Washington and Seattle Injury Lawyers Phillips Webster » personal injury

Washington Personal Injury Lawyers: 2 Teens Seek Apology After Being Hit by DUI Driver

Law Blogger — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:55:55 +0000

Seeking an apology from drunk drivers is something that some victims choose to do and some victims just seek justice. But when it comes to DUI, some victims aren’t alive to hear it. In the case of two teenage girls in Spokane, they not only are luckily alive to hear it, they welcome it.

Nikki Hart, 15, says she was walking with her friend on 10th and Walnut on the South Hill of Spokane on Saturday when they were both hit by a truck.

According to police, the two girls were hit by a drunk driver named Mark Bear Dog, who they say was also under the influence of marijuana and admitted to them he was driving drunk.

Witnesses said that Bear Dog was driving his ford F-250 pickup, going about 30-35 mph and made no attempt to stop.

The girls were rushed to the hospital with personal injuries and the suspect went to jail. Now Nikki says she wants an apology.

“My friend doesn’t remember what happened and I do and it just makes it, I think pretty scary,” she said.

Hart came home from the hospital Tuesday afternoon. She says her jaw is hurting, she still feels pain in her hip and neck, and is scraped up from head to toe.

Nikki’s parents hope that the girl’s harrowing ordeal will cause others to think twice before driving under the influence.

“I could have lost my daughter, and I had to go to the hospital seeing her strapped down. I had to be strong for her,” said Nikki’s mom, Kelly St.Paul.

Bear Dog was arrested and faces one count of vehicular assault.

We’re glad to hear that the girls will recover fully.

DUI is an expensive and time consuming offense, but vehicular assault is a real crime that could be accompanied by real jail time. Especially if it is not the first offense or the accused has a criminal background. We know nothing about the suspect in this case, but we hope that he at least agrees to apologize.

If you or someone you know have sustained serious personal injuries in a dui accident then you need experienced counsel to protect your interests with the insurance companies and health care providers. Call the Seattle car accident attorneys at Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

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Washington Personal Injury Lawyer: 3 Suffer Serious Burn Injuries in Propane Explosion

Law Blogger — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:31:23 +0000

When going to a campground it can be rustic, particularly if you are in a tent or car camping. But some campgrounds are different. They offer all of the amenities of home and more including swimming pools and heated cabins. That type of fun vacation can be found at Port Susan Camping Club in Tulalip until this morning when a family was all of a sudden changed forever by a leaking propane tank.

A man in a house nearby said he and another neighbor smelled a propane leak around 1 am this morning. They walked around for a while in the dark, but couldn’t find the source. The leak was only found after it exploded sending three people to the hospital.

Two of the injured people, a woman and her son, made it out, but suffered serious burns. The woman was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition. Her son, was taken to an Everett hospital, but upon arrival it was determined that his burns were severe enough that he had to also be transported to Harborview.

When the incident happened people grabbed hoses and ran towards the explosion, which was powerful enough to blow out the windows on a van. One neighbor was injured trying to get away from the fire and was taken to Providence Medical Center in Everett.

Five fire departments responded to the call and successfully kept the fire from spreading to dense trees and homes just a few feet away.

Park managers said they have anywhere from 500 to 2,000 people living here during the year.

The woman and her son remain in the intensive care unit. We hope that they recover quickly and fully with little to no scarring.

Serious burn injuries can change people’s lives. They can not only be disfiguring, but can have a very long painful healing process in which the patient is prone to infection, addiction to painkillers, and some have reported severe post traumatic stress disorder accompanied by nightmares.

If you or someone you know has been severely burned in an accident they will most likely lose extended periods of time from work and will experience pain and suffering like they never have before in their lives. That’s why they need skilled legal help to assure that they get the compensation they deserve. Call Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

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Personal Injury Lawyers: Lawsuit Questions Chelan County Police Chase Policy

Law Blogger — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:09:37 +0000

Regular readers of this blog see stories of cars suddenly taking off from routine stops and leading police on high-speed chases that sometimes result in a horrific and senseless car accidents that cause serious personal injuries and in extreme cases, wrongful death. Now a Chelan County woman has taken her experience into court to try to change that policy.

Lora Zamudio, a Chelan County resident who injured in a 2007 fatal vehicle accident during a high-speed police chase, filed the lawsuit for damages in Douglas County Superior Court on Thursday. She is suing Chelan County and the executor of the man who was driving the car being chased.

Joshua B. Dominguez, 20, of Wenatchee, died Dec. 7, 2007, after fleeing a roadside sobriety test conducted by Chelan County Deputy Dan McCue.

