May 23, 2017 , Personal Injury
…But if you’ve got to take them with you, keep pets secure in the car
I wanted to follow up my previous post on the risks of keeping pets in hot cars. The risks associated with pets in vehicles don't end with heatstroke. It's now common sense that car occupants must buckle up. Just as you should always wear your seatbe...
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May 23, 2017 , Personal Injury
Leave them at home!
When the weather starts to heat up here in Bellingham, I think about kids and pets in hot cars. Seems like we live in a cool enough climate in late May that we shouldn't need to worry about hot cars, right? Not so. It doesn't take much before a car b...
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May 18, 2017 , Personal Injury
Types of wrongful death claims and the statute of limitations on them matter to survivors
Often when someone dies in an accident that should not have happened, there are a lot of questions the survivors need to ask. After the initial shock fades and it sets in that the loved one is gone, the effects of their loss start to sink in. If that...
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May 5, 2017 , Personal Injury
Help! My car was in an accident, but I wasn’t in my car. Here’s what to do
It's a phone call no one wants to answer. If you lend your car to someone else and they are involved in an auto wreck, things can get awfully complicated. It seems like if you're not anywhere near the accident, you couldn't possibly be held liable an...
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May 5, 2017 , Personal Injury
When accidents don’t happen: fraudulent accident claims
It may seem innocent enough: get in a fender bender and exaggerate your injuries to get a higher compensation amount than you would otherwise. These auto insurance companies are so huge and rich it wouldn't matter, right? But it doesn't just impact t...
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May 2, 2017 , Personal Injury
What to expect in a personal injury settlement process
They say the best things come to those who wait, and in a personal injury case, that is very true. Each personal injury situation is unique and wrought with its own complexities. It can take years for a complete and thorough investigation to turn ove...
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April 28, 2017 , Personal Injury
Numbers don’t lie: US drivers think they drive safer than they actually do
Distracted driving is an epidemic. More and more data show this sad fact. And yet drivers report feeling more confident with their driving ability than ever. The combination of that attitude with the range of distractions available to drivers is...
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April 14, 2017 , Personal Injury
Tips on navigating Bellingham’s traffic roundabouts
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you’ll see them more on more on Bellingham roads. Roundabouts! They’re becoming a popular alternative to conventional intersections because they reduce accidents and severity of crashes that do occur. Also, they keep the...
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March 28, 2017 , Personal Injury
Helpful legal resources
Here at Bill Coats Law, we want to help accident victims find the help they need to recover. If you are not in the Bellingham area and your needs match one of our colleagues below, please visit the appropriate link to find help recovering. Any questi...
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March 23, 2017 , Personal Injury
Know your alarm, know your battery!
Chances are, you’ve already checked and changed your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms already. This is because you’ve committed yourself to the schedule of bi-annual checks each time you set your clocks back or forward with Daylight Savings. Youâ...
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