Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog

Linda Wall, 63, and Levi Clark, 17, were killed Saturday afternoon in an accident on Missouri 133 near Richland, Missouri.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s initial crash report, Clark’s 2000 Dodge Ram pickup truck crossed the center line on Missouri 133 and struck Wall’s 2008 Dodge Van head-on.

Clark was pronounced dead at the scene. Wall was taken to General Wood Community Hospital where she was later pronounced dead. A passenger in the van, Katie Wall, 11, was injured and taken to Phelps County Regional Medical Center.

Clark was not wearing a seat belt.

Since there was a fatality, an accident reconstruction will be conducted to determine some of the specifics of the car crash. This additional investigation will examine tire skid marks and debris patterns which provides valuable information that could be used by a Missouri car accident lawyer should one be contacted.

While there was already a description of the accident on the initial crash report, it was very brief and would be considered hearsay in court if the investigating officer didn’t actually witness the accident. It also didn’t explain why Clark crossed the center line. An accident reconstruction might be able to better illustrate the events of the crash to a personal injury attorney and indicate whether one of the drivers was negligent.

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Five people were seriously injured Friday evening in Henry County, Missouri after a three-car accident on Missouri 52.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred when two cars, one driven by Mathew Martinez, 17, and the second by an unidentified driver, stopped on Missouri 52 because of traffic caused by a previous Missouri car accident. A 2004 Pontiac, driven by Mary Hayes, 47, was traveling behind the line of cars and couldn’t stop before crashing into Martinez’s car, which was then forced into the third car.

Mary Hayes and her husband Carl Hayes, 54, were seriously injured and flown to University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. A third occupant of their car, Sheri Fannon, 28, was also seriously injured and flown to University Hospital. Two passengers in Martinez’s car were also seriously injured and flown to different hospitals. Paige Litz, 18, was flown to St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, and Jennifer Miller, 17, was flown to Children’s Mercy.

An investigation into the accident is ongoing. The initial accident report indicates that charges are pending, but it does not specify what type of charges or why Mary Hayes was unable to stop her vehicle.

Often, in cases were a line of cars has a chain reaction-type crash, each driver is considered responsible for the damages their vehicle causes to the one directly in front of them. This is because drivers are expected to keep a safe distance between them and any cars in front of them. Many other factors, such as the speed Hayes was traveling, must first be examined by a Missouri car accident attorney. The charges filed by the Highway Patrol will also help a personal injury lawyer to flesh out the details of the case so that the injured parties can receive the help they need.

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Icy roads may have contributed to an accident Saturday afternoon on Route Y that sent four people to the hospital, two with serious injuries.

Jesse Robbins, 43, was traveling westbound on Route Y near Missouri 89 when his car began to slide out of control and crossed the center line. According to the investigating officer, Robbins’ 1993 Dodge slid into oncoming traffic where it hit a 2003 Chevrolet head on.

Robbins was seriously injured and taken to Capital Regional Medical Center in Jefferson City, Missouri for treatment. Three occupants of the Chevrolet were also hospitalized. Michael Jarvis, 27, was seriously injured and both Jason Hafley, 23, and Wendy Jarvis, 38, suffered moderate injuries. All three were taken to Phelps County Hospital.

Though icy roads may have played a role this Missouri car accident, dangerous road conditions do not excuse any drivers that cause a wreck. This case will need to be investigated by an experienced personal injury lawyer, but the fact that there are winter weather conditions will not be a solid defense if one of the drivers is found liable for damages.

If you are injured in a Missouri car accident, even if it was partially caused by icy or wet roads, contact a Missouri car accident attorney as soon as possible.

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Victor Torres, 36, was killed and two others were seriously injured Friday evening in a Missouri car accident on Highway 5 in Camden County.

According to the initial crash report filed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Torres crossed the center line and struck another vehicle head-on. The investigating officer did not specify what might have caused Torres to lose control of his vehicle and head into oncoming traffic.

