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Car accidents are unsavory on the best of days and a real headache on the worst of days. Unfortunately, car accidents happen all too frequently and at that rate, pretty much anybody is likely to get involved in one. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, Fatality and serious injury crashes increase year by year.
The Seattle personal injury lawyers at Oshan & Associates can help you with your accident by investigating, gathering a police report, and establishing liability.
Oshan & Associates can also help evaluate your costs and damages as well as negotiate with adjusters of the insurance companies to represent your interest. Don't represent yourself, the insurance company will always try to minimize your payout. At Oshan & Associates we will do everything possible to get the best results through settlement negotiations or trial verdict for your injuries.
If you have a case contact us today to get a free no obligation consultation with an experienced Seattle personal injury attorney.
A car accident happens once every 4 minutes in Washington state, leading to the death of at least one person every 20 hours. The sad truth about the data is pretty simple.
Accidents happen often and they can happen to anybody. When they do happen, no matter how serious they are, they will most likely bring some level of damage and plenty discomfort. If you have been involved in a car accident, you should know that the law grants you several rights in the event. It also imposes certain obligations on you though. If the other driver was at fault, you may be entitled to claim compensation for any damage done to you.
According to WSDOT, in 2021, there were a total of 119,000 collisions across Washington State, resulting in 56,000 injuries and 650 fatalities. In 2022, the Seattle Police Department reported over 10,000 collisions, with a significant percentage resulting in injuries. The data shows that pedestrian and bicycle accidents are also a substantial concern.
Washington State Department of Licensing: - In 2021, there were 2,600 motorcycle crashes in Washington, resulting in 1,400 injuries and 80 fatalities. -
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): - Nationwide, large commercial trucks were involved in 5,600 fatal crashes in 2020, with Washington State reflecting similar trends in urban areas like Seattle.
The Washington State Patrol reported that commercial vehicles were involved in over 2,000 collisions in King County (which includes Seattle) in 2021.
In 2021, King County Metro reported approximately 200 collisions involving its buses, with a focus on improving safety measures for both passengers and pedestrians.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): - School buses are among the safest vehicles on the road. However, in the U.S., around 4,000 school bus-related crashes occur annually, with a percentage of these happening in urban areas like Seattle.
Seattle Department of Transportation: Focuses on transportation safety initiatives and collision data specific to Seattle.
Washington Traffic Safety Commission offers comprehensive data on state traffic safety, including personal injury statistics.
Our Seattle personal injury law firm helped countless clients with complex cases obtain the compensation they deserve. Our experience and track record in the Seattle Tacoma area has seen us emerge as a leading personal injury firm in Washington State.
Drawing on our experience, we have created this Seattle motor vehicle accident guide to help you react after a car accident. In this informative accident guide, you will learn what your rights are in a car accident and how you can assert them. You will also learn what the law requires you to do after an auto accident.
Although all accidents are important events that should not be taken lightly, some will involve less serious damage than others. For instance, when you only have a damaged bumper or a dent on your car. The most important measure is whether the accident is minor and can be measured by the amount of the damage involved. According to the Seattle Police Department, a minor accident is one that involves damage of a value less than $1,000. In the event of such an accident, here’s what you need to do:
If the accident involves injury that causes bleeding, broken bones or fractures, it is considered serious. In serious accidents, your obligations are slightly different. Here’s what you need to do:
Although you may be flustered in the event of a car accident, especially if you think it was your fault, do not leave the scene. If you do, you may be prosecuted for a hit and run misdemeanor or felony. Under Washington state law leaving the scene of a car accident isa crime punishable by jail time and fines. It does not matter whether you caused the accident or not. The law requires that you:
Even if the other vehicle was parked or if the driver is nowhere to be found, you must still provide your details. You are legally bound in the city of Seattle King county to write down your details on a note and place it somewhere that the driver would be likely to find it.
Leaving the scene of a car accident before complying with the law may bring some unpleasant consequences.Depending on whether the accident involved just property damage or included injury, it could be a misdemeanor or felony.
If you leave the scene of a car accident that involved property damage, you could be prosecuted for a misdemeanor hit and run offense. This could sum up to 90 days in jail and fine of $1,000.
