Archive for March, 2010

A Sunday morning, March 28, 2010 head-on collision claimed the life of a 24-year-old Orting man. The deceased motorist was reportedly headed the wrong-way down northbound Interstate 5 around 2:00 a.m., when he slammed head-on into a semi-truck near the Berkeley Avenue exit in Lakewood, as reported by The News Tribune.

The Washington State Patrol reported, a 2005 Honda Civic driven by Garrett M. Felt of Orting was driving in the wrong direction on I-5, when he slammed head-on into a tractor trailer hauling 59,000 pounds of cargo. Responding emergency crews pronounced Felt dead at the scene; he was not wearing a seat belt.

A 60-year-old Roy man was driving the semi during the collision. He managed to escape injury during the wreck. The State Patrol stated the semi truck driver “could not do anything to avoid being struck head-on by Felt.”

The Washington State Patrol started to receive calls about a wrong-way driver beginning at South Street on I-5. Felt apparently almost hit numerous other vehicles traveling on the interstate, which included a state trooper who was trying to tell him he was headed the wrong direction. Felt managed to drive six miles in the wrong direction before colliding with the tractor-trailer. The State Patrol is currently trying to determine if drugs or alcohol was involved. A full investigation is currently underway.

If you have been injured in a Lynnwood truck accident contact Washington Truck Accident Lawyer Rob Kornfeld.

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The mother of a King County Jail inmate whose grisly death from a bleeding ulcer figured prominently in a federal investigation into conditions at the downtown Seattle facility has sued the county and the doctor and nurses who failed to recognize his symptoms and get him help.

Testimony at an earlier inquest hearing showed that the 48-year-old Lynn Dale Iszley died after suffering for hours in agony while medical staff at the jail attributed his condition to heroin withdrawal. The inquest jury, in a rare finding against the county, determined that Jail Health Services contributed to Iszley’s death.

The lawsuit also names Dr. Anthony Rains, a Jail Health Services physician who treated Iszley. Rains resigned during an investigation into Iszley’s death. Also named were two Jail Health Services nurses, Flora Cruz and Eric Shirley, both of whom treated Iszley during the hours leading up to his death.

Update, 6:23 a.m., Mar. 19 James Apa, communications manager for Public Health — Seattle & King County, which oversees Jail Health Services, said the agency doesn’T comment on pending litigation. “Mr. Iszley’s death was tragic, and we extend our sincere condolences to the family,” he said.

Iszley had a long history of drug abuse and petty crimes when he was booked into the jail for drug possession July 15, 2007. He was sick from drug withdrawal and was seen by Jail Health Services staff several times over the next two days, according to the lawsuit.

On July 18, at 4:40 a.m., Iszley pressed the emergency call button in his cell and told a guard he thought his “liver had exploded.” The guard called for medical help, and a nurse responded, found Iszley’s blood pressure and heart rate normal, and said he could remain in his cell.

Four hours later, Iszley was found on the floor of his cell, shaking and sweating and unable to sit up without help. He was taken to the infirmary, where Rains found the inmate writhing in pain, his heart racing. Still, Iszley was kept at the jail infirmary where his condition continued to deteriorate.

The lawsuit alleges that Cruz and Shirley failed to notify Rains — who had gone home for the day — as Iszley’s symptoms worsened and the inmate slipped into shock. Rains testified at the hearing that, had he known the inmate’s vital signs — which included plummeting blood pressure and a racing pulse — he would have called paramedics and had him taken to Harborview Medical Center.

Instead, Iszley lay in the infirmary for hours as, an autopsy later showed, feces and the other contents of his ulcerated intestines spilled into his gut and caused a raging infection.

Around 5 a.m. on July 19, Iszley stumbled as he attempted to get up from his mattress in the infirmary. Other inmates helped him back to his bunk, and he refused breakfast. At 7:30 a.m., he was found dead.

Iszley’s death featured prominently in a sharply critical November 2007 letter from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, which found that the county routinely violated the civil rights of inmates in its care. The letter said Justice lawyers found “life-threatening” deficiencies in the health care of some inmates.

The county and the Department of Justice have since reached an accord — backed by a Justice suit — aimed at improving jail conditions.

My condolences to the family.

If you have lost a loved one in Washington State due to negligence give us a call. Our Lynnwood, Washington wrongful death lawyers have over 30 years experience and know what it takes to get you financially compensated for the loss of a loved one.

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Q. What are the most common reasons for accidents involving buses?

A. Some of the most common causes for bus accidents are:

• Inadequate training of the driver
• Exceeding the capacity of the bus or carrying excess baggage
• Failing to maintain equipment—brakes, brake lights, signals, etc.
• Driving a bus when conditions are poor—foggy, icy, heavy rain, snowing
• Driving when fatigued or under the influence of alcohol or narcotics
• Speeding or reckless driving

Q. How common are pedestrian and bus accidents?

A. Each year about 20 school-aged pedestrians are involved in fatal accidents with school buses. Almost half of these accidents involve the child colliding with the front of the bus.

Q. Who is held at fault in a bus accident?

A. In most cases, the bus driver can be held at fault. Depending on circumstances the transportation company, the bus owner, local government, bus manufacturer and even manufacturers of components in the bus may be held liable for damages.

Read more about Bus Accident Injuries in Washington from Lynnwood personal injury lawyer Rob Kornfeld.

Safeway Inc. said Thursday it is voluntarily recalling potato salad products over concerns about possible salmonella contamination.

Safeway said the two red potato salad with dill products were sold in its deli department at Safeway, Vons, Pavilions and Carrs stores in 10 states in the West.

Customers who purchased the products are asked to discard them or return them for a refund.

Safeway said it is recalling the product after Reser’s Fine Foods, the source of the products, announced its own voluntary recall.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.

Rob Kornfeld is a Lynnwood Personal Injury Lawyer -Feel free to email him at Rob@Kornfeldlaw.com or call (425) 893-8989 for a case evaluation.

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A 13-year-old Lynnwood boy was injured Friday evening when he was struck by a car while crossing Highway 99 near 148th Street SW.

The boy was transported by aid car to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The Washington State Patrol reported the boy was among a group of pedestrians crossing Highway 99 from the east to west side of the roadway when the accident occurred.

The boy had been waived across the roadway by vehicles that had stopped in nearby lanes.

The driver, a 48-year-old Edmonds man, was not injured in the accident that occurred shortly before 5:30 p.m., according to an accident report.

We wish the best for this young man. It’s sad, but things of this nature are occurring on a frequent basis and have been for some time. It is up to you as the parent to make sure they be compensated for their pain and suffering and yourself for the medical bills. To discuss further call Lynnwood Car Accident Lawyer Rob Kornfeld at 425-893-8989 to schedule a free consultation.

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