Torres was pronounced dead at the scene. Two occupants of the second car, Dean Garske, 60, and Kathy Garske, 56, were both seriously injured and taken to Lake Regional Hospital for treatment.

Both Dean and Kathy Garske were wearing seatbelts. Torres was not.

Missouri car accident law says that an accident reconstruction will now be performed. This additional investigation will flesh out the details of the wreck not included in the initial crash report. Since most patrolmen are not trained in accident reconstruction, many details are left off the initial report that could be useful for a Missouri personal injury lawyer who may be called to investigate the case.

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Five people, including two children, were injured in a Missouri car accident Saturday morning on Route M in Springfield, Missouri.

The accident occurred as Teresa Ireland, 39, was traveling north in her 2003 Dodge Neon and hit a 1998 Ford Taurus, driven by Amanda Williams, 25. According to the initial crash report filed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Ireland failed to yield to Williams’ car as she was making a left turn.

Ireland suffered minor injures and was taken to Cox South Hospital for treatment. Unfortunately, the injuries sustained by Williams and her family were more serious. Amanda and John Williams, 27, suffered moderate to minor injuries while the two five-year-old children in the car, Laura and Xander Williams, suffered more serious injuries. The Williams family was taken to St. John’s Hospital for treatment.

All involved were wearing seatbelts.

Thankfully no one was killed in this Missouri crash. The initial crash report was not very detailed and more specific information about the crash will need to be investigated by a Missouri personal injury lawyer.

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Victor Byrd, 17, was seriously injured early Friday morning along with three others in a separate car after an accident on Highway 60 near Monett, Missouri.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Byrd crossed the center line in his 1996 Chevrolet and hit a 2003 Chevrolet, driven by Tamara Roux, 43, head on.

Byrd was flown to St. John’s Hospital for treatment. Roux was taken by ambulance to St. John’s with serious injuries. Two passengers in Roux’s car, Aimee Roux, 22, and Jeremy Roux, 20, suffered moderate to minor injuries that were also treated at St. John’s.

The investigating officer did not specify why Byrd may have crossed the center line.

From a Missouri personal injury attorney’s perspective, the fact that a minor driver was involved is important. First, Missouri law says 16 to 18 year olds receive an intermediate driver’s license that has some limitations. Teens with an intermediate license may not drive alone between the hours of 1 and 5 a.m., and this Missouri car accident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. The crash report did not indicate wheter there was another person with Byrd at the time of the crash.

Another complicating factor about cases involving minors is that the parents can sometimes be liable for their child’s actions if they are found to have negligently allowed the minor to use something like a car when conditions are not safe. Many details still have to emerge from this case, but the parent’s liability will probably be investigated should a personal injury lawyer be contacted.

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Kathleen Groeper, 66, was killed Tuesday after she crashed her 2008 Ford Focus while trying to dodge debris on Highway 47 in Warren County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Groeper was traveling northbound on Highway 47 when she swerved to the right to avoid the debris. Her vehicle left the roadway and struck a driveway before overturning and crossing into the path of a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Deborah Hawkins, 52.

Groeper was pronounced dead at the scene. Hawkins was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lake St. Louis and treated for minor injuries, according to the investigating officer.

The initial crash report did not describe the type of debris that was in the roadway.

From a personal injury lawyer’s perspective, the type of debris and how it got on the roadway is very important. If the debris was man-made and fell off a truck or some other type of vehicle, the driver of that vehicle could be held liable for any damages that the debris causes. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 25,000 accidents involving falling debris occur each year in North America.

The problem, of course, is that it is very hard to track down the driver that lost the debris unless there are witnesses or some other identifying markings on the debris. Many times tractor trailer drivers may not even realize they have left something in the roadway. Other times the driver will just continue on without stopping to clean up the mess, thus leaving a dangerous obstacle for other drivers.

