Washington Injury Lawyer Blog

Yet another pit bull attack in Seattle. According to the Seattletimes.com, 71 year old Huong Le was severely attacked and mauled by two pit bulls when she was just feet from her SeaTac home where she works as live-in caregiver. Le spent more than 10 hours in surgery Monday at the trauma center at Harborview Medical Center, where surgeons worked to preserve her hearing and reattach her ears, both of which had been ripped from her head. Her jaw was broken and her right arm and wrist were crushed beyond complete repair.

Both of the pit bulls had to be shot by deputies in order to save Le. The owner of the pit bulls also owned two other pit bulls which were seized. This is a very sad, but at the same time, infuriating situation. While I don't want to stereotype the breed, at least 95% of the dog bite cases I have ever handled have involved pit bulls. This isn't a coincidence. All of these savage attacks have occurred because the owners were completely irresponsible and likely just didn't care that their dog(s) could severely injury or kill a person. These dogs have to be kept in a very secure enclosure.

Last Friday in Moses Lake, a pit bull (imagine that), pushed open a gate to get to Alex Medina. Alex by the way, is 6 years old. Alex was bitten on the face and head before the pit bull was pulled off. Doctors reattached his nose and ears, but he still faces more surgeries. The dog was not licensed and the owner had no record of rabies vaccine.

Continue reading " More Seattle Pit Bull Attacks " »

Posted by John Williams | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Dog Bite Injuries

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We all know that Seattle is a dangerous place to drive a car, or especially be a pedestrian. While Washington's new cell phone law is a start, a very SMALL and almost useless start in my opinion, there are still many distracted driver's out there that don't see other cars, trucks or pedestrians. And if you drive a motorcycle, you probably feel that there is some cloaking shield around you that makes you and your motorcycle invisible! If driver's can't "see" a SUV, they certainly won't see you on your bike.

Ok, so now your motorcycle is a total loss and you have severe injuries and can't work. So how do you pay for your medical bills? If you are in your car, you simply use your personal injury protection (which everyone should have) to pay for your medical bills. But unfortunately, you discover that you do not have PIP coverage on your motorcycle, since no insurance company offers that coverage for motorcycles. While I haven't researched the reason for this, I would guess that the number of severe injuries is significantly higher than for cars and trucks. In addition, while Washington state law requires that PIP coverage be offered on car and truck policies, it is not mandated for motorcycle policies. The backup to PIP coverage is your own health insurance, but if you are among the many uninsured in the state, you could be in real trouble.

Many people are under the impression that the at-fault driver's insurance will take care of your medical bills. While this is technically true, they will not pay for your medical bills as you incur them like PIP or health insurance. Through settlement or a verdict, your medical bills will be reimbursed, but that could be 1, 2 or 3 years down the road. If you ride a motorcycle and do not have private health insurance, I would encourage you to take another look at your transportation options.

Posted by John Williams | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Insurance , Motorcycle Accidents

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Whether you are playing soccer in Seattle or maybe your child is playing T-Ball in Lynnwood, many people and parents have chemical cold packs handy. They are a convenient substitute for ice in the case of an injury. But are they safe? When you buy some of these cold packs, they aren't labled "Chemical" cold packs, but that's exactly what they are. Generally, these cold packs utilize ammonium nitrate crystals and a small bag of water or ampule, all of which is contained in a tough white plastic bag. Once the container for the water is crushed, the water and ammonium nitrate crystals mix resulting in a chemical reaction that creates the cold temperature. Unfortunately, this is a caustic mixture that will cause a chemical burn if exposed to skin because of a faulty outer bag or puncture in the bag.

There are now alternatives to chemical cold packs which do not use a caustic chemical mixture and are safe. There is always the old standby as well, ice. While not as convenient, ice will not cause a chemical burn that you will have the rest of your life. While I have represented clients who have received chemical burns from these cold packs, no one has ever contacted me because they were injured by ice. Always read the ingredients label, and if it lists ammonium nitrate, put it back and find another option.

Posted by John Williams | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Products Liability

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