Deputy Chris Wright pursued Dominguez in his police cruiser on Highway 150, between Chelan and Manson, until the fleeing vehicle collided with a Jeep Cherokee carrying 5 people, including Zamudio, who suffered serious personal injuries in the collision.

The Washington State Patrol and sheriff’s office both conducted investigations into the incident, and ruled in 2008 that Officer McCue’s conduct was correct in the pursuit, which reached speeds of 85 to 100 mph.

In the lawsuit, Zamudio claims the high-speed pursuit needlessly endangered the public. She also claims Dominguez’s negligence caused her serious injury.

The lawsuit asks for medical and lost wages, to be determined at trial.

Chelan County Prosecutor Gary Riesen has not yet commented on the lawsuit.

Chelan County has 20 days to answer the claim once it’s been served.

Phillips Webster is not the attorney in this case.

There are many people on the fence as to whether the policies of police chases are effective. One side say what Zamundio says which is that they can harm the community and put people in danger. The other side says that to not pursue is light on crime and allows criminals to take undo advantage of the system.

Each community may have different needs and thus, different policies. Perhaps a jury will be able to determine exactly what those needs are.

If you or someone you know has suffered a personal injury in an auto accident it is important that you find a skilled attorney to help you through the complicated insurance settlement process. Call the experienced Personal Injury Lawyers at Phillips Webster for a free consultation on how you can get the compensation you deserve.

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Washington Car Accident Lawyers: Teen Charged with Vehicular Assault in Injury of 4 People

Law Blogger — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:42:18 +0000

It is sad to see a young life derailed in only a few seconds by a car accident. What is sadder is to see the people they allegedly personally injured in the accident. That very unfortunate circumstance happened in Deer Park in Eastern Washington this weekend.

Cheyenne L. Drinkhall, 18, slammed her 1994 Jeep Cherokee into another car four miles north of Deer Park, the Washington State Patrol said. The accident occurred when Drinkhall tried to turn off Highway 395 onto Wallbridge Road, where Oscar J. Perry, 64, of Springdale, was stopped in his 2002 Volkswagen Golf.

Perry was the was taken by ambulance to Providence Holy Family Hospital, as were two other people in his car, a 57-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy.

A third passenger in Perry’s car, Brittany E. Ostlund, 18, of Spokane, was injured severly enough that she had to be airlifted by Medstar to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. She was listed in satisfactory condition Sunday night.

Drinkhall, who lives in Spokane, was treated for unspecified injuries at Holy Family Hospital. She was released by early Sunday, but the recent high school graduate was charged today with vehicular assault.

We hope that all involved recover fully and quickly.

Vehicular assault charges are serious and only charged in an injury car accident if there is strong evidence of either DUI or negligent driving such as speeding or tailgating. If Drinkhall is lucky, this may only mean that she spends some time at home with an ankle bracelet as she pays off a hefty fine. Of course, it could also result in some jail time depending on the severity of the situation because troopers have suggested that she may have been under the influence of either drugs or alcohol at the time.

Please keep in mind that details of this accident are few and that all actions are merely alleged at this point.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious personal injuries in a car accident with a negligent driver you will need skilled legal counsel to walk you through the steps to assure that your best interests are represented to assure that you get the compensation you deserve. Call Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

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Washington Bus Accident Lawyers: School Bus With 21 Kids Crashes; Personal Injuries

Law Blogger — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:07:44 +0000

Medical emergencies in vehicles can come up unexpectedly and generally the driver has no time to pull over. Sometimes they are momentarily paralyzed, some merely panic, and others fully lose consciousness. The details of the school bus accident that happened in Bellevue on Friday evening aren’t clear, but authorities suspect a medical emergency.

A passenger bus carrying 21 children from the Boys and Girls Club picked up the kids at the Lake Hills Library. Minutes later authorities say the driver may have suffered a medical emergency.

The bus was driving on the 15200 block of Lake Hills Boulevard at about 6:30 pm when it suddenly veered out into oncoming traffic, rammed an SUV, careened across the road, and slammed into a tree.

Some of the children suffered minor personal injuries. A few others were complaining of stomach pain because they struck the seat in front of them.

The driver suffered more serious personal injuries in the bus accident, but there were no immediate details about the nature or extent of his injuries.

Witnesses said that many parents rushed to the scene, some of them even arriving before police.

Having a driver with medical issues driving a bus, particularly a bus that transports children, may not be the best idea. Generally, medical issues creep up without warning, but if there was prior knowledge of the threat of sudden medical emergency then perhaps the operator may consider revisiting their safe driver policy.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious personal injury in a bus accident some of the best advice you can get is to seek legal council from a legal professional that is successful in bus accident litigation. Call Phillips Webster for a consultation.

