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You have options if a speeder hit you

Speed limits are not just recommendations, but established rules that all drivers are expected to follow while operating their vehicles on public roads. Many factors are considered by the engineers who set the limits, such as the road’s characteristics; how wide the shoulder might be, if there is one at all; road grade; and the length of a driver’s line of sight. The limits are set very carefully after an assessment of all these factors, and are meant to keep everyone safe and maintain a healthy flow of traffic as much as possible. However, some drivers speed, and statistics reflect this, and this increases the liklihood and severity of a crash. If you have been hit by a speeding driver, you have options. 

Bellingham WA lawyer helps client find compensation for hip dislocation due to accident

If you have been injured in a car accident that wasn't your fault, it can help to hear that you're not alone. That you do have options, and there are ways to recover some of what you lost financially. It takes money to be able to recover from serious injuries like a hip dislocation and bone fractures, like this car accident victim hit by a distracted driver. Sometimes your best option is to seek legal expertise to make sure you receive a fair settlement for your damages and losses. Here is one client's story.

Damages for car accident victims goes beyond what you can see

Sometimes the accidents and injuries are minor, but often, someone is seriously hurt or killed in a crash. It is a terrifying experience to go through, and afterwards, many crucial decisions need to be made to ensure the physical and financial recovery of the victims. Click here to learn more about what kinds of damages are recoverable losses after being hurt in a car accident.

What you need to know about gap insurance

This type of coverage is important to consider if you're driving a financed or leased vehicle. Click this link for an article by Bill Coats Law on gap insurance - what it is, and who needs it.

When a worst case scenario comes true: a child is injured in a car crash

Seeing children hurt is too painful for many of us to bear. When a child is hurt – or killed – in an accident, the loss is catastrophic and feels at times insurmountable to the survivors. It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed and feel there is no hope. While no one can undo what’s done, there may be help to get you through this time. If the crash occurred because of someone’s negligence, especially in cases of drunk or distracted driving, or poor road safety, the injured child or the survivors may be able to file a claim or lawsuit.

One of the most dangerous places of all for a motorcyclist is also impossible to avoid while riding

Intersections. How many of them do you go through on the average trip through town or beyond?  The vast majority of motorcycle collisions happen at intersections. Imagine that you’re on a motorcycle, turning left when a much bigger, heavier vehicle such as a car or truck comes barreling through and hits you. These kinds of accidents are hard on someone in a fully enclosed vehicle, but can be absolutely devastating to someone on a bike. If the person who hit you did so out of negligence or recklessness, you may be due a substantial payout for your injuries and losses from the at-fault party. How will you find out? Reading the article is a great place to start.

Broadside car crashes can be deadly on Bellingham roads

Broadside collisions include T-bone accidents, and can happen at intersections, in parking lots, or on the highway when a driver fails to drive defensively, or, worse yet, is drunk or distracted. These accidents can bring severe injury or death, and the financial repercussions can be high. Often there is money available to pay for damages and losses because there is an at-fault driver involved in these types of wrecks. Here on tips on what to do if you've been side-swiped or broadsided in a car wreck

A broadside collision is especially dangerous for a motorcycle

Motorcycles do not have the same protection all around them that other vehicles do. Even a tap from a car or truck can result in the motorcycle driver losing control, hitting another object such as a car or guardrail, and getting into a bad wreck that leaves the other driver unscathed. Typically it is the other driver who is at fault in these kinds of broadside collisions, which makes recouping losses more straightforward. However, before you attempt to recover your losses yourself through the maze of insurance policies and protocols, consult with a skilled lawyer. For more information on what to do if you've been broadsided while driving a motorcycle, click here.

If fault is disputed, are medical bills still covered if someone is hurt?

Regardless of who is at fault, if there are injured people in a car accident, those people will deserve medical care. So who pays for those bills? Auto insurance policies have an option called Personal Injury Protection offered to many US drivers; in Washington, for example, the coverage is required by state law to be offered to all drivers licensed in the state. This is the coverage you'll count on to pay medical bills, and sometimes wage loss. Bill Coats Law in Bellingham, WA describes more about what Personal Injury Protection is for and how it works to cover people hurt in an accident, no matter who caused it.

What's even more distracting to drivers than cell phones? The answer may surprise you

Imagine driving down the road and suddenly getting popped in the back of the head with a flying Sponge Bob. Kids are 12 times more distracting to a driver than talking on a cell phone. While it's doubtful laws won't make driving with children illegal anytime soon, here are some statistics on the dangers of distracting driving, plus tips on helping kids learn to behave in cars.