Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog

Three people were hospitalized, including one young child, after a Missouri car accident at the intersection of Route A and Old Highway A in Jefferson County.

According to the investigating officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Beverly Cornman, 52, was sitting on Old Highway A at a stop sign in her 2004 Dodge Durango. At the same time, Adrienn Hardebeck, 23, was approaching the intersection on Route A in a 1998 Kia Sephia. Just before Hardebeck entered the intersection, Cornman attempted to cross Route A toward Frontier Road. In doing so, Cornman pulled into the path of Hardebeck, who was unable to avoid a collision, and a side-impact crash occurred.

Adrienn Hardebeck and a child in her car, Sonia Hardebeck, 4, were taken by ambulance to Jefferson Regional Medical Center. Cornman was also injured and sought treatment at Jefferson Regional Medical Center.

The initial crash report for this St. Louis area injury accident did not say why Cornman attempted to cross the intersection when she did. Further details may tell investigators whether Cornman did not see Hardebeck's vehicle or whether Hardebeck was traveling at a high rate of speed or some other scenario.

Hardebeck was driving without insurance, according to the initial report, but no citation was listed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and state transportation departments all around the country are gearing up for Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May. Purposely set in spring as the weather warms and riding season gets into full swing, the awareness program is designed to spotlight the dangers of motorcycle riding while providing tips on how to make riding safer and more fun.

It would seem that motorcycle safety awareness is needed now more than ever. We've already seen a string of serious motorcycle injury accidents in St. Louis this year and the numbers only look to go up as we get into summer. The national statistics on motorcycle crashes are even more sobering.

To illustrate the dangers of riding, organizers behind Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month have released an analysis of crash statistics. Here are some of the more startling numbers:

- In 2008, the last full year statistics are available, there were 5,290 motorcyclist fatalities in highway crashes.

- The number of motorcycle crash deaths has risen every year since 1997.

- Almost half of these fatalities occurred when a motorcycle crashed into another type of vehicle.

- More than 90% of the fatal two-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle happened on non-interstate roadways.

- Half of the cases where a motorcycle collided with another vehicle occurred at an intersection, and a large portion of those incidents happened as a result of another vehicle making a left turn in front of a motorcyclist.

More statistics and tips on how to prevent motorcycle accident injuries and fatalities can be found on the NHTSA website.

A Missouri injury accident sent six people to the hospital Sunday after two pickup trucks collided on Highway 51 in Bollinger County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred around 6:20 p.m. near Highway NN. Lisa Abney, 31, was driving southbound in the first pickup, a 1989 Chevrolet. The other pickup was a northbound 2002 Chevy S-10, driven by Tommie Reece, 64. According to a description of the accident by the investigating officer, Abney's truck drifted across the center line and struck the front left of Reece's pickup. The nearly head-on collision totaled both trucks.

Abney and Reece were seriously injured and taken to St. Francis Hospital. Also in Abney's truck were Ryan Burns, 23, and Ronald Wilson, 23. The passengers in Reece's truck were Philip Lawler, 40, and Zachary Lawler, 14. All of the passengers suffered injuries requiring emergency treatment and they were also taken by ambulance to St. Francis Hospital.

Thankfully, all of the passengers in both trucks were wearing seat belts or this accident could have been worse, perhaps even fatal. Hopefully everyone can make a full recovery.

The road to recovery is not always easy. Sometimes Missouri car accidents result in injuries that require serious physical therapy and numerous expensive treatments. Medical bills can pile up and victims may not be well enough to return to work. Because of these hardships, drivers are required to carry liability insurance to pay for the expenses of the injured party should they cause an accident.

Not every case is clear cut, though, and initial crash reports often need much more investigation to corroborate the details. It is often in a victim's best interest to contact a Missouri personal injury attorney after an accident to make sure his or her rights are protected and they are given the best chance to make a full recovery. Most lawyer's offer free consultations with no obligation to hire.

After a Missouri car accident, many people would like to assume that they can rely on their insurance company to take care of them. That's what their customers are paying them for, after all. The mistake people sometimes make is to assume these companies, with their ads claiming that they will protect you in any situation, are not going to be looking for any way to not pay you the amount you deserve.

Insurance companies are working to make a profit and those profits are affected by each serious injury accident they have to pay for. Insurance adjusters will sometimes give you an inadequate settlement offer to see if you accept. Other times, they may try and get out making any kind of settlement at all.

Personal injury lawyers are there to work with you and make sure your rights as an accident victim are protected while allowing you to get the settlement you need for a full recovery. But when should you hire an attorney?