In Missouri, MoDOT workers will do their best to make sure the roadways remain clear and it is hard to hold them liable for any such incidents. A Missouri car accident lawyer would have to prove that the highway workers knew about the debris and still failed to respond in a reasonable amount of time. As we have discussed in other posts on this blog, sovereign immunity also offers additional protection for these workers.

If you are injured in a Missouri car accident caused by roadway debris, even if the person who left the debris is never found, you may be able to seek compensation from your own uninsured motorist coverage that is included in your insurance policy. Filing these claims can be complicated and they are definitely time-sensitive so you should contact an experienced St. Louis area personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

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Photo from STLToday.com

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An Amtrak train bound for St. Louis crashed into a tractor-trailer truck that had gotten stuck on the tracks near Brighton, Illinois on Monday morning.

Ten people, including the train’s engineer, were injured in the Illinois train wreck and taken to local hospitals. All of the injuries were considered relatively minor, though four people were unable to walk from the train under their own power immediately after the accident, according to a St. Louis Post Dispatch report.

The train hit the truck’s trailer that was blocking the crossing. The truck driver, Dustin Kroeschel, 24, was able to jump to safety before the crash.

Several of the train’s cars left the track, but thankfully none of them overturned or were terribly mangled.

Fortunately nobody was seriously injured or killed, but this incident should be investigated by local authorities, the trucking company, and an experienced Illinois train accident lawyer in order to prevent similar, and potentially more disastrous, accidents in the future,

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Posted In: Missouri Train Accidents , Missouri Trucking Accidents , Personal Injury News

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Four people were injured, including two teens and a two-year-old, when a vehicle slid out of control Saturday on Highway 21 in Ripley County, Missouri.

According to the investigating officer’s crash report, Ashley Vosburg, 18, lost control of her vehicle and began to slide off the right side of the roadway. In trying to regain control of her 2001 Pontiac, Vosburg overcorrected and slid across the center line into oncoming traffic. Vosburg’s car crashed into a 1989 Ford Escort driven by Jerrie Joplin, 65.

Vosburg and a 2-year-old passenger, Allyssa Williams, suffered moderate to minor injuries and sought help for their car accident injuries at Ripley County Memorial Hospital. Jerrie Joplin and his passenger, Ethan Joplin, 16, suffered more serious injuries and were taken to by ambulance to Ripley County Memorial, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Thankfully no one was killed in this crash, but there were serious injuries and damages will need to be paid to cover the cost of medical expenses. It might be easy this time of year to simply blame bad weather for accidents like these, but that should not excuse drivers if they are found to be negligently operating their cars. If anything, drivers should be even more responsible and cautious in winter weather knowing the potential dangers on the road. Whether you think icy roads contributed to an accident or not, if you are injured in a Missouri car accident, you should contact a Missouri personal injury lawyer as soon as you are able.

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A three-car accident Friday morning on Highway 67 near Poplar Bluff injured four people, two seriously.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s initial crash report says the accident occurred when Darrell Healey, 44, drove a 1998 Toyota into a 2003 Buick, driven by Joe Falvey, 76. The impact of this crash sent the Buick into a third vehicle, a 2002 Chevy driven by Tim Mansfield, 37.

The report does not say what may have caused Healey to hit Falvey’s vehicle or what Falvey’s car was doing at the time of the accident.

Healey and Falvey were both seriously injured and taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center for treatment. Two passengers, one in Healey’s car and one in Falvey’s, were also injured in this Missouri car accident. Charles Harrison, 37, and Bobbie Falvey, 73, both suffered moderate injuries and were also taken to Poplar Bluff Regional. No injures were reported from the third vehicle involved in the crash.

The initial crash report is considered the opinion of the investigating officer and would be considered hearsay in court unless the officer actually witnessed the accident. Many details about the crash need to be filled in before liability can be determined. A Missouri personal injury lawyer may be called in to investigate the crash and advise the injured parties.

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Mary Wilson, 68, and Thomas Wilson, 72, were injured Wednesday when their car hit another vehicle on Route JJ just west of Moberly, Missouri.

