pain and suffering

Fatigued drivers may cause an auto accident

April 17, 2015 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

Approximately 100,000 auto accidents reported to police are caused by tired drivers in Washington and the other states every year. Young adult men, shift workers and people with children are the most at risk for driving while drowsy. The National Sleep Foundation conducted a survey in 2005 and found that around 168 million adult drivers drove while they were sleepy, and around 103 million people have fallen asleep while driving.

Fatigued drivers are more prone to attention lapses. Sleep deprivation may also cause behaviors that result in auto accidents such as impatience and faster driving. The National Sleep Foundation conducted a poll and found that people between 18 and 29 years of age were more likely to drive in a fatigued state than older people.

Driver fatigue causes approximately 71,000 auto injuries, 1,550 deaths, and over $12 billion in losses each year. These numbers may be higher since it is difficult to determine sleepiness as a cause of the crashes. Australian researchers have shown that 18 hours without sleep is equal in impairment to a blood alcohol level of 0.05. After 24 hours, the impairment is equivalent to 0.10. A person is considered legally drunk at 0.08. Fatigued driving accidents have caused drivers to go to jail.

3 hospitalized following wrong-way collision

March 10, 2015 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

Three people were injured in a multi-vehicle collision on a Washington highway on the night of March 1. According to the Washington State Patrol, early investigation indicated that the crash occurred because a suspected drunk driver was traveling in the wrong direction on Highway 18 and sideswiped one vehicle before colliding head-on with another.

The wrong-way driver, a 37-year-old Puyallup woman, was the only occupant of a 2012 Honda Civic. According to authorities, the Civic was westbound on the eastbound side of Highway 18 approximately one mile west of Kent just prior to 9:30 p.m. A 52-year-old Tacoma woman was eastbound on the highway in a 2002 Dodge Stratus; she swerved but was sideswiped by the Civic, which then continued on and crashed head on with a 1997 Mercedes driven by a 48-year-old Carnation woman.

Police and rescue workers arrived on scene after receiving reports of the crash. The driver of the Civic was transported to Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center. Authorities have indicated that she may face criminal charges, including vehicular assault and driving under the influence, once she is released. The other two drivers were transported to Valley Medical Center. None of the vehicles were carrying any passengers.

Wrong-way accident in Washington kills 1, injures 5

December 29, 2014 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

An accident caused by a wrong-way driver along Interstate 82 has resulted in numerous injuries and one death. The accident occurred on Dec. 15 near Granger when an 87-year-old woman began driving down the wrong lane of the highway. Police do not believe she was intoxicated at the time of the incident, but they are still conducting an investigation to learn what may have led to the collision.

The accident occurred at 6:30 p.m. when a Volkswagen Beetle was traveling west in the eastbound lanes of the interstate. The woman collided with an oncoming Toyota Corolla occupied by a 32-year-old female driver. The Corolla then crashed into a Honda Accord in the eastbound lanes. The woman driving the Corolla was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center where she was said to be in serious condition.

The wrong-way driver died at the accident scene. The 35-year-old female driver of the Honda and her three passengers, which included two minors, were taken to Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center to receive treatment of undisclosed injuries. It was reported that all those involved in the accident except for one juvenile had been wearing seat belts during the collision.

Man killed on his way to help wife with flat tire

December 10, 2014 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

Washington State Patrol troopers confirmed that a man was killed after pulling his car over to the side of a highway on Dec. 6. The man had apparently stopped to adjust a load on the back of his truck when another driver sideswiped the truck and killed him. The fatal accident took place in Smokey Point on the side of I-5.

According to his wife, the man had been on his way to Stanwood before suffering from fatal injuries. When the man’s wife called him to say that she had gotten a flat tire on her way to Kingston, the man turned around to come help her just before the fatal accident took place.

Troopers say that the driver who allegedly struck and killed the man was swerving to avoid hitting traffic that had slowed down in front of him. Impairment from alcohol or drugs is not believed to have been a factor in the accident. It is unclear if anyone else was injured in the accident or if the driver at fault was handed any criminal charges.

Elderly man accused of driving drunk, causing accident

November 20, 2014 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

The Washington State Patrol alleged that an 86-year-old man was driving drunk while traveling the wrong way on Interstate 5 in Tacoma on Nov. 10. According to officers, they were dispatched to the area around 10:35 p.m. after receiving calls regarding a wrong-way driver in the southbound lanes of the highway.

Troopers reported that the man, who was driving an SUV, hit a southbound minivan before hitting a sedan head-on. A 36-year-old female passenger in the sedan was injured. Emergency responders transported her to St. Joseph Hospital for treatment.

Troopers placed the elderly man under arrest and took him into custody on suspicion of DUI. He may also face charges of vehicular assault. The accident forced the closure of two lanes of the interstate while police completed their investigation and cleaned up the accident debris.

Woman dies after pedestrian accident with alleged drunk driver

September 17, 2014 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

A 23-year-old Washington woman is dead following an accident that occurred around 2 a.m. on Sept. 10 in Kitsap County when she was struck by a car as she was crossing the street. A 25-year-old male who was walking with her was critically injured. According to police, the driver of the vehicle appeared intoxicated and was unable to complete field sobriety tests after the accident.

The crash occurred after the pedestrians and the 26-year-old driver left a party at a local tavern. The woman was declared dead at the scene. The male pedestrian was taken to a hospital in Seattle for treatment of critical injuries. The driver and two passengers in the vehicle were uninjured.

According to police, the man admitted to drinking both beer and vodka before driving. He was also allegedly traveling at a speed of 35 mph in a 25 mph zone. The man is facing charges of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. At the time of the report, he was in jail on a $500,000 bond.

Washington woman injured when car crashes Lake City bar

September 9, 2014 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

The Back Door Pub in the 12300 block of Lake City Way NE, Washington became the scene of an accident that injured one woman when a man in his 30s allegedly crashed his car into the bar. The woman was pinned between the building and the man’s vehicle. According to the owner of the bar, the man sped his SUV toward a power pole but instead veered toward a group of people and crashed into the building, damaging a wall.

The 31-year-old woman pinned against the building had to be extricated. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center where she was treated for a fractured leg.

The bar owner alleged the man purposely caused the accident because he had been refused a drink at the bar. Police are investigating the accident but have not yet confirmed if the driver was arrested or is facing a DUI charge.

Recent accident shows again that seatbelts reduce auto injuries

December 27, 2013 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

Cars are an integral part of everyday life. From taking the kids to school and driving to work, to going out to dinner and going on a family vacation, people spend a great deal of time in their cars. Because of this, most Washington residents do not expect that their daily errands will lead to auto injuries.

A recent mid-morning crash left one resident injured. The woman was riding as a passenger in an SUV. The driver apparently lost control of the car, and then the car ended up going off the road and rolling over.

The driver was apparently not injured in the crash; it was not clear if he turned down medical attention or if he had been evaluated. The woman, however, was reportedly not wearing her seatbelt and was ejected from the car at some point during the accident. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment. It was not immediately clear how serious her injuries were.