Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

According to a recent article in the whig.com, a single car rollover crash happened near Louisiana, MO. The driver’s car went off the road before hitting an embankment and overturning.

The car accident in Missouri occurred on 11274 Route B at Pike County Road 107 when the individual was headed east when she apparently overcorrected and lost control of her 2003 Ford Focus, Missouri State Highway Patrol officials said. The woman was wearing her seat belt but suffered serious injuries as her Focus rolled over. She was transported to an area hospital.

In the United States, one of the main causes of fatalities in auto accidents is a rollover crash. Rollover car accidents in Missouri typically cause fatal or catastrophic injuries including brain and spinal cord damage that often require long term care. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that of the approximately 40,000 auto accidents that occur each year, rollover crashes account for 25 percent or 10,000 motor vehicle traffic crashes.

The news report does not provide details of what made the driver in this incident lose control of her vehicle. It is possible that there was a dangerous condition or a hazard on the roadway. It is also possible that the Focus had a preexisting mechanical condition or a product defect that contributed to the accident.

The skilled Missouri auto accident attorneys of Page Law specialize in personal injury cases caused by motor vehicle accidents. We have the resources to look into your case, determine all the facts and establish who or what should be held responsible for your suffering. As the victim, you deserve just compensation to pay for the damages, and offset medical bills including any long term costs, loss of pay and other expenses. Call our experienced personal injury lawyers in Missouri at Page Law today to schedule your free initial consultation so we can help secure the best result in your case.

Driving a tractor trailer is a demanding position; it requires long hours and careful attention to detail, as road conditions can change in a split-second. It is important that truck drivers are alert while behind the wheel to ensure safe driving conditions and to prevent tractor trailer accidents in Missouri.

In order to make sure that commercial vehicles are safe on roadways, the federal government created the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA created regulations that must be followed by commercial vehicles traveling in between states. The regulations set out specific guidelines for trucks, trucking companies and truck drivers.

Truck drivers, specifically, must undergo an extensive medical examination to make sure that any possible health conditions will not affect safe driving abilities. In addition to health exams, driver medications are also evaluated to ensure that harmful side effects will not impair driving ability.

The FMCSA medical exam regulation indicates the purpose of the examination is to detect the presence of physical, mental, or organic conditions of such a character and extent as to affect the driver's ability to operate a commercial motor vehicle safely. Further, the FMCSA issues advisory warnings periodically about certain medications or conditions that can adversely affect driver ability as such information becomes known to them.

Continue reading " Chantix Drug May Adversely Affect Truck Drivers' Ability to Operate Their Vehicles " »

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) crash studies recently revealed that 22 percent of large-truck crashes occur because truck drivers are unfamiliar with the roadways they are traveling. Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers (truck drivers, tractor trailer drivers, etc.) regularly travel to new destinations, so they are often unfamiliar with their surroundings. Driving at night in new areas also adds to difficulties encountered while traveling on untried roads.

FMCSA reports indicate that CMV drivers sometimes read maps or directions while driving in new areas, distracting them from the road and causing large truck crashes on our nation’s highways. FMCSA suggestions for preventing these accidents are to review maps and plan a route before driving, to always use signals while driving, and to be careful while changing lanes and direction of travel.

In three years, roughly 50,000 moving violations were cited as improper lane changes and improper turns. Additionally, about 630,000 motor vehicle accidents occur because of lane-changes every year. Many of these accidents cause severely injure and even kill innocent motorists and passengers. Many times, these violations can be used to prove fault on part of the tractor trailer driver and the trucking company. An experienced Missouri truck accident lawyer will know exactly how to uncover the violations for a truck company and its drivers.

Often times, simply missing an exit or passing up the right turn will end up causing an accident when a driver tries to overcompensate and correct for a missed turn. All drivers have a duty to exercise reasonable care while driving, despite unfamiliarity with road conditions. Cautious driving will ultimately prevent many accidents, but if you or a loved one has been injured by truck driver’s negligence, it is important to obtain an experienced truck crash lawyer.

The skilled St. Louis truck accident attorneys at Page Law, A Missouri Personal Injury Law Firm, are aggressive and experienced at handling truck accidents that result in serious injury and death. For a free consultation call 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). You can also email me John Page, a partner at Page Law, at john@pagecagle.com for more information.

