Give Emergency Vehicles Some Room

Did you know that you could be fined for not giving an emergency vehicle enough space when they’re stopped on the side of the road?  Well, you can.  In 2007, the Move Over Law was passed in the state of Washington in order to protect police, emergency technicians, tow operators, and Department of Transportation workers being killed or struck during routine traffic stops, accident response, impounding or towing of vehicles, and highway construction.  

Since 2007, the number of collisions involving emergency vehicles actually increased instead of decreasing.  The aftermath made it necessary to make the law stricter, so Move Over is getting a little help from the new Emergency Zone Law, which went into action on January 1, 2011.  

The new law will level hefty penalties on drivers who speed past emergency vehicles stopped on state highways, or fail to give first responders more room in the Emergency Zone.  The Emergency Zone is defined as the adjacent lanes of roadway 200 feet (or 10 car lengths) before and after a stationary emergency vehicle with flashing lights, a tow truck using red lights, an emergency assistance vehicle using warning lights, or any police vehicle using emergency lights.  

Drivers traveling on a roadway with at least two lanes in their direction of travel must move over a lane from the shoulder when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle with its lights activated. They're also required to slow down and proceed with caution.

On roadways with only one lane in their direction of travel, motorists must pass to the left of an emergency vehicle if they're able to safely do so, while yielding the right of way to all vehicles traveling in the opposite direction.

The penalties for not following the Move Over and Emergency Zone Laws are as follows:

• Failure to move over or slow down in an Emergency Zone come with a $248 fine, which has doubled with the new law. 

• Fines double for exceeding the posted speed limit in Emergency Zones.

• If a motorist drives in a manner as to endanger any emergency worker, he or she could be charged with Reckless Endangerment.

• If convicted of Reckless Endangerment, a driver’s license could be suspended for up to 90 days.

Here at MBC, we had a case in which a U.S. Marshall’s vehicle was struck when he had pulled to the shoulder in order to help a collision victim.  He was left with multiple injuries including a concussion and lower back injury.  He still suffers from limitations and pain as a result of the collision.

So take care when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle.  These people are just doing their jobs, helping the stranded, assisting with collisions, saving lives.  They may be saving yours one day.

Sources:

Washington State Patrol

Seattle Times

Balancing Work and Play

by John R. Christensen

Hello to everyone in the Blogosphere.  This is my first foray into “blogging” so I thought I would start by telling you a little about me and what we do here at the MBC Law Firm. 

 I grew up in beautiful Salt Lake City and attended the University of Utah, graduating with two degrees in English and Political Science.  “Go Utes!”  I moved to the Great Northwest in 1986 and attended the University of Puget Sound, School of Law. “Go Loggers!”  After graduating I worked for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office representing the Department of Corrections and the Department of Labor and Industries, where I met my beautiful wife Penny Allen, who turned out to be a University of Washington graduate.  “Go Dawgs!”  In 1994 I started with the MBC Law Firm and haven’t looked back. 

When I’m not working on cases you will find me playing guitar or tending to my oyster farm.  But my real passion in life, and what we do best at MBC, is helping people.  When people call our office they are usually in some state of distress.  Whether it’s a car accident or a loved one who has passed away, I do my best to listen and give them the best advice I can. 

I look forward to continuing this blog and talking about local and national events and developments in the law that affect our community.  Don’t expect only law related topics on this blog…..from time to time I will slip in tidbits about guitars, oysters, and old cars just to keep a good balance of work and play. 

Working with the MBC team of attorneys and staff, and helping accident victims regain the shattered pieces of their lives is something I look forward to each and every day. 

Sincerely,

John R. Christensen

Attorney at Law

Tipping the Scales of Justice

by Stephen L. Bulzomi

Hello out there. My name is Steve Bulzomi and I am a partner in Messina Bulzomi Christensen. This is my first blog post and I would like to tell you a bit about myself.  I was born and raised in Seattle, the sixth of twelve children of my Italian and Irish parents. I attended St. Benedict’s grade school and Roosevelt High School.

After that I graduated from the University of Washington and moved to Tacoma to attend the University of Puget Sound Law School.  MBC’s predecessor firm hired me as a legal intern on January 31, 1984 and I have been here ever since.

I soon learned that representing victims of negligence conformed to my sense of justice and disposition toward helping the underdog. I handle a variety of injury and death claims, and I also write and argue the firm’s appeals. I have found after 25 years as a lawyer that the civil justice system is under constant attack from the forces of big insurance, big business, and government.

As a member of this firm, and as an officer of the Washington State Association for Justice, I have helped stave off efforts to gut the rights of victims and to hold wrongdoers accountable. These efforts continue today, as the Insurance Industry and Wall Street have submitted Initiative 1082, which is an attempt to allow private insurance companies to invade Washington’s Worker’s Compensation System. I will write more about that in a future post.

Welcome to our blog. I hope you find it interesting and informative.

Lessons Learned from Representing Damaged People

by John L. Messina

I am a trial lawyer.  I practice in the Messina Bulzomi Christensen law firm in Tacoma.   Many people do not like what we do.  The media often reports of huge jury awards and settlements.  Inevitably that is followed by howls about “jackpot juries” and “greedy trial lawyers.”  I find that troubling.

I was a high school teacher for eight years.  During the last four years I was also a full-time law student at Gonzaga University in Spokane.  My wife and I had three children during those four years. I taught at Lewis and Clark High School during the day and attended classes at night.  Amazing how much energy one has during youth.  I have practiced law for 41 years now and have had a reasonably successful career with a lot of material possessions.  Yet, the four years of law school, while we were poor, were years of riches and happiness.

My practice, along with my four great lawyer-partners, has consisted of representing terribly broken and injured people.  My memories of law school and my experience with my clients’ stories have, I hope, forged a philosophy of life.  I have heard it said that one can never be “too thin or too rich.”  I believe the flip side of that coin is, “One can never be too generous.”

We five lawyers agree that, when you represent people who have lost limbs, been confined to a wheel chairs, or buried a child, it changes you.  It has to.  You go along and you absorb the pain of the clients and it makes you a different person.  Yes, there are lawyers who see damaged people as just a big payday, but only a few and none whom I consider a friend.

As you process one heartbreaking story after another, you come to realize that life is not about who has the most toys, but who has the most joys.  Much joy comes from being kind and sharing.  This is not always about money.  One can be generous in many ways, by a kind word, needed advice, by being there during a hard time, by sharing some special talent, by community service.

Material possessions are wonderful – to be enjoyed, especially as a reward for hard work and talent.  Yet, there are so many people out there who cannot enjoy much in life, because of some terrible injury or disability.  We see them on a regular basis.  We get them money, but it never replaces what they have lost.  Some of them are even millionaires, but only in the material sense.  Most are actually quite poor as it relates to the joys of life.  If you are not wealthy but you and your family are whole and healthy, you have all the riches you need.  Remember to share of yourself.

John L. Messina participating in the United Way Day of Caring