Washington Injury Law Blog

If repeated bailouts was enough, now word comes out that AIG is systematically refusing to pay for medical treatments covered by its policy for civilian U.S. contractors injured in Iraq. Those brave men and women who take jobs in Iraq to support our troops and are then injured by the same attacks that kill our troops, have health insurance through AIG.  However, AIG refuses to pay 50% or more of the time in serious injury claims.

Aig is engaged in a pettern of deny, delay and refuse until forced by litigation to pay for those most seriously injured.  Below is TV news story, very shocking and just plain wrong.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msvlnsNCnQM

Insurance companies routinely conduct business just like AIG here in Washington. Deny, Deny, Delay, Delay are the normal tactics in far too many my clients’ and other Washington injury victims claims. It doesn’t matter if it’s a car accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian or bicycle accident, all the insurance company cares about is keeping its money and making you prove you needed every treatment visit to your doctor or other medical care provider.  

It’s this type of bad faith conduct by insurance companies that forces injury victims to hire attorneys. Don’t let the insurance company steam roll over you.  Learn all you can about the injury claim process. A good place to start is at www.ScottMcDonaldlaw.com.

Max Meyers, Esq.

A few days ago a 14 year-old boy in Wenatchee, Washington was crossing the street in a crosswalk on his bike when he was hit by a truck that failed to see the bicyclist at or in the crosswalk. It appeared that the bicyclist may have broken his leg and was taken via ambulance to Central Washington Hospital.

As a Washington bicycle rider and Kirkland Bicycle Accident Attorney I repeatedly see how the media and police have a bias against bicycle riders. Whenever I read a police report  of a client hit by a car or read a newspaper story or hear a TV news report about a bicycle v. car accident more often than not the report is slanted against the bicycle rider.

The report often states facts in a way that implies the bicycle rider was at-fault or at-least partially at fault for the bicycle v. car collision. Here’s a quote from The Wenatchee World newspaper report on 4/14/09 what do you think after reading it?

“William Lemke, 41, of East Wenatchee, identified himself as the driver of the Toyota Tundra pickup at the scene. He said he had stopped on Marr Street at the stop sign and looked both ways before attempting to turn right onto South Mission Street. He struck the boy in or near the crosswalk on Marr Street. The man said he did not see the boy until he hit him.

Smith said the boy did not have a light on his bike and was wearing dark clothing.

She said Lemke did not see the bicycle, which was just entering the street. The driver was not cited.”

Sure seems to point the finger at least partially at the bicyclist. We don’t know if it was daytime or night, but it appears from a photo in the paper that it was at best dusk. It is a good idea to wear brightly color clothing but not required. Bike lights are required at dusk and night under Washington law, but again we have no idea of the time of the bike v. car accident happened.

Plus this is a kid at or in a crosswalk. Bicyclists or pedestrians at crosswalks have the right of way over stopped vehicles, and drivers must use extra caution when a kid is present. The truck driver had a duty to see all that could be seen, did he even look for a pedestrian or bicyclist waiting to cross the street in the crosswalk before turning?

You may disagree with me, but if you’re a bicyclist injured in a bike v. car accident this is the common bias that you will face. 

That’s why it’s a good idea to get some legal advice as soon after the bicycle accident as possible, at the very least start educating yourself on the injury claim process. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle v. car accident and want to speak with an attorney please call me at (425) 822-5700 or email me at max@scottmcdonaldlaw.com.

Safe riding!

Max Meyers, Esq.

As a cyclist and Kirkland Bicycle Accident Lawyer I have seen roadway conditions that could cause a serious crash. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened on September 4, 2006 to 31 year-old Jeffrey Totten as he was riding down Novelty Hill Road in Redmond, Washington with friends. Unknown to Jeffrey the bike path he was riding on had a hole in it caused by repeated paving around a survey marker. 

King County maintain the road and advertised it as a bike route for use by the public but failed to maintain it in a safe manner. Despite wearing a helmet Jeffrey was still severely injured in the Redmond, WA bicycle crash. King County agreed to pay Jeffrey $3.5 million in a settlement that will ensure Jeffrey has the care he needs for the rest of his life.

When Jeffrey’s front tire hit that hole his bike stopped and he was thrown head first over the handlebars.  Jeffrey suffered a severe brain injury causing permanent disabling brain damage as a result of the road defect bicycle accident.  Formerly a high endurance athlete who did triathlons and participated in long distance biking, Jeffrey has been left in a childlike state as a result of his brain injury.

Danielle Totten, Jeffrey’s wife, as been left in many ways a widow.  Jeffrey has lost most of his  memory of the nine years he shared with his wife and doesn’t always understand why he can no longer live with her. He will never work again and needs round the clock medical care. Jeffrey currently lives in an adult family home in Skagit Valley.

Tragedies like this give you an opportunity to reflect on how your life is blessed and to not take anything for granted, less you find yourself in Jeffrey or Danielle’s shoes. My prayers are with the Totten family as they move forward.

Here is a link to my prior post with 10 Tips for Safe Bicycle Riding in Washington.

Max Meyers, Esq.

Source:

Seattle Times, 4/16/09

I recently settled a Kirkland Washington Pedestrian Injury case involving a child for $190,000. my client a 10 year-old boy was hit while crossing the street in an unmarked crosswalk. He suffered a badly broken ankle which required surgery to repiar.

As Kirkland Pedestrian Accident attorney I have seen all too often the serious injuries suffered by pedstrian hit by cars. Thankfully, the Seattle Police are taking this issue seriously and stepping up efforts to enforce the law requiring vehicles to stop for pedstrians in crosswalks.

According to a report yesterday at the www.seattlepi.com, last Friday undercover Seattle police officers issued tickets to 53 drivers who failed to stop for the undercover officers who were walking across the street in a crosswalk. All in just one hour. Wow!

In 2007 six pedestrians were killed and 492 injured, according to a Seattle Department of Transportation report.

Drive safe and yield to pedestrian!

Max Meyers, Esq.