I have been a bicycle commuter for more than 25 years. This was not a planned thing, at least on my part. It all began when my husband bought me a bicycle for my birthday. I was not at all pleased with his gift. I could think of a lot of other things that… Read More
Law Firm Blog
Sharing a very, very personal story
The hardest thing I’ve ever done is to give the eulogy at my best friend’s funeral. Probably the second hardest thing I’ve ever done is tell people how she died. Last spring, I was asked by my friend and fellow attorney, Karen Koehler, if I would be a speaker at our state’s trial lawyer convention…. Read More
Keeping An Eye on Your Brain
Reebok is testing a new head impact indicator on players on a junior hockey team in New Jersey. The device measures the amount of force that the player’s head receives. Players wear a skullcap with a blinking light that is just below the back of their helmet. If it blinks green, everything is good. Yellow… Read More
The Evidence Adds Up
The cumulative evidence that repeated concussions to college hockey players results in brain damage evidenced on MRIs. In this study, the concussions were often unnoticed during the course of the season. MRIs were given before and after the season to college hockey players. If the hockey player had a known concussion, another MRI was done… Read More
Medical Records Cost High in Washington
At first glance this might not seem important to the average consumer. When we represent a client we need to get copies of their records to document the injured person’s injuries. These costs come out of a client’s settlement at the end of a case, so this is important to the money that an… Read More
More on head trauma
As a follow-up to my recent post “Focus on Head Injuries”, there was an article yesterday regarding effects of repeated head trauma on National Hockey League players. Similar to NHL players, people who strike their head in an accident, and who have had concussions in the past, are particularly vulnerable to a more serious head… Read More
How big is a semi-driver’s blind spot?
How big is a semi-driver’s blind spot? Bigger than you might think. This video, produced in the UK, demonstrates why you have to drive defensively around semis: http://www.wimp.com/blindspot/
Seat Belts on Tour Buses – Finally!
It never made sense to me that buses weren’t required to have seat belts. A tragedy last winter just down the road in Pendleton, which left many injured and several people dead, highlighted this concern for me. Finally, seat belts will be required on large buses. Read about it here: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/seat-belts-will-be-required-large-buses-2D11624341
Washington State Safe Passing Law – Debi Toews Testimony
Here is a link to my testimony before the Washington Senate Transportation Committee during this legislative session regarding a proposed three foot minimum passing distance for motorists passing bicyclists and pedestrians in SB 5564. Motorists often don’t realize that passing a bicyclist too closely leaves no margin for error, especially at highway speeds. The three… Read More
Medicare will now cover more treatments if you have a chronic condition
A big problem with Medicare, has been that treatment had to be able to improve your condition. For those whose treatment had reached a plateau, Medicare would cut off treatment. If you have Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Traumatic Head Injuries, or a host of other chronic conditions, treatment was limited because your condition could not be cured…. Read More