Washington Injury Law Blog

MRSA – or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – a germ that spreads by contact is a potentially deadly staph infection that is all too common in hospitals in Washington and across the United States. The scary part is that it can be on your skin right now. Many people are carriers of MRSA and are unaffected by it until they suffer a open wound injury.

The good news is that there is a simple test that hospitals can run to find MRSA before treating a patient and protocols for isolating outbreaks. The bad news is that hospitals have refused to put the test into routine use. Before you receive any treatment involving an open wound at a hospital, especially surgery, I would insist on a MRSA test being run on you skin. That way you will know you aren’t carrying the deadly germ and infect yourself. You will also know that if you get MRSA it was most likely from the hospital.

MRSA has been around for 40 years. But recently the outbreaks of it have escalated to an alarming level. 6 out of 7 people get MRSA from a health care facility. In 2007 the CDC issued a press release stating that MRSA was now killing more people than AIDS. The CDC estimated that in 19,000 people died from MRSA. Scary stuff!

Luckily, the Washington State Department of health just issued a new rule requiring all hospitals to report all patient cases linked to the deadly germ MRSA. Be careful at Harborview Medical Center, it is one of the local hospitals that has had a fairly significant problem with MRSA and currently lacks what I consider adequate safeguards against its spread.

Max Meyers, Esq.

Sources:

How our hospitals unleashed a MRSA epidemic

MRSA’s toll climbs, but hospital is slow to change

State to begin tracking hospital cases tied to deadly germ MRSA

Yet another pedestrian was hit by a car while crossing the street in a marked crosswalk in Seattle, Washington. I don’t know what’s going on out there but in the last couple weeks there have been what seems to be an unusually large number of pedestrians being hit by cars.

The Settle Police Officer was jogging with a friend on Sunday evening around 5 pm at the intersection of Denny Way and Broad Street. The officer suffered a large cut to his left leg and was take to the hospital to be checked out.

November, December and January are the months with the few hours of daylight here in Washington state. As a result these months are the most dangerous for pedestrians. In the past three years 23 pedestrians have been killed while walking in Seattle.

Keep this in mind as you’re walking out there in the next few months.

Be safe!

Max Meyers, Esq.

A 24 year old woman was hit by a van while in a marked crosswalk on 98th Avenue NE in Kirkland, Washington earlier this week. The driver was on his cell phone and failed to see the woman in the crosswalk. The force of impact caused the woman to be thrown several feet into the air and suffer serious head injuries. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center were she spent several days before being release to recover at home.  

As a Kirkland Pedestrian Accident Attorney I have seen the devastating and serious injuries caused by cars hitting people while in crosswalks. Although not clear from the reports, if the driver had the cell phone to his ear he was driving – he was breaking Washington law. Back on July 1, 2008 talking on cell phones while driving with the phone in your hand being held to your ear became illegal. You may only talk on your cell phone while driving if you use a hands free device. Cell phones distract you from driving and should not be used while driving. It’s safer for you and everyone around you.

This young woman in all likelihood will suffer lingering effects from her head injuries in the years to come. I have a young boy who is a client that was also hit by a van while crossing a Kirkland street. He suffered a serious broken ankle that required surgical repair. He has been left with a big nasty scare that wraps around his ankle. The ankle is sore and aches whenever the weather changes. This young man will live the rest of his life with the consequences of this serious ankle injury.

The serious nature of injuries commonly suffered by pedestrians hit by cars makes it very important, if not imperative, to seek legal guidance quickly after a pedestrian v. car accident. A good place to start is collecting as much quality information about the injury claim process as you can. A good place to start is my FREE book The Guide To Washington Injury Cases. If you’ve been injured as a pedestrian by a car please order my book immediately before giving a recorded statement to the insurance company or signing anything.

Max Meyers, Esq. 

Yesterday, a story appeared on King 5 TV news about a man who serious injured when he was hit by a car in a crosswalk in the morning when it was still dark outside. With the short daylight hours here in Seattle during the winter it’s a good idea to keep these 10 safety tips in mind when walking near roadways in the dark.

1. Use sidewalks and off-road paths : Separate yourself as much as possible from traffic by seeking out lighted paths and sidewalks. If sidewalks are not available, walk on the edge of the road or on the left shoulder of the road. Use pedestrian bridges when they are available.

2.  Wear reflective or light colored clothing. Dress in light colored clothes or wear something reflective (like a cyclist sash).  This allows you to be seen by vehicles more easily. Just because you can see the lights of a vehicle doesn’t mean that the driver can see you. Visibility for the driver is limited at night, and it is made worse when you wear dark clothes. Carrying a flash light is also a great idea.

