Back in late 2007, a King County jury awarded $15.5 Million to Maria Federici for substantial injuries she received when she was struck by a piece of furniture that came off the back end of another driver’s trailer. That driver was pulling a U-Haul trailer and failed to secure his load. The piece of furniture flew into Ms. Federici’s windshield and struck her in the face. Ms. Federici was permanently blinded and disfigured as a result. She also received a traumatic brain injury. She has had multiple surgeries to repair the damage to her face and head. She can no longer work or care for herself without assistance.
Even though this case is more than one year old, I’ve decided to blog about it because we recently received a call from a person who was also seriously injured from an object that flew off the back end of a commercial truck. That person also received injuries, abeit not as severe as those suffered by Ms. Federici. This recent case however tells me that the citizens of Washington still face risks from other drivers who choose not to secure their load while driving.
The Federici case led Washington state legislators to pass a new law that now makes it a criminal offense for a driver to fail to secure his load when someone is seriously injured or killed. When Ms. Federici was injured, the law only imposed a civil traffic fine for drivers who failed to secure a load. The driver who injured Ms. Federici only received a civil fine of $250.
We at the Davis Law Group have represented other individuals who have sustained serious injuries caused by unsecured loads. These cases can be challenging from an investigation standpoint, as it may be difficult to locate the person responsible for not securing a load that caused the accident. That’s why prompt investigation is extremely important.
The attorneys at Davis Law Group work and live in Seattle. Not only do they represent other citizens in Washington, but they also strive to contribute to the community by donating their time and resources to worthy causes in the Seattle area. To talk to an attorney at the Davis Law Group, please call 206.727.4000, or visit www.DavisLawGroupSeattle.com.
