Andrew Cherin

Washington Ranked 5th Worst Driving State: Will light rail help?

Washington State was ranked 5th worst state for driving in 2017 according to Quote Wizard. Quote wizard looked at accident rates between states to rank the drivers. No surprise on who was number one on this list, California. However, two through four on states with the most car accidents was a surprise – Minnesota, Utah, and South Carolina.

Accident rates as a whole have been going up across the country as more and more people are hitting the road with a booming economy again. Additionally, car accident related deaths are also on the rise according to the New York Times. Car accident related deaths rose a whopping 6 percent in 2016 compared to 2015. However, in Washington State, traffic related deaths fell 5% in 2016 from 2015 but rose 15% since 2014.

Why does Washington have so many car accidents, especially recently? The reason is almost certainly due to the influx in people coming to Washington State everyday for new jobs from Amazon, Facebook, Google, Starbucks, Microsoft, and more. In 2017, the Stranger posted an article stated that 1,000 people are moving to Seattle every week! More people on the road means more chances for car accidents.

More people on the road coupled with less room on the road, at least in the short term, equals more car accidents. However, it doesn’t seem like more room on the road is actually going to happen any time soon. Instead, Seattle and King county is focusing on actually decreasing the room on the road in favor of creating more room for mass transit systems like the light rail. King county just recently took down the express lanes on I-90 in favor of using those lanes instead for light rail.

Light rail so far has done nothing to decrease congestion on the roads and it probably won’t do anything to lessen traffic on the roads for a very long time. It’s not because the option is not there, it is more because people do not feel comfortable riding light rail and would rather have the ability to chose their own destiny and be on the road, no matter the cost. In fact, a light rail booster even said that light rail will do nothing to decrease traffic in King County.

Right now, it is faster to drive downtown than it is to drive to a park and ride and take two transfers on a bus to get to your destination. This could change but not for a very long time. Unless light rail gets giant park and rides in every neighborhood, I really don’t see how many people are going to be taking light rail versus driving in. Unless congestion gets to a point where it takes longer to drive than to drive to a light rail station and park your car by probably at least an hour, I don’t see it happening.

In fact, one study published in the Washington Post showed that light rail actually had no affect on traffic congestion. The study took place in London from the 90’s to 2000’s.

If you have been injured in a car accident, please contact a Seattle personal injury lawyer for a free consultation. Seattle personal injury lawyers are paid out of the settlement so everyone can afford a lawyer but you can’t afford not to have one against insurance companies.

 

Andrew CherinWashington Ranked 5th Worst Driving State: Will light rail help?
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If there are no road lines painted on the road, is the state at fault for a car accident?

With all the construction around Seattle it is not uncommon to see areas of road that are not painted in fully. I noticed one stretch of road recently going across I-90 to the mountains where the lanes do not have lines painted on the cement to divide the lanes of traffic. I-90 in the mountains is constantly getting new updates to the roads as a large lane expansion is happening. Someone must have forgot to paint the lines and they don’t have time to repaint them, which is not a good excuse because people’s lives are now at risk.

Car accidents in and around Seattle can occur when two cars believe they have the right to a lane. Merging car accidents are some of the most common forms of car accident injury cases. Who is at fault in a merging car accident case is one of the most difficult things to determine if two cars merge into the same lane at the same time.

If a lane of traffic is not painted, a car could reasonably swerve into another lane because they though it was their lane of traffic. Who is at fault in this scenario? The state and construction company are at fault for any resulting injuries for a car accident caused by road repair gaffs like forgetting to paint lane lines.

The same principal applies to any other road construction take like leaving equipment in the middle of the road, making the road have a divot, and anything else that creates a hazard for other drivers.

If you have been injured in a Seattle car accident, you need a Seattle personal injury lawyer immediately. Consultations are free and we are paid out of the settlement so there are no out of pocket expenses. Everyone can afford a lawyer but you cannot afford not to have one against insurance companies.

Andrew CherinIf there are no road lines painted on the road, is the state at fault for a car accident?
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When should you hire a Seattle personal injury lawyer?

The best time to hire a Seattle personal injury lawyer for a car accident injury case is right after a car accident.

Why hire a Seattle personal injury lawyer immediately after a car accident? The insurance company will not have an opportunity to pressure you into settling your case early for far less than you deserve. Additionally, the insurance company will not have an opportunity to put words in your mouth by unnecessarily leading questions in your recorded interview with them so they can use against you.

Moreover, you will feel no pressure to settle so that you can freely get the medical treatment that you need to get 100% and not settling for anything less. Also, a Seattle personal injury lawyer can find ways to get you the medical treatment you need whether it be by your medical insurance, your auto insurance policy, or paying back the medical professionals out of the car accident settlement. The defendant insurance company will not pay for your medical treatment until after you settle with them which can make it difficult to get medical treatment because most providers will not allow treatment without a signed lien by an attorney in this way.

