Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog

Steven and Tina Johnson, 40 and 39, were hospitalized Saturday after the Harley Davidson motorcycle they were riding on crashed into a 1995 Buick LeSabre that was pulling out of a private drive in St. Louis County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s investigating officer, Daniel Witte, 63, was pulling the Buick out of a private driveway onto Highway F near Lake Tickawatha. The Johnsons were riding their motorcycle southbound on Highway F and Steven Johnson tried to stop before hitting the car. He applied the brakes, but was unable to stop the bike from sliding into the car.

Tina Johnson was flown to St. John’s Mercy Hospital with serious injures. Steven Johnson was also taken to St. John’s, but he was transported by ambulance with more moderate injuries. Witte was uninjured.

The task now for authorities and for a personal injury attorney will be to investigate the scene and determine who is at fault for this accident. The initial crash report lays out the basic information, but leaves out some vital details like how fast the Johnson’s were going on their motorcycle.

If Witte was inattentive and pulled his car out directly in front of the Johnsons, he may be liable for damages and the Johnsons may be able to recover their medical fees. An investigation into this injury accident may also show that Steven Johnson was driving the bike too fast and was the one more at fault for the wreck.

One way that investigators and a motorcycle accident lawyer can get this information is by performing an accident reconstruction. By looking at the skid marks on the road and the debris patterns, experts can pretty accurately determine the speeds of both vehicles and how much time Steven Johnson had to react to Witte’s car coming into the roadway.

Posted by Ryan Bradley | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Missouri Motorcycle Accidents , Personal Injury News

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Nicholas McCullough, 23, was killed early Sunday morning when he was hit by a car as he stood next to his truck in the eastbound lanes on I-70.

McCullough was standing next to his 1999 Chevrolet S-10 because it had been involved in a separate accident just moments before, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The truck had spun and was facing south across two eastbound lanes of I-70.

When McCullough had exited his vehicle, he was hit by a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria, driven by Timothy Fitzgerald, 48. McCullough was standing next to the passenger door of his truck when Fitzgerald hit both McCullough at the truck.

McCullough was pronounced dead at the scene and was taken to the St. Louis County Morgue. Fitzgerald was uninjured according to the investigating officer. Both vehicles were totaled.

Since there was a fatality, an accident reconstruction will be performed to better flesh out the details of this crash for the authorities and for a personal injury attorney.

There are some complicating factors about this case that a Missouri car accident lawyer must investigate before claiming liability or negligence on the part of either driver. The first thing that must be investigated is the initial crash. McCullough was standing next to his truck because it had just been involved in another crash. A personal injury lawyer will need to look at where exactly McCullough was standing and how much time Fitzgerald had to react. Also, if Fitzgerald was speeding or driving recklessly himself, he may be held at least partially liable.

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Posted In: Missouri Car Accidents

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A complicated accident involving four vehicles on eastbound I-70 in St. Charles County, Missouri sent four people to the hospital on Friday.

The Missouri car accident began when a 2007 Ford Focus, driven by Leon Finch, 25, ran off the south outer road and through a chain link fence along the highway. Finch’s car entered the eastbound lanes of I-70 where it first struck the front of a 2009 Chevrolet Impala, driven by Patricia Ward, 57. The impact sent Ward’s vehicle into the path of Marcus Deeker, 56, and his 2001 Ford F-150.

Deeker’s pickup was towing a boat which hit another pickup driven by Timothy Steimel, 22. Steimel then hit Finch’s car and both vehicles came to a rest off the roadway.

Injuries were sustained by four people, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The most seriously injured were Ward and her passenger, Catherine Wineinger, 52. Finch suffered moderate injuries and Steimel was described as having minor injuries. All four people listed on the injury report were taken by ambulance to St. Joseph’s East Hospital in St. Charles, Missouri.

Obviously this is a complicated crash for authorities for a personal injury attorney to analyze. There are many questions that need to be answered by an accident reconstruction or other investigation before liability can be determined. A Missouri car accident attorney will need to look at each individual collision, find out why Finch lost control of his vehicle in the first place and how fast all the other vehicles were traveling.

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Posted In: Missouri Car Accidents , Personal Injury News

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As each week passes, we are starting to see more signs that summer is here. Baseball season has started, the pools are opening, and students are getting out of school. Amusement parks across the state are also gearing up for the busy season. If a park visitor is not careful, though, serious injury and even death can occur at a place which is normally associated with fun and excitement.

Many people have different reactions to theme park rides. Some people are daredevils that feel safe going on any thrill ride, while others swear those big roller coasters are just an accident waiting to happen.

