Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Early Thursday morning, a male gunman attacked a transformer manufacturing company in St. Louis, leaving three dead and five others wounded. Local reports indicate that three of the injured people are in critical condition. Police estimate that 40 to 50 workers were on the premises during the time of the shooting, many of whom were hiding in offices or on the roof. The suspected shooter, armed with a handgun and assault rifle, apparently opened fire in the parking lot before storming the factory. He committed suicide by shooting himself shortly after the ambush.

The accused was also involved in a legal dispute with the company against the administrators’ management of employee retirement funds filed in 2006. He and several co-workers were part of a group of ABB employees who felt that their retirement accounts included excessive fees and expenses for investment options. The trial on this matter began Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri.

Company owners and manufacturers have a responsibility to protect all employees on the premises. This includes maintaining proper working conditions, fire and hazardous materials safety, and adequate security.

Continue reading " Gunman Kills Three, Injures Five at St. Louis Factory " »

Two women were injured Friday November 20, 2009 when the car they were riding in overturned after sliding off the road, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. The driver of the vehicle swerved to avoid hitting an animal. Both injured women were passengers; one sustained serious injuries, while the other suffered minor injuries. The driver of the vehicle was unharmed. The highway patrol reported that none of the women were wearing a seatbelt.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, an unbelted occupant of a 30 mph crash hits the windshield with the same force as a fall from a three story building. Passengers have died in crashes as slow as 12 mph. The effectiveness of an airbag system is reduced by 40% when the seatbelts are not used. Nationally, car crashes kill 5 people every hour, and in Missouri, one person dies every nine hours in a car accident. The best way to avoid serious injury is to buckle up. Violators may be subject to a fine and court costs for not properly using seat belts.

Continue reading " Two Women Hospitalized after Car Overturns on Polk County Road " »

A 39-year-old Newark woman has filed a lawsuit against Bayer Corporation, blaming its popular birth control product Yaz for causing her stroke and other related health issues. The mother of 3-year-old twin girls took the prescription-only product for four weeks in the summer of 2008. She then suffered a stroke that caused her to be hospitalized for six months.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. The complainant had been taking the pills to help reduce premenstrual pains — which is one of the advertised uses of Yaz. While hospitalized, the woman needed to have part of her skull temporarily removed because of excessive swelling in her brain. That portion of skull was later replaced. As a result of the stroke and related illness, she also suffered a diminished IQ and is now borderline mentally handicapped. She has also experienced a change in her mood and speech. The suit attributes the woman’s health problems to Yaz.

As the No. 1 selling birth control in the world, Yaz has been at the center of much criticism in recent years. The Food and Drug Administration has criticized the makers of Yaz three times in recent years regarding the company's advertising campaign, the suit said.

Continue reading " Newark Woman Sues Bayer over Yaz " »

A Warsaw man was injured in an accident on November 11, 2009 when the motorcycle he was riding crashed as he tried to avoid hitting a deer. The highway patrol reported that the 57-year-old man was riding westbound on Route BB at Hidden Valley Road when he swerved suddenly to dodge a deer in his path. His motorcycle went into a skid, overturned and slid off the roadway. The victim was airlifted to University Hospital in Columbia with serious injuries. Charges are pending in the crash investigation.

Unfortunately, motorcyclists are extremely vulnerable on the road and accidents happen all too frequently. Most often, motorcycle accidents involve drivers of other vehicles, but single-vehicle crashes are not uncommon. Whatever the situation, the best course of action is to contact a personal injury attorney who can assess the circumstances and help the victim navigate through the legal system.

Continue reading " Warsaw Man Injured on Motorcycle Due to Deer on Route BB " »

Four people were killed and four others were injured in a crash that occurred on a snow-covered Missouri highway. According to a report in the News Tribune, the fatal car crash occurred near Smithton when a car that was westbound on the U.S. 50 crossed the centerline, spun counterclockwise and struck the rear of a pickup truck. The car then skidded and crashed into another eastbound vehicle. Missouri Highway Patrol officials said the 32-year-old driver of the westbound car and three of her passengers died. Three children, including two in the westbound car, were taken to hospitals for treatment of serious injuries. Another 33-year-old woman was also hospitalized with injuries.

A number of tragic Missouri car accidents can be avoided if drivers would only slow down during winter weather when snow or ice is on the roadway. The best thing to do in bad weather is to avoid driving. Bur if you cannot, it would be in your best interest to take necessary precautions such as slowing down and maintaining adequate distance between vehicles. If you have been injured or have lost loved ones as a result of another driver's recklessness or negligence, you could file a personal injury claim or wrongful death claim.

Continue reading " Four Killed, Four Injured in Missouri Auto Accident " »

E. coli-tainted beef produced by an Oklahoma company has sickened 21 people in 16 states, which could possibly include Missouri. According to a news report in the Washington Post, this is a potentially lethal strain of E. coli bacteria. This food-borne illness outbreak caused National Steak and Poultry to recall about 248,000 pounds of beef from steaks to sirloin tips that were packaged and shipped to restaurants, hotels and institutions all over the country. This recall is being categorized as a "Class I" or "high health risk" by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

E. coli infections typically cause abdominal cramping, vomiting and diarrhea that may contain blood. Young children and the elderly are at the highest risk for becoming infected with E. coli and developing Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which can lead to serious kidney damage or even death. USDA officials say that this particular E. coli contamination occurred as a result of tainted beef used for chopped steak that was mixed with other products in the plant. An investigation is ongoing.

