Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

According to an article posted on New York Times’s website, many employees are not reporting work-related injuries and are consequently are not enacting their rights to safe working conditions. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report Monday, indicating that the underreporting is a result of employee fears of hurting work and contract opportunities, being disciplined or fired, increased workers’ compensation costs and preventing benefits to colleagues. Still, workers who don’t report injuries also have to foot the bill for any medical visits and supplies, prescriptions, and therapy necessary for treatment.

The lack of reporting also has a direct affect on the accuracy of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data and reports. Inefficient data can prevent new and more efficient legislation regarding workers’ compensation from passing. The GAO also reported that over a third of occupational health practitioners surveyed stated that employers had pressured them to “play down” work-related injuries or illnesses in order to minimize the number of reports.

Continue reading " OSHA Workers' Compensation Data in Question Due to Employee Underreporting " »

On Saturday night, a 62-year old man from Humansville, Missouri was killed instantly in a one-car crash, according to a News-Leader article. The driver, a 36-year old man from Bolivar, sustained serious injuries and was taken to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. The Missouri State Patrol reported that the vehicle ran off the right side of the road, causing it to overturn and eject the two men. The report also indicated that neither man was wearing a seat belt.

Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that wearing a seat belt reduces fatal injury risks for front seat occupants by 45%. It is a well-known fact that people over the age of five should wear a seat belt; however, seat belt statistics for Missouri are lacking.

A survey taken in 2008 indicated that an average of 77% of people in Missouri wear seat belts, a statistic that has had minimal improvement since the 2004 survey. Missouri is 7% less than the national average (84%). Changes to Missouri seat belt laws have not had positive reactions, being viewed as overly prescriptive.

Continue reading " Missouri Falls Behind on National Seat Belt Average " »

The mother of a well-known male disc jockey has recently added a wrongful death claim to a $20 million lawsuit filed against several parties for a plane crash that occurred last year. The incident killed four people and left the disc jockey and his friend severely burned. The disc jockey, who was reportedly sober for a decade, began using prescription drugs to overcome the trauma and pain caused by the accident. On August 28, 2009 he was found dead in his apartment as a result of an accidental overdose.

The claim asserts that his drug relapse and death were direct results of the plane crash. Learjet, one of the accused parties, denies any fault attributed to the disc jockey’s death. The case filed by the disc jockey in September 2008 included pain and suffering, lost earnings, past and future medical and health-related expenses, and property and punitive damages. The trial will begin March 2, 2010.

Wrongful death encompasses all deaths caused by negligent, intentional and reckless acts. In the disc jockey’s case, the claim states that the defendants decided to abort takeoff in a negligent manner after the plane’s tire blew out on the runway.

Continue reading " Wrongful Death Added to $20 Million Lawsuit " »

Mitsubishi has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it will be recalling 29,353 2008-2009 Lancers and Lancer Evolutions due to faulty front airbag sensors. Apparently these cars pose a risk to those living in states that use road salt. Prolonged exposure to road salt and melted snow can coat and corrode the airbag sensors, causing them to possibly malfunction in the event of a crash. The company will be issuing a geographic recall, which is expected to begin on November 27 in the District of Columbia and 22 states, including Missouri.

On April 1, 1989 the U.S. passed a law requiring all vehicles built after that date to have airbags installed. Since then, the NHTSA has reported that front airbags have saved more than 12,000 lives between 1960 and 2002.

Continue reading " Mitsubishi Recalls Lancers for Defective Front Airbag Sensors " »

In part-one of our discussion regarding animal-vehicle accident prevention, we mentioned that deer are the most commonly hit large animals in the spate of animal-vehicle collisions that usually occur in the last three months of the year. In the following post, we will discuss ways in which drivers can maintain safe driving skills in the event of encountering a deer, or any other animal, in the road.

Many tips offered to prevent animal-vehicle collisions are useful for all drivers regardless of surrounding animal populations. Some of the most helpful and common tips to abide by include the following:

• Drive within speed limits


• Wear seatbelts


• Reduce distracted and drowsy driving


• Use high beam headlights when driving in deer territories to increase visibility and reaction time


• Note: deer whistles are known to be ineffective and can often distract the driver

Continue reading " Deer Season: Learn How to Prevent Animal-Vehicle Collisions This Fall (Part Two) " »

In the following two-part blog series, we will discuss the importance of preventing animal-vehicle collisions. The last three months of the year are often marked by an increase in animal-vehicle collisions; and deer are the most commonly hit large animals. Although Missouri is not one of the higher risk states for deer-vehicle collisions, this year Missouri insurance companies are reminding drivers to be aware of animals on the road.

According to the Center of Disease Control, 6.1 million light-vehicle collisions were reported in the US in 2000. About 4%, or 247,000 (excluding animal-motorcycle accidents) of the crashes involved hitting an animal. Animal-automobile accidents also result in an estimated 200 human deaths each year and cost over one billion dollars in vehicle damage.

Deer are most active and likely to cross roads at dawn and dusk, especially in rural areas or near wooded creek bottoms. The increase of deer-vehicle collisions is commonly attributed to hunting and mating seasons as well as the close proximity of highways to habitats; but there is no official reason as to why these accidents increase at the yearend. Regardless, we share the road with animals as well as other motorists and should take necessary precautions when driving.

Continue reading " Deer Season: Learn How to Prevent Animal-Vehicle Collisions This Fall (Part One) " »