Having worked as a Bellevue personal injury lawyer and Seattle wrongful death attorney for over a decade, I have seen far too many tragic accidents take away life from kids who had many great years ahead of them. As a father of two young boys myself, I know that children are always at risk of being injured in every activity they participate in. For this reason, the expected standard of care surrounding kids is always higher than normal. This doesn’t just hold true for the people looking after them either, it also means that the venue where the kids are must be held to a high standard of care to protect them.
Last Saturday, 7-year-old Jacob Ponce-Espinoza died in a sledding accident in Snoqualmie Pass. The tragic accident happened at Hyak Snow Park, where Ponce-Espinoza’s sled went off the normal course and slid onto Highway 906. The boy was ejected off the sled before being hit by a Toyota Camry on the two lane highway. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center, but was pronounced dead less than 2 hours after the accident. Officials do not have further details about the cause of the accident.
This accident is an absolute tragedy, and my deepest condolences go out to the family of this young boy. Anytime an accident like this occurs, it truly puts life in perspective. It also reminds me about why I became a wrongful death and fatal accident attorney. While investigations into the accident are just underway, there is no doubt that the safety of the sled runs at the snow park will have to be looked into. If the there were negligent actions that led to this accident, it is important for the boy’s family, as well as future park patrons to know.
It is always difficult to learn of lives lost in auto accidents. The last thing you want to worry about in these situations is legal issues. In an attempt to provide you with much deserved help and assistance, I have co-authored a book with attorney Patrick J. Kang which is a guide for families of Washington wrongful death victims. The book is called, In Case of Death: Straight Talk on Washington Wrongful Death, and is available at no charge to Washington residents by clicking on the preceding link.