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Car Accidents
3 Reasons to Hire Phillips Webster

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.

  1. We represent EVERYONE in need anywhere in Washington - Minor and Major Injuries
  2. Experienced trial attorneys that will fight for your right to recover compensation
  3. FREE Case Review and we only get paid if you get paid
Learn more about our:
Seattle Car Accident Lawyers

Verdicts & Settlements

$20 MILLION - Commercial Injury
Confidential settlement for a commercial injury case

$19  Million - Grant of Coverage
Grant of coverage in insurance coverage case

$2 MILLION - INSURANCE BAD FAITH
Settlement in insurance bad faith case

$1.5 MILLION - CAR ACCIDENT WRONGFUL DEATH
Vancouver, Washington car accident that resulted in a death

$1 MILLION - DUI ACCIDENT VICTIM
Settlement for young man hit by a drunk driver

Our jury trial experience shows in the results we get both inside and outside of the courtroom.

More Verdicts and Settlements

 

Posts Tagged ‘property damage’

Hit and Run Accident of a Whole Town

hit-and-run, property damage, property damage collisions

February 24th, 2010: Law Blogger

City of FifeFife – If you live in Fife and your power was out this weekend then you and the contents of your refrigerator have been a victim of a hit and run accident.

Police confirmed that the power outage that left hundreds of Fife residents without power was caused by a car ramming into a single power pole. The car hit it with such force that it broke the pole, severing power lines.

The crash occurred about 2 a.m. in the 6100 block of Pacific Highway East on Saturday.

When police arrived at the scene the driver had fled. Their escape was probably aided by the cloak of darkness that had covered the small town.

The investigation is still underway. If you have any information please contact Fife police.

Though this has not been deemed an act of terrorism, cutting the power to a whole town is serious business. Of course, Fife should rethink its power grid if one reckless driver can affect so many.

If you or a loved one retain property damage caused by a careless or drunk driver it is important that you find out your legal rights. Call Phillips Webster for a consultation.

Maximizing Your Washington Car Accident Settlement

Auto Accidents, damages, injuries, lost income, medical costs, pain and suffering, property damage, settlement, Washington car accident

October 5th, 2009: Washington Law Blogger

Thousands of auto accidents occur in Washington every year, and when they do occur, it immediately triggers certain processes to begin. Anyone who has been involved in such a scenario understands that any collision will involve statements to authorities and police reports as well as insurance agents and adjusters representing all of the parties involved in a crash. If you have been injured as a result of a car accident in Washington, you should also immediately seek the help of an experienced auto accident attorney, as any sort of compensation that could be available to you will likely be maximized by securing this sort of help.

When you have been injured in an accident, one of the first parties you’ll likely hear from is the insurance company from the other driver. While the ‘official’ mission of these companies is to simply find out what happened that led to your injuries, the reality is that every insurance company has a team of in-house defense attorneys working for them to do whatever is possible to minimize their financial exposure when one of their policy holders is at fault for an accident.

Therefore, the last thing you should do when you hear from these parties is offer a statement. Instead, refer them to your attorney, which is only one of the many ways in which you’ll be taking steps towards maximizing your Washington car accident settlement. An experienced attorney will know exactly what to say and not to say to the other party’s insurance company and/or attorney, thereby making sure that you don’t leave yourself open to a reduced amount.

After the initial steps regarding your case have been taken, including the filing of a legal action if necessary, your attorney will be able to analyze your situation as a whole and take every potential loss you could incur into account. These potential damages could include:

  • Property damage to your vehicle
  • Medical expenses
  • Lost income
  • Ongoing medical needs and their associated costs
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of companionship

The list above are merely examples, and do not represent all of the potential types of damages available. Additionally, not every type of damage award would always be relevant to your case. Regardless, you need an attorney who not only understands how to properly quantify your damages, but also how the governing laws apply to your situation, how to negotiate with the other side and how to cut through the red tape that could delay the payment of your settlement for years.

Therefore, if you have been injured in an accident in Washington, contact the auto accidents attorneys at Phillips & Webster today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Runaway Truck Damages Cars, Property

auto accident, auto accident attorneys, failed brakes, property damage, runaway truck

August 19th, 2009: Washington Law Blogger

Certain accidents seem so surreal that they could only appear in movies, and even then they’d only be somewhat believable. One of those scenarios is the classic runaway truck situation where the driver’s brakes fail and he or she is forced to perform some sort of stunt driving in order to prevent a high number of injuries and fatalities. That’s exactly what happened in Seattle this morning, and thankfully, no one was seriously hurt. However, there was extensive property damage.

According to the Seattle Times:

“On his first day back on the job, Chad Cook faced a truck driver’s worst nightmare: a runaway truck filled with broken concrete barreling down a city street.

Cook had just moments to react after his dump truck lost its brakes, plowing into a strip mall rather than continuing down Madison Street and possibly killing people.

Cook said he lost his brakes at the top of a hill on Madison and was gaining speed, hitting three cars until it ran into a strip mall at the intersection of Madison and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. One driver was taken away by medics after being hit by Cook’s truck.”

The driver said that he intentionally ran the truck into the building in order to get it to come to a stop, which it did. Police are still investigating the cause of the accident, but those who had their vehicles and/or property damaged could have a need for an auto accident attorney. If you have suffered any sort of loss because of an auto accident, you need to contact the attorneys at Phillips & Webster immediately to schedule a free initial consultation.