“Death Jaw” is another name for jaw osteonecrosis (ONJ), a jaw bone decay disease that involves the breaking down and loss or “death” of the jaw bone. Recent research has linked instances of ONJ to Fosamax medication and other similar bisphosphonates. Although the exact nature of the relationship is unknown, medical providers agree that there is no definite way to treat ONJ and that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued multiple reports concluding that Fosamax is exercising misrepresentation of product and does not do a good enough job warning patients about the possibility of osteonecrosis and ONJ side effects.

Fosamax (Aldenodrate) belongs to a class of drugs called bisphosphonates and was granted FDA approval in 1995. Bisphosphonates are used to improve bone density, by maintaining or increasing the volume of minerals and calcium within the bones. It is often taken to combat the bone density disease commonly referred to as osteoporosis. Fosamax is manufactured by Merck & Co., a pharmaceutical company that courts are currently holding legally responsible for the companies arthritis drug Vioxx because of the drugs correlation to patient heart attacks.

Continue reading " Defective Drug Fosamax Can Lead to “Dead Jaw” " »

A St. Charles man was recently killed in a tractor trailer accident in Missouri. Allegedly, the 62-year-old man’s car ran out of gas on Interstate 55 near Benton, so he pulled over and tried to push his car up to the next exit. The man and a passenger in his vehicle pushed the car up a hill in the far-right lane of I-55, when they came to an overpass.

A tractor trailer headed southbound came up behind the two men at the overpass and was unable to stop his truck in time. One of the men, who was pushing on the right side of the car, was able to jump across the bridge rail and avoided severe injury. He was treated at a local hospital for injuries received. The driver was unable to avoid the tractor trailer and was killed instantly on impact.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, there was no shoulder or area to pullover on the overpass where the man was killed. Additional details as reported by the St. Louis Post Dispatch can be found in this account.

This Missouri tractor trailer crash shows the difficulty big rigs have stopping when traveling at high speeds. Although the truck driver allegedly did all he could to stop, the weighty commercial vehicle continued to push forward, ultimately causing death. This was the second pedestrian killed in a Missouri traffic accident in one day.

Unfortunately, traffic accidents like this occur frequently and can severely impact many lives. If you or a loved one is injured in a tractor trailer crash, call the top Missouri tractor trailer collision lawyers at the Page Law Personal Injury Firm for a free consultation. You can reach them 24 hours a day at 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). You can also email John Page, a partner at Page Law, at john@pagecagle.com for more information.

An individual was killed in a rear end car collision in Missouri when he was struck by a suspected drunk driver, according to a report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. According to the account, the driver, a Wright City resident, was driving a 1990 Mercury Topaz eastbound on the I-70 and was in the right lane when another vehicle doing over 100 miles an hour hit the rear of the Topaz.

The Missouri auto accident happened near Bryan Road as one vehicle switched lanes to get past a tractor-trailer and then hit the other car. The impact of the collision from the speeding 1991 Mustang pushed the other car off of the freeway, Missouri Highway Patrol officials said. One individual ran away from the crash and was arrested later. That individual’s blood-alcohol content was approximately three times the legal limit of .08, investigators said. He has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and fleeing the scene of an drunk driving accident in Missouri.

According to Chapter 577 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, "a person commits the crime of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident when being the operator or driver of a vehicle … and knowing that an injury has been caused to a person or damage has been caused to property, due to his culpability or to accident, he leaves the place of the injury, damage or accident …." In this case the intoxicated driver could face felony DUI charges also.

The experienced Missouri personal injury attorneys at Page Law are committed to handling your motor vehicle accident in a thorough professional manner. We know that even a low speed rear end car accident can result in serious injuries which may require long term treatment and care. Our skilled motor vehicle accident attorneys in St. Louis will dedicate 100 percent of their time and resources to getting you the compensation you deserve. Please contact our law firm to discuss your case and to better understand the legal rights and options that are available to you. Visit www.missouricaraccident.com for more information.

Two physicians recently teamed up to conduct a study on motorcycle accidents. The study, led by a general trauma surgeon and a neurosurgeon, uncovered the harsh reality of severe injury, brain trauma and death resulting from motorcycle accidents.

