Woman in Coma, Others Hurt in Lakewood, WA, 18-wheeler Accident
Lakewood, WA -- January 12, 2017, a woman was critically injured, others hurt as well, after an 18-wheeler accident involving an intoxicated driver.
According to reports released by the Washington State Police, the accident occurred around 1:45 p.m. near the intersection of Route 512 and I-5.
Preliminary reports indicate that a woman was in a Toyota Prius on westbound Route 512 waiting on a red light. As she did so, a westbound 18-wheeler, driven by Jose Trinidad, failed to slow down and slammed into the back of the Toyota.
This collision caused the Prius to move into oncoming traffic, where it was struck by several other vehicles. Reports say at least six vehicles were involved.
Following the collision, the Prius driver had to be extricated from the vehicle. She had critical injuries and was taken to Madigan Army Medical Center, where she was placed in a medical coma with serious injuries. Her injuries included several broken bones as well as a head injury.
Reports also say that several others were hurt in the crash, though specifics were not available.
Trinidad was examined after the accident, and authorities determined that he was intoxicated at the time of the crash. He was placed under arrest, and he currently faces charges of vehicular assault and reckless endangerment.
Authorities say the accident remains under investigation.
Map of the Area
Commentary
A lot of times people come to the attack of personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits with the accusations that the people filing claims are just opportunists looking to make some easy money. What I can guarantee you is that those people will never use an accident like this to prove their point. This is a serious accident involving numerous and significant injuries, some of which can have a permanent effect on the victims' lives.
Just a few decades ago, people really didn't have a great understanding about brain injuries. Most thought the concussions and similar injuries were like any cut or broken bone: eventually they would heal, and that would be that. What we've learned since then is that head injuries can often result in long-lasting, sometimes permanent health consequences, some of which can significantly impact day-to-day life.
With injuries like the ones this woman sustained, one would typically be looking at extensive medical bills--initial treatment and hospital stay immediately following the accident, plus whatever treatment she would need in the days or weeks following, and leaving the possibility of some sort of permanent or long-lasting effects.
Then I read about an accident like this one, where a woman and several other people are seriously injured because a negligent truck driver decided to get behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle while intoxicated. If any accident portrays the perfect example of why people need recourse to the courts, this one is it.
Multiple people have been harmed due to events beyond their control. One person's dangerous and selfish actions led to a serious accident, and that person needs to be held accountable. Not only that, but how would it be reasonable to expect these innocent drivers--drivers who could not have possibly foreseen this accident--to bear the burden for injuries caused by someone else's negligence?
Our civil justice system exists for precisely these kinds of accidents. When someone's life is affected by another person's reckless actions, then they deserve to be compensated for their injuries to the fullest possible extent. Claiming that someone is money-grubbing when seeking compensation for potentially life-altering injuries is wholly unfair and misses the true intention of what personal injury claims are all about.
--Grossman Law Offices
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