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According to Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, in 2012, 726 lost their lives in bicycle/motor vehicle crashes nationally, just under two people every day of the year in the U.S. The death rate from bicycle crashes is high due to the relative lack of protection bicyclists have in an impact with a motor vehicle.
While rare compared to other types of motor-vehicle crashes, aircraft accidents do happen regularly, usually with devastating results. Despite significant safety improvements over the past decades, many people each year experience the pain of losing someone in an airplane crash.
At one point or another, everyone is a pedestrian. As the expense of driving and insuring a vehicle rise, more and more people choose to walk to their destinations. As the number of pedestrians increases, so do the number of pedestrian accidents. To see where the Spokane region ranks in terms of pedestrian collisions nationally, please go to this National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.
Truckers are a growing motorist group using Washington's highways, and commercial trucking accidents occur regularly in Spokane and across Eastern Washington. When a truck crash happens, serious injuries and fatalities are a common result.
Common causes of commercial truck accidents in Spokane
According to IIHS, a large percentage of trucking crashes are caused by:
Broadside car collisions can start a change reaction that brings deadly results
It’s remarkable that unsafe lane change collisions don’t happen more often on Bellingham and its surrounding Whatcom County roads. All vehicles have blind spots, and when we travel at highway speeds, parallel to other cars, with so many drivers shifting lanes, merging, accelerating and slowing down – naturally this put us in dangerous situations. Usually it’s an honest mistake to begin our move into the next lane when suddenly we hear a honk of the horn warning us to get back over. However, if someone is drunk or distracted, or simply reckless, a tragic and unnecessary accident might result in lifelong – or life-ending – changes. Click here to learn more about broadside car collisions and what to do if you're in one.
Red light runners can cause some of the most common wrecks at Bellingham intersections
The amount of trust it takes to buckle yourself into a 4-ton contraption relying on physics, engineering, and technology to barrel you down a road boggles the mind, when you think about it. Adding to this the fact that millions of other drivers are doing exactly the same thing in their own vehicular universes, it’s sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. In the case of a driver breaking a law such as running a red light and hitting you, it does. At that moment, a typical drive to get to work, bring the kids home from school immediately changes your life permanently. If someone ran a red light and hit you, you have options. Click to learn more about what they are.
The basic steps a lawsuit goes through in one quick, easy to understand summary
It may seem daunting if a claim progresses to a lawsuit. A skilled personal injury attorney settles nearly every client’s personal injury claim in a negotiated settlement. This means that very rarely do his clients need to go to trial with a lawsuit. However, if your claim doesn’t have the resolution you wanted, you still have the option to file suit. Your lawyer will step you through the process, explaining things as you go. But here is the gist of what to expect during a lawsuit.
If a loved one died in an accident, this could be considered a wrongful death
A wrongful death can happen in a variety of ways, from a car or truck accident to a medical procedure that goes tragically wrong. Regardless of the cause, a wrongful death is always heartbreaking, and the resulting claim takes a special kind of experience to handle effectively. When a loved one dies as the result of negligence or recklessness, family members are overwhelmed with grief, anger, and confusion as to what to do next. Often the at-fault party will deny liability and will seek to place blame elsewhere, even on the victim. The legal process can be overwhelming for family members who are mourning and trying to come to terms with what has happened. When a wrongful death happens, the legal stakes are higher and more challenging, the at-fault parties fight harder, and the process can be stressful for surviving family members. If a loved one died during an accident it is quite possible you could file a wrongful death claim. Click to learn more.
Rollover Accidents Are Especially Dangerous on Whatcom and Skagit County Roads
While it’s hard to imagine a vehicle accident that isn’t scary, rollovers have particularly dangerous aspects. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) they tend to happen on rural roads that lack barriers like guard rails, roads which are common in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. This means that the vehicle can end up in a ditch or down an embankment. Also, the faster the vehicle is going, the higher the chance it will roll. Faster speeds result in harder impacts. Drunk or distracted driving also tend to factor into rollover crashes. As these are typically single-vehicle accidents, a driver who is drunk or distracted is inattentive and careless to the conditions on the road. Even a simple curve in the road can start the chain reaction of circumstances that result in a rollover. Swerving to avoid a pothole, or a tire blow out can result in flipping your vehicle over. If you have been in a rollover accident, some of these factors might have been involved in your crash. Click here for more information on what to do after a rollover accident.
If you've been rear-ended in Bellingham, you're not alone
Rear end collisions. They're one of the most common kinds of crashes, and they almost always happens when it’s least expected. Often these types of accidents leave victims with devastating pain, including but not limited to whiplash. Obviously physical pain can result, as well as emotional trauma. Last but not least, another long term impact is the financial strain of medical bills, loss of transportation, and even loss of wages. After an accident involving a real-end collision, it’s important to know the facts. You have options and don’t have to soldier through it without help. You can make an informed decision about what to do after being rear-ended.