Motor carrier insurance limits may cause more harm and pain
Last week, in Colorado, a semi-truck crashed into 28 cars and trucks along Interstate 70 killing four people and leaving several others injured. The crashed was caused by a speeding truck driver, traveling at 85 mph when his brakes failed. Families will be affected forever. Dashcam video shows semi truck speeding before fiery Colorado...
Motor carrier insurance limits may cause more harm and pain Continue reading…Years after distracted driver crash, brain injury lingers
Anthony is in his mid-50's. He is an entrepreneur with an MBA, and a city council member with a long history of political campaign work. He and his husband, a local surgeon, were well-known for their civic engagement— and their big annual holiday party. Everything changed in an instant. Distracted driver crash in Washington It...
Years after distracted driver crash, brain injury lingers Continue reading…After the crash: surviving with a devastating amputation
When we talk about car crashes, traffic violence, and highway safety, we all tend to focus on the fatalities. But the 40,000 people who will likely die on our roads this year are just a fraction of the crash victims. Hundreds of thousands of people get seriously hurt in traffic crashes. Some will have sprains...
After the crash: surviving with a devastating amputation Continue reading…A fair fix to Washington State wrongful death law
Legal definition of wrongful death: “Wrongful death” is the legal term for an unnatural death, resulting from an injury or incident, caused by the bad conduct of another person or a company. In 2019, the Washington State House of Representatives passed a bill for a new wrongful death law by a vote of 61-37. The...
A fair fix to Washington State wrongful death law Continue reading…Truckers must fight inattentional blindness
Since the 1990s, scientific studies on visual perception have demonstrated that people's expectations, and their ability to focus, affects what they see. It's called "inattentional blindness", and it's important for drivers to be aware of it - particularly professional drivers like truckers. Distracted driving means that a driver is not paying full attention to the...
Truckers must fight inattentional blindness Continue reading…Why is it so hard to get help after a brain injury? 4 reasons
Head injuries are common. Many people will experience a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) - a concussion - at some point in their lives. Children and elderly people are particularly at risk for this type of injury. More severe traumatic brain injury is a contributing factor to about 30% of all injury deaths, according to...
Why is it so hard to get help after a brain injury? 4 reasons Continue reading…What really caused the fatal highway crash in Emeryville
The headlines say things like "Three siblings killed in crash with semi parked on shoulder because driver was out of hours", and "Siblings die in horrific accident with semi truck on I-80". The news coverage of the February 28 collision between a minivan and a parked big-rig largely misses the point. This fatal highway crash...
What really caused the fatal highway crash in Emeryville Continue reading…Washington state has biggest surge in truck crash fatalities
The trucking safety group Road Safe America analyzed federal crash data from 2009-2017. They found that nearly all U.S. states had increases in semi-truck crash deaths from 2009 to 2017. But Washington State has experienced the biggest percentage increase in truck crash fatalities. The five states with the largest percentage increases in truck crash deaths...
Washington state has biggest surge in truck crash fatalities Continue reading…Here’s why semi-trucks jackknife …
"Jackknife" is the term for a semi-truck trailer coming to an acute angle with the truck cab, like a small folding knife. In the last year, I have been looking the causes of semi-truck jackknifes on Washington highways, as I was working on a truck crash case in which fatal injuries were caused by a...
Here’s why semi-trucks jackknife … Continue reading…Seattle in the snow – not a winter wonderland
Seattle rarely has snow, but, when it does, the city comes to a standstill. This is true not only in the downtown area, but throughout the local region. Why does Seattle shut down in the snow? Based upon my experience of living in Seattle for nearly my entire life, I think there are a number...
Seattle in the snow – not a winter wonderland Continue reading…The art and science of trucking: a safe following distance
Some time ago, I took the deposition of a professional truck driver and asked him to share with me his definition of a proper space cushion. In response, he said, “Space cushion – what are you talking about, something in outer space?” I thought perhaps he was just unfamiliar with the term, which I had...
The art and science of trucking: a safe following distance Continue reading…Do you agree that truckers are professional drivers?
Truckers are supposed to be professional drivers. I know this because I've worked on truck crash lawsuits for more than 30 years. Yet, the lawyers on the other side—the insurance company attorneys— almost always object. They accuse me of holding a truck driver to "too high of a standard." They also regularly object to proposing...
Do you agree that truckers are professional drivers? Continue reading…