3. Walk facing traffic: When you cannot avoid walking on the side of the road, always walk on the side of oncoming traffic so you can see and react to any vehicle . Do not walk with your back to overtaking traffic.

4. Cross at marked crosswalks or intersections. Pedestrians are most often hit by cars when they cross the road at places other than intersections. Be extra cautious when crossing at night even at pedestrian crossings. Traffic does not expect pedestrians to be out walking at night. Even when crossing with a crossing light, assume that the cars who may be turning across your path do not see you.

5. Safety in numbers: Use the same routes used by other walkers and runners. Drivers are more used to seeing them there.

6. Don’t get tripped: Tripping hazards are worse after dark. Uneven sidewalks, roots and rocks on trails, potholes and trash on the side of streets and roads – all can lead to a slip or fall. Walk with your eyes noting the ground 15 feet ahead to see upcoming hazards.

7. Blinded by the light: As we age we lose our ability to see well in the dark and recovering after having headlights shine in your eyes. Choose a path where you won’t have frequent changes in the lighting level. Do not look straight into oncoming headlights.

8.  Use Umbrella carefully. Do not allow your umbrella to obscure your vision when walking along a road or crossing. If you cannot see what is happening, you cannot avoid danger.

9. Drinking and walking? Alcohol can impair the judgment and motor skills of pedestrians just as it does for drivers. Don’t take alcohol risks with walking, just as you would not with driving. Take the bus, take a cab, or have a friend drive you home. Beware of the effects of prescription and non-prescription medications and drugs, too.

10. Obey traffic signals. At intersections where traffic is controlled by signals or a traffic officer, pedestrians must obey the signal and not cross against the stop signal unless specifically directed to go by a traffic officer.

Max Meyers, Esq.

If you have been hit be a car or other vehicle as a pedestrian and suffered injuries you should speak with an experienced Washington pedestrian accident attorney like myself.  If you have questions or would like to know your rights please call me. In any cay, please don’t give a recorded statement to the insurance company or sign anything until you have ordered my FREE book – The Guide To Washington Injury Cases and get the basic info you need before speaking with any insurance adjuster.

Resources:

Safety Tips For Pedestrians

Night Walking Safety Rules

Pedestrian & Bicycle Safey - Federal Highway Administration

Dr. Ed Farrar a Wenatchee, Washington orthopedic surgeon and father of professional bicycle racer Tyler Farrar was in a car v. bicycle head on accident last week. Dr. Farrar was out for his daily morning bike ride when a local security company vehicle approached from the other direction. The driver of the car dropped a clipboard on the floor, as he reached for it, he took his eyes off the road. The car drifted across the road on a curve into the oncoming traffic lane where it hit Dr. Farrar head on.

Dr. Farrar suffer very serious injuries, including 15 broken ribs and several fractures to his spine, which his doctors describe as a serious spine injury.  Dr. Farrar is in critical condition at Central Washington Hospital. My prayers go out to Dr. Farrar and his family.

Dr. Farrar’s son Tyler races professionally with the Garmin-Chipolte team.  Tyler is leading a charity bicycle ride for his father, called the “Rally for Ed,” Sunday November 9, 2008.  For more information is available at the Wenatchee Valley Velo Website; requests for details on the ride can be made to wenatcheevalleyvelo@yahoo.com. For updated on Dr. Farrar’s recovery, well-wishers an visit his page at CaringBridge.

Max Meyers, Esq.

Early this morning at approximately 1:00 am a semi-truck crashed into the center median of I-5 then into a bridge over pass killing the driver of the truck. According to reports from the Washington State Patrol the truck driver was new and only had been driving semi-truck for one month.

It unknown why the truck driver lost control but wet conditions did play a role in the traffic fatality. As a Seattle Truck Accident Attorney I have seen that one of the leading causes of serious semi-truck accidents is inexperienced drivers. The truck driver here only had 3 1/2 weeks of training. Perhaps better training could have prevented this tragedy. Fatigue often plays a substantial role in serious truck accidents - especially ones that happen late at night.

Anyone who involved in a semi-truck accident needs to consult with a Washington truck accident attorney immediately. Facts and evidence from the scene of the accident must be documented and collected as soon as possible. This is very important in semi-truck accidents because the injuries involved are more often than not very serious.

 Max Meyers, Esq. 

Resources:

Semi-truck driver killed in Olympia crash