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Davis Law Group, P.S. - Seattle
Car Accident
Lawyers
Helping Victims
of Automobile Accidents
Although insurance companies and many lawyers
consider auto accident claims routine, that just
isn't true. Every car accident and every individual
injured in an auto accident is unique. Seattle
personal injury attorney Christopher Michael Davis
knows that a wide variety of injuries can result
from an car wreck. Auto accidents may be caused
by the negligence on the part of another driver,
someone hauling a trailer, a trucking company, a
motorcycle, or the design and condition of the road.
Insurance companies want you to believe that
handling auto accident claims is a simple matter
that does not require the assistance of a personal
injury attorney that specializes in car accidents.
But you should know that insurance adjusters are
trained to reduce the amount that you are paid. The
only way to make sure that you get a fair settlement
or award is to have a Seattle auto accident attorney
who understands the insurance system, is well
prepared and experienced in trying these cases in
court, and of course, will do everything possible to
fight for your rights.
The insurance companies will do everything they can
to deny or delay paying your claim. They can and
will:
►
Take a recorded statement of an unrepresented person
so that they can obtain information that can be used
against that person.
►
Down-play any damage done to the vehicles in the
accident and claim that it would be impossible for
someone to sustain a personal injury in such a
"minimal" impact auto accident.
►
Fail to divulge all sources of insurance coverage or
policy benefits that would serve to increase your
total recovery or settlement.
►
Insist that you sign a broad medical release so they
can go fishing into your past medical history
looking for anything to minimize your claim.
►
Hire expert witnesses to testify that a person was
not severely injured in an auto accident.
►
Assert weak or unsupported liability claims or
defenses to support extremely low settlement offers.
►
Blame other potentially negligent parties to
minimize the amount of pay out in settlement.
►
Blame you for partially causing the accident and
thereby lowering your settlement offer by 10, 20 or
even 50%.
►
Tell you that some or most of your medical treatment
was "excessive" or "unreasonable" while having no
medical training to support such a claim.
Discourage you from working with a car accident
personal injury attorney or law firm.
If you or a family member has suffered as the result
of a car accident, the
Davis Law Group, P.S. can help you. We can help whether you
live in Bellevue, Tacoma, Auburn, Renton, Redmond,
Federal Way or the greater Seattle area. Having
substantial experience with auto accident claims and
trying these cases in court, we have the skill and
expertise necessary to help you.
Contact us for
a FREE, no obligation consultation.
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Car Accident Videos
►
See video
of
rollover accident on Coal Creek Parkway just south
of Factoria (Boulevard) in Bellevue/Eastgate,
Washington.
►
See video
of a
Puyallup rollover accident.
►
See a CNN report
on how State Farm and Allstate
maximize profits through unreasonably low settlement
offers--often times less than medical expenses. CNN
June 26, 2007.
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Car
Accident Facts &
Figures
There were nearly
6,420,000 auto accidents in the United States in
2005. The financial cost of these crashes is
more than 230 Billion dollars. 2.9 million people
were injured and 42,636 people killed. About 115
people die every day in vehicle crashes in the
United States -- one death every 13 minutes.
In 2003 there were 6,328,000 car accidents in the
US. There were 2.9 million injuries and 42,643
people were killed in auto accidents.
In 2002, there were an estimated 6,316,000 car
accidents in the USA. There were about 2.9
million injuries and 42,815 people were killed in
auto accidents in 2002.
There were an estimated 6,356,000 car accidents
in the US in 2000. There were about 3.2 million
injuries and 41,821 people were killed in auto
accidents in 2000 based on data collected by the
Federal Highway Administration.
2002 Accident Statistics: Deaths and Injuries
On the Road
Published by: National Safety Council
► There is a death caused by a motor vehicle crash
every 12 minutes; there is a disabling injury every
14 seconds.
► Motor vehicle crashes are the
leading cause of death
for people ages 1 to 33.
► The age groups most affected by motor vehicle
crashes are 15-24 and 75+.
► There were an estimated 5,700 pedestrian deaths and
80,000 injuries.
► Walking in the roadway accounted for only 10% of all
pedestrian deaths and injuries.
► About 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in an
alcohol-related traffic accident at some time in
their lives.