The truth is that theme parks are relatively safe as long as both the guests and the park staff are attentive and use good judgment. This, as you probably suspect, doesn’t always happen and that’s when there’s a problem.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that more than 10,500 people are seriously injured each year on rides at both permanent amusement parks and traveling carnivals combined. This data is only an estimate as a true number would be very hard to calculate. Injury accidents at theme parks aren’t always reported and rules about documenting them vary widely from state to state.

Tragically, 5 people die each year in accidents at parks like these. Just last week, in fact, a young boy drowned in a pool at a Wet n’ Wild amusement park in Anthony, Texas.

You might guess traveling carnivals, with those rickety mobile rides that collapse and reassemble in mall parking lots, might be less safe than a fixed-site theme park. This too is hard to gauge due to lack of information. We know fixed-site rides account for about 6,500 of the total injuries each year compared to only 4,000 or so for the mobile amusement rides. Fixed-site parks, though, presumably see more visitors a year, so they may be statistically safer. It’s impossible to know the exact rate for mobile parks as their attendance figures are not documented completely.

From a personal injury lawyer’s perspective, the big question is, “Why are these accidents occurring?” The CPSC cites a few main causes for the incidents. A large number of injury accidents were blamed on rider behavior. Generally this means that a park guest did something reckless like standing up on a ride or removing safety restraints. Another main cause of accidents is negligence on the part of the ride operator. If a ride operator fails to properly secure a ride’s passengers, serious injury is often the result. Most of the remaining accidents are caused by mechanical failure.

If someone is injured by a theme park staff’s negligence or a mechanical breakdown, they may be entitled to damages through a personal injury lawsuit. A claim against a theme park or traveling carnival will probably fall under the category of a "premises liability" case. These cases are brought against business or land owners when an injury results from dangerous conditions on their property. Even if the accident might have been caused by a park guest’s actions, they should still contact a injury accident attorney to learn their rights as they still may be entitled to compensation.

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

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Three people were injured Tuesday afternoon when a Chevrolet pickup truck slammed into the back of an Isuzu Trooper in Phelps County, Missouri.

The Missouri injury accident occurred on Highway 63 near County Road 5340. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the driver of the Trooper, Melissa Wiley, 18, had slowed to make a left turn. Tony Goodfellow, 28, was following in the pickup, but failed to slow or stop and crashed into the rear of the first vehicle.

As a result of the impact, a leaf spring on the Trooper flew open and struck a third vehicle.

Wiley’s vehicle came to a rest overturned in the roadway, and Goodfellow’s traveled off the road into a house. Both were totaled.

Wiley and her passenger, Nikki Shaw, 11, were both injured and taken to Phelps County Regional Medical Center for treatment. Goodfellow was also injured and taken to Phelps County Regional. Nobody in the third vehicle was injured.

From an injury accident lawyer’s perspective, this seems to be a simple rear end collision case. In the majority of cases, negligence is assumed on the part of the at-fault driver in rear-end collision cases. While only the basic information on this crash was released by the highway patrol, you can see that not only did Goodfellow rear end the Isuzu Trooper, he did it with enough force to total both vehicles and flip over Wiley’s vehicle.

Should a personal injury attorney be called in to investigate, the first thing he or she will do is gather more information about the speed of both vehicles and how they were both driving just before the accident.

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Posted In: Missouri Car Accidents , Personal Injury News

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Ashley Walker, 24, was killed and two others were seriously injured Sunday afternoon in a Missouri car accident on Highway 94 near Matson Hill.

Walker was a passenger in an eastbound 2001 Volkswagen Jetta, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. The car’s driver, Ashley Matthews, 23, drifted off the side of the road before overcorrecting and crossing the center line into oncoming traffic. The Jetta struck a 2006 Cadillac CTS, driven by David Mann, 54.

Walker was ejected from the vehicle.

Walker was pronounced dead at the scene. Matthews and Mann both suffered serious injury and were taken to St. John’s Medical Center for emergency treatment.

The initial crash report does not say why Matthews drifted off the side of the road causing her to lose control of the vehicle in the first place. No citations were listed by the investigating officer, but if Matthews was distracted or otherwise found to negligent, she may be responsible for damages should a personal injury lawsuit arise from this crash.

An accident reconstruction will be conducted by authorities to determine exactly what happened and see what drivers are at fault. This information will be used by police and any car accident attorneys involved in the case.

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Posted In: Missouri Car Accidents

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Esteban Hernandez, 19, was killed Saturday night in Laclede County when an unknown vehicle hit him on Missouri 5 and then left the scene.

According to the investigating officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Hernandez was walking along the southbound lanes of Missouri 5 when he was hit by the unknown driver. He was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later when his body was discovered.

