Seattle Motor Vehicle Accident Law Blog

Motorcycle safety is essentially, a two-way street. In other words, motorcyclists are not the only ones expected to safely drive. Washington motorists are also expected to be attentive to these two-wheeled vehicles and drive safely around them. Unfortunately, many motorcycle accidents are the results of the negligence of other motorists. Whether one is not paying attention to their surroundings, fails to check their mirrors and blind spots, distracted or even intoxicated, a serious, possibly fatal, collision could ensue.

How common are motorcycle crashes? Based on statistics from 2016, 4,976 motorcyclists were killed in crashes, while another 88,000 suffered injuries due to a crash. Fatalities among motorcyclist have increased roughly 3 percent from 2006. These numbers are large when one considers that motorcycles make up only 3 percent of all registered vehicles. Even more surprising, they make up only 0.7 percent of miles traveled by all vehicles.

As a personal injury lawyer, I hear about devastating crashes every day. I speak to people who have suffered life-altering injuries or lost loved ones. No matter how many times I hear these stories, I am still affected emotionally by the human tragedy that results from these collisions, which are nearly always avoidable. I have learned to channel my sense of outrage and injustice into fighting to get my clients the best possible recovery in court, but no amount of money can undo the physical and emotional damage my clients have suffered.

For some Seattle, Washington, drivers, going over the speed limit is the norm. He or she is in a rush, and going a few miles per hour over the speed limit does not seem like a big deal. Nonetheless, speeding is reckless, and when a driver is negligent and travels at speeds beyond the speed limit, a serious and even fatal collision could ensue.

A speeding-related accident involves a driver that was charged with a speeding offense, indicated as racing, traveling too fast for road conditions or exceeding the posted speed limit. Looking at data from 2016, 51,914 drivers were involved in 34,439 fatal accidents that resulted in 37,461 deaths. Of these crashes, 18 percent were speeding at the time of the crash, and 27 percent of those killed in fatal crashes involved a speeding vehicle.

The Seattle roads are often filled with motor vehicles. Whether it is local traffic or commuter and tourist traffic, the roads in this and other major cities see traffic at all hours of the day and night. Thus, motorists are on the roadways for a wide range of reasons. Whether it is a visit to the city, traveling to or from work, attending school or running an errand, many motorists travel throughout the city. Even though motorists understand the rules of the road, some fail to uphold them and drive safely. This causes negligent, distracted, reckless and intoxicated drivers to share the roads with other travelers.

No one is ever prepared to deal with the aftermath of an automobile collision, especially family members left with the news that a loved one suffered fatal injuries in the crash. It is an emotional and shocking time, causing them to find it difficult to navigate this difficult time. At the Law offices of Matthew D. Dubin, our skilled legal team is sensitive to these matters. However, we work diligently to protect the rights of our clients.