On February 16, 2006 MP and KN (along with other companions in the back seat) were traveling eastbound on Locust Way in Bothell, Washington. MP was a front seat passenger. As they proceeded down their lane of travel, they were unexpectedly facing a head-on collision with your LM, as she entered into the oncoming eastbound lane of traffic. KN was driving and attempted to swerve to the right to avoid the collision, but was unsuccessful. LM struck the driver side fender and then scrapped down the entire side of the vehicle.Significant damage was done to the vehicle MP was riding in, clearly documenting the force and impact between the two vehicles.
Washington law provides that the drivers on the road have the duty to exercise ordinary care and avoid causing a collision. See RCW 46.61.445 and Washington Pattern Jury Instruction (WPI) 70.01. KN did nothing to contribute to the cause of the crash and could do nothing to avoid the collision.
LM was negligent when she failed to be attentive while driving a vehicle, watch for traffic ahead, drive responsibly, and otherwise obey the rules of the road. As a direct result of KN’s negligence, MP sustained injuries to her neck, back, and associated body structures.
A summary of her injuries and treatment are outlined below.
- Cervical strain/sprain and subluxations with in tenderness, pain, muscle spasms, and limited range of motion. Whiplash injury with resultant ligamentous instability and acceleration of spinal disc disease. MRI revealed multiple disc protrusions.
- Back strain/sprain and subluxations with tenderness, pain, muscle spasms, soreness, tightness, and decreased range of motion (thoracic and lumbar regions) with resultant ligamentous instability and acceleration of spinal disc disease.
- Shoulder pain (left and right) with tenderness, muscle spasms, and decreased range of motion
- Headaches
- Sleep disturbances/fatigue
MP is a 43 year old married woman with two children. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Hobbies include walking, gardening/landscaping, skiing, reading, music, movies, and outdoor activities. She was healthy before the collision and since then has not been as active as she was before. She must perform exercises at home on a regular basis just to manage/maintain her symptoms and avoid flare ups. Her return to recreational activities has been slow and guarded for fear of re-injury.
MP was a client of the State Farm Insurance Company, and spent a very large amount of time in an effort to secure a fair and satisfactory financial settlement. To assist her, she hired car accident attorney Chris Davis.
Mr. Davis is the founder and principal personal injury lawyer at the Davis Law Group in Seattle, and has a successful history of securing just financial compensation for his clients that have been in serious car accidents.