Smartphones + an increase in pedestrian deaths and injuries
Last week, I came upon the aftermath of a pedestrian-vehicle collision in Seattle. I don't know the facts or circumstances of this incident. But it reminded me of yet another in a series of articles I've read recently about the alarming uptick in pedestrian deaths. "Pedestrian fatalities have risen 46 percent since 2009 while overall...
Smartphones + an increase in pedestrian deaths and injuries Continue reading…The Invisible Killer: wrongful death from carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is the “Invisible Killer”: a colorless, odorless and poisonous gas. Every year, hundreds of people across the U.S. die because of accidental, non-fire related carbon monoxide poisoning associated with consumer products like furnaces and generators. Wrongful death carbon monoxide tragedy in Washington Kelli was just 22 years old. She had recently been accepted...
The Invisible Killer: wrongful death from carbon monoxide Continue reading…What did the jury know? Perspective on jury verdict of $89 million
Earlier this month, a Texas jury issued an 89.6 million dollar verdict against Werner Enterprises, a Nebraska-based trucking company. The case involved a 2014 crash that killed a 7-year-old, paralyzed a 12-year-old girl, and resulted in a traumatic brain injury for a teenager. The verdict has been controversial because of the unusual facts of the...
What did the jury know? Perspective on jury verdict of $89 million Continue reading…Sleepy trucker dumped 40,000 pounds of chicken feathers on I-5
No one was injured. No other vehicles were involved. But 40,000 pounds of feathers were dumped onto I-5 in Federal Way around 3 a.m. when semi-truck driver caused a roll-over crash. The truck driver told a local reporter that he had fallen asleep. “I drank coffee and took one of those pills that had caffeine”...
Sleepy trucker dumped 40,000 pounds of chicken feathers on I-5 Continue reading…A surprising fact about fatal truck crashes in new FMCSA report
This week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration released their Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts for 2016. The annual report is compiled from state-collected data and analyzed by FMCSA. There are many interesting facts in this year’s report, but one particular fact stands out to me. More than 60 percent of all fatal truck crashes happened in...
A surprising fact about fatal truck crashes in new FMCSA report Continue reading…Two insanely dangerous trucking companies shut down by FMCSA
In April 2018, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration declared two commercial motor vehicle operations to be “imminent hazards” While that number is not unusual—FMCSA often shutters multiple companies in a month— these two are particularly interesting because they were both so blatantly, criminally dangerous. Hazmat transport trucking company shut down Rock City Stone Company, LLC was ordered to immediately stop...
Two insanely dangerous trucking companies shut down by FMCSA Continue reading…One year later: Remembering Adriana Brown
Adriana Brown was a skilled personal trainer at the Seattle gym where I am a member. More importantly, she was a friend and loved by our gym membership.One of her favorite sayings was "Suck it up, buttercup!" She would usually say this during one of her work-outs and when one of her clients began to...
One year later: Remembering Adriana Brown Continue reading…The loss of my good friend Paul Whelan
In 1990, when I began practicing law at Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, in Seattle, I was assigned an office next to partner Paul Whelan. Paul had been with the firm for many years and had a reputation as a skilled and successful trial attorney. He handled medical malpractice claims, battled asbestos companies and major corporations...
The loss of my good friend Paul Whelan Continue reading…This is what truck deadheading means, and why you should know
Truck deadheading is the practice of driving a semi-truck with an empty trailer. It happens when a trucker drops off a load but has to drive elsewhere to pick up another load. Those deadhead miles can be extremely dangerous. A truck deadheading is 2.5x more likely to crash than a truck carrying freight. The weather has more effect...
This is what truck deadheading means, and why you should know Continue reading…Community Power in Seattle
The Seattle community near 35th Avenue NE is coming together to make a dangerous roadway safer. In the area are many businesses, schools, and community activities. And there is a serious car crash nearly every week. A safety project proposed by a group of neighbors will help people walking, people on bikes, people driving and...
Community Power in Seattle Continue reading…Trump administration just shelved these trucking safety rules
At least a dozen significant pending safety rules have just been shelved by the US Department of Transportation. Here are the nixed regulations that would have applied to trucking safety. Speed limiters There is a direct correlation between stopping distances and rate of speed. Small increases in speed have large effects on the force of...
Trump administration just shelved these trucking safety rules Continue reading…
This is how much time you save by speeding
The average driver saves 26 seconds a day by speeding. People think it saves time. Maybe it does occasionally, if you run through a yellow light to avoid stopping for a minute. But, the time saved that speeding makes, on average, is about 2 minutes a week. Considering that: Speeding through an intersection is driving...
This is how much time you save by speeding Continue reading…