For leaving the scene of a car accident that involves injury to another person, you could be prosecuted for a felony hit and run. This is punishable with 5 years’ jail time and a fine of up to $10,000.
If the accident results in death to any person and you flee the scene, the penalty is much stiffer. The offense is punishable for up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $20,000. All of this is apart from the civil liabilities for the offense.
Rear-end collision accidents happen when a car tailgates the one in front of it. Most times, rear-end collision accidents happen when the at-fault driver does not pay adequate attention to the road. While this is often the reason for rear-end collision accidents, other reasons also apply.
The injuries sustained in this type of accident have the potential to be very severe. As a result, they cost the victim a lot in terms of injuries sustained, piles of medical bills to be taken care of, and potentially losing income. If you or your loved one has suffered from injuries resulting from rear-end collision accidents, you should hire a personal injury lawyer.
The major cause of rear-end collision is driver negligence - either the driver in the front or the one at the back. If the accident was caused by the negligence of the driver behind you, you want to be in a position where you can request compensation for your injuries. The lawyers at Oshan and Associates have served clients in the Seattle and Tacoma areas for decades.
Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries.
Neck injury.
Back and spinal cord injuries resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia.
Broken bones.
Head trauma or brain injuries including concussions or loss of consciousness.
Other serious injuries or death.
Head-on collision accidents happen when two vehicles hit each other front end to front end. Due to the overwhelming force involved in this type of accident, head-on collisions are among the most serious motor vehicle accidents and the injuries resulting from them are usually extremely severe or even fatal.
If your loved one was injured or died in a head-on collision, the pain can be crippling - even more so when the accident was a result of someone else's negligence.The suddenness and brutality of the accident fill you with a sense of helplessness and you wish you can turn back time and find a way to prevent it from happening. While we can't be turn back time, we can help you hold the at-fault party responsible.
The personal injury lawyers at Oshan and Associates have been providing justice for clients in the Seattle and Bellevue area for over two decades. We have a wealth of experience which will give you a great edge if we take on your case.
Most times, head-on collisions happen due to the negligence of either one or both of the parties involved.Common instances in which a motor driver’s negligence can cause accidents include:
We know what it means to deal withhead-on collision accidents especially when the accident was as a result of another person’s negligence. If you have been involved in a Seattle head on collision you know how devastating these injuries can be. You also know how much impact they have on quality of life. Aside from having to deal with the injuries, you also have to deal with the resultant inability to work.Thus, you are injured and paying medical bills, while having your source of livelihood threatened.
Sideswipe accidents occur when two motor vehicles are side by side on two separate lanes traveling in the same direction and making contact with each other. This type of accident is common when changing lanes and one driver does not see the parallel vehicle.
Never speak with any insurance adjuster rep or lawyer for the other party without the advise of an experienced personal injury lawyer in your area.
Blind spot collisions are often unexpected and usually caused by poor visibility of another automobile. Being so sudden the driver usually does not have any time to brace or respond in a matter that would protect themselves during the collision.
A blind spot can be found to the right or left shoulder of the driver. A blind spot can occur when an item in the car, the side frame of the car or sun glare blocks the view for the driver. The the height of the driver can also play a role in a blind spot auto collision.
T-bone accident got its name from having two vehicles make the shape of a T where one vehicle runs head-on into the side of another making a T. Those types of crashes usually happen in intersections and accompanied by horrific injuries.
When determining the at fault party the right of way must be examined. Both cars couldn't possibly both have the right of way so factors like witnesses, lights at the intersection and possibly cameras may all play a role if there are conflicting stories. In a t-bone accident, one vehicle had the right of way and the other vehicle which caused the accident will be determined to be the at fault party.
If you were involved in a T-Bone collision in Washington state you need an experienced accident lawyer in Seattle who can understand and help with the complexity of a T-BONE accident and severity of the injuries involved. Oshan & Associates can help with:
When a vehicle rolls over on its side or roof it is considered a rollover crash. With over 10,000 people killed every year in a rollover accident. The most contributing factor to rollover crashes have been linked to the changing the composition of trucks and sport utility vehicles which changes their center of gravity. Rollover accidents typically involve a high speed vehicle that loses control due to road conditions, distracted driving or fatigue.
Seattle personal injury lawyers serving King County, Washington since 2000. All Personal injury practice areas include but not limited to the following:
