Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog

Michael Prater, 33, was killed and two others were injured Thursday night in a Missouri car crash on Highway 100 in Franklin County.

Prater, a St. Charles resident, was driving his 2004 Chevrolet westbound on Highway 100 near Jones Lane when the accident occurred. An eastbound 2002 Pontiac, driven by Nicole Feldmann, 17, crossed the center line and struck Prater's vehicle, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Prater's vehicle spun out of control and into the path of a third vehicle, a 1997 Ford driven by Terry Robinson, 36. Robinson was unable to maneuver the accident scene and also hit Prater's vehicle.

Prater was taken to St. John's Mercy hospital where he was pronounced dead. Feldmann and Robinson were also taken to St. John's for treatment, though their injuries were not considered life threatening.

There are a few unknowns about this Eastern Missouri car accident. The initial crash report does not give a reason for Feldmann's car to cross the center line. It could have been due to negligent driving on her part or due to some other extenuating circumstances. Also, it is not known which collision proved to be fatal for Prater.

Since there was a fatality a team of investigators will perform an accident reconstruction to determine exactly how this accident occurred. The investigators will use physical evidence such as tire skid marks and debris patterns to determine the speeds of the vehicles at the time of the wreck and what led to the crash.

As in any Missouri accident case, if negligence on the part of one of the drivers caused the accident, the injured party may be able to recover damages from the at-fault driver's insurance. The family of the deceased may also be able to contact a Missouri personal injury lawyer to recover damages to pay for funeral costs.

Today, I received a report from Farmer's Insurance Company regarding the value of my client's totaled vehicle. Farmers relies upon reports created by CCC Valuescope, a company that has a history of unfair and fraudulent practices. A class action lawsuit was filed a few years ago and as part of that settlement, CCC Valuescope is being monitored by the courts. Obviously, not that well.

In the report my law firm received, CCC relied upon 2 independent salvage yards to support their assertion of the car's value. Well, I spoke with them. Both, yes, BOTH, said CCC misrepresented what they told them. The first person told me he didn't know what the vehicle was worth, and the second said there would be a $2000.00 deduction. Well, CCC took over a $12,000 deduction for the salvage title.

My law firm is obtaining affidavits from these two individuals. We are interested in hearing from anyone who has evidence that CCC Valuescope engaged in unfair or fraudulent activities.

Please contact my law firm if you have information regarding this company.

Annette Riefle, 50, was hospitalized Monday after a Missouri car accident in Jefferson County on Route B.

Riefle was driving her 1998 Ford Contour westbound on Ridge Road just before the crash. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, as Riefle turned onto Route B, her car hit a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by Jerry Allen, 39.

Riefle was taken to St. Anthony's Hospital for treatment. Allen was not listed as injured on the initial crash report, though his vehicle did sustain extensive damage.

With the brief description of the accident in the initial report not enough to prove liability, this St. Louis area car crash will likely see further investigation. The insurance companies involved will be especially interested to examine the evidence as the at-fault driver's insurance will be responsible for paying for the damages caused to the injured party.

Many times these crashes are more complicated than they seem at first glance and insurance companies are known to try and limit payouts to deserving victims. That's why drivers injured by someone else's negligence should contact a competent Missouri car accident lawyer to ensure that their rights are upheld. Our Jefferson County, Mo personal injury attorneys can answer your questions during a free legal consultation.

Brad and Rita Weber, of Perryville, Missouri, were both injured and hospitalized Sunday evening in a Missouri highway car accident.

According to the initial crash report filed by the investigating officer, the accident took place on Interstate 55 in Perry County. The Webers were traveling northbound in a 2005 Buick Rendezvous. Behind them was a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by Betty Taggart, 64. Taggart attempted to pass the first car when Rita Weber, who was driving, changed lanes in front of her. The front of Taggart's car hit the rear of Weber's and this sent both vehicles out of control. They eventually both ended up in the center median.

Brad Weber was seriously injured and flown to St. Francis Medical Center. Rita Weber was also injured and taken by ambulance to the same hospital. No injury information was given for Taggart.

From the details given in the initial report, it is hard to tell who was at fault for this Missouri injury accident. If Weber merged into Taggart, she could be considered responsible, while Taggart might be considered to blame if she rear-ended Weber's car. Most times negligence is assumed on the part of the at-fault driver in rear end collision cases.

More investigation into this case is necessary before liability can be determined. In cases like these, it is helpful to seek consultation from an experienced Missouri personal injury attorney who can offer you advice on how to proceed with handling your case.