The study specifically evaluated traumatic head injuries from motorcycle accidents treated at McLeod Health, which serves northeastern South Carolina, between 2003 and 2007. However, findings are generally comparable to other similarly populated regions throughout the US.

Studies revealed that motorcyclists are 16 to 20 times more likely to be involved in a fatal wreck, as compared to other motorists. A portion of this statistic is attributed to relatively low helmet use, as only 28 percent of the 167 patients wore helmets. Additionally, not wearing a helmet was found to double the chances of brain bleeding, spinal fracture and skull fracture.

More details about the study can be found by reading this report.

The bottom line is that motorcycle riders experience a higher rate of injury and death than other motorists, yet most of the time the motorcyclist is not at fault for the accident. As a motorcyclist and skilled Missouri personal injury attorney, I am dedicated to representing those injured in motorcycle wrecks.

Call me for a free consultation if you or a loved one is injured in a motorcycle crash in Missouri at 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). You can also email me at john@pagecagle.com for more information.

Three people were recently killed in a car accident in Missouri. Ectonville is located between Smithville and Kearney, Missouri. The Missouri Highway Patrol reported the car was found upside down and filled with water in Clay County Creek, which is off of Highway 92 and County Rd E.

Allegedly, the car ended up in the creek after striking a bridge wall. The three individuals killed in this Missouri car crash were all under 21 years old. Apparently, none of these victims were wearing their seatbelts.

Authorities say the three decedents were driving eastbound on Missouri 92 when the car veered from the roadway. The car then struck a bridge abutment before flipping over and landing upside down in the creek bed. Authorities report speed was a factor in this car accident, which adds up to five speed-related car accident fatalities in this Missouri area over the course of a few days. This report provides additional information on this Missouri car accident.

If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident, call the experienced Missouri car accident attorneys at Page Law. You can reach John Page, a partner at Page Law, by calling 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). You can also email John Page at john@pagecagle.com for more information.

Driver fatigue and drowsiness are both conditions that can have a deadly impact on a commercial truck driver's ability to wield and maintain proper control of his or her vehicle. If control is lost, St. Louis truck accidents happen. With over 4,350 large truck accidents a year, it is important to make sure truckers are not avoiding sleep to stay on the road.

In order to tame this problem, in 1937 the Federal Government began regulating the amount of hours truck drivers are allowed to work in one time span. Referred to as the hours-of-service regulations, the Interstate Commerce Commission required truck drivers to work on a 24-hour cycle, limiting a driver's maximum drive time to 10 hours and requiring the driver to stop after 10 and rest for at least 8. There was also a cap put on the maximum amount of drive time one could accrue over several consecutive days. Truckers were allowed to drive 60 hours over 7 consecutive days and 70 hours over 8.

Many debates regarding the appropriate time limits have taken place over the past 70 years; however, in 2005, new rules dramatically increased the maximum driving hours. Today, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), part of the United States Department of Transportation, is the agency in charge of enforcing the hours-of-service regulations. The new rules allow a truck driver an 11 hour daily driving limit and a 14 hour daily duty limit, thus providing the driver an extra hour of driving and 3 additional hours to be working during the day, as long as he or she is not driving during those 3 hours.

Continue reading " Trucking Hours-of-Service Regulations: Good Law Going Bad " »

Drug and alcohol abuse play a major role in the number of automobile and truck accidents in Missouri and throughout the country every year. Because of this, truck companies are supposed to enforce a zero tolerance drug and alcohol policy for their truck drivers; however, accidents still occur while truck drivers are under the influence of one or both.

Commercial truck drivers can be under great deals of pressure and often have very strenuous schedules. These sorts of conditions can easily lead a trucker to employ controlled substances to assist him or her in fighting fatigue, the number one cause of St. Louis truck accidents as well as collisions across the nation. However, combating fatigue with drugs or alcohol is no solution. Using drugs or alcohol while driving a tractor trailer can lead to cloudy judgment and slower reflexes, both of which contribute to driver error.

