Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

A 16-year-old boy lost his life recently when a pickup truck crashed into the back of the horse-drawn buggy the boy was driving along a county road outside Kingston, Missouri, according to a recent article in the Northwestern.

Investigators say that the buggy was heading west on the right shoulder of the road when the pickup truck, driven by a 41-year-old Kingston resident, came up from behind the buggy at a high rate of speed. The full-size pickup slammed into the back of the buggy near Winding Lane Road, which is south of Kingston. The accident occurred near 6 p.m. in clear weather, while visibility was still good.

The teenager was thrown from the buggy when the MO traffic accident occurred. Rescue workers rushed to the scene in response to an emergency phone call, but they were unable to save the life of the boy. The driver of the pickup truck was not injured in the accident.

Roads are not merely built for the convenience of motor vehicles. Pedestrians, bicyclists, horse-drawn buggies, and other modes of transportation all have the legal right to share the road, and drivers of motor vehicles have a legal responsibility to watch out for non-vehicle traffic and drive carefully to avoid collisions.

If you have lost someone you love in a Missouri traffic accident, the well-versed wrongful death attorneys in Franklin County at Page Law can help you during this difficult time. Call us today at (314) 322-8515 for a free, confidential case evaluation.

A house fire in Roxana left two children dead this weekend. The fire occurred in a three apartment house on East Third Street. A heroic neighbor alerted authorities and helped evacuate the other two couples living in the house. Soot-covered and gasping for air, four adults and one infant managed to escape the house. Sadly, two children, a boy and girl aged six and five, died in the fire. Firefighters responded to the 9-1-1 call in just four minutes, but said they were still too late, and there was nothing they could have done to save the children. The 6-week-old sister of the two lost children received prompt medical attention for her respiratory distress and seems to be recovering.

The house consisted of three apartments: two on the ground floor and one upstairs. The ground floor units seemed to have had at least one working smoke detector, but fire alarms were conspicuously absent from the unit upstairs. Further investigation determined that the fire was of no suspicious origin, but likely began in the kitchen of the upstairs apartment. It could have started because of old, malfunctioning appliances or a short in the wiring that caused a spark. No matter the cause, the family living in the apartment did not have sufficient warning because there were no working smoke detectors in their home.

If you rent your home, always make sure that the smoke detectors in the house or apartment work properly before signing a lease and moving in. The lessor, or landlord, has an obligation to ensure the safety of the space for those who wish to rent. The presence of working smoke detectors is an indispensable safety measure.

If you have lost someone you love because of another person’s negligence, you have certain rights. Contact a skilled Missouri wrongful death attorney at Page Law today. Though nothing will ever replace your lost loved one, a dedicated accidental death lawyer at Page Law can help you recover a monetary settlement to help with funeral costs and other expenses. A live person will be available for a free consultation 24 hours a day. Call (314) 322-8515.

The tragic events of December 10, 2010, left one Missouri student dead and one in jail. In Springfield, a Mizzou student ran off the road and onto the sidewalk near St. Louis Street and Fremont Avenue. The driver was badly injured, and was hospitalized before being released to the police with a charge of involuntary manslaughter. A pedestrian, another student, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver spent less than a month in the Greene County Jail before posting a bond of $25,000. Springfield authorities are diligently searching the minute details of the crash like engine RPMs, brake capability, and seatbelt use to determine the driver’s liability. Shockingly, they have also requested his medical records. They seem to be looking for an explanation of certain unsettling blood test results.

A Missouri wrongful death accident, such as this is an all-too-common occurrence, according to the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation. Every year, 1400 pedestrians in Missouri are injured by motor vehicles. The MBPF estimates that, of those injured, about seventy Missouri pedestrians die every year. In fact, in November 2010, a high school student was hit and killed by a school bus while walking to school in St. Joseph Missouri.

The death of a child is an inconsolable loss for the family left behind. If your child or someone you love has been injured or has died because of the careless actions of a Missouri driver, the skilled personal injury attorneys at Page Law can help. Contact a wrongful death lawyer at Page Law in St. Louis today for a free consultation.

During this difficult time, you will need an attorney with experience to guide you and obtain just compensation for your incredible loss. Though we know that no monetary award can ever replace a loved one, our thoughtful and aggressive attorneys will help you obtain fair compensation under the circumstances. Call (314) 322-8515 for a free consultation today.

Source: News-Leader.com

A little boy, aged 6, of Williamsburg, Missouri was hit by a school bus on his way home from school. Witnesses say that the young man was crossing in front of the bus after exiting. Tragically, he died Tuesday afternoon after sustaining catastrophic injuries. It is assumed that his small stature made him invisible to the driver as he crossed.

Children should never walk in front of a bus after exiting. By teaching your children some basic traffic safety rules, a disaster like this can be avoided.

LearningActivitiesForChildren.com offers some delightful suggestions for making road safety fun for children. They suggest beginning by teaching all children to hold the hand of their adult companion as they cross the street. Of course, so many children have an independent spirit and fiercely resent having to hold a hand. In this case, they recommend playing a pretending game with the child with toy cars and people. The characters in the game go for a walk, and each time they cross the street, they hold hands. As time goes on, the safety part of the game should become something your child mimics in real life. Eventually, traffic safety will be second nature to him.

The death of a child is a horrible tragedy. If you have lost a child or someone you love because of the careless actions of another, Page Law can help. Nothing can ever replace your lost loved one, but an experienced Missouri wrongful death attorney at Page Law will help you hold negligent parties responsible for their actions. Contact Page Law today for a free consultation at 314-322-8515.

Sadly, a Missouri man was killed in a skydiving accident in Vandalia, Illinois, according to OzarksFirst.com.

A 24-year-old man from Maryland Heights, Missouri, was set to make a 15 second freefall from a plane. The jump was his third solo jump of the day. While relatively new to the sport of skydiving, he had still made almost 10 skydiving jumps in the past. According to a witness, his parachute simply fluttered to the ground without opening. He fell almost 6,500 feet. The coroner believes his parachute deployed but not in time to inflate.

Officials are investigating the accident. Under normal conditions, a backup device is supposed to release a parachute in the event the jumper cannot open the main parachute on their own.

Continue reading "Missouri Man Dies in Skydiving Accident" »

Congress is considering amending or repealing the 90-year-old Death on the High Seas Act after the deaths of 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, according to a recent report by KMBC. The antiquated law limits the amount of money families can recover if a loved one is lost or killed more than three miles offshore.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee said that the oil rig explosion, which has lead to a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, demonstrated the need to revise the 1920 law. "One way we can hurt BP is to make sure that 'BP' stands for 'Bills Paid,' that the money for families, the money to clean up the Gulf comes out of their pocket, and that we repeal the Death on the High Seas Act," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass.

Family members of the 11 workers who were lost in the explosion testified before the Energy and Commerce Committee, urging repeal of the law. The widows of several of the workers explained how the law unfairly limited the amount of damages they could seek for the wrongful deaths of their husbands. Although no amount of money can replace their loved one, the wives noted that a repeal of the Death on the High Seas Act would bring them closer to justice.
It is unclear at this time whether or not Congress will make an amendment or a repeal retroactive to cover the Deepwater Horizon accident.

The loss of a loved one due to an employer's negligence is devastating to family members left behind. When workplace deaths occur in Missouri, navigating the complex and often confusing legal system is easier with the help of an experienced Missouri wrongful death attorney. The experienced attorneys at Page Law will help you hold negligent parties responsible for their action. Call Page Law today at 314-322-8515 for a free and confidential case evaluation.