Three people were seriously hurt Friday evening after a Missouri car accident on Route Y in St. Francois County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's crash report, Gary Abt, 43, was traveling westbound in a 1997 Chevrolet S-10 when a second car crossed the center line in front of him. The other vehicle was a 1999 Ford Escort, driven by James Nash, 37. Since Nash was heading eastbound, the two cars collided head-on.

Abt, Nash and a passenger in Nash's car, Richard Savage, 31, were all seriously injured and flown to local hospitals for treatment. Abt and Savage were taken to Barnes Jewish and Nash was treated at St. Louis University Hospital.

No indication was given as to why Nash crossed the center line.

This multi-vehicle Missouri injury accident is still under investigation. If no other explanation is given, Nash could be considered at-fault for the wreck. Under Missouri law, if someone is injured by other person's negligent driving, they can receive compensation from the at-fault driver's insurance. Cases are not always so cut and dry and insurance companies will try to limit damage awards so it's a good idea to consult a St. Louis area personal injury attorney before agreeing to any settlement.

Tasers, a popular brand of stun-gun used by police, have generally been seen as a non-lethal alternative to the standard sidearm. In the wake of hundreds of deaths, however, the question of just how safe Tasers are is in question and now Taser International is issuing warnings to law enforcement officers.

According to an AP report, an Oct. 12 training manual released by the company warns against firing at a suspect’s chest and acknowledges there is a risk of negative effects on the heart.

Since stun-guns have become commonplace in recent years, 350 people have died after being shot by them. Many of these deaths were heart related and in at least 50 of these cases a medical examiner has said the shock emitted by the stun-gun played a role.

The statement by Taser International marks a big change in the way stun-guns are viewed. As stated above, most police and security companies view tasers as a safer alternative that will subdue a suspect without causing long-term personal injury or death. Demonstrations have even been given where officers or even television reporters are voluntarily shocked.

Law enforcement agencies often tell their employees to use tasers only when the suspect is threatening to cause severe harm to the officer or another civilian. In practice, though, we have seen officers use the guns excessively and in situations where the suspect is not a threat.

One similar case occurred here in Missouri last year. Stanley James Harlan, 23, died after being hit twice with a taser by police after being pulled over on a suspected DUI. If Harlan was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, he should have been arrested and faced charges, but this alone does not justify the use of deadly force. This is just one of countless horror stories surrounding the use of stun guns.

Despite all the deaths and question marks about safety, personal injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits have been largely unsuccessful due to the perception that tasers are non-lethal instruments. Dozens of suits against stun-gun manufacturers have been dismissed with Taser International losing only a single case, which is under appeal, according to the AP. Sovereign immunity rules also make it hard to recover damages from police departments.

This recent concession by a major stun-gun manufacturer may be a sign that the perception of these devices is changing. If you have lingering effects of being shocked or have lost a family member to a taser incident, contact a personal injury attorney to discuss your case.

Pedro Arriola, 34, was injured along with two others in a Missouri car accident on Highway 6 near Novinger, Missouri.

According to authorities responding to the crash, Arriola was traveling eastbound in a 2001 Oldsmobile when he attempted to pass another car on the road. As he did so, he crossed into the path of a 1995 Plymouth, driven by Lorrie Whittaker, 45. The two cars collided nearly head-on. The third car that Arriola was trying to pass was not hit in the collision.

Whittaker was seriously injured and taken to Northeast Regional Medical Center. A passenger riding with Arriola, Walter Hernandez, 14, was also seriously injured and was flown to University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. Arriola suffered only minor injuries and is seeking his own medial treatment.

It is legal to pass on many of Missouri’s roads, particularly the more rural routes. All drivers must be conscious of their surroundings before they do, however, or accidents like this will continue to happen. Use the lines on the road as a guide. If there is a broken or dashed line, it is an appropriate place to pass if there is no oncoming traffic. If the line is solid, the road does not provide enough visibility to pass at that spot.

If you are injured in a Missouri car wreck due to someone else’s negligence, you have the right to consult a Missouri car accident attorney and pursue damages to relieve your medical bills. The insurance of the at-fault driver should cover you, but things are not always so simple and the insurance company may make a move to try and deny you the money you are owed.

Linda Rogers, 45, was killed Saturday night when she was hit by a driver who then left the scene, according the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Rogers was walking along I-70’s eastbound lanes near the I-170 junction when the accident happened. An unknown vehicle traveling in the eastbound lanes hit Rogers as she walked and then left the scene.