Who should hire a Seattle personal lawyer for a car accident injury? EVERYONE. Studies have shown that those who hire a car accident injury lawyer to represent them against insurance agencies put double the money in their pocket than those that don’t have a lawyer representing them.

Here are some misconceptions of times when people believe you should only hire a Seattle personal injury lawyer for a car accident in Seattle

1.Going to Trial – People mistakenly believe that by hiring a Seattle personal injury lawyer that you are going to have to go to trial for your car accident injury case. While some times it is necessary to file a lawsuit for a car accident injury case, this is not the norm. Most Seattle car accident injury cases can be settled without filing a lawsuit.

2. Insurance not accepting liability – People mistakenly believe that you only need to hire a Seattle personal injury lawyer if the insurance company is not accepting liability. If the insurance company is not accepting liability for your case, this is a good time to hire a Seattle car accident injury lawyer but is not the only time.

3. They are not that hurt and only needed 3 months of chiropractic or massage – Contrary to some belief, needing any type of medical treatment for more than a few months are good car accident injury cases worth a decent amount of money to the car accident victim.

If you have been injured in a Seattle area car accident, call a Seattle personal injury lawyer today for a free consultation. We are paid out of the settlement so everyone can afford a personal injury lawyer but you can’t afford not to have one against the insurance company.

Andrew CherinWhen should you hire a Seattle personal injury lawyer?
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Is it safer to drive with your doors locked versus not?

There is a rumor out there that it is safer to drive with your doors unlocked versus locked. The reason for this rumor is that if your doors are unlocked you will be able to easily be able to get out of your car in case of a car accident. If your doors are locked, this says that your doors may not unlock and you will be more likely to be stuck in your car and unable to get help in case of a car accident.

I did a search of the internet to see if this rumor was true or not. I came to a blog by well know car experts Tom and Ray Magliozzi. They actually had done a show about this very question in 2011. In the show the caller had the very same question, is it safer to drive with your car unlocked in case of a car accident so paramedics can get you out or you can exit in case your car catches on fire.

In the 2011 article titled “how do locked doors help during a car accident”, Tom and Ray stated that it is actually more likely you would be injured in a car accident if you drive with your car doors unlocked. They stated the reason behind this was because the doors being locked actually creates a tighter seal on the car and better allows the car’s body to protect the people riding in the car. Additionally, by the car doors being locked, there is far less chance of the doors being loosened and being opened in case of a car accident.

If your car doors open in a car accident, you are more likely to fall out of the car, be hit by debris or other objects outside of the car, and the car’s stability rating on the outside is less able to absorb impacts.

Most new cars these days come with automatic locks so it is much harder if not impossible to unlock your doors while cars are moving.

If you are injured in a car accident, contact a Seattle personal injury lawyer for a free consultation. Personal injury lawyers are paid out of the settlement so there are no hourly fees and out of pocket costs. Everyone can afford a Seattle personal injury lawyer because of this but you can’t afford not to have one against the insurance companies.

Andrew CherinIs it safer to drive with your doors locked versus not?
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Why a chiropractor is a must for someone injured in a car accident?

If you are injured in a car accident in Seattle, there are few better places to seek treatment than at a chiropractor, assuming you didn’t need to go to the hospital first.

Car accident injuries have a tendency to primarily injure the spine and neck regions of a person, among other injuries. Of course you can injure other areas of your body in a car accident but almost all car accident will cause injury to the spine and neck as well. This is because seats and safety restraints in average cars do a good job of sitting you up right but do not fully restrain you into the seat during a jolting car accident. This is why you see people in Nascar who are securely restrained to the seat suffer far less injuries to themselves than the same type of impact to a normal car.

Chiropractors primarily focus on treating injuries to the spine and neck to make sure that your spine and neck are primarily in line so your body can function as optimally as possible. Chiropractors do this by a number of different ways including tiny corrective adjustments to the spine and neck region.

Chiropractors are a great first stop for anyone injured in a car accident because they can take x-rays of your spine, do an exhaustive examination of your range of motions in your neck and back, refer you out for an MRI, and refer you out to a specialist if you need a consultation with an orthopaedic surgeon.

In addition to spinal adjustments, many chiropractors create and instruct physical therapy routines for their patients. The injured person can then use on their own to strengthen key supportive muscles that may have been weakened in a car accident.

Some chiropractic facilities also provide massage therapists, acupuncturists, and physical therapists on site so that you can receive all the treatment you need in a one stop shop versus running all over town to different appointments. This creates a wellness team that can really multiply the healing hands on a person that is injured in a car accident in order to get them better and back to their daily routine as quick as possible.

