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Our attorneys have decades of experience negotiating with insurance companies regarding all types of vehicle accidents. If you have been injured in a wreck, contact us today.

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Posts Tagged ‘property damage’

Injury Car Accident Smashes Vancouver Duplex, Car Remains in Living Room After 3 Days

personal injury, property damage, property damage attorneys, property damage lawyers

August 23rd, 2010: Law Blogger

Car in Duplex in VancouverThe tenant of a Vancouver duplex, Sandra Weaver, was about to take a shower and was descending her stairs on Friday evening at around 9:45 when a Chrysler came smashing through her front door almost killing her and her fluffy white dog. It stopped merely 3 feet away, leaving Weaver startled to say the least.

The male driver jumped out of the car and ran on foot leaving his injured passenger.

Christy Grimes, her neighbor, rushed out to survey what she said felt like an earthquake.

The Police showed up just as quickly. How you may ask? They had been tailing the car before it lost control. But they weren’t close enough to catch the suspect until later.

Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp said the driver of the Chrysler nearly caused a collision when he sped out of control through a nearby intersection. An officer flipped the switch on his lights as the car sped off.

The officer watched the driver turn onto a side road, and fearing a possible crash on narrow neighborhood streets, turned off his lights and proceeded cautiously, Kapp said.

“By the time the officer gets there a minute later, it had already taken place,” she said.

The ensuing investigation went well into the morning. The medical units took the passenger to the hospital with personal injuries, and after seven hours, dispersed leaving the car still lodged in the place where it had crashed through the door.

Livingroom in Vancouver WreckThat’s where it remains still.

After the police had left, a group of men came to her house claiming ownership of the car and wanting to retrieve some personal effects. She sent them away and called the police, who Weaver said never responded.

Weaver, 47, said the weekend inside her unexpectedly rearranged duplex was cold. Then on Saturday night three men, tried to enter through a side door to peer at the damage, Weaver said.

“I have felt scared being here,” said Weaver, who refused to let the men enter. “I didn’t know who they were.”

That’s only one of the many complaints Weaver and Grimes have leveled against the Vancouver Police Department’s conduct during the episode.

Kapp said the homeowner is responsible for determining a path forward, including the car’s removal. She added that the residents were put in contact Friday with representatives from the city of Vancouver’s risk management division.

Insurance assessors arrived this morning to snap pictures of the damage, but also did not remove the wreckage.

Authorites say that removal of the wreckage would cause the structure to buckle.

Weaver, a disabled nurse, said that the whole situation has aggravated an existing back problem. Though Grimes has been able to move some essentials and throw together other safer living arrangements for her and her children, Weaver has been unable to make as much progress.

Displacement can be very hard for a person already suffering a disability to deal with, particularly if they require medication. A person’s recovery is dependant on a regular regiment of non-strenuous activity, physical therapy, and pain management. With a car parked in the living room, that isn’t a particularly healing environment. It may have behooved the Vancouver Police Department to offer further assistance rather than refer her to Risk management, which, by the way, may have more concern with the Police Department’s legal risk rather than Weaver’s welfare.

If you or a loved one has had significant property damage due to the negligence of another it is important that you get an experienced advocate on your side to deal with insurance and get you the full compensation you deserve. Call Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

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Two Men Suffer Serious Personal Injuries in Speeding DUI Car Accident in Spokane

Car Accident, DUI, DUI victims lawyers, property damage, property damage lawyers, Spokane

August 19th, 2010: Law Blogger

spokane valley car accidentDriving under the influence (DUI) is bad and might even involve jail time, but DUI and speeding and destroying property and injuring your passenger…well, there’s no doubt that the driver will at least be wearing a new accessory around his ankle for a while.

A teenager driving a car had stopped at the intersection of Progress and 16th Avenue in the Spokane Valley at about 10:15 pm Wednesday. As he progressed through the intersection he said a white truck, “came out of nowhere,” and he clipped the back of it.

Two men had been speeding down Progress when the accident happened. When their tail got clipped the truck went into a dead spin that sent them through a shed, through a fence, and into a power pole that broke and toppled onto the truck.

The two men in the truck were taken to a local hospital with serious personal injuries.

Deputies say the teen driver of the other vehicle was not injured.

Sheriff’s deputies say they’re investigating the crash as a possible DUI after finding several beer cans strewn about the collision scene.

The intersection and several area roads were shut down as crews removed the pole from the road and cleared the collision scene.

The thrill of drinking and speeding down the road may seem worth it at the time, but when the fines, the lost wages, and the astronomical insurance premiums hit, all of a sudden the price seems a little to high for what was supposed to be a “cheap” thrill. Please don’t drink a drive.

