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The best way to merge in cone zones

It raises most drivers' blood pressure when a car tries to eek out every inch of a lane that's closed ahead. But the quickest way to get through a lane closure is something called the zipper merge. Bill Coats, an attorney in Bellingham, Washington, writes about why the zipper merge is the least stressful way to get through a lane closure and avoid an accident inspired by road rage.

Holiday Safety Tips (Or, Try Not to Set Everything on Fire)

In my opinion, holidays are stressful enough with adding a housefire to the mix. Basically everything we do between now and the New Year consists of dramatically increasing the likelihood of someone receiving a second-degree burn, so it's good to brush up on the skills we learned when those firefighters came to 6th grade to bore us with their safety talk. Danger #1: The Kitchen

The most important thing you'll need to prove wage loss for your accident claim

If an accident victim's injuries are serious, it will be impossible to go back to work for awhile. Many people in this situation need to file an insurance claim to cover wage loss, and have many questions about this process. Click here for information on what you need to do to show lost wages for your accident injury claim.

Proving wage loss in an accident claim can ruin your claim if you try to go it alone

It sounds fairly terrifying, to think that if you're injured in an accident, you might be unfairly compensated for lost wages while you get well. But people who are self-employed, or sporadically employed, may find themselves battling with insurance companies on how to prove what wages were lost. It can be very complicated to go back and forth with an insurance company backed by a team of lawyers looking for ways to save their company money. Here are some thoughts from Bill Coats Law in Bellingham, WA on what you might be facing in proving lost wages for your accident injury claim.

Tips on proving wage loss to an insurance adjuster

Talking with an insurance adjuster can be difficult at any time during the claims process, but all the more so when an injured person is feeling the stress from lost wages. Here are some thoughts from Bill Coats Law in Bellingham, WA on what's at stake and what an insurance adjuster will require in paying lost wage claims.

The #1 tip for proving wage loss in accident claims

In wrongful death claims, it may be critical to the deceased's family that lost wages be proven. This is not always a straightforward process, and insurance companies have strict requirements on how lost wages are accounted. Click to read this article from Bill Coats Law in Bellingham WA about how you can make your case for wage loss.

Silver lining: Woman loses fiancé in car accident, public raises funds to pay off her engagement ring

News is mostly bad, but sometimes it's a little bit good. Omaho couple Kelly Konecko and Aaron Surber were planning to get married in October 2016, a promise Aaron sealed with a diamond engagement ring. The two looked forward to building a family, with Aaron becoming a father to Kelly's 6-year-old son, Johnny. That all changed when last month, Kelly lost Aaron in an accident near Laurel, Nebraska. Kelly survived, but Aaron was ejected during the two-vehicle crash, dying at the scene. Kelly told news station WOWT:

Tips on avoiding a DUI

There are more ways than every to avoid a DUI nowadays. Personal injury attorney Bill Coats in Bellingham, WA writes about creative ways to use technology to avoid one, as well as tried and true common sense. For tips on safe and sober driving, click here.

Want to avoid a DUI? Try these tips

There are the old-fashioned methods of crashing on a friend's couch, or designating a sober driver. Modern technology such as apps for our ubiquitous smart phones is another way to make sure no one gets behind the wheel while drunk. Bellingham lawyer Bill Coats of Bill Coats Law works for the victims of drunk drivers on Washington roads and has a few ways we can all drive safer. For tips on avoiding a DUI, click here.

8 Tips from MADD on how to convince a drunk person not to drive

Drunk people are not known for their rational abilities. Even the most reasonable person when sober can become a very different personality when drunk. It can be difficult to convince someone who has been drinking to not drive. From Bellingham car accident lawyer Bill Coats' blog post on ways to avoid a DUI, included are tips on how to talk to a drunk people who want to drive.