Washington Personal Injury Law Blog

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.

Anyone can develop a sore neck from time to time. Washington residents may find that if they sleep a certain way, or spend too much time in front of their computers that they start to have pain and tenderness in the muscles of their neck and upper back. These injuries can be painful but often resolve themselves over time. Victims of vehicle accidents, however, can suffer serious and debilitating neck injuries when their cars are hit by negligent drivers.

One of the most common upper body injuries that car accident victims suffer is whiplash. Whiplash happens when a victim's neck is snapped in one direction and then another. For example, if a victim's vehicle is rear-ended and their head is first thrown forward because of the impact, it may then be forced back when their vehicle stops, putting intense pressure and force on their neck due to the movement of their head.

Drunk and drugged driving are dangerous practices because alcohol and certain pharmaceutical and illegal substances can cause drivers to experience changes in the ways they react and perceive their surroundings. When a motorist causes an accident and exhibits signs of intoxication or drug use, Washington law enforcement officials may have them tested to see if they were impaired at the time they caused their crash. Drug or alcohol use while driving can support legal claims based on recklessness and negligence for the recovery of victims' accident-related losses.

Private drivers are not the only ones who may make poor choices regarding alcohol and drug use, however. Commercial drivers have also been found to have driven while intoxicated and impaired and in some cases have caused serious and fatal accidents. Commercial drivers should be screened for drug use before they are hired to drive for their employers but also may be assessed if they cause motor vehicle collisions.