Continue reading " E. Coli Tainted Beef Causes Illnesses in 16 States " »

When a southwestern Missouri couple bought their dream home near Mount St. Helen, Washington, they never imagined they’d end up losing everything. The seller and real estate agent neglected to disclose that the house had once been a meth lab. The couple found out from folks in town that there had been a drug operation and a drug bust two years prior. Meth making chemicals had permeated virtually every surface of the house. The occupants of the house had been arrested and the landlord put the property up for sale.

The couple was afflicted with rashes, insomnia, mood swings and called the health department. The property and all the contents within it were condemned. A four year legal nightmare ensued, their credit rating was destroyed, and they lost all their family heirlooms. The husband was subsequently diagnosed with kidney cancer.

Eventually, the Washington courts ruled in their favor and the seller was required to purchase the property back and pay off the mortgage. The couple has since returned to Missouri where they rent a home near Springfield.

Continue reading " Missouri Family Wages Four Year Legal Battle Over Undisclosed Meth Lab " »

Many of us take prescription drugs because we believe they will make us feel better or help us recover from our illnesses. And make no mistake – many prescription drugs do make us better. Modern medicine has progressed by leaps and bounds helping us prevent illness or the spread of infectious diseases. Almost all drugs have some type of side effect, but in most cases, those side effects are minimal and will disappear once the patient stops using the drug. However, there are some prescription drugs that cause dangerous side effects, which could result in severe complications or even death.

Levaquin is one such drug and has been known to cause serious complications and side effects. The dangerous drug Levaquin is manufactured by the company Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals. It is basically a synthetic drug agent, which is used to treat severe bacterial infections. Levaquin is in the fluoroquinolone class of anti-infectives. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave its stamp of approval to Levaquin in 1996. The company made more than $1.6 billion in Levaquin sales.

Continue reading " Missouri Pharmaceutical Liability Lawyers Concerned about Deadly Levaquin Side Effects " »

In December 2008, the FDA issued a warning against C.B. Fleet Company and its over-the-counter oral sodium phosphate (OSP) laxative, Fleet Phospho-soda. The laxative had been marketed as safe for double doses for colonoscopy bowel preps. However, higher doses of the product have been linked to acute phosphate nephropathy, a form of acute kidney injury, and various other side effects. Although it is rare, acute phosphate nephropathy includes calcium-phosphate crystalline deposits in the renal tubules and could lead to renal failure, dialysis, kidney transplant or death.

Visicol and OsmoPrep, the only two prescription OSPs, also carry some severe side effects such as kidney injury, rectal bleeding or chafing, seizures and arrhythmia, disorders affecting rhythmic heartbeat. They are often prescribed to patients as a bowel cleanser before colonoscopy, x-ray or surgery.

Continue reading " Colonoscopy Laxatives May Cause Severe Kidney Injury " »

Wyeth and Schwarz Pharma, the manufacturers of Reglan, won a recent case regarding a woman in West Virginia who developed tardive dyskinesia and other side effects from taking a generic version of the drug. The woman accused Wyeth and Schwarz Pharma of manufacturing the drug that caused her condition. The company was exempt from liability given that a different manufacturer produced the generic drug the woman was taking. The woman alleged that she was prescribed the Pharma version of the drug, but given a generic version by her pharmacy. It is unknown whether or not the woman will pursue the lawsuit with the manufacturers of the generic drug.

Reglan, also known as Metoclopramide, is used to treat heartburn, acid reflux and Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Studies have shown that 27-29 percent of long-term users of Reglan develop tardive dyskinesia; an untreatable condition characterized by involuntary, repetitive and purposeless movements such as rapid blinking, arm and leg jerking, and lip smacking. The syndrome is often devastating and permanent, affecting victims’ emotions, social interaction, mental state and vocation.

Continue reading " Woman with Tardive Dyskinesia Loses Case against Reglan " »

PAGER, a nonprofit organization that provides information and support to parents, patients and doctors, is looking into dangerous side effects caused by the commonly prescribed gastrointestinal drug, Reglan. This is a very common medication prescribed by doctors to improve the muscle tone of the esophagus and intestines. It is also often used to treat heartburn and acid reflux in adults and children. However, earlier this year the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a "Black Box Warning," the most severe kind of warning, for Reglan because of an overwhelming number of adverse reaction reports filed.

PAGER (short for Pediatric Adolescent Gastroesophageal Reflux association) officials say they have been hearing complaints about Reglan since 1995. Several parents reported that their children experienced "unusual facial and neck movements" and very often, those movements did not go away when the drug was discontinued.

Continue reading " GI Drug Reglan Could Cause Irreversible Side Effects " »