If you or someone you know have been victim of a speeding driver or a drunk driver causing property damage call the Seattle car accident attorneys at Phillips Webster. They will consult you on all of your legal options, represent your best interests with insurance companies, and assure that you get the best settlement possible.

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Driver Suffers Medical Emergency, Clips Bicycle, Then Crashes in Friday Harbor

bicycle accident, Car accidents, property damage, Washington car accident attorneys, Washington car accident lawyer

August 18th, 2010: Law Blogger

Accident in Friday HarborMedical emergencies come on suddenly and if the person is driving it could put the sufferer and everyone around them in danger. Many medical emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes result in panic, paralysis, or unconsciousness. All of these lead to an out of control vehicle, essentially turning it into a giant steel weapon as a bicyclist painfully found out on Monday.

The motorist was driving her Jaguar across the street from Friday Harbor Middle School when she suddenly suffered a serious medical emergency causing her to swerve suddenly, clip a bicyclist, and side swipe a car. The car then jumped the curb, causing her tires to explode, and drove through a fence into a field where she finally came to a stop.

Police and medical units were on the scene quickly to aid both the woman and the bicyclist.

The driver, whose name was not available, had to be airlifted off the island to St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham. The hospital has not updated her condition.

Authorities said that the cyclist did not suffer any serious personal injuries and was treated at the scene.

The parked car was partially damaged.

A police spokesman said that he believed there were no drugs or alcohol involved, but that the female driver had suffered a medical emergency.

We hope the woman recovers quickly and fully.

If you are at high risk of a medical emergency such as heart attack or stroke, the odds are slim that they will happen while driving, but please keep in mind that driving can be stressful and the abrupt unpredictability of driving can aid in spurring on a cardio-event. If you are at risk, consult your doctor and ask them about the dangers of driving in your particular case, and please try to take public transit whenever possible.

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 Washington Car Accident Lawyers at Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

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DUI Victims Lawyers: Suspected DUI Driver Smashes 10 to 12 Cars in West Seattle

DUI, DUI accident attorneys, DUI victims lawyers, property damage, Seattle DUI accident lawyers

August 17th, 2010: Law Blogger

west seattle accidentDriving under the influence (DUI) is a major violation that can cost thousands of dollars in fines, lost wages, and legal fees. Then there’s the astronomical insurance premiums after a DUI, but imagine what those premiums would look like if you took out a dozen cars like the man did last night in West Seattle.

A Ford pickup truck was driving down California when he got behind a car that apparently was driving just too slow for him. According to a witnesses, he tried to pass the car, but hit a median, bursting his tire. This caused the DUI suspect to swerve sharply and lose control of the truck. But rather than brake, the witness said the truck’s tires caught on the pavement and propelled the pickup down the street, sideswiping cars as he went.

The truck finally came to a stop when it smashed into the front end of the last car.

This left a tremendous amount of debris and various smashed vehicles, including a motorcycle, strewn down the street.

An ambulance took the suspect to Harborview Medical Center with minor personal injuries. Seattle Police have since booked the suspect under suspicion of driving under the influence.

Residents are still cleaning up and figuring out what to do with their vehicles, some of which are unknown as to whether they are totaled or not.

This accident was caused by a series of horrible decisions by one individual that just seemed to compound upon each other, beginning with getting behind the wheel after drinking. We are just thankful that no one was seriously injured during this car accident.

If you or someone you know have been victim of a speeding driver or a drunk driver causing property damage call the Seattle car accident attorneys at Phillips Webster. They will give you a free consultation on your legal options, represent your best interests with insurance companies, and assure that you get the compensation you deserve.

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Woman Pulled From Burning Car After Accident Causing Serious Property Damage

Car accidents, property damage, property damage attorneys, property damage lawyers, speeding

August 13th, 2010: Law Blogger

Ferry @ bainbridge dockThere’s a reason why Bainbridge Island seems like it’s in a different time zone, because the residents depend on the ferry to get them to civilization. If they miss the ferry it is an hours wait until late at night when the last ferry leaves at 12:55 am. Missing that could mean a long three hour drive down to Tacoma and back up to Seattle. Perhaps that’s what was on the woman’s mind as she sped toward the Bainbridge ferry dock with near fatal results.

According to the police, at 12:43 am a 19 year-old Lynnwood woman was speeding south to catch a ferry when she failed to steer her 2002 Mazda Millennium around a curve on Olympic Drive just south of the intersection of Highway 305 and Winslow Way causing her to slam into a power pole. The power lines from the pole fell into the road and several dropped on the car. The car’s gas tank ruptured on impact, and within minutes it was engulfed in flames.

