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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.
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.
A tragic story about the danger of jet skis
Personal injury attorneys are well-acquainted with the scenario: an ordinary, enjoyable experience suddenly turns deadly when negligence is involved. When a child dies as a result of it, the sadness and anger that comes is even more acute for the survivors and loved ones. Here is one story of a fun day at the lake that took a terrible turn, and highlights the dangerous of teenagers using jet skis unsupervised. Bellingham, Washington wrongful death lawyer Bill Coats represented the survivors of a teenager's premature death.
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Episode 7: autoaccident.com (Sacramento, CA):
A head-on car crash can bring a lifetime of residual effects
When you're injured in an accident, it helps to know you're not alone. A head-on collision is one of the hardest events to go through, because the resulting injuries and losses can be catastrophic. As a personal injury attorney, I have helped clients find compensation for head-on car crashes so that they can focus on the best possible life afterwards. Here's a story I'd like to share with you about someone who was hit when another car crossed the median on a highway outside Bellingham, WA.
Neck surgeries needed after a bike accident can mean expensive medical bills
Attorney Bill Coats’ took on a personal injury case in Bellingham, Washington, that involved multiple defendants. He obtained a settlement of over $1M for his client who experienced spinal injuries after a bike crash because of some high school kids' prank that went horribly wrong. So often, an injury to the neck or spine can mean complicated surgeries as well as a high incidence of chronic pain. While this particular case's story is unique and doesn't guarantee the same results for your case, it can help to get a glimpse of how the legal process works in personal injury claims with spinal and neck damage.
Being ejected from a crash due to a drunk driver is almost too much to bear
It's not uncommon for people ejected from a vehicle in a car crash to have life-threatening injuries. When that accident is due to someone else's negligence, especially drug or drugged driving, it may seem like a cruel, needless tragedy to the victims who weren't even driving. If this kind of case has happened to you, know that you're not alone. Here's a story of one personal injury accident client for an attorney based in Whatcom County, Washington, who went through such a horrible scenario but was compensated fairly. Even if it can't turn back the clock and change what happened, it can help a victim cope.
Who Can I Hold Liable in My Passenger Accident Injury Claim?
A driver and passenger have an unspoken agreement every time they get in a vehicle together - that they both have a responsibility to each other to make the drive as safe as possible. Yet it's ultimately the responsibility of the driver to maintain the well-being of all passengers in the car. Behaviors that go against safety - drunk and drugged driving, and distracted driving are two big examples - endanger everyone in the car and around it. These are other factors will have a dramatic impact on determining liability after an accident. Click to learn more from this Bellingham, WA accident lawyer about how negligence and liability are factored in to accident injury claims.
When an uninsured motorist hits you, it can be hard to know what to do next. Here's one victim's story.
A common type of injury sustained in a motor vehicle accident is damage to the spine or pelvis. When someone is blindsided because a negligent driver "came out of nowhere" and hit them, there can be life-changing consequences. In this accident victim's story that happened in Bellingham, WA, the at-fault driver caused damage so severe that the victim was not able to return to his job after the accident - ever again. It was critical that he find money to pay for lost wages and damages he received because of the accident. Insult to injury, the motorist who hit him was uninsured.