Child Seriously Injured in DUI Accident

attorneys, auto accident, DUI, hit-and-run, property damage, seattle, serious injuries

July 8th, 2009: Washington Law Blogger

When someone makes the bad decision to drive after drinking, everyone is put at risk. This includes the driver, any passengers, and vehicles that happen to be on the road at that time, any pedestrians and bikers and apparently, nearby homeowners. What’s worse is when the passenger in the car being driven is a child who is not wearing a seat belt. Sadly, that appears to be the case with a recent DUI crash that also damaged a home.

According to KVBC:

An eight-year-old boy is in critical condition following a DUI accident on Sunday near Michael Way and Smoke Ranch. Police say the man behind the wheel was the boyfriend of the child’s mother. Police say it started as a hit-and-run when the driver slammed into a parked car. He then left the scene, hit a light pole, and crashed through a brick wall into the side of a home.

Metro says the eight-year-old boy was not wearing a seat belt and was bouncing around inside the vehicle. Sadly, we’re being told he may not survive his injuries.”

It’s obvious that the suspect will face a serious problem in terms of criminal prosecution. He could also face substantial civil liability exposure both for injuring the child and for inflicting extensive damage on the home he hit during this episode. Unfortunately, this sort of situation is not rare in the Seattle area, and even those in their homes are not always safe from drunk drivers.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a DUI accident, contact the personal injury lawyers at Phillips & Webster today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Another Car-Train Accident… This Time, Car Could be at Fault

attorneys, auto accident, light rail train, property damage, seattle, traffic violation, train collision

June 30th, 2009: Washington Law Blogger

Seattle is transitioning to a new light-rail train system, and needless to say, the adjustment has been anything but smooth for both the train operators and local drivers since the test runs began in recent months. Yesterday produced yet another collision between the train and a car, although this time it appears that the driver of the car was at fault. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

“A PT Cruiser collided with a Sound Transit train about 5:10 p.m. Monday evening at Martin Luther King Jr Way South and South Myrtle Street.

The preliminary investigation indicates the man driving the Chrysler was traveling southbound on and made an unlawful left turn against a red traffic signal into the path of a southbound light rail train at South Myrtle Street, according to police.

The Chrysler was hit on its driver’s side and the driver was sent to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The train operator, doing a practice run, was not injured. The train sustained minor damage, according to police.”

The driver of the Chrysler was ticketed for a red light violation. This may or may not be the end of the problem for him, however. If he was at fault, and it appears that he was based on the facts presented, he could face civil liability for the property damage caused in the accident. Since no one was injured, it likely won’t be a large amount.

If you or someone you love has experienced something along these lines with the new light-rail train, you may have rights that need to be protected and enforced. Contact the auto accident lawyers at Phillips & Webster as soon as possible to schedule a free initial consultation.

Tacoma Train Yard Collision Injures Worker

fuel leak, personal injury attorneys, property damage, Tacoma, toxic substances, Train Accident

June 23rd, 2009: Washington Law Blogger

Train accidents can occur at any time and in any place, and even those that happen away from population centers can create hazards that lead to disastrous results. For now, it appears that disaster was averted after a slow-speed train crash in a Tacoma train yard occurred recently. One man was injured in the incident, but no toxic substances reached water sources despite a potentially toxic spill.

According to The Daily Herald:

Two slow-moving freight trains collided Monday night in a switching yard, injuring one engineer, derailing a locomotive and damaging some containers, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman said.

About 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel spilled from a BNSF locomotive, but no waterway was affected and cleanup crews have responded, spokesman Gus Melonas said.

The BNSF locomotive was routinely switching rail cars from one track to another in the railway’s switching yard near the Tacoma Dome at 7:45 p.m. when that engine and its 12 freight cars collided with the side of a departing Union Pacific train, Melonas said.”

While it’s fortunate that no one was killed or irreparably injured, any fuel leak can be instantly dangerous for anyone who lives in the area, particularly if that fuel leaks into the ground and reaches any sort of ground water reserve. Many times, these sorts of incidents can harm people who have no idea what has occurred simply because they are exposed to toxins in their water or even the soil around their homes or places of work.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a train accident or has been exposed to a substance that has caused harm, contact the personal injury attorneys at Phillips & Webster today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Police Respond to DUI Accident, Find AK-47

AK-47, attorney, auto accident, DUI, injuries, police, property damage

May 29th, 2009: Washington Law Blogger

DUI accidents occur with all too much frequency, and matters are only made worse when there are injuries and/or property damage involved. What appeared to be a ‘routine’ DUI accident in Seattle recently involved two occupants of a vehicle who crashed into two parked cars. In terms of legality, the owners of the parked cars could have valid civil claims for the damage caused by the driver of the vehicle.

However, police discovered much more when they arrived on the scene, according to the Seattle Times:

“At 11:53 last night, Seattle police and Port of Seattle patrol officers responded to the 6200 block of Seaview Avenue North to investigate a report of a traffic collision involving fleeing armed suspects.

Officers arrived and detained two male suspects, a 17-year-old driver and a 20-year-old passenger. The driver, who officers believed to be under the influence of alcohol, had crashed a black sedan into two parked cars. According to witnesses, the driver got out of the car armed with a rifle, which he hid in some bushes.

Officers searched the area and found an AK-47 assault rifle loaded with a 30- round “banana” clip, police said. Officers searched the passenger and discovered that he was armed with an illegal “butterfly” knife. Police also found two baseball bats and a red bandanna in the back seat of the car.”

It does not yet appear to be known what the occupants of the vehicle were planning with such an arsenal in their possession. Regardless, it appears that hitting those parked cars may have saved the city from a much more dangerous incident. However, the owners of those parked cars need to contact an auto accident attorney to obtain information about their legal rights. You should do the same if you’ve been injured in an auto accident in Seattle. Contact Phillips & Webster immediately to schedule a free initial consultation.