Rogers was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.

The driver in this Missouri hit-and-run crash is unknown and no details about the vehicle were listed on the initial crash report. If you have any information related to this accident that may be helpful to authorities, call the Highway Patrol’s Troop C headquarters at (636) 300 - 2800.

Leaving the scene of a Missouri car accident or pedestrian accident is a serious offense. If the driver is ever located, he or she will likely face criminal charges as well as a possible civil suit.

If the driver is never found, Rogers’ family may be able to make a claim with her own insurance company’s uninsured motorist coverage. Every insurance company has to provide uninsured motorist coverage that will protect you if you are injured in a car crash with a driver without insurance or an unknown driver, as in a hit-and-run case.

Dealing with these claims can be complicated and your insurance company may be difficult to work with. Because of this, it is a good idea to speak with a St. Louis area personal injury attorney and learn your legal rights before dealing with the insurance companies.

Four people were hospitalized after two cars collided on Missouri 19 in tragic Gasconade County, Missouri car crash. Reports indicate that one of the cars was traveling on the wrong side of the road.

According to the initial crash report on file with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Tyler Krull, 21, was driving his 1998 Dodge northbound in the southbound lanes of Missouri 19. A 2003 Kia was traveling southbound at the same time and the two cars crashed head-on about a mile from Highway 50.

The four people in the Kia were all taken to St. John’s Hospital in Washington for treatment. Those people were Kyle McCracken, 23; Taylor Graves, 19; Amanda Perry, 17; and Jamie Wood, 16. Krull was not injured, according to the investigating officer.

The Highway Patrol did not offer a reason as to why Krull was driving on the wrong side of the road. No citations were noted on the crash report.

This incident is similar to several others that have occurred in the St. Louis area where a driver has turned up on the wrong side of the road and caused a car wreck. In several of these cases alcohol was involved.

Until more details are released about this Missouri car crash, we will not know why Krull was driving on the wrong side of the road. Given that the accident took place at 3 a.m. any number of causes could be to blame from fatigue to low visibility.

If no other explanation is given and Krull is found to have been negligent in driving his vehicle, the injured party could contact a Missouri car accident attorney to collect damages to pay for medical bills arising from the accident. Anybody involved in a car accident should consult a personal injury attorney before talking to an insurance company to make sure all their rights are understood.

Three people were injured, two seriously, after a two-car crash in Jefferson County, Missouri on Sunday.

The accident occurred at the intersection of Highway 30 and Little Brennan Road near Murphy, Missouri. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the crash happened when Rafal Pryk, 32, drove his 2001 Mercedes ML320 through a red traffic signal. As he did so, he broadsided a 1998 Saturn that was also entering the intersection.

Joey Freeman, 44, and Que Huynh, 44, were passengers in the Saturn and were seriously injured. They were taken to St. Anthony’s Medical Center for emergency treatment. Pryk’s injuries were minor, but he also sought treatment at St. Anthony’s.

All three people involved were wearing seatbelts.

This case is a clear example of how dangerous broadside collisions, also called side impact crashes, can be. Modern cars have lots of protective barriers if the impact comes from the front of a vehicle. Missouri drivers sustain injury more commonly and more severely from side impacts since there are less safety measures to protect passengers.

The investigating officer noted that the Pryk ran a red light, though he did not say if he issued a citation. If a Missouri personal injury lawyer is called in to investigate this case, he will have to make sure that Pryk did indeed run a red light and that the light was operational at the time of the crash. In some rare occasions, lights can malfunction sending the wrong signal to drivers thus causing an accident. Contacting a car accident attorney and getting the light inspected as soon as possible is the best way to make sure of the light’s functionality at the time of the crash.

1,000 people are killed each year and another 90,000 are injured as a result of drivers running red lights.

Laura Akers, 63; Guy Bellistri, 50; and Patricia Collins, 49, were all taken to the hospital Tuesday with injuries after a head-on Missouri car crash in Jefferson County.

According to the initial crash report filed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident began when Akers’ 2008 Pontiac G6 crossed the center line on Romaine Creek Road. Akers was traveling westbound and when her car crossed the line, it collided with an eastbound 2003 Toyota Corolla, driven by Collins. Bellistri was a passenger in Collins’ car.

Akers, Bellistri, and Collins were all taken to St. Anthony’s Medical Center for treatment. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

No indication was given as to why Akers suddenly drove into oncoming traffic. This Jefferson County car accident will need further investigation before the exact cause is determined. Initial crash reports typically don’t have a detailed description of crashes and don’t stand up in court unless the officer filing the report actually witnessed the accident or is a trained accident reconstructionist.

