Washington Personal Injury Law Blog

Bellevue, Washington car drivers should clearly understand that using a cell phone behind the wheel can be dangerous. It can cause fatal car accidents that can have devastating consequences.

Cellphones and other electronic devices are major contributors to traffic fatalities in America. Such devices cause considerable driving distraction that may result in fatal road accidents. As per annual 2015 data collected by the NHTSA, an average of nine deaths and over 1,000 injuries every day in America involved distracted driving.

Streets in Washington are meant for motor vehicles, bicyclists and also pedestrians. A person driving a vehicle needs to be aware of this fact and keep a watchful eye for other people using the roads. Sometimes due to negligence of a person a car accident may be caused. If a pedestrian is involved in an accident, it may be prove to be fatal to the person. This accident may also cause death of the person. Recently, a woman while crossing the street met with an accident and dead on the spot.

According to news reports, the woman was trying to cross the street, when she was struck by an unknown car in the area of US-97 and S. Wapato Road. Troopers found the body of 41-year-old woman at the intersection, according to reports. The driver of the car that hit and killed her fled from the scene and Troopers are still investigating the case.

According to a recent Governors Highway Safety Association report, 2,876 pedestrians were killed in the United States between January and June 2018. In Washington State alone, 42 pedestrians were killed during this period. Although it is a decrease of 4 percent when compared to 2017, the count is still alarming. The report says that in terms of the number of pedestrian deaths, 2018 has the highest pedestrian fatalities since the 1990s, while all other traffic deaths are on a decline.

Per the news reports that covered the GHSA report, over the past 10 years, nighttime crashes have accounted for more than 90 percent of the total increase in pedestrian deaths. It is difficult to ensure ones' own safety as a pedestrian but certain small measure can go a long way. For example, pedestrians must obey traffic rules and use crosswalks, footbridges and refuge islands, whenever they are available. Also, pedestrians must not be distracted by the use of cell phones or earphones.

Commercial vehicles play an important role in the movement of goods and products throughout Washington State and the rest of the country. They are practically everywhere - from major highways and interstates as they travel long distances, and in local neighborhoods and business districts as they deliver goods to stores and private homes. Because commercial vehicles can be found almost anywhere and at any time of day, it should be expected that some of them will be involved in collisions and crashes with other types of automobiles.

This motor vehicle accident blog has discussed how damaging and dangerous accidents with commercial trucks can be. Victims of commercial vehicle accidents can suffer serious injuries, such as spinal cord harm or traumatic brain injuries. They may lose their abilities to take care of themselves and their families, and they may endure difficulties in the days, months and even years following their accidents.