Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

According to a recent report, a single-vehicle car accident that occurred in Missouri, on Monday, July 27, 2009, along Interstate 44, claimed the life of a 23-year-old man from Dallas, Texas. The tragic death increased the number of 2009 auto accident fatalities in the Troop D area of Southwest Missouri to 59. What is staggering to imagine is that this calculation only relates to a portion of Missouri, thus leaving higher numbers of traffic deaths for the state.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the decedent lost control of his 1991 Voyager minivan when he was headed east on I-44. He was pronounced dead at the scene after his vehicle slid off the right side of the road and struck a tree, catching fire. It is not known at this time whether the victim was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident.

Based on a 2007 traffic crash statistic report conducted by the Missouri Department of Transportation for accidents that occurred on Missouri’s State Highway System, there were 14 total fatalities and 196 injuries resulting from auto accidents where the vehicle ran off the road. There are many factors such as dangerous road conditions, a stalled auto, an animal or object in the road, or threatening weather conditions, that can cause a driver to lose control of his or her vehicle and be forced to leave the road. The families of victims killed in auto accidents would be well advised to seek counsel from a skilled St. Louis auto accident lawyer if they believe a negligent driver was responsible for the accident and wrongful death.