Wrongful Death

Motorcycling Is Symbolic of Freedom – or Wrongful Death

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on May 9, 2017

We all know the pros of riding a motorcycle—they use less gas, you can zip through traffic, and they’re a whole lot of fun.

But there are some very big cons about riding motorcycles, too. Read the rest »

Three Most Common Causes of Wrongful Death in Washington

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on February 27, 2016

A wrongful death is any wrongful or negligent act by a personal or a corporation that lead to a person’s death. These claims are brought by the victim’s surviving family members. Wrongful death claims can help cover the victim’s medical bills, funeral costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Many claims will also consider the pain and suffering of the victim’s family.

Here are the most common causes of wrongful death claims we see here in the State of Washington: Read the rest »

Bothell Woman Killed on Highway 2

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on February 17, 2016

A 20-year-old woman from Bothell was killed in a Washington car accident when the 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe she was a passenger in struck a 2012 Mazda CX9. The fatal car crash occurred on State Route 2 near Skykomish. Officials say the 21-year-old driver of the Tahoe crossed the center-line for unknown reasons and struck the Mazda. Read the rest »

Wrongful Death in a Seattle Car Accident

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on September 2, 2015

Hundreds of people die in Washington State car accidents each year. While each traffic death is tragic for the victim’s family, not all car accident fatalities involve a wrongful death under the law. “Wrongful death” is a legal phrase that means the injuries that led to someone dying were caused by the negligence or wrongdoing of another person. Whenever someone is killed in a Seattle car accident, it must be determined who was responsible for the crash and if their negligence contributed to the crash. Read the rest »

Officials Say Teenager Caused Fatal Crash on Highway 28

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on October 22, 2013

A 17-year-old Ephrata boy caused a fatal car crash on Highway 28 near Quincy that killed two women, ages 64 and 79, Washington State Patrol officials say. According to an Associated Press news report, the pickup truck drifted off the roadway, overcorrected into the oncoming lane and collided head-on with a van. The investigation is still ongoing and charges are pending.

A head-on collision occurs when two vehicles crash front to front. Such collisions often cause devastating injuries or fatalities, as witnessed in this tragic case. Head-on collisions are commonly caused by:

• Impaired drivers
• Fatigued drivers
• Distracted or inattentive drivers
• Vehicle malfunction
• Debris on the roadway

Read the rest »

Seattle Bicyclist Killed in Collision with Semi Truck

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on May 7, 2013

A man was killed in a Seattle car accident after a semi-truck struck his bicycle. According to The Associated Press, the fatal bicycle accident occurred at East Marginal Way South and South Hanford Street in Seattle. Officials say the bicyclist suffered a fatal head injury as a result of the collision. Witnesses and emergency crews attempted to revive the man by performing CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. It is unclear if the truck driver will be cited for the fatal accident.

As reported by The Seattle Times, there is about one bicycle crash in Seattle every day. Between the years 2007 and 2011, there were 1,847 bicycle accidents in Seattle. The number of crashes varied from 359 to 392 annually. In the 1,847 Seattle bicycle crashes that occurred, a crossing car struck a bicyclist 506 times and a bicyclist was sideswiped 159 times. Read the rest »

Traffic Fatalities Surged in Washington and Nationwide during 2012

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on March 1, 2013

Over the past seven years, the number of traffic fatalities in Washington consistently decreased. According to the National Safety Council, however, traffic deaths in Washington increased by five percent in the year 2012. An estimated 36,200 people were killed across the nation in car accidents that year, compared to 34,600 deaths the previous year. This is the first time since 2005 that traffic-related fatalities have increased. Crash injuries also increased by about five percent.

Researchers are trying to determine what caused this unfortunate increase in fatal crashes. Some suggest that the improved economy may have caused more drivers to get on the road. A professor at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute has a different take on the numbers, as told to The Seattle Times. He says that people drive slower to conserve gas during tough economic times. He also says that while the economy was struggling, there were fewer heavy trucks on the road. Read the rest »

Obesity Increases Chances of Being Killed in Crash

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on February 1, 2013

There are many factors that could affect whether or not someone will survive a Washington car accident, including the speed of the impact, types of vehicles involved, and whether or not safety belts were worn at the time of the crash. A new study suggests that obesity can affect a vehicle occupant’s chances of surviving a crash as well.

According to a study that was published in Emergency Medicine Journal, morbidly obese individuals are 80 percent more likely to die in a car crash. The study looked at thousands of accidents and the occupants involved between the years 1996 and 2008. The study goes on to say that you do not have to be morbidly obese to have an increased chance of being the victim of a fatal auto accident. Obese drivers with a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 35 are 20 percent more likely to die in a crash when compared to individuals of normal weight. Researchers say that these findings even hold up when considering seat belt use, air bag deployment, and alcohol use. Read the rest »

Number, Rate of Fatal Washington Car Accidents Trend Downwards

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on October 16, 2012

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau tracking fatal auto accidents in Washington from 1999 to 2009 found that, in both real numbers and in deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), Washington has seen a decline in fatal car crashes in the past decade.

In 1990, the Census Bureau recorded a total of 825 car accident deaths in Washington, for a rate of 1.8 deaths per 100 million VMT. This number continued to go down in each recorded year that followed: 631 deaths in 2000 and 492 deaths in 2009, for a rate of 1.8 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled that year.

Compared to other U.S. states, Washington’s streets and roads remain relatively safe in terms of car accident death rates. Only Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Mississippi had lower rates of car accident deaths in 2009 than Washington, while several states had rates that were more than double the rates Washington faced. Read the rest »

Fatal Traffic Accidents Continue to Decline In Washington

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on August 11, 2011

Washington State law allows families who lose a loved one in a car crash the right to file a wrongful death claim against anyone whose negligence may have been responsible for the accident. These suits provide needed compensation for families struggling to put their lives back together after a fatal accident. From 2005 to the present, however, the number of fatal car accidents in Washington has decreased, shrinking the number of families who need to pursue a wrongful death claim.

According to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number of fatal car accidents in Washington has steadily decreased over the past few years. In 2005, for instance, 649 people lost their lives on Washington roads, but by 2009 (the last year for which NHTSA has data), that number had decreased to 492. Most of the decline occurred in urban areas. Although fatalities have decreased overall, one in seven drivers who die in Washington car accidents each year are under age 21. Read the rest »