Western Washington Personal Injury Law Blog

Whiplash injuries have to some extent gotten a bad name, even to the point where advocates of so-called tort reform use whiplash as an example of how people misuse the legal system to get hefty compensation for minor injuries. Thankfully, it is true that whiplash often clears up on its own after a few weeks. However, the fact that the outlook for recovery is often good does not make whiplash a minor injury. A person suffering from whiplash may suffer stiffness and pain in the neck, a limited range of motion, tingling, chronic fatigue, headaches and the like.

The symptoms of whiplash can put a person out of work for days or weeks, and it is recommended that a person experiencing whiplash seek out medical care. Moreover, it is important to remember that, as the name implies, whiplash involves a sudden throttling of the neck, much like the sudden back and forth motion of a cracking whip.

Many thousands of people pass through Washington's light-rail stations every day without incident, but these crowds can provide effective cover for anyone who wants to inflict injury on someone else. A recent shooting incident at the Westlake light-rail station left one man dead, two men injured and the police searching for suspect.

The incident occurred at about 9:20 p.m. on the west side of the north bound tunnel platform. According to witnesses, a man dressed in a dark hoodie began shouting at a group of three other men. Witnesses then say that the man in the hoodie pulled a gun and begin shooting at the three men. The three victims were each hit by one or more shots.

Does it feel like just yesterday you were sending your child off to school for the first time? Now, your child is a teenager and preparing to obtain their driver’s license. It’s amazing how fast time flies.

While you’ve always known that this day would come, you may still feel uneasy. Inexperienced drivers are among the most disadvantaged on the road. Car crashes are the leading cause of teen deaths and because of their youth, injuries can become lifelong problems.

One the most familiar sites at big city airports, like those here in Washington, is the number of shuttle buses carrying airline passengers to or from the airport. How safe are the passengers on the shuttle buses? Are seat belts available? Can these vehicles withstand the impact of a standard sedan? The recent collision of an automobile and a shuttle bus near the Sea-Tac Airport in Seattle is providing uncertain answers to some of these questions.

A shuttle van from the Seattle Airport Marriott was headed north on International Boulevard at about 1:00 p.m. on July 25. A car heading south in the opposite lane crossed the median and hit the shuttle bus. The force of the impact tipped the van on its side. The van was carrying nine persons, but police were unable to determine how many, if any, were using the available seat belts.