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Bicycle Accidents

• New Law Proposed to Increased Criminal Penalties in Bicycle Accidents
  Jan 27, 2010

  Negligent drivers in Washington who cause a serious injury accident with a bicycle or pedestrian may face much stiffer penalties if a proposed Senate bill is passed.  Currently if you hit and serious injury a biker or pedestrian in a Washington bicycle accident all you'll get is a traffic ticket. 
  
  The proposed law increases the penalties dramatically.  Under the proposal if you serious hurt or kill a bicyclists or pedestrian you would still face a $250 fine for negligent driving, but also have to appear in court, complete a traffic-safety course and perform up to 100 hours of community service or avoid those penalties and pay a much larger fine of up to $5,000 and have your driver's license suspended for 90 days.
  
  According to the U.S. Department of Transportation more than 66% of fatal bicycle accidents happen in cities.  In Seattle an estimated 4,000 - 8,000 people commute by bicycle to work or school every weekday. 
  
  
  
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• Ballard Businesses File Lawsuit Over Seattle's Burke-Gilman Trail Expansion
  Jul 23, 2009

  Ballard businesses that line the area slated for construction of the missing link of the Burke-Gilman Trail have filed a questionable lawsuit claiming transportation officials failed to thoroughly investigate how local businesses would be affected by the new bicycle trial.  The local businesses included boat gas stations that service the local fishing fleet and other heavy industry type businesses that regularly have semi-trucks delivering products to them.
  
  The boat gas stations claim tanker semi-trucks will pass over the proposed trail 8-40 times per day six days per week.  Having semi-trucks cross the Burke-Gilman trail up to 40 times per day could cause major safety problems.  The gas station owners claim their insurance companies have told them if one bicycle rider is killed by a truck accident then their business will become virtually insurable.  However, the trails impact was not studied because it was determined to have "nonsignificant" impact on the environment. 
  
  It seems to me this a simply a tactic at delaying or even stopping the expansion of the Burke-Gilman Trail.  Bicycle riders already travel the route despite its dangerous and dirty nature.  The trail expansion will clean up the area and make it safer for the bicycles that are already using the area.  About 40 people per year are injured on the railroad tracks near the Ballard bridge which is just a few blocks from where the trail currently ends.
  
  The Burke-Gilman Trail expansion is a good thing and should move forward despite this questionable lawsuit. - 32 - 40

• Cambridge, MA Bicyclist dies following Car v. Bike accident near Raymond, WA
  Jul 13, 2009

  Carolyn Girod a 31 year-old bicyclist from Cambridge, Mass. was hit by a van last week near Raymond, Washington.  Ms. Girod was bicycling with her boyfriend Nils Sorenson on State Route 105 just north of Raymond when a van drifted onto the shoulder where they were riding.  Nils was forced into Carolyn and they both crashed. 
  
  Nils crashed into an embankment next to the road, but Carolyn crashed on the pavement of the roadway.  Carolyn suffered massive internal injuries and head injuries.  She passed away the day after her Washington bicycle crash.
  
  The accident was apparently caused by a distracted driver who drifted off the road onto the shoulder and failed to see the two bicycle riders there.  Carolyn and Nils were riding on the shoulder doing what they could to avoid a car accident.  Unfortunately, even that was not enough this time.
  
  The injuries suffered when a car hit a bicyclist or motorcyclist for that matter are more often than not very severe and in the worst cases fatal.  Our prayers and condolences go out the Carolyn Girod's family.   - 33 - 40

• 30th Annual Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic, Saturday, July 11th & 12th
  Jul 10, 2009

  The Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic is this weekend Saturday, July 11th and 12th.  10,000 bicycle riders will make the 205 mile journey from Seattle down to Portland, Oregon.  Many ride all 205 miles in one day, but the majority of bike riders do it in two days.
  
  The STP is organized and operated by the Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle as its annual fund raiser.  Cascade Bicycle Club is one of the biggest bike clubs in the country and does lots of great things for the community.  CBC sponsors great local bicycle tours like the STP and Ride Around Washington every year.  it also educates kids and adults on all types of bicycle safety related information, advocates for greater bicycle access to local roadways, and much more.
  
  With thousands of bike riders on the roads this weekend please be very careful if driving on the STP route.  Bicycle riders in large packs can sometimes be a little spontaneous, so be on the lookout for bikes passing other bikes.
  
  To all you STP riders, have fun and ride safe!
  
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• Colorado Women Gets 3 years For Killing Two Bicyclists
  Jun 09, 2009

  Two Colorado bicycle riders died in a horrific car accident back in August of 2008.  A 64 year-old Colorado woman who was high on prescription medications without her required eye glasses when she drove through a group of five bicycle riders, killing two of them.  The elderly woman was sentence to 3 years in prison for vehicular manslaughter by a Colorado Springs court, short of the six year maximum sentence.  
  
  Jayson Kilroy, 28 and Edger "EJ" Juarez, 30 were the bicyclists killed by the woman.
  
  The woman just prior to the fatal car v. bicycle accident was reportedly shoplifting at a Safeway store.  She also hit a car in the parking lot as she was leaving the parking lot.  The man who she hit in the parking lot followed the woman and witnessed her hit the five bicyclists.  The three other bicyclists also suffered injuries of a less serious nature.  The woman did apologize to the families and express remorse before being tearfully taken away to jail.
  
