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Washington State requires a police report – or “collision report” – after any car accident that causes bodily injury or at least $1,000 worth of property damage. This means any two-vehicle car crash should be reported. If a law enforcement officer responds to the accident, they will typically provide each…

Car accident victims must navigate one of two systems when seeking compensation for their injuries. Some states use a no-fault system, where injured people must first go through their insurance companies to recover compensation. Others use a fault-based or tort system, which means victims file personal injury claims against the…

Seat belts are effective in protecting drivers and passengers and reducing the severity of injuries in car accidents in Yakima and throughout Washington state. According to a Washington State Seatbelt Use report, more than 90 percent of front-seat motor vehicle occupants wore seat belts in a recent year. Authorities attribute…

The National Safety Council, which contends that the use of even hands-free electronics is distracting to drivers, is sponsoring a video contest as part of its observance of Distracted Driving Awareness Month during April. Contest winners could win monetary prizes of up to $2,000. The theme of the campaign is…

The Toppenish School District will be paying $6.9 million to the family of a child who was severely and permanently injured when she fell through bleachers in 2007. The record settlement was reached in October after a 10-hour mediation session and was approved by the Yakima County Superior Court in…

Just as the movement to legalize marijuana appears to have gained ground, a new study shows that fatal car crashes involving the use of marijuana have tripled. Researchers from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health gathered data over a 10-year period, from 1999 to 2010, from six states —…

As the population grows older, issues surrounding care of the elderly have become more prevalent. Many experts worry, for example, about the extent to which nursing home patients are prescribed antipsychotic drugs. Recent studies show that as many as one in four nursing home patients are prescribed an antipsychotic drug….

Concerns about nursing home abuse and the safety of residents in nursing homes have led some states to allow cameras to be placed in nursing home rooms. Oklahoma recently became the third state to explicitly allow video surveillance in nursing home patients’ rooms. Although a relative has always had the…

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently warned consumers about the dangers of portable generators, particularly in enclosed spaces. According to the commission, portable generators caused 800 carbon monoxide deaths in the United States from 1999 to 2012, with most occurring since 2005. Although most of us have heard that carbon…

Law enforcement officials say that increased patrols over the past year have led to fewer accidents in Yakima County, KIMA-TV reports. Yakima County had almost 80 fewer collisions in 2013 than in 2012. Even more important, the number of fatal accidents also decreased during 2013, according to law enforcement officials….