From a car accident injury lawyer standpoint, I can tell you that from the clients of mine that have gone to a chiropractor versus the ones that do not, the clients who go to a chiropractor regularly get better much faster and fuller than those that do not.

A Seattle personal injury lawyer can help you navigate the insurance coverage and non coverage in order to make sure you can get the chiropractic care you need. Even if you don’t have insurance, some chiropractors are willing to wait until you receive a settlement to get paid, but will require you to have a Seattle personal injury lawyer guarantee payment out of the settlement.

Andrew CherinWhy a chiropractor is a must for someone injured in a car accident?
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Who has the right of way at a two way intersection?

I came across this very scenario the other day while driving but couldn’t figure it out so I let the other guy go first to avoid an accident. If you are approaching an intersection with a stop sign on your side and a stop sign on the other side but non in the center, who has the right of way if you and another car going the opposite way arrive at an intersection and you want to turn left and the want to go straight? Note that you both wait a second for traffic to clear before proceeding.

At a four way stop if this had occurred, you would have the right of way because you were first in time. However, this is different as you are planning on turning left and they are going straight in a two way stop. In this situation, it would appear that you must give way to the person going straight across the intersection.

If there was a collision with the vehicle going straight and you turning left in front of them, there is an argument that could be made that you were first in time so you have the right of way. However, they may be able to point to the law regarding vehicles turning left and giving the right of way to the vehicle coming straight from the opposite direction.

In the alternative, if both vehicles were turning left and a collision occurred, you would have a great argument for being first in time and would in fact have the right of way in this instance. However, you would need an independent witness in order to verify your statement and prove that you were in the right.

Vehicle turning left.

The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left within an intersection or into an alley, private road, or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction which is within the intersection or so close thereto as to constitute an immediate hazard.
If you have been injured in a car accident, you should contact a Seattle personal injury lawyer in order to preserve your rights and learn about your potential rights moving forward. Consultations are free and Seattle personal injury lawyers are paid out of the settlement so there is no high hourly fee. Everyone can afford a Seattle personal injury lawyer but you cannot afford not to have one against the insurance companies.
Andrew CherinWho has the right of way at a two way intersection?
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What to do when an ambulance is on the freeway behind you?

I know a lot of people probably don’t know the answer to this question and many people probably are in violation of this law. Ambulances have their sirens on when they are either on their way to or from an emergency scene to provide life saving support to someone in a very serious car accident or who has suffered life threatening injuries or episode somewhere else. We all need to give these life saving people the space they need to get to where they need to go because every second counts in these situations.

I tried researching what you are supposed to do when an ambulance is driving behind you on the freeway and Washington State laws surrounding this instance. I couldn’t find anything that differentiated a local street from a highway or freeway. Therefore, the law applies to all situations. Therefore, even if you are on the freeway, you are supposed to pull over to the far right hand side of the road and stop your car until the ambulance passes.

As unpractical as this may seem, this is the law. Although it would appear that most people are ok if they move over a couple lanes as best as they can and slow down to let the ambulance or other emergency vehicle pass. This is because there are often a lot of cars on the freeway and highway and it can be dangerous if everyone merged over at once. However, this is not the letter of the law so anyone that does not stop may be subject to a very steep fine.

Operation of vehicles on approach of emergency vehicles.

(1) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle making use of audible and visual signals meeting the requirements of RCW 46.37.190, or of a police vehicle properly and lawfully making use of an audible signal only the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of any intersection and shall stop and remain in such position until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a police officer.
(2) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway.
Andrew CherinWhat to do when an ambulance is on the freeway behind you?
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What are you supposed to do if an ambulance has it’s lights on?

If an ambulance or any other vehicle has it’s emergency lights on, not a lot of people know what to do in various circumstances. The reason behind emergency vehicle laws is so that emergency vehicles can get by without causing a car accident and get quickly to the hospital or car accident injury scene to get the injured person the care they need as quickly as possible. 

If an emergency vehicle is driving behind you in the same direction, most people know that you are required to pull over to the side of the road and stop. However, on the freeway most people continue to drive in the direction they are going and do not pull over and stop. Some people may pull over but most do not stop.

If an emergency vehicle has it’s lights on and is approaching from the opposite direction, most people do not pull over and stop. They believe that they can continue in the same direction. However, the law requires all vehicles driving in any direction to pull over to the far side of the road and stop. If you don’t you could be subject to a $1,062 fine.

Here is what the law says:

Operation of vehicles on approach of emergency vehicles.

(1) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle making use of audible and visual signals meeting the requirements of RCW 46.37.190, or of a police vehicle properly and lawfully making use of an audible signal only the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of any intersection and shall stop and remain in such position until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a police officer.
(2) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway.
Andrew CherinWhat are you supposed to do if an ambulance has it’s lights on?
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Why is it a good idea to have the police come to a car accident?