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Personal Injury Lawyers: Pedestrian in Critical Condition After She and Dog Were Hit by Car

Law Blogger — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:54:16 +0000

Issaquah, with their wide streets and well planned and groomed intersections seem like an unlikely place for a pedestrian to get hit by a car, particularly during the light of day, but it happened last evening around 7pm.

Witnessses said a gray Mazda was turning left out of a residential area, heading downhill, when it hit a woman and her dog in the crosswalk on the corner of Park Drive Northeast and 15th Avenue Northeast.

The woman slammed into the windshield and her dog was crushed under the wheel.

Witnesses said the man driving the Mazda immediately jumped out of the car and performed CPR on the victim. Because the fire station is just three blocks west of the incident, rescue crews were on scene almost immediately to take over medical procedures.

A medical doctor was exercising across the street at the time of the accident, and by the time he ran over, the woman was unconscious and not responding to paramedics.

“They were still in the middle of chest compressions, and she didn’t look that stable,” the doctor said. “I see people in the emergency room all the time, and she looked much worse than what I see.”

Medics transported the woman to Harborview Medical Center. As of late Sunday, police said the woman was still in critical condition.

Police say the driver was very cooperative with the investigation, and they hoped to have more details on what happened once accident technicians complete their recreations.

The woman had no identification on her so police are asking anyone who may have information about the woman to please contact Issaquah Police.

This is truly an unfortunate accident. If she was unconscious it means, amongst other serious personal injuries, she also may a suffered a traumatic brain injury. These can be extremely hard to recover fully from and often take years of physical and mental therapy to get back to any kind of life resembling normal.

Our hearts sincerely go out to the woman with hopes that she has a full and swift recovery.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident it is important that you contact an experienced legal professional to find out your legal rights. Call the Washington Car Accident Attorneys at Phillips Webster for a consultation.

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Personal Injury Lawyer: Trooper Suffers Injuries When Patrol Car Collides with Van

Law Blogger — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:07:54 +0000

Car accidents cause backups, we all know that, but sometimes those backups can lead to other accidents as drivers make sudden unexpected maneuvers to either avoid sudden stops or merely to avoid traffic by taking another route. These sudden maneuvers can cause drivers behind to also make sudden defensive maneuvers which may have been the case for a Washington State Trooper yesterday on Interstate 5.

Phillip Riney, a 13-year veteran of the patrol, was driving north on I-5 near Olympia behind a van being driven by Sheri McDonald, of Olympia, as they approached a backup on I-5 near the Capitol Way exit around 11:30 am. The backup had been caused by another accident earlier that morning.

McDonald made a sudden lane change in an attempt to avoid a backup when she lost control of her van. Riney was unable to avoid striking the van. The force of the accident sent the van spinning and it ended up facing south in the northbound lane of I-5.

Riney suffered minor personal injuries and it is currently unknown whether he was taken to a hospital for examination or later visited on his own. McDonald was uninjured.

The crash caused about $4,000 in damage to the trooper’s patrol car, State Patrol Sgt. Freddy Williams said.

Williams said the crash is under investigation.

What seem to be minor injuries in a car accident can lead to major injuries later as the body rests and adrenaline subsides. Injuries such as whiplash can progressively get worse and worse over hours or days as the muscles around the injury compensate for the injury. This can eventually lead to other serious symptoms such as back problems and headaches. This can result in loss of work and limited movement affecting the victim’s quality of life.

If you or a loved one has sustained a personal injury in an auto accident it is important that you find legal council to help you through the complicated insurance settlement process. Call the experienced Personal Injury Lawyers at Phillips Webster for a free consultation on how you can get the compensation you deserve.

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Teen Survivor of Alaska Plane Crash Leaves Hospital With Burn Injuries & Hope

Law Blogger — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:09:26 +0000

On June 2nd we reported a small plane crash, but had few details. We knew that on June 1^st a Cessna 206 that took off from Merrill Field, in Anchorage, in a high wind and almost immediately veered, clipped a storage building, and landed in the empty offices of an abandoned car lot and caught fire.

We knew that it was a tragic story of a 4 year-old child who died in the accident. Also, it was a story of the triumph of the human spirit as multiple people stopped to render assistance, casting aside their safety to help pull two adults, a teen, and a 2 year-old child alive from the plane which had not only been engulfed in flames but had also ignited the abandoned building it hit.

Well, for almost two months the teenage girl that was pulled from the wreckage, Rachel Zientak, 16, has been at Harborview Medical Center surviving the severe burn injuries she suffered in the airplane accident. Today the courageous young plane crash survivor will finally return to her family home in Houston.

Through all of the pain and sorrow, what the plane crash has revealed is a truly remarkable young lady.