► Bicycling resulted in about 700 deaths in collisions
with motor vehicles.
Car Accident Studies, Research,
Reports & News
Safety Belt Use in 2003
Published by: Published by: U.S. Department of
Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
Abstract: Safety belt use reached 79% in 2003, a 4
percentage point improvement over the 75% rate seen
last year. Approximately 17% of belt nonusers were
converted to users, twice the rate seen in previous
years. Use continues to vary in different parts of
the country, with higher rates in states that can
enforce their belt laws more stringently. These
results are from the National Occupant Protection
Use Survey (NOPUS), the only probability-based
observational survey of belt use on the road
nationwide. The survey is conducted annually by the
National Center for Statistics and Analysis in the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
This report presents the findings of the 2003
survey.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/Rpts/2003/809646.pdf
National Effort Spotlights Red Light Running
Press Release Issued by: US Department of
Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
In 2001, almost 220,000 red light running crashes
occurred in intersections. These crashes resulted in
as many as 180,000 injuries and almost 900
fatalities and exacted a toll in excess of $12
billion on the U.S. economy.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa0327.htm
Does Cell Phone Conversation Impair Driving
Performance?
Source: National Safety Council
A recent study on cell phone use and driving
behaviors found that having a cell phone
conversation during a driving simulation impaired
driving performance.
http://www.nsc.org/issues/idrive/inincell.htm
Air Bag Fatalities
Source: National Safety Council
Since 1990, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has recorded 175 fatalities as a
result of an air bag deployment. To date, 104 of
these deaths have been children, while the remaining
71 have been adults. With more than 3.3 million air
bag deployments and more than 6,377 lives saved and
countless injuries prevented, the benefits of air
bags are dramatic. Still, these 175 fatalities
should be examined.
http://www.nsc.org/partners/status3.htm
Fake Airbags
Source: Automotive Occupant Restraints Council
The Automotive Occupant Restraints Council is
warning motorists of a disturbing trend that could
be deadly. Consumers should be aware that some
disreputable repair facilities around the nation are
installing false airbags in vehicles after original
airbags have been deployed and need to be replaced.
Criminal Probe Of Seattle Auto Dealer In Airbag
Case
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Investigative Reporters found
a car dealer that has been tied to the accidental
death of a customer and is now the subject of a
criminal probe by Washington State Patrol
investigators.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/2170413/detail.html
http://www.kirotv.com/news/2157450/detail.html
http://www.kirotv.com/investigations/2159991/detail.html
Traffic Safety Facts 2002: School
Transportation-Related Crashes
Published by: U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Abstract: Since 1992 there have been about 407,000
fatal traffic crashes. Of those, 0.33 percent
(1,332) were classified as school
transportation-related. Since 1992, 1,472 people
have died in school transportation-related crashes —
an average of 134 fatalities per year. Most of the
people who lost their lives in those crashes (69
percent) were occupants of other vehicles involved.
Nonoccupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.)
accounted for 23 percent of the deaths, and
occupants of school transportation vehicles
accounted for 8 percent.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2002/2002busfacts.pdf
Traffic Safety Facts 2002: Alcohol
Published by: U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Abstract: Traffic fatalities in alcohol-related
crashes rose slightly (by 0.1 percent) from 17,400
in 2001 to 17,419 in 2002. The 17,419
alcohol-related fatalities in 2002 (41 percent of
total traffic fatalities for the year) represent a 5
percent reduction from the 18,290 alcohol-related
fatalities reported in 1992 (47 percent of the
total).
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2002/2002alcfacts.pdf
Safety Report: Actions to Reduce Fatalities,
Injuries, and Crashes Involving The Hard Core
Drinking Driver
Published by: National Transportation Safety Board
Abstract: In the more than 15 years that have passed
since that investigation was concluded, efforts have
been made by all the States to address this major
safety problem. However, despite significant
progress, the measures taken and the degree of
implementation have not been uniform, and 15,794
people still died in 1999 from alcohol-related
crashes. This number is far above the target set by
the Secretary of Transportation in 1995 to reduce
the number of alcohol-related fatalities to no more
than 11,000 by 2005.
