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And now for a little holiday humor, aka what not to do with a car + Christmas tree
Don't be like this driver, with a tree strapped to the roof that is larger than the car carrying it.
And now, for other tips on holiday safety, visit Bellingham lawyer Bill Coats' blog...
[VIDEO] A guide to using your uninsured/underinsured motorist protection
It's a step not everyone will have to take, but using your uninsured/underinsured motorist protection means some fairly complicated fine print can affect your claim. Insurers are skilled at looking for ways to reduce your compensation, as it saves their bottom line. Click here for a video series from Bill Coats Law on what you need to know about using your uninsured/underinsured motorist protection.
How to protect troopers helping disabled vehicles on highways
In Washington State, there is a law written to help protect State Troopers who stop to help disabled vehicles. Bill Coats, a personal injury and car collision attorney in Bellingham, writes about the Move Over Law and results of a recent "emphasis patrol" campaign that ticketed violators of the law.
Here's one way Washington is trying to make roads safer for highway troopers
It's called the Move Over Law, and has recently been the muscle behind an emphasis campaign conducted by Washington State troopers. That's a fancy way of saying that they pulled over and ticketed a lot of violators of this law. Many people don't know there is a requirement to change lanes when approaching the scene of an accident or traffic stop, so read this post by Bill Coats Law of Bellingham, Washington about a traffic law you might not know you're breaking.
A law you might not know you're breaking in construction zones
Not every state has one, and not every driver in those states is aware of it. In Washington, it's called the Move Over Law, and is designed to help ensure the safety of people who work alongside active roadways, especially highways. Bill Coats, a personal injury lawyer in Bellingham, Washington who specializes in highway car accidents writes about a recent campaign state troopers conducted to raise awareness about this law.
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.
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.