The initial crash report, filed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, indicates the accident occurred when the second vehicle, a 1999 Ford driven by Cyrus Ewens, 38, turned in front Wilson’s 1993 Oldsmobile. Mary Wilson, who was driving the Oldsmobile at the time, was unable to avoid the collision and crashed into Ewens.

The Wilsons were both taken to Moberly Regional Medical Center for treatment. Ewens did not suffer any significant injuries, according to the investigating officer.

Thanfully, all those involved were wearing seatbelts, or this accident could have been much more serious.

Ewens was issued a summons for failing to yield. The fact that a summons was issued by the investigating officer would be a major indicator of fault, but filing these claims can be very complicated regardless. Anybody needing help after a Missouri car accident should seek the counsel of an experienced personal injury lawyer to make sure that all their medical expenses are covered.

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A two car Missouri accident Tuesday morning on Highway 63 hospitalized three people, including an eight year old girl.

The accident occurred when Latricia Hess, 39, attempted to cross the highway in her 2002 Chevrolet. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a 1997 Toyota, driven by Douglas Waite, 36, struck the driver’s side of Hess’ car. Waite’s vehicle came to a rest on the highway while Hess’ traveled into the median.

Waite and Hess both suffered serious injury and were taken to Moberly Regional Hospital for treatment. Waite’s daughter Mallorie, 8, was also injured in the Missouri car accident and taken to Moberly Regional.

Thankfully, all three people involved were wearing seatbelts or the injuries could have been worse, perhaps even fatal.

The initial crash report indicates that a summons is pending, though it did not specify for which driver or what offense. This information, when released, would be used by a Missouri personal injury lawyer should one be contacted to resolve the case.

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With winter approaching (or already here as some Missourians who just received several inches of snow over the weekend would say) we must prepare for the potential hazards that ice and snow presents. Icy walkways can be dangerously slick, and while that statement might seem obvious, millions of Americans suffer serious injuries every year because they slipped and fell.

Slip and fall injuries
Slip and fall injuries, from a personal injury law perspective, covers all cases where someone slips or trips because of a dangerous condition such as ice or shoddy construction. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention tracks non-fatal injuries and reports that over 8 million people were injured in slip and fall injuries last year, and this number is pretty consistent from year to year. Elderly people are at a higher risk with nearly double the injury rate than people aged 18-40.

If you slip and fall on someone else’s property, they may be responsible for paying for your injuries. In the winter, this most commonly occurs when a public walkway is not properly salted or cleared of ice.

This area of personal injury law can sometimes become an area of ridicule or where accusations of frivolous lawsuits arise. While I’m sure there are cases where greed overtakes common sense, the vast majority of slip and fall personal injury lawsuits are cases where a person suffered serious injuries like broken bones or head trauma and the property owner was grossly negligent. Property owners should be held accountable if they knowingly allow others to walk on unsafe or hazardous ground.

Protect yourself – Know what to do if you’re injured
If you are injured on someone else’s property, either private or public, information and documentation are your best friends. Write down an account of the incident as well as take photographs of the area as soon as you can. Get the names of any witnesses as well as the names of the land owner or manager. Make sure you notify the property owner of the injury and get a copy of their documentation of the incident.

Don’t wait to see a medical professional. See your doctor or go to an urgent care center if the injury is more serious. You could have suffered a sprain or done internal damage that is not immediately noticeable, but could turn into a lasting injury if not spotted right away. If you would need to seek damages by way of a personal injury lawsuit, the quicker your injuries are documented by a medical professional, the better.

If you believe you’ll need legal help to deal with the incident, you should quickly consult a personal injury lawyer that’s experienced in slip and fall injuries. Wait too long and your case might be thrown out because you’ve exceeded the statute of limitations.

Prevention is always the best, but even the most careful person can become a victim of a dangerous situation. Don’t wait to get the help you need after an accident.

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Posted In: Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer , Missouri Premises Liability , Personal Injury News

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