In a study conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Board concluded that one-third (33%) of all the truck drivers studied, who died in a highway accident had recently used drugs or alcohol, based upon the examination of their bodies after the accident. Of the one-third examined, cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and other various stimulants, including amphetamines, were discovered in their systems.

Continue reading " Trucker Drug and Alcohol Abuse: The Real Facts " »

Since 2003, several cases of bisphosphonate associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (BON) have surfaced. Bisphosphonates, like Fosamax, Zometa and Aredia, are largely used to treat and prevent osteoporosis and cancer. However, these medications also carry risks of severe side effects, like osteonecrosis.

Osteonecrosis occurs when bones lose their blood supply and eventually die. Osteonecrosis of the jaw often causes pain, swelling, infection, loosening of the teeth, exposed bone and drainage. Early on, symptoms of this rare jaw disorder may not be apparent, but upon maturation of the disease pain will become increasingly severe and debilitating. St. Louis product liability lawsuits and legal claims related to Osteonocrosis are becoming more prevalent by users of Fosomax, Zometa, and Aredia.

Continue reading " Fosomax, Zometa and Aredia Medication Users Suing For Health Damages " »

In addition to fatigue and drug /alcohol abuse, faulty trucking equipment, specifically brakes, plays a major role in the amount of truck accidents in Missouri per year. Today, most tractor-trailers on the road employ an air braking system, opposed to the hydraulic braking system utilized by cars and non-commercial trucks. While the latter uses hydraulic brake fluid to engage the systems stopping power, the former utilizes high pressure air (hence the hiss you often hear from these vehicles when the brakes are released).

The current problem is that most of the tractor trailer air brake systems do not automatically adjust for wear, so unless they are diligently maintained, brake performance can seriously deteriorate. The simple truth is that most of the brake systems are not diligently maintained.

In a report published in 2005, by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), to determine the causes of, and contributing factors to, crashes involving commercial motor vehicles, the FMCSA concluded that brake failure and lack of adjustment had affected 41,000 trucks in the study, or approximately 30%. The study also noted that while brake problems where present for almost 30% of the trucks, only 5% of the passenger vehicles were found to have brake issues.

Continue reading " Tractor Trailer Accidents and Brake Problems…When Will They Ever STOP " »

The Jefferson City, Missouri News Tribune recently reported in a story about a motorcycle crash in Missouri. A 28-year-old motorcyclist, who was fleeing from police officers, allegedly caused this motorcycle accident. This injured motorcyclist is now facing formal charges for leading a police chase.

The Jefferson City, Missouri motorcyclist was traveling south on Big Horn Drive, near U.S. 50, when the accident occurred. After speeding and losing control of his bike in an attempt to flee from members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and a Cole County deputy, the man was unable to negotiate a turn and struck a curb. He was ejected from his motorcycle and was immediately taken to Capital Region Medical Center for medical treatment.

Continue reading " Missouri Motorcycle Accident Injures One During Police Chase " »

A 50-year-old Springfield, Missouri man recently sustained injuries in a motorcycle accident in Missouri on Route ZZ in Green County, MO. The accident, which occurred four miles south of Republic, allegedly occurred because the motorcyclist lost control and veered off of the right side of the road.

The Missouri Highway Patrol reported the motorcyclist, riding a 2008 Kawasaki motorcycle, ran into several trees with his bike after running off of the road, causing the moderate injuries.

The man was treated at St. John’s Hospital.

The Springfield News-Leader reported on this Missouri motorcycle crash. Additional Missouri motorcycle injury news reveals that many motorcyclists across the state are experiencing difficulty in controlling their bikes and regaining control after slipping on patches of ice now that the weather has changed.

Continue reading " Green County Motorcycle Accident Injures Man " »

A Missouri truck driver died in a single-vehicle accident after his truck ended up in a Lawrence County creek. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, the 57-year-old man from Stotts City, Missouri was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck crash allegedly occurred on Farm Road 1040, near Stotts City.

The truck crash facts are as follows:

1. The man was allegedly driving his truck southbound on Farm Road 1040, when he ran off the road;

2. After running off the road, the truck hit an embankment and flipped over, sliding into a bridge;

3. The truck then ran into the creek where it was found.

Continue reading " Missouri Truck Driver Dies in Single-Vehicle Accident " »