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2000/SR0001.pdf
Traffic Safety Facts 2002: Children
Published by: U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Abstract: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading
cause of death for children of every age from 2 to
14 years old (based on 2000 figures, which are the
latest mortality data currently available from the
National Center for Health Statistics).
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2002/2002chdfacts.pdf
Traffic Safety Facts 2002: Large Trucks
Published by: U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Abstract: In 2002, 434,000 large trucks (gross
vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds)
were involved in traffic crashes in the United
States; 4,542 were involved in fatal crashes. A
total of 4,897 people died (11 percent of all the
traffic fatalities reported in 2002) and an
additional 130,000 were injured in those crashes.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2002/2002trkfacts.pdf
Safety Study: Factors that affect fatigue in
heavy truck accidents, Volume 2: Case Summaries
Published by: National Transportation Safety Board
Abstract: Safety Board analysis of Fatal Accident
Reporting System (FARS) data indicates that in 1993
there were 3,311 heavy trucks involved in 3,169
fatal accidents, in which 3,783 persons died (432
were occupants of the heavy trucks). Fatigue was
coded as a related factor for at least one truck
driver in 1.67 percent (53 or 3,169) of these fatal
heavy truck accidents. The Safety Board believes,
however, that the incidence of driver fatigue is
underrepresented in FARS in general and in FARS
specifically with regard to truck drivers. Research
has suggested that truck driver fatigue may be a
contributing factor in as many as 30 to 40 percent
of all heavy truck accidents. In 1990, the Safety
Board completed a study of 182 heavy truck accidents
that were fatal to the truck driver. These 182
accidents were a census of the heavy truck accidents
that were fatal to the driver in the eight
participating States. The primary purpose in
investigating fatal-to-the-driver heavy truck
accidents was to assess the role of alcohol and
other drugs in these accidents. The study found,
however, that the most frequently cited probable
cause was fatigue. The Board believes that the
31-percent incidence of fatigue in
fatal-to-the-truck driver accidents found in the
1990 study represents a valid estimate of the
portion of fatal-to-the-driver heavy truck accidents
that are fatigue-related.
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/1995/SS9502.htm
Traffic Safety Facts 2002: Speeding
Published by: U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Abstract: Speeding is one of the most prevalent
factors contributing to traffic crashes. The
economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes
is estimated by NHTSA to be $40.4 billion per year.
In 2002, speeding was a contributing factor in 31
percent of all fatal crashes, and 13,713 lives were
lost in speeding-related crashes.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2002/2002spdfacts.pdf
Putting Children First
Published by: National Transportation Safety Board
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2000/SR0002.pdf
Traffic Safety Facts 2002: Young Drivers
Published by: U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Abstract: In 2002, 8,278 15- to 20-year-old drivers
were involved in fatal crashes — a 12 percent
increase from the 7,403 involved in 1992. Driver
fatalities for this age group increased by 21
percent between 1992 and 2002. For young males,
driver fatalities rose by 15 percent, compared with
a 42 percent increase for young females.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2002/2002ydrfacts.pdf
Impaired Driving in Washington State
Published by: National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, US Department of Transportation
Abstract: For one of every 130 miles driven in
Washington in 1996, a person with a blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) >.08 sat behind the wheel.
Police in Washington reported 12,226 crashes
involving a driver or pedestrian with a BAC of .01
or more. Formulas developed by NHTSA were used to
estimate the number of alcohol-related crashes where
alcohol involvement was not reported by the police.
An estimated total of 69,440 crashes in Washington
involved alcohol which killed 331 and injured an
estimated 25,700 people.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/alcohol/impaired-drivingusa/WA.pdf
Seatbelt Usage In Washington State
Source: Washington Traffic Safety Commission
An average of 500 vehicle occupants are killed in
Washington each year. State data shows that 60% of
these people were NOT wearing seat belts, while
nearly 85% of those who were unhurt in the same
crashes WERE wearing seat belts. Research shows that
a seat belt increases a person's chance of surviving
a collision by up to 70%. This means that a person
wearing a seat belt has a 70% better chance of
surviving a collision than someone who is not
buckled up.
Preliminary Statistics Data: Fatal Collisions in
Washington State
Source: Washington Traffic Safety Commission
2003 data are current (as of April 3, 2003).
Preliminary 2001-2002 and final data for 1993-2000
are available.
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