Luckily for her, two Bainbridge Island Police officers were inside the station across the street from the accident. Before the gas ignited, the officers ran from their office and pulled the woman from the car.

The driver was taken to Harrison Medical Center for observation and released with only minor personal injuries.

Power was knocked out to a 15-block area servicing around 1,600 customers, said Puget Sound Energy spokeswoman Dorothy Bracken. All customers but 100, including the police department, had energy restored by 2:30 am. Crews had to wait for accident debris to be cleared from the scene before they could replace the pole and restring the lines.

Repairs were expected to be completed by 10 a.m., Bracken said.

The accident also partially blocked the ferry terminal entrance. Unloading of the ferry “Tacoma” was delayed a few minutes while cones were set up, rerouting traffic through the parking lot, said Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Marta Coursey.

Ferry operations are running as normal now.

The accident appears to been caused by driver inattention, according to the police. There is no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved. The investigation is ongoing.

Needless to say, she missed the ferry, but we’re glad to hear she wasn’t seriously injured. Speeding is a serious issue in the state of Washington. With so many dark curving roads at night that run up and down hills, one missed turn could mean a plunge down a long wooded embankment where people may not find the driver for days.

If you or someone you know has suffered a serious personal injury after getting into a car accident with a distracted driver, then you need skilled legal council to represent you to assure that you get the compensation you deserve. Call the Seattle car accident lawyers at Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

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Washington Car Accident Lawyers: Fist Fight In Car May Have Caused Crash

Car accidents, property damage, road rage, Washington car accident lawyer

July 23rd, 2010: Law Blogger

Mission & Division, SpokaneThere’s road rage, which is fairly common amongst highly agitated drivers who stop and argue and sometimes senselessly bash each other’s headlights out with tire irons. Perhaps they may even take out their differences on each other through fisticuffs, but it is very seldom that the road rage is between two people in the same car like what is suspected to have happened last night in Spokane.

The driver and a passenger in an SUV were driving westbound on E. Mission near Division just before 11:00 pm last night.

Officers say an argument between the two turned to blows as they were driving. The fight caused the driver to hit a small tree, knocking it over before slamming into the corner of Kimmel Athletic. The impact took a small chunk out of the corner of the building.

The driver of the vehicle fled from the crash scene when he realized what happened. The passenger called 911 and told dispatchers about the crash and that the driver had ran off.

Spokane Police believed the driver came to his senses a short time later, called 911 himself and described to an operator what happened. He then returned to the scene. At that point police questioned and frisked the driver when he returned. They found a small amount of marijuana on him, but not enough to warrant an arrest.

The driver told officers he had only owned the SUV for a few days before the accident. Police did not cite him right away, but said they would likely cite the driver for a minor traffic violation.

Luckily neither the driver nor the passenger suffered personal injuries during the altercation. This is the ultimate in distracted driving and can only lead to bad things. The best thing to do if a heated argument escalates in the car is to stop in a safe place and settle the argument before driving further and putting others on the road in danger.

If you or someone you know has suffered a serious personal injury after getting into a car accident with a distracted driver, then you need skilled legal council to represent you to assure that you get the compensation you deserve. Call the Seattle car accident lawyers at Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

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Property Damage Lawyers: Truck Smashes into Business in Green Lake Neighborhood

property damage, property damage attorneys, property damage lawyers, Washington Truck Accident Attorneys

July 8th, 2010: Law Blogger

Washington Property Damage LawyersVehicles driving into buildings is much more common than one would think. They insert themselves for various reasons, foot slipping off of the brake and the car surging into the building is fairly common, but perhaps the most popular is losing control while speeding around a corner. Without comprehensive investigation results one could speculate that speeding around the corner was a fair explanation for the truck accident that happened early yesterday morning.

Around 1:30 am, police say a white truck was trying to turn into Latona Street from 65th when it slammed into Petdaddy’s building. The front end of the truck was smashed and crumpled in and the popular pet grooming business was described as destroyed.

Of course there was no one in the business at the time, which provides pet grooming and do-it-yourself pet grooming stations plus pet accessories.

The driver was rushed to Harborview Medical Center for serious personal injuries. The nature of his injuries was not revealed.

Police are investigating the circumstances and whether drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash.

Structural assessments have not come back yet, but it was confirmed that the business will be closed for at least two weeks and that the five people employed there will be out of a job for that period of time.