Three brothers of an Overland man who was allegedly pushed down a flight of stairs to his death by a police officer have filed a wrongful death suit in St. Louis County Circuit Court. The lawsuit, filed against the city of Overland as well as three Overland police officers, accuses the officers of using unreasonable and excessive force and of abandoning the victim without arranging for medical attention. The suit further accuses the city of failing to properly train its police officers. The plaintiffs are seeking damages of more than $25,000.

The victim suffered substantial injuries, including a massive head injury, ultimately leading to his death. Plaintiffs allege that the officers, aware of the man’s injuries, then proceeded to leave the scene without notifying their supervisors or seeking medical treatment for the man. The St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office has already filed a manslaughter charge against one of the officers involved in the incident, but does not expect to charge additional officers.

Continue reading "Family Files Wrongful Death Suit against Overland Police" »

A man was critically injured in an auto accident in Columbia after his vehicle was struck by a city bus. According to an ABC 17 news report, the major injury collision occurred at the intersection of Old Highway 63 and Bearfield Road. Apparently, the bus collided with the car and pushed it up against a telephone pole. As a consequence, the man was trapped inside his car for almost an entire hour. Fortunately, none of the 14 passengers in the bus were injured in the crash.

In such serious car collisions, it is important to look into whether one of the drivers failed to yield right-of-way at the intersection. Failure to yield right-of-way may be caused by driver inattention, recklessness, impairment or distracted driving. The at-fault party in these kinds of crashes may be held financially responsible for the accident and injuries sustained. Victims who are injured as a result of someone else's negligence may seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, physical therapy and even long-term care if the injuries are debilitating or lifelong.

Continue reading "Missouri Bus Accident Critically Injures Man" »

A 7th Circuit court has ruled that a lawsuit may go forward against SmithKline Beecham Corp. over the suicide of a 23-year-old woman who committed suicide after taking the antidepressant Paxil. According to an article in The National Law Journal, the court made a unanimous decision to reverse the lower court decision. The appellate court ruled that the drug maker, now known as GlaxoSmithKline, did not show "clear evidence" that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would have rejected a change in the drug's labeling to warn about the enhanced possibility of suicide in young adults who take Paxil.

Now, this woman’s case will move forward. Her death has not been the only suicide that has spurred a Paxil wrongful death lawsuit. Several suits have accused the drug maker of ignoring studies that indicated Paxil was ineffective in the treatment of children and adolescents and that they may increase suicidal thoughts. A lawsuit filed in June 2004 by former New York Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer, also accuses Glaxo officials of misrepresenting data on the prescribing of Paxil to children.

Continue reading "Seventh Circuit Finds Paxil Manufacturer Did Not Meet Burden to Pre-empt" »

A Siberian husky fatally bit an infant in Minnesota on February 18, 2010. According to a news report, the 11-day-old boy was left alone in a car seat on a bed when the incident occurred. The family contacted authorities soon after the attack; however, the infant had stopped breathing. Emergency medical workers were unable to revive him. The dog was immediately tested for rabies and quarantined. It was euthanized on Tuesday, March 2.

The Center for Disease Control reports that 800,000 out of 4.7 million American dog bite victims seek medical help for their dog bites; half of those victims are children. This means 400,000 children are in emergency rooms for dog bites each year. This incident has brought nationwide attention to the serious consequences of dog bites. Missouri dog bite law is very specific with respect to dog attacks and owner liability.

Although dogs do not commonly attack infants, these incidents do happen and are not limited to involving pit bull and Rottweiler breeds. In light of this information, knowing how to properly behave around dogs and other animals can help save your child’s life and prevent injury. Here are a few preventative measures to use and teach your children:

• Avoid direct eye contact with a dog


• Do not disturb a dog while it is sleeping, eating or nursing puppies


• Do not pet a dog without allowing it to smell you first


• Do not approach unfamiliar dogs

Continue reading "Missouri Dog Bite Tort Law Attorney: Husky Euthanized for Fatal Bite to 11-Day-Old Infant" »

According to an article from The News Press, on December 22, 2009, a two-year-old child was killed from a dog bite in Cape Coral, Florida. The dog in question was a Weimaraner, a generally non-violent breed, and was euthanized a few days after the incident. In memory of their child, the parents have raised donations to build to build a playground 200 feet from a dog park.

The project is said to cost $250,000 and a much-needed amenity to the town. The park, designed by the victim’s mother, has symbolic meaning that will honor the young boy’s memory. In addition to the playground, the parents have also created a foundation to educate parents, dog owners and children about animal safety and prevention of dog bites.

Children under the age of ten-years-old are common victims of dog bites. One resounding aspect of this story that parents and dog owners alike should consider is that dogs of any breed, regardless of training, have the potential to attack. Dogs bite for a variety of reasons, including dominance, predatorily instinct, defense and fear. How a person interacts with a dog also affects the dog’s reaction.

Continue reading "Missouri Dog Bite Compensation Attorney: Family Builds Playground in Memory of Child Killed By Dog" »

An early morning house fire struck the South Side of St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday, February 6, 2010. A report states that the family of six was not aware of the fire when it began around 5 a.m. on the first floor of their three-story home. The 17-year-old son had been sleeping on the first floor when he awoke and discovered that furniture had caught on fire. He then alerted his family upstairs. The parents and two sons managed to escape safely through a third story window that had access to a flat area on the roof.

After escaping, the father made several attempts to re-enter the home to rescue his two daughters, who were trapped on the second floor. Due to heavy smoke and flames, he was unable to succeed. One of the trapped family members, a 13-year-old girl, was located near a window and was easily rescued once fire officials arrived at the scene. Unfortunately, firefighters were unable to reach the second daughter, who was 10-years-old.

The fire severely damaged the home, causing the roof to collapse the structure completely. The surviving family members were rushed to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation and other minor injuries. The cause of the fire is undetermined.

Continue reading "Girl Dies in St. Louis House Fire" »

Police in Waynesville are looking for a hit-and-run driver after a car versus pedestrian accident in Missouri, which killed a 51-year-old woman. Officials say that the woman was found lying along the roadside on Highway 17 North. The vehicle that hit her did not stop at the scene of the accident. She was rushed to a local hospital, but did not survive her injuries.

Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious crime under Missouri law. Under Missouri Revised Statutes section 577.060.1.: "A person commits the crime of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident when being the operator or driver of a vehicle on the highway or on any publicly or privately owned parking lot or parking facility generally open for use by the public 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 without stopping and giving his name, residence, including city and street number, motor vehicle number and driver's license number, if any, to the injured party or to a police officer, or if no police officer is in the vicinity, then to the nearest police station or judicial officer."

Continue reading "Missouri Fatal Pedestrian Hit-and-Run Accident" »

An 18-year-old driver who tried to pass on a curve died in a head-on crash January 10, 2010 - and three people in the car that he hit were seriously hurt. The Union youth was fatally injured in the crash on Highway 50 at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The crash site is about a mile west of Route EE in Franklin County. The Missouri Highway Patrol said the victim was driving west on Highway 50 when he crossed the center line to pass another vehicle on a curve. He then hit an oncoming car head-on.

Three people in the oncoming car were seriously hurt. The passengers were not wearing seatbelts and were airlifted to nearby hospitals. The driver who caused the accident had not been wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, one person dies every nine hours in a car accident in Missouri. 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 "Teen Driver Dies after Trying to Pass On a Curve" »

Toyota is getting ready to issue a vehicle defect recall on thousands of Prius models for a brake defect. The Japanese auto maker has already recalled more than 8 million vehicles worldwide because of sticking accelerators. Now a Nikkei business daily report states that Toyota has decided to recall about 270,000 Prius cars in Japan and the United States to repair a brake problem.

In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission (NHTSA) has already ordered a probe into Prius brake issues. The federal agency has received 124 reports of the hybrid vehicle's brakes failing, especially in situations where a car goes over a bump or when it hits a pothole. The auto maker has faced criticism for the way in which it has handled the recalls involving the gas pedal problem, which is said to have caused unintended acceleration in those vehicles. In fact, the gas pedal defects have been blamed for several accidents, including one in August where four members of a California family were killed in a fiery crash involving a Lexus.

Continue reading "Toyota May Recall Prius Models for Braking Problems" »

The road to Marble Hill is lined with crosses, common markers of fatal accidents. Teenagers from the area have experienced a string of car accidents in recent years, especially along highways 34 and 51. After the recent death of a friend, one local teenager is advocating improvements of the curvy Bollinger County roads. The 15-year-old girl said she knew seven teenagers who died in car accidents along the twisting roads. The most recent incident was on December 23, 2009, when a girl was killed after her car slid off Highway 51 and into a tree. She was a sophomore at Woodland High School.

The 15-year-old girl wrote a letter and distributed it to politicians and media outlets to bring awareness to the situation. The letter mentioned six fatalities since 2003, "To name a few," it said. She said friends encouraged her to make the statement to prove a point. "If someone finally stands up, they'll have to do something," she said. The girl also stated that she advocates improvements like guard rails, reflective paint and shoulders along the roads.

Continue reading "Road Warrior: Teenager Leads Fight to Improve Deadly Bollinger County Highways" »

According to the Federal Railroad Administration, there are approximately 3,000 train accidents in the United States each year. One third of all train accidents are fatal. Train and railroad accidents can also cause other serious injuries such as brain and spinal injuries that may lead to paraplegia or quadriplegia.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports that close to 60% of all fatal railroad crossing accidents occur at unprotected crossings. Furthermore, approximately 80% of all public railroad crossings do not have safety gates or lights.

Common railroad accidents include collisions with passenger vehicles or other trains, derailments, mechanical failures, driver fatigue and improperly maintained tracks. Therefore, it is important to drive carefully and uphold proper care at railroad crossings. Here are a few train safety tips that could help save your life:

• Expect a train at anytime on any track.


• Understand that trains cannot stop quickly. A train that is going 55 mph can take a mile or more before stopping after the emergency brakes are activated.


• Look out for a second train at multiple track crossings.


• If your car stalls on the tracks, get out of the vehicle and walk away at a 45-degree angle toward the direction the train is coming. This is to ensure flying debris won’t injure you.


• Trains are three feet wider than the tracks on each side.


• Cross tracks only at a designated crossing.

Continue reading "Preventing Railroad Crossing Accidents: Train Safety Tips" »

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" »

A woman was killed and a child injured at a private railroad crossing in Webster County, Missouri. According to an article in the Kansas City Star, the Captain of the Southern County Fire Protection District said that the train’s engineer had seen the truck and tried to stop.

Two other children were in the truck bed but had jumped out of the vehicle before the crash. The 33-year-old woman, pronounced dead at the scene, had picked up the children from school and was on her way home. Her eight-year-old daughter sustained serious injuries and was air lifted to Springfield hospital.

The Missouri Department of Transportation reports that every two hours, a train hits a vehicle or pedestrian in the U.S. Another terrifying statistic is that you are 20 times more likely to die in a vehicle-train accident than a two-car crash.

Continue reading "Missouri Train Accident Kills One, Injures Another" »

A 19 year-old man from Hughesville plead guilty to a single count of involuntary manslaughter and causing a two-car crash on Interstate 70 near Lee’s Summit Road in Missouri last January. The accused, driving a red 2005 BMW M3, hit the right rear of the deceased’s silver 2001 Ford F-150. The collision spun the truck out of control, causing it to veer right and roll several times. The male victim, age 50, was ejected from the truck and died two hours later from head injuries and internal bleeding at a hospital. Witnesses told Missouri police that the alleged was racing another vehicle, cutting in and out of traffic, and reaching speeds up to 100 mph.

Reckless driving poses a threat to all motorists and pedestrians, causing accidents, injuries and, in this case, death. Careless driving is indicative of negligence and the guilty party is responsible for all damages and costs relating to the accident. Over 40,000 people are killed in an estimated five million car accidents each year. Many of these accidents involve teens.

Continue reading "19-Year-Old Driver Responsible for Two-Car Crash " »

A 20-year-old man from O’Fallon, Missouri was killed in a head on collision with a tractor trailer. The crash occurred westbound on Highway 40 near Barat Haven, shutting down the road for several hours. Police suspect the man had been driving under the influence of alcohol and are waiting for toxicology test results.

The man was driving a 2000 silver Infiniti east at 3 a.m. head on against westbound traffic before striking a tractor trailer, driven by a 48-year-old man from Kansas City. The collision caused an explosion that melted the cab and part of the trailer. The young driver died 40 minutes later at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur. The truck driver was not hurt.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2007 Assessment of Alcohol-Impaired Fatalities reports that the age group with the highest risk of alcohol-related traffic accident fatalities is 25-34. The age group 45-64 was the only one reported to have an increase in fatalities from 2006 to 2007. Missouri alcohol-related fatalities account for 30-34% of all statewide traffic accident fatalities.

Continue reading "Man Killed Driving Eastbound on Westbound Highway" »

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 " »

According to a report on Fox 2 Now’s website, a man was killed in a head on collision in Brentwood, Missouri after stealing two cans of paint from the nearby Home Depot. Upon seeing a police officer near the department store, the man, heading south, made a u-turn and accelerated to high speeds despite the fact that police were not in pursuit of the vehicle. He then lost control of his Jaguar and crossed two lanes of southbound traffic before striking an SUV.

Neighbors said that they had known the crash to be a bad one, judging by the piercing sounds that were made. Police believe that the alleged thief is at fault for the crash that resulted in his death. The woman driving the SUV suffered minor injuries and possibly a broken toe. Fortunately, no one else was killed or severely injured.

Continue reading "Fatal Head On Collision Caused by Man Stealing Paint" »

Two people were killed in a Missouri car accident after their vehicle collided with a train in Bates County, Fox News reports. Missouri State Highway Patrol officials said the victims - ages 49 and 43 - died when the train struck their vehicle as they crossed a stretch of tracks. Investigators are still talking to eyewitnesses about how exactly this fatal train-car collision occurred. The train's conductor told officials that the car's driver slowed down at the tracks, but didn't stop and continued to go forward. The Kansas City Southern train was traveling at a rate of 55 mph at the crossing. Officials say the lights and bells at the crossing were working, but there were no crossing arms at the intersection.

Each train accident is different and there are a number of factors that play a part in causation. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reports that there are about 3,000 train accidents in the United States each year. About one-third of these accidents are fatal. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the federal agency that investigates train accidents, about 60 percent of all railroad-crossing accidents that result in fatalities, occur at unprotected railroad crossings. Such crossings are common especially in the rural areas of Missouri. If they don't result in fatalities, auto accidents involving trains often result in serious injuries such as brain injuries, spinal injuries, quadriplegia or paraplegia.

Continue reading "Missouri Train versus Car Collision Leaves Two Dead" »

Missouri nursing home and elder abuse attorneys have always been concerned about the escalating rates of nursing home abuse and neglect in the state. A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has revealed that a Medicare program intended to evaluate the conditions of nursing homes in the United States has overlooked hundreds of facilities that provide substandard care. According to the news report, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has listed up to 13 nursing homes as "special focus facilities," which means that they are inspected more frequently because they received low grades for their living condition. However, a recent GAO report finds that Medicare and Medicaid still may have overlooked 580 nursing homes in this category.

The Senate Aging Committee is considering expanding the program to include facilities that are still underperforming, but have not been included in the special focus list. This is important because many consumers who are looking to place their loved ones in nursing homes are counting on Medicare and Medicaid's information to select a nursing home. However, many don't realize that the "approved" homes on the Nursing Home Compare list may not really provide quality care.

Continue reading "Many Nursing Homes Not Up To Standard, New Report Finds" »

A recent bus collision in St. Louis reported by ozarksfirst.com has left 3 people dead and 13 injured. Although bus accidents are more common than most Missourians would like to believe, this accident has an especially high number of injuries and casualties. With thousands of people utilizing public transportation throughout the State of Missouri, the safety of passengers should be a priority to bus operators. However, some bus accidents are caused by bus driver negligence or poor driving skills due to improper training.

According to the article, this particular bus accident was caused by inattentive driving. Apparently, the church bus was broadsided by a pickup truck, which then proceeded to hit yet another vehicle. The bus, meanwhile, crashed into multiple cars as a result. Although law enforcement did not release a statement regarding the driving status of the man in the pickup, a neighbor told reporters that the pickup driver had a revoked license and should not have been operating the vehicle in the first place.

As this incident demonstrates, the aftermath of a bus accident can often lead to detrimental consequences. As a bus passenger, you have particular legal rights if you are injured in an accident and wish to file a claim. However, the State of Missouri has stern laws pertaining to common carriers (public buses) and the compensation injured victims may be able to receive. This is why it may be in an injured bus passenger’s best interest to contact an experienced St. Louis bus accident attorney that has the legal skills and knowledge necessary to handle such cases.

Continue reading "St. Louis Church Bus Collision Kills 3, Injures 13" »

According to a recent stltoday.com article, it was reported that a motorcyclist lost his life in a traffic crash on Highway 367. According to Missouri Highway Patrol, the 41-year-old motorcyclist from St. Louis was traveling at a “high rate of speed” immediately before the crash. The motorist involved, a 62-year-old St. Louis man, was attempting to make a left hand turn onto Highway 367 while driving his 1995 Cadillac Seville. The motorcyclist, unable to bring his vehicle to a complete stop, began to skid until he eventually crashed into the driver’s side of the Cadillac. It was not reported whether or not the driver of the Cadillac was injured. The motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the accident.

While accidents can happen for a variety of reasons, most of those reasons usually stem from reckless driving practice of some kind. Traffic laws have been put into place in order to curb the number of accidents that occur, ultimately safeguarding motorists against injury and wrongful death. However, in instances where traffic laws are not followed, and an individual is injured, the negligent party responsible for the accident can be held liable for damages associated with the accident, including medical bills and other resulting accident costs. In the event that an individual is killed in a motor vehicle crash, the family of the victim can seek monetary compensation from the negligent party for costs associated with the accident, including funeral expenses.

Regardless of the situation, it is important to remember that the best course of action for an injured victim after any motorcycle accident in Missouri is to retain the services of a St. Louis motorcycle accident injury lawyer. An experienced attorney will examine the details surrounding your case to help attribute negligent action to responsible parties who caused the accident in the first place.

Continue reading "Motorcycle Speeds into Cadillac, St. Louis Man Killed" »

Based on a ksdk.com article, the Illinois Department of Transportation declared on September 29, 2009 that the Martin Luther King. Jr. Bridge will be entirely closed for up to 12 days starting on October 12, 2009. A representative of Illinois’ Department of Transportation stated that the construction project was initiated by a recent road safety evaluation conducted on the bridge. While the bridge is off-limits to commuters in both Illinois and Missouri, the article stated that the following work will be done:

• A concrete barrier will be placed in the middle of the bridge to divide oncoming traffic.


• Guard rails will be redone.


• The bridge will be re-striped.


• Four lanes along the bridge will be rearranged into three lanes.

Although some residents greatly rely on the bridge as a part of their every day commute, developing a new itinerary is definitely worth the efforts that will be made to help reduce the risk of head-on collisions on the MLK Bridge. It is possible for the repaired bridge to open sooner than expected if weather conditions prove to be non-threatening. Taking note that the contractor of the operation gets a $50,000 bonus for each day the bridge opens early, let us hope that this incentive does not cause any work to be rushed and therefore improperly carried-out.

Continue reading "Road Safety Assessment Leads to MLK Bridge Construction Project" »

There’s nothing some people enjoy more than being out on the water in a boat, enjoying the sights and the company of friends. But what happens if someone is injured while on another person’s boat or even worse, goes missing from falling overboard? Most boat-owners and adventurous riders know that a boat’s owner and operator have the responsibility and legal duty to exercise a substantial degree of care to help keep passengers and other boaters safe from harm. When boating accidents occur, whether in the form of a sinking incident, a collision with another watercraft, or even a slip and fall accident onboard, severe injuries can result as a consequence.

In the most serious of boating accidents cases, like a recent incident in Mississippi, wrongful death can occur. According to a wkrg.com article, a boat’s fishing tower was too high to clear the Popps Ferry Bridge. As the boat attempted to pass underneath the bridge, the boat owner was hit and fell overboard as the tower was knocked down. It wasn’t until hours later that his body was found in Biloxi’s Back Bay. Four other passengers who were on the boat at the time of the accident did not suffer injuries and were rescued by passing boaters, according to the article.

Boating accidents can occur for a variety of reasons, and in this particular case, the boat operator may not have been paying attention and failed to realize in time that the fishing tower would not make it under the bridge. Although this accident took place in Mississippi, driver inattention and reckless operation of boats can be some of the most common causes of boating accidents in the state of Missouri.

Continue reading "Body of Missing Boater Found after Accident at Bridge" »

No one ever expects that tragedy will take its toll on our loved ones. Birth injuries can be some of the most challenging calamities for new parents to endure, with no mention of the physical or mental conditions the child will have to face for the rest of his or her life. These injuries are painful enough on their own, but knowing that a medical professional caused such a birth defect has the potential of adding even more grief.

According to the State of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, approximately 1 in 33 infants in the U.S. are brought into this world with a birth defect and almost 6,000 babies die during their first 12 months. It was also noted that the medical costs to treat and provide care for such birth defects amount to around $2 billion a year.

Of course, parents want their child to receive proper and adequate care for a serious condition, whether it is a brain injury, spinal injury, or other birth defect or injury. And children who have suffered such catastrophic injuries deserve the highest standard of medical treatment. Fortunately, with the assistance of an experienced St. Louis birth defect attorney, compensation to help pay for such treatment may be obtained from negligent medical professionals who are responsible for causing the birth injury.

Continue reading "Missouri Birth Defects Can Devastate Families - You Don't Have to Feel Helpless" »

According to recent reports, new legislation in Illinois will reverse a state law regarding how fast truck drivers are allowed to travel. The new law will reverse a previous law that prohibited truck drivers from traveling faster than 55 miles per hour. This new legislation raises the question of whether more truck accidents will occur if such large vehicles are allowed to drive at higher speeds. While passenger vehicles traveling at excessive speeds are certainly dangerous, semi-trucks and big-rigs doing so are certainly recipes for disaster.

Instances of truck accidents are certainly not new, and may in fact not end up being more problematic than they have been in the past, but it still seems counterintuitive for any state government to adopt legislation that permits any vehicle to travel at higher rates of speed. Faster speeds will ultimately lead to more instances of vehicular accident injury and increase the likelihood of wrongful death. AAA and other highway safety advocates argue that a uniform speed limit will only lead to deadlier traffic accidents. Truck drivers and higher truck speed limit advocates argue that the safest possible conditions for vehicular traffic must always dictate vehicles traveling at the same rate of speed, and that trucks that are forced to drive at a slower rate than passenger cars are nothing more than targets waiting to get hit.

Continue reading "IL Speed Limit Rise Could Increase MO Truck Accidents" »

Pedestrian accidents can cause some of the most serious injuries seen in auto accidents, posing a tremendous and unfortunate risk of wrongful death, especially when vehicles traveling at high speeds are involved. The impact of a pedestrian either hitting concrete, the vehicle itself, or any other object near or on the road or sidewalk, can be enough to inflict catastrophic head injuries, spinal injuries, and other severe injuries.

A recent pedestrian accident has sadly taken the life of an 83-year-old man in St. Louis. According to reports, the elderly man stepped in front of a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old young man who was traveling on Virginia Avenue around noon on September 14, 2009. The elderly man hit the windshield of the car after being struck and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

It is not known at this time whether the teenage driver will be charged for the pedestrian’s death; however, police were reported as saying that they didn’t expect such charges to be filed. Fortunately, the driver stayed at the scene of the auto accident and cooperated with police, otherwise, circumstances for facing charges may have been different. Some may argue that one of the causes of this auto accident was driver inexperience in addition to other feasible factors.

Continue reading "St. Louis Pedestrian Accident Kills Elderly Man" »

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.

Continue reading "Missouri Car Accident Marks 59th Fatality for 2009" »

A recent article reported that a 48-year-old woman riding on the back of her husband’s motorcycle was killed in a Missouri motorcycle crash near Doniphan on Route 21. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the accident was caused by a deer in the road that was struck by the motorcycle, which consequently was forced off the road and overturned. The Harley-Davidson was being driven by the woman’s 51-year old husband, who was seriously injured and flown to a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee for treatment.

Riding a motorcycle can be an exhilarating experience, but being exposed on a bike makes a rider and passenger more vulnerable to the many dangers associated with a vehicle accident. No one can say if the accident above could have been prevented considering that the motorcyclist only had a short amount of time to react with the deer suddenly in the road. This incident is a reminder to all of us, motorcyclists, car owners, and truck drivers alike, that it only takes a second for some unforeseen hazard to pose a risk to us while traveling, which is why our undivided attention must be, at all times, on both the road and the vehicles that surround us.

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation’s 2007 traffic crash statistics, there was a total of 1,395 motorcycle, scooter, and moped accidents in which there were 61 fatalities and 1,306 injuries. Injuries from a motorcycle collision may include broken bones, leg and arm fractures, brain injury, spinal injury, internal organ injury and damage, lacerations and bruises.

Continue reading "Eastern Missouri Motorcycle Accident Kills Woman" »

Carrollcountynews.com recently reported that a 75-year-old motorcyclist from Missouri was killed in Arkansas when his motorcycle collided head-on with a pickup truck. The accident occurred on Highway 23 when the 22-year-old driver of the truck crossed the centerline and struck the motorcycle. According to law enforcement officials, charges are pending against the truck driver who was injured in the crash.

Road conditions that day were dry, the motorcyclist was wearing his helmet, and even the driver of the truck was wearing his seatbelt. While the truck driver was injured after his vehicle rolled over, the motorcyclist lost his life. Tragically, it only takes one minor mistake for a life to be lost. While the outcome of the accident could have been prevented if the truck driver had simply remained in his traffic lane, it is an unfortunate fact that reckless driving habits take the lives of motorists throughout the U.S., Missouri included.

Motorcyclists are particularly susceptible to serious injury for the simple fact that they are not protected within the framing of an automobile. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that all motorists refrain from driving at excessive speeds. It is also important for motorists to take necessary precautions at intersections and safely proceed around bends in the road. Truck drivers in particular, being at the helm of large and powerful vehicles, need to exercise proper caution in order to prevent catastrophic accidents from occurring.

Continue reading "MO Motorcyclist Killed by Pickup in Head-On Collision" »

According to a recent report, on Wednesday, July 29, a 5-year-old boy crossing the street was struck and killed by a car going 10-15 mph. Apparently the young boy was in a hurry to catch up with some of his friends when he was hit. Police are ruling this incident an accident and the driver of the vehicle is not facing charges at this time. What concerns law enforcement, however, is why the young child was unsupervised in the first place. The pedestrian accident in Missouri occurred at 7:45 pm along Livingston Avenue in St. Ann.

The Missouri Department of Transportation’s 2007 traffic crash report indicates that there were 42 fatalities and 240 injures in pedestrian accidents in Missouri. That means that out of all the fatal traffic accidents in the state, 11.3% involved pedestrian deaths. On a more positive note however, the study reported that pedestrian fatalities decreased 18% during the one year period of 2007 to 2006.

Considering that 76% of pedestrian fatalities and 43.5% of pedestrian injuries in 2007 took place during the hours of darkness, both pedestrians and drivers have a serious responsibility to use extreme caution and awareness when traveling. If you are walking at night, remember to avoid wearing dark clothing and do not trust that a vehicle’s driver sees you.

Continue reading "Missouri Pedestrian Accident Kills 5 Year Old Boy" »

The fifth annual “Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report” reveals a vast amount of information regarding America’s 200 largest cities and their collision frequency to determine which cities have the safest drivers. According to an article, the news isn’t great for Illinois. One of the Allstate data sections related to cities with more than one million residents, which included Chicago, Illinois. The report stated that drivers are more likely than the national average to experience a collision in U.S. cities with a population above one million. Chicago was listed as 170th in this category, making drivers 37.6% more likely to be in a collision compared to the national average. Phoenix ranked highest in this category as the safest large city for commuters.

Senior vice president of Allstate’s Claim Organization reasons that human error is the biggest cause of accidents throughout the nation and that it is “vital for us to educate drivers across the country on the importance of being tolerant and attentive behind the wheel.” As personal injury attorneys who handle auto accident cases in Illinois and Missouri, we couldn’t agree more.

Continue reading "Safe Driving Tips from Allstate's Best Driver Report" »

Defective products can have quite devastating effects on trusting users, and these consequences are even more tragic regarding products that parents rely on for their infant’s use. The recent reports of Simplicity bassinets causing the death of two infants in two separate events are unnerving in that the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned against the risks of this product just a little over a year ago.

The risk associated with Simplicity bassinets has to do with metal bars that are separated a greater distance from each other than is permitted by federal requirements. Additionally, the bassinets can create risk of entrapment and death when the Velcro-fastened material over the metal bars is not accurately handled. These risks were the direct cause of death of a 6-month-old girl in Texas in January 2009 who became trapped between the exposed bars of the bassinet.

As a result of the above incident and the death of a 2-month-old girl in Georgia who was suffocated after becoming caught in the bassinet’s fabric in September 2008, all Simplicity bassinets that were manufactured before May 18, 2008 have been recalled in addition to some other bassinets that are sold under the Graco brand and some with a Winnie the Pooh design.
Despite the controversy over the death of innocent infants, another heated subject in relation to these defective products is the fact that too great of a time was allowed between the deaths and the recall’s second announcement. The chairmen of the safety commission stated the following in a report: "We want to step up in the future our education and advocacy so that consumers are better informed," she said.

Continue reading "Simplicity Bassinets Are Far From Harmless: Consumers Be Warned" »

In a press release issued today, text messaging and driving may soon be banned in all states. It will be mandated that all states ban texting while driving if they want to receive highway funding. If they do not comply with the requirement to ban texting while driving, their funding will be withheld. So far 19 states have banned texting and driving. Texting has been linked to many serious Missouri car and truck accident cases. Experienced personal injury lawyers always explore the possibility of an at fault driver texting before a crash.

Illinois is the most recent state to prohibit texting while driving. The law was signed into effect on August 6 bringing the total of states that have banned text messaging while driving to 19. It is expected that Missouri will soon follow the lead of its neighboring state.

In St. Louis, Missouri a tractor trailer accident causing multiple fatalities on Highway 40 was allegedly caused because the semi truck driver was texting while he was driving and caused a chain reaction accident. Entire families were killed during this horrendous truck accident.

According to the Automobile Club of America, the risk of having a car accident increases by 50% for those who text message and drive at the same time. With 46% of new drivers surveyed saying they text and drive, teens are the largest group texting and driving, increasing the risk of cell phone auto accidents in Missouri and throughout the nation.

Continue reading "Texting and Driving Can Be a Deadly Combination" »

The following article from the News-Leader in Springfield, Missouri describes a two-vehicle crash resulting in two injuries and one fatality in Taney County.

This Missouri car accident happened a little after noon on August 9, on U.S. 160, about a mile east of Walnut Shade, Missouri. A 70 year old Highlandville, Missouri man was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. It was reported that he was wearing his seat belt during the accident.

The driver of the other car involved in this Missouri car wreck was a 19 year old Forsyth, MO resident. He was taken immediately to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Missouri with moderate injuries. He was also reportedly wearing a seat belt.

Additionally, a passenger was airlifted to St. John’s Hospital with serious injuries. The 16 year-old Reeds Spring, MO resident was reportedly not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. According to a report from the Highway Patrol, a 1995 Ford F-150 crossed the center line and hit a 2005 Chevrolet van head-on.

The Highway Patrol report says there were no apparent signs that alcohol was a factor. At the time of this article, it is unknown whether law enforcement authorities plan to charge anyone for causing the auto accident in Missouri that led to the unfortunate death.

Continue reading "Missouri Car Accident Kills 70 Year Old Resident" »

A tour bus for the Christian rock band MercyMe, en route to Six Flags in Eureka, Missouri, near St. Louis, was recently involved in an accident resulting in fatalities. The bus collision took place in northeastern Indiana, killing two passengers and the 18 year old driver’s unborn baby. No one in the band was seriously injured.

The two passengers in the car, a male and female, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car was in her third trimester of pregnancy and the baby died. The driver was hospitalized Saturday in critical condition, Officer Liza Thomas of Fort Wayne, Indiana police said.

Reports did not mention whether any passengers were wearing seatbelts.

According to Thomas, witnesses said the bus was going through a green light in the early hours of the morning at about 1:15 am on Saturday, August 8, when the car made a left turn in front of it.

Because of the driver’s condition, it has not been determined why she turned in front of the tour bus. It is unknown if she was trying to beat it through the intersection or just didn’t see it.

A photograph of the damaged bus was posted on the band’s website, depicting moderate crumpling to the front area of the vehicle. Six Flags issued a statement confirming the concert has been rescheduled for Sept. 5 and all concert tickets will be honored for the new date.

Continue reading "Tour Bus Accident Fatalities" »

An article reports that a Swansea man was killed and another man hospitalized for injuries he received when he was thrown from a vehicle in a car accident near Belleville recently. The man who was killed in the auto accident is reportedly a 79-year-old resident from Swansea who was driving a 2008 Buick LaCrosse when his car was struck head-on by a 1992 Dodge Ram conversion van. The van’s driver was taken to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville and later airlifted to a St. Louis Hospital shortly after 10 in the morning. At the time the article was published, the condition of the van’s driver was unknown.

According to law enforcement authorities investigating the accident, the auto accident occurred on Illinois 161 near Shiloh Road and east of Southwestern Illinois College. The impact threw the van’s driver onto the road and emergency response personnel say that the 79-year-old victim died on impact. The St. Clair County Coroner arrived about 9:45 a.m. to officially pronounce the Buick’s driver deceased.

Accident reconstruction indicates that the Dodge van was westbound when it crossed the center line and struck the LaCrosse, causing the fatal car accident which closed Illinois 161 in both directions for several hours. At the time the article was published, the results of routine blood tests from the drivers were not yet known, and it is also unknown whether or not law enforcement authorities plan to charge the van’s driver for causing the car accident that led to the other man’s death.

Sadly, car accidents claim many lives in the St. Louis area each year and many more people’s lives are changed forever from injuries they receive in car accidents caused by drivers who are under the influence of drugs and alcohol, driving recklessly, or operating their vehicles in a negligent manner. Beyond the injuries that St. Louis car accident victims suffer, they must often also contend with catastrophically high medical bills from hospital stays, rehabilitative regimens, prescription medication and loss of income.

Continue reading "Swansea Man Killed in Belleville Car Accident" »

This article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that two St. Louis men caused a St. Louis car accident that claimed the life of a 48-year-old Dittmer man.

The two men—a 28-year-old and 21-year-old—were allegedly chasing a vehicle sometime on May 5, 2009, after a reported drug deal went awry in High Ridge. The two men reportedly fired weapons at a Jeep driven by a woman who had an adult male passenger and a 2-year-old child in the Jeep with her. Law enforcement officials with the Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office say that after the shots were fired at the Jeep, the female driver of the Jeep lost control of the vehicle and struck a truck. The driver of the truck suffered fatal injuries in the accident.

The victim’s mother said that her son had just dropped off his 11-year-old son nearby in Festus and was heading home after treating his son to an evening at the movies. She said that the man was only two miles from his home when the accident occurred.

Continue reading "St. Louis Car Crash Kills Man" »

A female worker was killed recently while working on a concrete placement which was part of the Taum Sauk reservoir rebuilding project. An article claims that the 48-year-old woman was airlifted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis and died from the injuries she received in the Missouri workplace accident. At the time the article was published, law enforcement officials investigating the Missouri construction accident had not yet released the accident victim’s name, but said that she was employed by Ozark Constructors LLC at the time the accident occurred.

Ozark Constructors had been hired by the reservoir’s owner—AmerenUE—to rebuild the reservoir after a breach occurred in the reservoir, which released a wall of water down the side of a mountain and into Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park on December 14, 2005. St. Louis-based utility company AmerenUE prepared a written statement that said the safety of everyone at the Taum Sauk reservoir construction site was the company’s top concern. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and coworkers of the construction worker who died as a result of this morning’s tragic accident at the Taum Sauk upper reservoir rebuild site,” the utility said in its written statement.

Ozark Constructors said that its workers have logged over 2 million hours of work over 21 months at the construction site, but the company declined to provide additional information pending an investigation into the Missouri construction site accident conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Construction sites can be very dangerous workplaces with lots of heavy equipment being moved by large machinery, multistory scaffolding and other potentially hazardous conditions. The majority of construction companies make construction site safety a priority and spend a great deal of time and money ensuring that employees receive the training, safety measures, and qualified supervision to prevent Missouri wrongful death accidents and personal injury incidents. However, there are some construction companies that take shortcuts to save money and expose their workers to unnecessary risks, and far too many workers are killed and seriously injured each year in Missouri construction site accidents.

Continue reading "Missouri Construction Accident Kills Female Worker" »

This article which appeared recently in the Joplin Globe describes a car accident in Missouri which occurred near Carterville in August 2008 around a mile east of Carterville on Highway 171. The Joplin man was allegedly the driver of a Porsche that was racing a Ford Mustang and was traveling at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the Porsche which struck the rear of a Dodge Durango driven by a 33-year-old Carthage man. The accident report submitted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol claims that the collision caused the Durango to leave the roadway and overturn.

Other passengers in the Durango included the driver’s 28-year-old wife, an 8-year-old son, and 7-year-old daughter who all sustained injuries and were transported to a nearby hospital. The 8-year-old sustained serious injuries, the mother’s injuries were described as moderate, and the 7-year-old daughter’s injuries were reportedly minor. An hour after the accident occurred, the Joplin man was given a breath test which indicted that his blood-alcohol content was 0.158 percent. In Missouri and every other state in the country, the legal limit for intoxication is 0.08 percent.

Racing on state highways at excessive speed could be considered reckless driving and operating a vehicle in a negligent manner. In addition, driving under the influence of alcohol can exacerbate charges of negligence and reckless driving. With three family members hurt and hospitalized due to the Missouri auto accident, the family in the Durango probably faces steep bills for their medical care.

Continue reading "Missouri Car Accident Caused by Drunk Driver Injures Woman and Children" »

According to this report in the Hannibal Courier-Post, the driver of a tractor-trailer faces involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with a St. Louis truck wrongful death accident that claimed the lives of two northeast Missouri residents last summer. The driver, a 49-year-old man from Muscle Shoals, Ala., allegedly plowed his truck into stopped traffic on Interstate 64/40 in July 2008. The resulting impact killed an 88-year-old Kahoka man and 55-year-old woman from Canton. The truck driver is currently being held in the St. Louis County Detention Center in Clayton on a $250,000 cash-only bond.

Accidents involving tractor-trailers are especially deadly as these large trucks often haul up to 80,000 pounds of freight. Smaller passenger vehicles simply cannot withstand the impact of this much weight traveling at any rate of speed, and the rates of death and catastrophic injury are much higher when a semitrailer truck is involved. The survivors of truck accidents in Missouri often face a steep and very expensive uphill climb to recovery with lengthy hospital stays, grueling physical rehabilitation regimens, and medical bills that quickly climb into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

If you or someone you care for has been injured or killed in a truck accident, the St. Louis truck accident lawyers at Page Law may be able to help. This St. Louis personal injury law firm has helped countless clients injured or killed in St. Louis auto accidents receive the compensation they deserve to offset steep medical expenses, and hold those responsible for the accident accountable for their actions. To speak with their experienced St. Louis truck accident attorneys, call them today at (314) 322-8515. More detailed information can be found at www.truckaccidentlawgropup.com.

A three-vehicle auto accident in Missouri killed a 76-year-old woman from Camdenton and critically injured a 45-year-old woman from Richland. Both women were wearing their seatbelts. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, the decedent, who was driving a 1990 Honda, stopped her car on Highway 5 to make a left turn onto Christopher Drive. A young man from Lebanon, MO, slammed into the rear of the decedent’s car, pushing the Honda into oncoming traffic.

A third person sustained severe injuries in the car accident. She was driving the opposite direction of the decedent on Highway 5 and struck the decedent’s vehicle head-on. The decedent was killed on impact and pronounced dead at the scene. The young man was alleged to have caused this Missouri car crash and was not wearing his seatbelt.

Allegedly the young driver failed to keep a proper lookout because he did not stop behind the decedent’s car while she was attempting to make a left turn. This could create liability on his behalf for the car accident and resulting damages. Car crashes occur every day and often result in multiple injuries and wrongful death in Missouri. Chain reactions usually occur when one car hits another and so on down the line, especially when cars are traveling at high speeds in high traffic areas.

Cautious driving is always advised, but a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence can’t always be avoided. If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident, it is important that you immediately seek a car crash lawyer to make sure your legal needs are represented. As a founding partner of Page Law, A Missouri Personal Injury Law Firm, and as an experienced St. Louis auto accident lawyer, I zealously represent my clients to make sure they are rightfully compensated for injuries. Call me for a free consultation at 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). You can also email me at john@pagecagle.com or visit www.missouricaraccident.com for more information.

A recent Missouri tractor trailer accident killed one person and has led to a personal injury lawsuit. Specifically, the family of the young man killed in this big rig crash has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The crash occurred while the decedent was driving on east on Martin Luther King Bridge, from Missouri into Illinois.

As the decedent was driving eastbound, the tractor trailer and another vehicle, rented from Enterprise Leasing Company, were driving west on the bridge. The driver of the Enterprise vehicle wanted to pass the tractor trailer, despite being in a no-passing zone. When the car tried to pass the tractor trailer, he allegedly pulled into the decedent’s eastbound lane and caused the collision with the vehicles.

The family of the decedent seeks compensation for deprivation of the decedent’s love, affection, society and support in addition to costs associated with the death itself. This Missouri wrongful death suit was filed against the driver of the vehicle for negligence and also against Enterprise Leasing Company because the family alleged negligent entrustment of the vehicle being leased to the allegedly reckless driver. The family claims that the actions of Enterprise combined with the negligent driver were the proximate causes of the injuries and death suffered.

The family seeks in excess of $200,000 in this Missouri personal injury action. If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident, call Page Law for a free consultation with a skilled St. Louis trucking accident attorney. We are happy to assess your legal rights and discuss your legal options with you.

Call 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). You can also email me at john@pagecagle.com or visit my website, www.injuredclient.com for more information. You pay nothing until you recover.

A Missouri car accident on Interstate 70 recently killed a 51-year-old man. According to police, the 51-year-old, of Wright City, was killed because a negligent, drunk driver was traveling over 100 mph and collided into the decedent’s car.

The alleged facts of the case are as follows:
1. A 29-year-old was driving a Mustang on I-70, near Bryan road;
2. The Mustang driver was allegedly going at least 100 miles per hour in the center lane of traffic when he came up behind a tractor trailer;
3. He was traveling too fast to slow down and prevent hitting the tractor trailer, so he switched into the right lane;
4. Upon switching lanes, the Mustang struck the rear of the decedent’s car, throwing the decedent’s car off of the right side of I-70;
5. The decedent was killed on impact and pronounced dead at the scene.

The Mustang driver also sustained injuries in this car accident. His car ran off the left side of I-70 and hit a median wall. He fled the scene of the accident but was arrested shortly thereafter. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.27 an hour and a half after the wreck and was subsequently charged with involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a drunk driving accident in Missouri.

Continue reading "Missouri Car Accident on Interstate 70 Kills Man" »

Heparin, a blood thinner regularly used to prevent blood clots during medical procedures, has been linked to hundreds of severe adverse reactions and even cases of wrongful death. Reports of adverse side effects from Heparin reached an all time high of 150 reports in January 2009 alone, so Baxter, maker of Heparin, recently recalled specific types of this blood thinner.

Hemorrhages are also often a serious complication that can result from Heparin use and cause serious personal injury. Additionally thrombocytopenia has been reported to occur in Heparin patients and can lead to skin necrosis, gangrene, which can lead to extremity amputation, stroke, and even death. At this time, Heparin has been linked to at least four deaths.

Although countless patients have reported experiencing dangerous side effects associated with taking Heparin, the drug is still regularly administered because other blood thinners do not work as quickly as Heparin, nor can their administration be reversed as easily.

Continue reading "Heparin Dangerous Drug Linked to Severe Adverse Reactions, Caused 4 Deaths" »

A recent Missouri car crash killed four and critically injured two. As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, the Des Peres accident was caused by an off-duty Sunset Hills police officer, who was allegedly drunk. Police are considering filing manslaughter charges against the police officer, whose negligent actions killed four female college students. Civil cases have not yet been filed.

Although the Missouri State Highway Patrol will not definitively comment on whether or not the officer was drunk, they have confirmed that there are strong suspicions she was drunk at the time of the auto accident in Missouri. The 41-year-old police officer, from Kirkwood, is still in critical condition. Additionally, the police officer’s son is currently facing manslaughter charges because he drove while drunk and killed a passenger in his vehicle last year.

In this case, the police officer was driving her Mitsubishi Eclipse at 1:45 a.m. on Saturday when she crashed into a vehicle carrying five people. The police officer was driving the wrong way on the road when she crashed into the other vehicle, carrying graduate students from Eastern Illinois University. Those killed in the accident were all females under the age of 25, and the one survivor in the vehicle, a 27-year-old female, is listed in serious condition at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center.

Continue reading "Missouri Car Crash Kills Four, Injures Two" »

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" »

A Missouri barge worker was recently killed near Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The 67-year old worker was cleaning an empty barge when he fell 20-25 feet into the uncovered rake barge. The man, who had been working with the barge company for three years, died on impact.

Currently, the barge company is investigating the Missouri barge accident. It is believed that an autopsy will uncover additional details relating to the man’s death. No Missouri barge accident lawsuits have been filed at this point.

Depending on the type of information discovered through the Missouri barge accident investigation, this accident may result in a Jones Act claim or wrongful death claim. The Jones Act, is a federal statute that details seamen’s rights, regulates water transport, and more specifically, restricts maritime commerce.

The Jones Act provides remedy for seamen injured through employment when employer negligence can be shown. In the case at hand, it would need to be proven that the decedent’s employer was negligent, which directly caused the injury suffered. The statute states, under 46 U.S.C. 688, et seq.: any sailor/seaman who shall suffer personal injury in the course of his employment may, at his election, maintain an action for damages at law, with the right to trial by jury, and in such action all statutes of the United States modifying or extending the common law right or remedy in cases of personal injury to railway employees shall apply.

Continue reading "Missouri Barge Accident Kills Man On-the-Job" »

Can you imagine giving a loved one a pill you thought was approved for dementia, when it wasn’t? Well many people felt this betrayal by Eli Lilly & Co., makers of the drug Zyprexa. The drug company marketed the anti-psychotic drug for unapproved use in high doses, for pediatric care and for dementia.

The company recently pleaded guilty to illegally marketing and is settling civil suits in hopes of ending further criminal investigation for $1.42 billion.

Zyprexa is approved to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. However, the drug carries with it a warning label, informing patients that death is a possible side effect of using the drug, especially in patients with dementia. More disturbing is the fact that Ely Lilly & Co. made efforts to market Zyprexa for treatment of dementia, including dementia related to Alzheimer’s, despite the fact that the drug was never approved for such use.

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A 66-year-old man was killed this week in a tractor trailer crash in Lima, Ohio. The man was driving his van when a tractor trailer driver failed to stop at a stop sign and collided into the decedent’s van. The man was killed on impact and the tractor trailer driver was arrested for vehicular homicide.

Failure to yield to traffic signals proves driver negligence, as the driver failed to use the highest degree of care when he ran the stop sign. In this case, the tractor trailer driver’s action, or inaction, was allegedly the sole cause of this collision, making him and/or his employer liable for the truck accident. Driver negligence is the leading cause of all traffic accidents. Unfortunately, many crashes are fatal, like this one.

Two weeks prior to this tractor trailer crash in Ohio, another similar tractor trailer accident occurred in Florida. In Moore Haven, Florida, a tractor trailer driver failed to stop at a stop sign and ran into a van. In this crash six people were thrown from their vehicle and instantly killed. Additionally, 50 gallons of diesel fuel were spilled on the two-lane highway. As in the Ohio case above, the tractor trailer driver was at fault. Both the driver and his employer will most likely be held liable for the damages incurred pursuant to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

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A few years ago, smokers across the nation were excited about a new drug that promised to help them quit smoking. The drug allegedly eased nicotine cravings with few side effects. However, after the drug Chantix was approved in May 2006, many people experienced extreme side effects ranging from memory loss and unusual behavior, to psychological problems that caused suicides and suicidal thoughts.

Pfizer, the maker of Chantix, never warned consumers about these possible Chantix psychiatric side effects and the harms that could be suffered by users. Instead, the company released information about how the drug blocked nicotine receptor sites in the brain and allowed smokers an easy way to quit without uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

Most users did agree that they no longer cared about smoking, but many also felt overall feelings of ambivalence towards most things in life. Many people experienced moody tendencies and behavioral problems after using the drug. Some even suffered severe self-inflicted injuries and death as a result of suicide after taking Chantix.

In 2008 the FDA announced that warnings about these psychological side effects and the possible risk of suicide would be added to labels on the drug. However, many users had already suffered injury because of taking the drug and some users even reported that symptoms continued after they stopped taking Chantix. This has led to numerous Chantix pharmaceutical defect lawsuits because the makers of pharmaceuticals and all products have a duty to warn consumers about possible harms associated with using their products. The failure to do so can result in the company being liable for harms suffered by consumers of such products.

If you or a loved one has suffered harmful side effects from taking Chantix or any other medication, call the personal injury lawyers at Page || Cagle for a free consultation at 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). You can also email me at john@pagecagle.com or visit www.injuredclient.com for more information.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, ten people have died in Missouri car accidents recently. Nine of the ten people killed were not wearing their seatbelts. One of these fatal car accidents occurred in Camden County, Missouri. The accident occurred on Route A and killed a 21-year-old girl. The girl was a passenger in the car and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the vehicle, a 20-year-old Marine, was allegedly driving too fast at a curve and ran off the road. The car hit a fence and flipped over, partially throwing the girl from the vehicle. The driver of the car walked away without injuries, but was found drunk and arrested for several infractions. He was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated, Careless and Imprudent Driving, Minor in Possession of Alcohol and Involuntary Manslaughter.

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The wife of a tractor trailer truck driver killed in an Alabama highway accident brought a wrongful death lawsuit against another truck driver. The truck accident was caused by the second truck hitting the decedent’s truck after it was laying idle on a roadway after rolling over. In this case, the decedent allegedly lost control of his tractor-trailer and his large truck swerved into the median, struck a road sign, went into a drainage ditch, and then traveled back up onto the highway while rolling over. The tractor trailer came to rest partially blocking the road. It is disputed whether he was fatally injured after the initial events.

The defendant truck driver was traveling on the roadway when he saw the decedent’s truck lying across the road. The defendant allegedly slammed on his breaks, but the large truck he was driving wasn’t able to stop in time. He collided into the decedent’s tractor trailer. At the time of the accident it is undisputed that the defendant was driving within the 70-mile-per hour speed limit and had his headlights on. He was not cited in the accident.

The decedent’s family filed a truck accident lawsuit against the other driver and the trucking company he worked for wrongful death. However, the evidence did not establish that the defendant colliding into the truck caused the decedents death. Also, it was found likely that the initial, single-vehicle crash, caused the decedent’s death. The court found the only evidence the plaintiff had to support that the second accident was the proximate cause of the death was through the testimony of an accident-reconstruction expert.

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