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General

• Seattle Cop Punches Woman in Face
  Jun 15, 2010

  King 5 News has purchased a video of a Seattle Police officer attempting to make an arrest.  The officer was attempting to arrest one woman when another woman tried to interfere and shoved and then grabbed the officer in an effort to break her friend free from the officer's grasp.  In response to being assaulted by the second woman the officer punch the woman the face.  A bystander caught the incident on his cell phone video camera.
  
  
  
  I say the woman got what she deserved. You don't physically assault a police officer, let alone when he's in the middle of making an arrest and attempting to put handcuffs on another person.  The woman broke the law and got what she had coming, period.  I would have tazed both of them if it was me.  
  
  According to the a Seattle Times article police training includes the use of a punch in certain situations. The incident began when four women jaywalked in front of the officer.  He called them over regarding they illegal crossing of the street when voices and tensions escalated.  
  
  If the women would have cooperated with the policeman they may have received a verbal warning or at worst a citation. Instead they face criminal charges. DUMB!!
  
  My 2 cents,
  
  Max Meyers
  
  
  
  
  
  
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• What common child accessory has amputated fingers on 12 kids?
  Nov 09, 2009

  Maclaren strollers are reportedly responsible for 12 finger amputations of children since 1999.  Maclaren issues a major recall on 1M strollers.
  
  A side hinge is the cause of danger to children's fingers when the stroller is opened or closed.  The company is cooperating with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in the recall.  A repair kit will be issued to consumers and retailers who have purchased the umbrella stroller from Maclaren.  The repair device will cover the side hinges and joint that cause the amputation danger. - 37 - 40

• Injured Seattle Fireman Awarded $13M Following Fall Down Fire Pole Hole
  Oct 23, 2009

  A Seattle Washington Firefighter, Mark Jones, was awarded $13 Million by a King County jury for devastating injuries suffered in a fall down a fire pole hole at Station 33.  Mr. Jones fell 15 feet to a concrete floor suffering a head injury, 9 broken ribs, multiple fractures of his pelvis, 5 fracture low-back vertebrae, as well as internal injuries to his lung, bladder and liver.  Mr. Jones has not been able to work since the fall and will not be able to work in the future.
  
  The fall happened one night when he was working in an unfamiliar fire station.  He got up late at night to use the bathroom and went through the wrong door.  Mr. Jones fell in the fire pole hole that did not have any guard around it.  Another fire fighter had fallen through the same hole in 1976, but the city of Seattle never installed a guard around the hole or on door leading to fire pole.
  
  The jury verdict was double Seattle's last settlement offer before trial, but half of what Mr. Jones had sought in the lawsuit.  This is an example of a tragic accident that should never have happened.  Seattle is deciding whether to appeal the jury verdict. - 38 - 40

• Bicycle Friendly Bellevue On The Way l Bellevue Bicycle Lawyer
  Oct 02, 2009

  The City of Bellevue Council passed a bike and pedestrian plan recently to improve bike access to the downtown area.  The plan calls for the addition of 80 miles of bike lanes, 90 miles of sidewalks, and 20 miles of trial improvements.
  
  Bellevue streets are difficult for bikers to navigate.  They have very little shoulder and were not designed with bicycle riders in mind.  The neighborhoods are also a challenge for bikers.  They do not have a grid pattern like Seattle, but can wind around and sometimes end in cul-de-sacs. 
  
  Bellevue new bicycle plan is a new shift in thinking for the city and hopefully will help as urban growth continues in the downtown core. - 39 - 40

• Maple Valley, WA Paralyzed Football Player Settles Injury Case for 14.6M
  Sep 18, 2009

  Zachery Lystedt was left paralyzed and permanently disable following injuries suffered during a Mount Tahoma Junior High football game.  Lystedt's family settled its Washington personal injury case against the Tahoma School District for 14.6 million. 
  
  During the football game Lystedt made a tackle that left him unable to get up initially, although he did not lose consciousness.  He was held out of the game until after halftime and then played in the second half of the game.  By the end of the game Lystedt was unsteady on his feet and he collapsed when the game ended.  Lystedt had suffered a concussion on that first hit.  When he play again he injured his brain again, which led to bleeding in the brain.  Lystedt was rushed to Harborview Hospital for brain surgery.  He was in a coma for months and therapy for years.
  
  Lystedt suffered a severe brain injury that left him in a wheel chair and with severe brain damage.  If Lystedt had not been allowed to go back into the football game he would not have suffered the severe brain injuries he did.  Lystedt's case has led to a new law governing concussions in youth sports, the Zachery Lystedt Law.
  
  As a football official for King County area schools I have seen players deliver hits that likely resulted in a concussion to them self or the other player.  The head coach in the past was the one to determine whether a player was okay to play again in a game.  The Zachery Lystedt Law makes it illegal for a school or coach to allow a player back into play after suffering what appears to be a concussion without first getting a signed doctor's or certified athletic trainer's note allowing the player to re-enter the game. 
  
  The Zachery Lystedt Law is the first of its kind in the nation and the first to establish legal guidelines for dealing with sports caused concussions.  Eight other states are looking at adopting similar laws.
  
  Hopefully the Zachery Lystedt Law will help prevent such a tragedgy from happening again here in Washington.
  
  Max Meyers, Esq.
  
  
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