Eyewitnesses say that, as the by-standers ran to pull survivors from the fiery crash, Zientak handed the 2-year-old boy to the helpers first before they went about cutting the belts the free her from the plane.

“I just felt like am I going to die,” said Zientak from her hospital bed. “When I saw the fire, I started screaming.”

The teen said she then began to pray.

Almost a dozen people also worked together to pull the two adults from the plane. They are currently still listed in serious condition in an Oregon hospital.

According to Dr. Nicole Gibran, of the Harborview Burn Unit, the teen suffered severe burns to her legs and feet forcing the partial amputations of her toes. She has already undergone several surgeries and more may be in her future. But, Gibran says she is recovering quickly and she is always upbeat.

“She has been a great patient,” the doctor said.

Zientack’s parents have stayed at her hospital bedside the whole time say they are happy to bring her home.

“It was a joy. I am so happy to be taking her home,” said her father Michael who is a police officer in Houston.

Zientack says that when she returns to Houston she plans to return to the basketball court where she plays as a point-guard.

He mother Tammy says her daughter has already overcome several other obstacles including being diagnosed with epilepsy at 2 and diabetes at age 13.

“She is very strong-willed. She has been through epilepsy. She has been through diabetes. I think she will make it through this,” she said.

Like we said, a truly remarkable young woman. To overcome her burn injuries will take months, perhaps a year of physical therapy. The biggest detriment is the infection during the healing process and after the multiple surgeries. Now that she has gotten through that, now comes learning how to walk again and living with her new disability. As if she needed another obstacle in life. It sounds as if she has enough character to overcome anything. We wish her the best.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident then you need skilled representation to assure that you receive the compensation you deserve. Call Phillips Webster for your free consultation

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Washington Bicycle Accident Lawyers: Cyclist Suffers Personal Injuries from Disabled Truck on Highway

Law Blogger — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:50:40 +0000

Sometimes things don’t even have to move to cause injury bicycle accidents. Train tracks are one of those things, so are pot holes, but parked cars? Sure, lots of people open their doors without looking and suddenly a bicycle and rider are flying through the air, but yesterday, the truck was disabled and the cyclist still went flying.

Thomas A. Syfrett, 52, of Camas, WA, was riding his bike yesterday afternoon when he crashed into the rear of a 1996 Chevrolet pickup that was disabled and parked on the eastbound shoulder of state Highway 14 near Ellsworth Road, awaiting a tow truck, according to a bulletin from the Washington State Patrol.

Syfrett suffered personal injuries and was taken to Southwest Washington Medical Center where he’s recovering.

Syfrett told officers that he didn’t see the truck and the cause of the collision was inattention.

He wore a helmet and suffered cuts and abrasions to his face. No citation was immediately issued but the crash was under investigation. The crash totaled the Schwinn bicycle and caused $750 damage to the truck, the bulletin said.

There we are. Not all bicycle injuries are someone else’s fault, yet, most of the time they are. There are so many distractions for cyclists such as debris, passing cars, and even dogs that sometimes a large parked vehicle can seem to jump out at you.

We hope he recovers quickly and fully.

If you or a loved one are a victim of a serious bicycle accident it is important that you call Phillips Webster for a consultation into your legal options.

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Washington Car Accident Attorneys: Teen Suffers Serious Personal Injuries in Rear-End Accident

Law Blogger — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:13:17 +0000

Special maneuvering on a road or highway such as making a U-turn or three point turn can be tricky business. One of the big mistakes that people make is not doing it in places with ample visibility even though it may put them a mile or two out of their way. That is what may have happened Saturday night in a injury car accident.

A Wenatchee teenager is listed in critical condition at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, following collision Saturday night, about nine miles south of Chelan.

According to the State Patrol, the injured 17 year-old Joshua Ray was one of six teens, ages 16 to 18, in a pickup that was Southbound on State Route 97 shortly before 9 pm. Another Southbound vehicle, driven by Craig Hocking, 25, of East Wenatchee, tried to make a U-turn, and was hit in the rear by the pickup, driven by 18 year old Tyler Totten of East Wenatchee.

Neither driver were injured and both of whom were belted up.

In addition to Ray, two other teens in Totten’s pickup were injured. 16 year old Rebecca Howell and 16 year old Brandon Neal, both from Wenatchee, were treated and released from Lake Chelan Community Hospital with abrasions.

Neither they, nor Ray were belted up.

Do you see a connection here? The pickup was packed with more people than there was seat belts and all of the people without seat belts suffered personal injuries in some way. Please where your seat belt and urge the importance of them to young people.

If you or someone you know have been killed or injured in a car accident it is imperative that you find legal council that can walk you through the insurance and litigation process. Call the Washington Car Accident Attorneys at Phillips Webster for a consultation.

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