Most people generally want to get on their way and don’t want to wait for the police to arrive at the scene of a car accident. If you are injured and you call 911, police, ambulance, or the fire department will arrive on the scene shortly. However, if you say you are not injured, police will take much longer to come to the scene.

It is a good idea to have the police come to the scene and an ambulance to check you out because often times you will not know how bad you are actually injured. The best thing for you could be to go to the hospital and get checked out. However, after a car accident injury, a lot of people are running off of adrenaline and emotion making them feel like they are not actually hurt and making rash decisions without properly thinking. However, hours later injuries can become extreme when adrenaline begins to wear off and swelling starts to manifest itself.

Having the police come to the scene of a Seattle car accident is a great thing because they can document the scene, interview the defendant, get statements, and be an independent witness that verifies your side of the story. They can also write down contact information of potential witnesses, get accurate information from the defendant including their insurance and contact information from a person you may not want to talk to since they just caused your world to be rocked by the car accident they caused.

If you don’t call 911 or wait for the police, you should make sure you do these things:

  1. Take pictures of the damage to the other person’s car and accident scene before it is moved off the road, if possible –You want to make sure you have a good independent witness like a picture that can show what happened. A picture is worth 1,000 words and can make or break your case. A picture can show the severity of the impact by showing what condition the other person’s car is in. The insurance company may try to hide this information without filing a lawsuit if not and claim the impact was so minor that no one could have been injured. Your car could show little damage because bumpers are very strong on some cars but show tremendous damage on the other person’s car.
  2. Get witness contact information – It is always good to have a witness on your side. Immediately, try to get someone who saw what happened at the car accident to give you their contact information in case the other driver tries to lie about who was at fault and what happened. A short hello did you see what happened and can I have your phone number and name is all you need.
  3. Exchange information with the defendant – You need to make sure you have all the information that you need from the defendant including a picture of their license, a picture of their insurance card, and a picture of their registration. A picture is so fast and easy that this should take you no time at all. It will be important to have this information in case the other person decides to give you false information about who they are and their insurance numbers.
  4. Do not admit liability or say you are fine to the defendant or anyone – If the police, insurance company for either party, or the defendant interview you, do not say you are sorry and you are not injured if that is not true. The police will write a report saying your exact words so be careful what you say. This can and will be used against you. If you have a twinge in your neck that was not their before or a headache, let them know. Say you want to get further evaluated.

If you have been injured in a Seattle car accident, you need a Seattle personal injury lawyer immediately to help you with the insurance company and act on your behalf. You do not want to get pressured into accepting anything less than what you deserve and getting fully healed. Consultations are free and Seattle car accident lawyers are paid out of the settlement so their is no out of pocket costs to you. Therefore, everyone can afford a Seattle personal injury lawyer but you can’t afford not to have one on your side.

Andrew CherinWhy is it a good idea to have the police come to a car accident?
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Limits on Car Accident Injury Recovery?

If you are in a car accident and you are injured pretty severely, there is a chance you may not be able to recover everything that you could have recovered had the other person had enough insurance.

Here is the staggering figure: nearly 40% of drivers on the road are driving with the bare minimum amount of insurance coverage or no insurance at all. The minimum required liability insurance in Washington State is $25,000/$50,000. This means that the insurance only has coverage for up to $25,000 for an individual and $50,000 maximum payout in a car accident with multiple victims.

If you do not have UIM insurance (underinsured insurance coverage), you are stuck with trying to make $25,000 cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. UIM insurance coverage steps in and fills the gap, up to your policy limits, that you did not recover from the defendant who caused the Seattle car accident that you were injured in. UIM coverage can be $50,000, $100,000, and up to $1,000,000. It is very cheap to add to your coverage and is highly advisable to add to your coverage.

Even more so, your recovery is lessened because you have to pay back your medical bills. Yes, you must pay back your medical bills if you are injured in a car accident and this will come out of the $25,000 and is not separate from this recovery amount. You have to pay back your medical bills even if your medical insurance or PIP paid for your medical bills – they are entitled to reimbursement for the amount that they have paid. This means that you will not have as much money in your pocket from the $25,000 which could leave you with very little if anything depending on how much you are injured.

It gets tricky when there are multiple people injured in a car accident and the at fault vehicle only has minimum insurance coverage. In these situations, there may be only $50,000 available between 5 plaintiffs if one car is to blame but they caused two other cars to crash causing injury to two and three people. However, there may be more insurance coverage available if the plaintiffs have their own UIM insurance, which may come into play even if the plaintiff was not the driver of the car.

If there is no other insurance coverage available, the plaintiffs may have to fight for the money that is available. In these situations, you must act quickly to make sure that you get the money that you are entitled to or you may be stuck with nothing. You may have to contact the insurance company or file a lawsuit very quickly.

Andrew CherinLimits on Car Accident Injury Recovery?
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