As of right now, the Highway Patrol does not have a vehicle description nor have any witnesses come forward.

Leaving the scene of a Missouri car accident, even if you do not think there were any injuries, can result in felony charges and jail time. It is grossly irresponsible to leave the scene when a fellow driver or pedestrian may have been hurt.

Hopefully the driver is found and justice is served for this tragic incident. If you have any knowledge that would be helpful in finding the hit-and-run driver, please contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop I headquarters at (573) 368 – 2345.

To help pay for funeral expenses, Jones’ family may be able to pursue a claim on his own auto insurance policy for uninsured motorist benefits. Uninsured motorist coverage is designed to protect you should you be involved in an accident with an uninsured or hit-and-run driver, but filing the claim can be complicated. A personal injury attorney should be contacted as soon as possible to provide advice on how to properly handle these claims.

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Posted In: Hit and Run Injuries , Personal Injury News

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Quiana Bogan, 36, was seriously injured Wednesday in a Missouri car accident on Interstate 70 in North St. Louis.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Todd Kasban, 33, was traveling eastbound in a 2000 Ford Windstar just ahead of Bogan’s 2004 Nissan Altima. Kasban had to swerve to avoid another vehicle and in doing so, he lost control of his car and struck the median wall. After hitting the median, Kasban’s car crossed back into the path of Bogan’s car.

Bogan was taken to Barnes Jewish Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Kasban did not sustain any serious injuries, according to the initial crash report.

Bogan was not wearing a seat belt.

The investigating officer did not have any details on the vehicle that Kasban had to swerve to avoid. It is not known whether this third vehicle made a negligent maneuver that may have started this chain reaction accident, or if Kasban was simply driving too fast and had to avoid the other car.

Details such as this would be investigated by a St. Louis area personal injury attorney should one be contacted on this case. A crash reconstruction would be able to look at the speeds and locations of all the vehicles involved and determine which drivers should be held liable for damages.

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Posted In: Missouri Car Accidents

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is reporting complaints that safety training consultants are shortening the hours on a required safety course, according to the Springfield Business Journal.

According to the report, some trainers are giving workers two hours of instruction and giving them bogus certification for a normally 10-hour safety course.

While the article focused on trainings given here to prevent Missouri work place injuries, skimping on required training hours is a national problem for OSHA. A case in New York City had a safety trainer deliver a 10-hour course in a mere just a couple hours over drinks at a bar.

The reason this kind of cheating has become more rampant is that a law that takes effect August 28 will require all construction companies that are taking stimulus money to have their workers complete the training course. Safety trainers overwhelmed with training session requests have been shortening their sessions in order to schedule more and make more money.

The work place and construction injuries that this course is aimed at preventing can be a devastating problem for Missouri workers. If someone is hurt on the job by another’s negligence, not only will medical bills pile up but many are not able to work and generate money during their recovery. Consulting a personal injury attorney may be beneficial in these situations to ensure that your rights are protected.

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Posted In: Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer , Missouri Construction Accidents , Missouri Legislative News , Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer News , Personal Injury News

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A two-car crash on Route HH near Piedmont, Missouri seriously injured three people Saturday afternoon.

According to the investigating officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the two cars, a 1999 Dodge and a 2000 Ford, were traveling towards each other on Route HH. The driver of the Dodge, Kayla Hawver, 18, crossed the center line and struck the other car head-on.

The second vehicle had two passengers: Ted McKinney, 68, and Marilyn McKinney, 63.

All three people involved were seriously injured and needed to be airlifted to a nearby hospital. Hawver was taken to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. The McKinneys were taken to St. Francis Medical Center.

It is not known why Hawver seemed to lose track of her vehicle and crossed the center line. Authorities will continue to investigate the crash and determine what exactly happened. A Missouri car accident attorney will also be able to use this information to prove liability should a personal injury suit arise from this incident.

Even though modern cars have many safety features to protect drivers in a head-on collision, they are still one of the most common and dangerous types of accidents on the roadway. The possibility of head trauma is high even with an air bag. The exact nature of the injuries in the Wayne County crash are unknown.

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Posted In: Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer , Missouri Car Accidents , Personal Injury News

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Margaret Rhea, 62, was killed Friday evening after a Missouri car accident in Henry County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred on Missouri 52 around 9:28 p.m. Rhea was traveling westbound in a 2001 Chrysler. A second vehicle, a 2005 Chevrolet driven by Norman Sapp, 63, was traveling eastbound on Missouri 52. Sapp lost control of his vehicle and crossed the center line. The two cars collided head-on.

Rhea was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to Hill and Sons Funeral Home. Sapp was seriously injured and taken to St. Luke’s Hospital for emergency treatment.