Now the owner must go through the insurance nightmare of not only dealing with their insurance company, but also the driver’s insurance company if the driver is in fact insured. This can be a long and arduous process because of the fact that insurance companies are generally in the business of paying as little as they can for their claims to minimize loss and maximize profit.

If you or someone you know have been victim of a speeding driver or a drunk driver causing property damage call the Seattle car accident attorneys at Phillips Webster. They will consult you on all of your legal options, represent your best interests with insurance companies, and assure that you get the best settlement possible.

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Washington Car Accident Lawyers: Faulty Seat Blamed for Van Accident on Whidbey Island

Car accidents, property damage, Seattle Car Accident Lawyers, Washington car accident lawyer

July 7th, 2010: Law Blogger

Van meets poleA defective part such as a broken seat or other unexpected situations while driving can cause a driver to over react and veer suddenly putting others around them in jeopardy. Luckily that wasn’t the outcome this morning on Zylstra Road on Whidbey Island.

The driver had just pulled onto Zylstra Road from Highway 20 and was driving northbound when he lost control and struck a wooden pole yesterday. The pole he hit was being used to support a larger telephone pole on the other side of the road with wires.

The vehicle struck with enough force to completely shear off the support pole. It remained upright, however, due to the wires securing it to the telephone pole. A utility truck had to be called in to move the damaged pole out of the roadway.

He reportedly told Washington State Patrol investigators that his seat broke and that’s what caused him to lose control of his vehicle.

Also responding to the call were paramedics, deputies from the Island County Sheriff’s Office and the Coupeville Marshal’s Office, and North Whidbey Fire and Rescue emergency responders.

There was no word from authorities as to whether the man suffered personal injuries, but the response was definitely heavy.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident one of the best pieces of advice you can give is to seek experienced legal counsel that can walk you through the insurance and litigation process. Call the Seattle car accident attorneys at Phillips Webster for a consultation.

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Property Damage Lawyers: Car Drives into House in Toppenish in Potential DUI

property damage, property damage lawyers, Washington car accident lawyer

July 6th, 2010: Law Blogger

Adams and Fir in Toppenish, please take a right or a left.Cars drive into houses seemingly on a weekly basis. Sometimes they don’t take a curve correctly and other times they’re going too fast and just lose control. Seldom does a vehicle come to a T-junction and just keep on going, which seems to be the case in Toppenish, WA yesterday evening.

On a clear night around 5:30 pm, a good three hours before sunset, a man in his 30s, was heading southeast on Adams Avenue, said Sgt. Paul Logan of the Toppenish Police Department. When the vehicle reached the intersection of Adams Avenue and South Fir Street, it did not slow down and ran straight into the home, which is on the 10 block of South Fir Street.

No one was in the home at the time of the collision. The amount of damage to the home has not yet been determined.

The unidentified driver was transported to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries, Logan said. Police did not release any additional information about the driver.

Police are investigating whether alcohol was involved in the collision.

It was very lucky for him that no one was in the home or someone could have gotten severely injured perhaps even killed. These kinds of accidents can also directly affect the structural integrity of a home and render it condemned until the damage can be fixed thus causing the family to potentially be displaced for an extended period of time. This can be costly and highly disruptive.

If you or a loved one has had significant property damage due to the negligence of another it is important that you get an experienced advocate on your side to deal with insurance and get you the full compensation you deserve. Call Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

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Washington Car Accident Lawyers: Hit-and-Run DUI Suspect Crashes into House Eluding Police

DUI accident, hit-and-run, property damage, Washington car accident lawyer

July 5th, 2010: Law Blogger

Damaged HouseSome people feel that running from the police is a reasonable method of avoiding getting in more trouble than they would have been in the first place. Of course reality is not on their side on this notion. This was the case Saturday night when a man was stopped by Seattle Police and decided to run for it.

The driver in a Chevy Malibu had been stopped in the 12700 block of 35th Avenue NE around 10:25 pm. The suspect was a person (and car) of interest for a hit-and-run incident earlier that night in Ballard. The driver seemed to cooperate but then suddenly slammed on the gas pedal and headed southbound. The side-view mirrors of the car hit both officers who suffered only minor person injuries.

The car raced down the street for only a few blocks before it crashed into the house near the corner of NE 120th Street and 35th Avenue NE. No one inside the house was hurt, though police reported “considerable damage” to the house. The driver was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) and booked into King County jail.

DUI has become a main focus of the police department and will in the future now that the Target Zero program has been implemented and aims to reduce the number of all vehicle fatalities to zero by 2030.

If you or someone you know sustains property damage caused by a negligent driver or drunk driver it is important that you find out your legal rights. Call Phillips Webster for a free consultation.

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