likely face a lot of financial problems in addition to the strain of healing from trauma. Don’t let the stress convince you that you have no options and must go it alone. You do have options for compensation for your losses and financial trouble, and are not alone in fighting the insurance companies to get full, fair, and fast compensation after your accident. Understand your rights and legal options if you have TBI after a collision by clicking here.

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Tips on what to do next if your child was hit by a car

Kids love bikes – from a bigwheel to a ten-speed. But even with the necessary safety gear and careful supervision, accidents can happen. A child can be hit by a vehicle in split seconds, and experience broken bones, bruises, or unthinkable injuries. When someone else is at fault it’s almost too much to bear. Even if it seems that the facts are clear, and the accident was caused by someone else, there is a legal process in filing a personal injury claim. Legal processes are complex and negotiating with the insurance companies – even if criminal charges were filed against the responsible party – can be traumatizing to all involved. This isn’t the time to go it alone, and take on a big company yourself that is in the business of saving itself money. Click the link to learn more about what to do if your child was hit by a car.

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You have legal options if you were "doored" by a car while on your bike

It’s not just embarrassing – being “doored” while on a bicycle can be lethal. Being doored means a bike rider slams into the door of a vehicle that has been opened negligently. Sometimes the bike zone is actually in a dangerous place, or riding in this zone is unavoidable. This can happen on any road where bikes travel alongside cars parked parallel to the street. Depending on your state, there are laws against it, which means being doored can mean there was an at-fault party. But this doesn’t mean the claim would be so cut and dried. Click here to learn about your legal options if you were "doored" by a car while riding your bike.