If this accident, or any Missouri car accident, is found to have been caused by negligence on the part of one of the drivers, the injured party may be able to hire a personal injury attorney for help recovering damages. Thankfully there were no fatalities or life-threatening injuries, but less serious injuries can still result in gigantic medical bills and keep people sidelined from work for extended periods of time.

After pointing out some dangerous intersections in yesterday’s post, I read an article published in the St. Louis Post Dispatch about another particularly dangerous Missouri roadway, Highway DD.

Highway DD is a two lane rural road in St. Charles County that goes past the Busch Wildlife Area. If you’ve ever been out to one of the wineries in Augusta, you’ve probably driven on Highway DD.

According to statistics cited in the Post Dispatch report, Highway DD is one of the most dangerous roads in the state and has an accident rate twice the average for other roads of its type.

DD has no shoulders and steep drop offs on either side of the roadway, which becomes a deadly combination when mixed with numerous sharp turns and hills.

The Highway has seen over 140 accidents resulting in five fatalities over the last five years.

Local residents have petitioned to add safety improvements and MoDOT has plans to add shoulders and turn lanes along certain sections of the highway, according to the Post Dispatch.

These future improvements can’t bring back any of the lives tragically lost in previous Missouri car crashes.

Sometimes when a roadway is particularly treacherous and it can be proved that the state knew about the dangers prior to a deadly crash, a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit may be brought against the state. These cases are very complicated and fairly rare, though there was a similar high profile case recently. The family of Andrea Whitehead brought a case against the Missouri Highway Commission after a fatal Missouri car accident in 2008.

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a car accident, it would be wise to consult a St. Louis area car accident lawyer to learn your rights and have professionals examine your case including the road conditions and, if another car was involved, the role of the other driver.

My personal injury firm helps people who have been injured in a Missouri car accident, but we can only do so much after an accident to help victims recover. It is up to drivers to do their part to avoid accidents and prevent injuries before they happen. One way to do this is to be prepared for a potentially dangerous situation.

To help you do that, here is a list of the 10 most dangerous intersections in Missouri, according to a State Farm Insurance report:

1.) Gravois and Lindbergh Blvd. – Sunset Hills
2.) Glenstone Ave. and Sunshine St. – Springfield
3.) Clarkson Rd. and Manchester Rd. – Ellisville
4.) Highway 141 and Big Bend – Twin Oaks
5.) 23rd St. and State Highway 291 – Independence
6.) Battlefield Road and National Ave. – Springfield
7.) Kansas Expressway and Sunshine St. – Springfield
8.) Patterson Rd. and Lindbergh – Florissant
9.) Highway K and Highway N – O’Fallon
10.) Highway 94 and Jungermann Rd. – St. Peters

Looking at the list, we find the St. Louis metro area and Springfield have most of the more dangerous intersections in the state. If you live in these areas, you probably know these roads well.

Now that you know where Missouri injury accidents are most likely to happen, you should be extra vigilant when approaching these intersections. You should always obey traffic laws, but it’s especially important at these locations that you don’t try to beat a yellow light or speed through even when it’s green.

Even the safest drivers can’t totally eliminate their risk of accidents. You can take all the steps possible to prevent a crash, but another driver can be negligent and run into you. If you have been involved in a crash, contact a Missouri car accident lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights.

Five people were hospitalized Saturday evening after a Missouri injury accident on the north outer road of Highway 40 just west of Highway 94 in St. Charles.

According to the investigating officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Katherine Tate, 30, entered the outer road heading into oncoming traffic. She was traveling eastbound in the westbound lane in her 2001 Volvo. At the same time, a 2007 Chevrolet Impala, driven by Robert Hill, 78, was entering the westbound lanes of the outer road from Highway 40. Hill was unable to avoid Tate’s car and the two vehicles crashed head-on.

Tate was flown to Barnes Hospital in St. Charles for emergency treatment. Hill and three others in his car, Deborah Hill, 77; Rebecca Koch, 32; and James Vanvelzer, 33; were taken to St. John’s Mercy in Creve Coeur.

The Highway Patrol report does not indicate why Tate was heading into oncoming traffic or if there were extenuating circumstances that forced her there.

If further investigation reveals that Tate was driving negligently, Hill and the other injured parties may be able to consult a Missouri car accident lawyer to help recover damages that can pay for medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses.