Incredible log truck collision left a professional chef with a broken jaw
Benji is a professional chef, and he is passionate about his calling. He and his wife worked hard to purchase a piece of property outside of Longview, Washington. They were making plans to build a there home for themselves and their young son. In an instant, everything changed. Surviving a log truck collision On a...
Incredible log truck collision left a professional chef with a broken jaw Continue reading…Losing a year of college to a traumatic brain injury
The eastern part of Washington State is rural with lots of open roadways. Semi-truck traffic is common, with truck drivers traveling both across the state and down from Canada. What I have seen over my career in handling truck crash cases, is that commercial drivers can often get complacent and allow their minds to drift...
Losing a year of college to a traumatic brain injury 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…This is what a multiple-threat crash looks like
On a sunny winter afternoon in Seattle, a kid I’ll call “Marcus” was walking home from middle school. He was with his classmate and good friend. Marcus' grandmother dropped the boys off to get a soda; they would walk the familiar route home together. At a street corner, the boys waited to cross. An oncoming...
This is what a multiple-threat crash looks like Continue reading…The Truth About the McDonald’s Coffee Lawsuit (video)
It's one of the most famous lawsuits in the country. A woman spills coffee on herself, and files a lawsuit against McDonalds because the coffee was hot. She wins a million dollars, and becomes the poster child of "frivolous lawsuits". What if everything you've heard about the hot coffee lawsuit is wrong? In this 5-minute...
The Truth About the McDonald’s Coffee Lawsuit (video) Continue reading…The Tragedy of Suicide, and the Courage to Make a Difference
In a motel on Seattle’s Aurora Avenue in the dark days of winter, Matt sat alone and took his own life. He was 40 years old, a senior partner in a prestigious national law firm, a husband and the father of two young children. Across the state, in the rural town of Packwood, it was...
The Tragedy of Suicide, and the Courage to Make a Difference Continue reading…How long does it take to learn to drive a semi-truck … safely?
There are no national standards for training new semi-truck drivers. Here’s why that’s a problem. Several years ago, I represented Angelah, a young girl with a mild traumatic brain injury. She had been in a terrible crash. Her mother was driving. The afternoon was rainy, and the road was wet. A truck driver failed to...
How long does it take to learn to drive a semi-truck … safely? Continue reading…Here’s what happened: the story of the Skagit River Bridge collapse
It was early evening on a sunny May day in Washington. A young man was driving his Subaru to hockey practice. A couple in a pickup truck was headed out on a camping trip. A pilot car driver was talking to her husband on the phone. Then, a semi truck’s oversize load struck the Skagit...
Here’s what happened: the story of the Skagit River Bridge collapse Continue reading…Here’s what happened: the story of the Skagit River Bridge collapse
It was early evening on a sunny May day in Washington. A young man was driving his Subaru to hockey practice. A couple in a pickup truck was headed out on a camping trip. A pilot car driver was talking to her husband on the phone. Then, a semi truck’s oversize load struck the Skagit...
Here’s what happened: the story of the Skagit River Bridge collapse Continue reading…The X Factor in Brain Injury Recovery
Tessa Venell was in a serious car accident and hit her head on the car’s windshield. Most people with severe head injuries like hers do not survive. So far, Tessa’s made an amazing recovery. A short video of Tessa's story: Then and Now How did Tessa make such a complete and unexpected recovery? She credits...
The X Factor in Brain Injury Recovery Continue reading…The inspiring resilience of a young burn injury survivor
In the last 30 years, I’ve worked with thousands of injured people. I have seen the aftermath of massive truck crashes, of pedestrian fatalities and of tragic accidents that have destroyed lives. But the incredible pain of a burn injury stands out as particularly devastating. Burn wounds are not only physical, but also psychological: visible...
The inspiring resilience of a young burn injury survivor Continue reading…Rebuilding after a traumatic brain injury
David Grant is doing something very unusual: he’s actually talking about his traumatic brain injury. He survived a serious bicycle accident in 2010, but was left with a brain injury. David explains the challenges of TBI in frank and honest way. He describes his personal struggles to accept his disability, and to...
Rebuilding after a traumatic brain injury Continue reading…