Sapp was not wearing a seat belt. The investigating officer did not know whether Rhea was wearing hers.

The initial crash report did not say why Sapp lost control of his vehicle. Since there was a fatality involved in this accident, an accident reconstruction will be performed to try and gather as many details about how this fatal Missouri car crash occurred. A Missouri personal injury attorney will be able to look at the results of the investigation should a wrongful death or personal injury suit arise from this case.

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Posted In: Missouri Car Accidents

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Four people were hospitalized Thursday morning when one car rear-ended another on Missouri 96 near Halltown, Missouri.

The accident occurred when Melinda Hulbert, 31, failed to slow her 2003 Saturn before striking another car, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Hulbert’s car struck the rear of a 2004 GMC Sonoma and sent it off the roadway where it hit an embankment and overturned. Hulbert’s car remained in the roadway.

The driver of the second car, Sharon Evans, 45, suffered moderate injuries and was taken St. John’s Hospital. Evans’ two daughters, Misti and Krystal, 13 and 16 respectively, were both seriously injured. Both girls were also taken by ambulance to St. John’s Hospital. Hulbert suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Cox Medical Center South.

A Missouri personal injury attorney will need to review more details in this case, but from the description in the initial crash report, the Evans family may be able to recover damages for their injuries. Often, negligence is assumed in Missouri rear-end collision cases. There may be other important facts about this crash left off the initial report, though, that may affect the case.

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Posted In: Missouri Car Accidents , Personal Injury News

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Mandy Doss, 22, was injured Tuesday after the car she was riding in crashed into another vehicle on Berry Road in St. Francois County, Missouri.

According to the Highway Patrol’s initial crash report, this Missouri car accident occurred when a 1997 Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Clayton Proffer, 21, attempted to enter Berry Road. Proffer failed to yield as he made the turn and pulled out in front of a 2008 Pontiac Torrent, driven by Beverly Hagan, 57. Hagan was unable to stop and crashed into the rear of Proffer’s vehicle.

Doss was a passenger in Hagan’s car. Doss was taken by ambulance to Parkland Health Center South for treatment. No one else involved in the accident suffered serious injury, according to the investigating officer.

Often in rear-end collision cases, the fault lies on the person driving the car in back that initiates the contact. The initial crash report for this crash, however, specifically mentions Proffer’s failure to yield as a major cause of this crash. Initial crash reports are considered hearsay in court so a Missouri personal injury lawyer will need to investigate the crash more thoroughly to back up the details outlined in the report.

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Posted In: Missouri Car Accidents

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The Missouri House and Senate have both passed a bill that would allow motorcycle riders to ride without a helmet except on highways. The law will go into effect if Gov. Jay Nixon doesn’t veto it.

Under the current law, all riders must have a helmet at all times to protect themselves from motorcycle injury accidents.

If the new law is put in place, anybody over 21 will have the option to wear a helmet when they ride their motorcycle. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, 30 other states have similar partial helmet laws or no helmet laws.

Supporters of the change say riders should have the freedom to choose without the government becoming a nanny-state and legislating personal safety.

Opponents say that the costs associated with fatal and serious injuries sustained in Missouri motorcycle accidents are passed along to non-riders by increased insurance premiums and taxes.

In 2007, over 2,300 accidents involving motorcycles occurred in Missouri. 93 people were killed in these accidents and over 2,000 were injured. According to the Post Dispatch, Arkansas and Texas both saw sharp declines in helmet use after they loosened helmet laws in recent years. Fatalities in both states increased by 25 percent in the year after the laws were passed.

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Posted In: Missouri Legislative News , Missouri Motorcycle Accidents , Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer News , Personal Injury News

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A Missouri car crash that killed four people on March 21 is still being investigated by authorities and the final report may not be ready for months.

The accident in question is one that we commented on involving several international students from Eastern Illinois University. The accident took place on Dougherty Ferry road when Christine Miller, 41, who was driving her car the wrong way in traffic, crashed into the side of a 1997 Honda Accord killing four of its passengers.

Miller and the driver of the second car, Nitesh Adusumilli, 27, were the only ones to survive wreck. Among the dead were Anusha Anumolu, 23; Satya Chinta, 25; Anita Lakshmi, 23; and Prya Muppvarapu, 22.

According to the Eastern Illinois University news website dennews.com, the Highway Patrol is investigating where Miller was prior to the crash. It is suspected that she had been drinking before the accident.

Miller may face criminal charges, especially if it can be proven that she was drinking prior to the crash. The information gathered in the final report could also be used by a St. Louis personal injury attorney should a civil lawsuit arise from this tragic accident.

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Posted In: Missouri Car Accidents , Personal Injury News

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