Unfortunately, personal injury law is very complicated with many nuances that can only be understood with years of experience. Every case is different and no blog post will be able to tell you whether you absolutely need representation.

Not every case needs a lawyer and some minor claims can be settled fairly easily. If you have any questions whatsoever, though, about your case, there is almost no risk in contacting a personal injury attorney as they mostly offer free consultations with no obligation to hire. You can discuss your case and the lawyer will be able to determine your best course of action. Sometimes this means he will offer to represent you, while other times, he may give you some free tips on how to handle the case yourself.

Ford Motor Company announced a recall of more than 30,000 cars and SUVs to correct a potentially dangerous product defect with the seat recliner mechanisms, according to a Reuters report. The problem could lead to injury in the event of a serious car accident if not corrected.

Specifically, the problem has to do with the seat recliners and headrests collapsing back in a crash. The car manufacturer notified officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the problem and plans to send letters to all car owners soon.

What makes this problem so potentially dangerous is that it could render the seat belts useless. If your seat collapses backward, the shoulder belt will no longer be in contact with your body leaving you more vulnerable. It could also make it easier to sustain neck and spine injuries.

Ford said this is a voluntary recall and no injuries attributed to the defect have been reported at this time.

Some of the models affected are the Fusion, Explorer, Mercury Milan and Mercury Mountaineer. If you would like more information, contact your local dealer.

Shaun McClure, 28, was seriously injured Monday when the motorcycle he was riding was rear-ended on Missouri 52 in Miller County.

This Missouri motorcycle accident occurred just after 6:30 p.m. at the intersection of Missouri 52 and Pace Road. McClure was riding a 2003 Yamaha Star Motorcycle westbound at the time of the crash. Behind McClure was a 2000 Dodge Ram, driven by Steven Shelton, 54. McClure slowed to make a right turn at the intersection, but Shelton was unable to stop his pickup in time and slammed into the back of the motorcyclist.

McClure was rushed to University Hospital in Columbia for emergency treatment. Shelton did not sustain any serious injury.

It is unclear what exactly caused this accident. Shelton could have taken his focus off the road ahead of him or McClure may have made a sudden stop before his turn. Usually, rear-end collision cases find that the rear most vehicle was at fault and, due to the rear impact collision doctrine, that at-fault driver is usually found to be negligent. This is because all drivers should be in control of where their vehicle is heading and allow plenty of space in between them and the vehicle in front of them.

Shelton might also have had trouble judging the speed of the smaller motorcycle ahead of him. Many times, drivers or large cars misjudge the speed and distance of a motorcycles because of their small size. This further underscores why drivers have to be so vigilant on the roads and learn to share them with motorcyclists.

A St. Louis area car accident injured three people, two seriously, on a highway outer road in Jefferson County.

This Jefferson County, Mo car accident occurred as two oncoming vehicles clipped each other when one crossed the center line, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Nicole Isbell, 16, was driving a 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier southbound on the outer road. The second car was a 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis, driven by Denise Price, 43. As the two vehicles were about to pass each other, Isbell's car drifted across the center line and clipped the driver's side of Price's vehicle. Price's car then spun out of control off the right side of the roadway and into a rock bluff.

Price and a passenger in her car, Jeremy Price, 9, both suffered significant injury and were taken to local hospitals. Isbell's injuries were relatively minor, but she was also taken to the hospital for treatment.

Both drivers' insurance was listed as unknown in the initial crash report, but no citation for uninsured driving was noted.

After a Missouri car crash, the at-fault driver's insurance is supposed to pay for the medical bills and other expenses incurred by the injured party. Sometimes this is not so cut and dry, however, and the insurance company fights to limit the amount they pay. Other times, a driver may be driving illegally without insurance. In these more complicated cases, it is good to learn you legal rights as an accident victim by contact a St. Louis personal injury lawyer.

Continuing a rash of serious Missouri motorcycle accidents, Keith Geisner, 33, was hospitalized after a crash on Route DD in St. Genevieve County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Geisner was riding a 2000 Harley Davidson motorcycle eastbound on Route DD just before the accident occurred. At the same time, Donald Rogers, 41, was traveling westbound in a 1994 Ford Explorer. The oncoming vehicles approached the intersection with Kinsey Road at nearly the same time. Rogers attempted to make a left turn onto Kinsey Road, but failed to yield to Geisner. Geisner was unable to avoid colliding into Rogers' SUV and was thrown from his bike.

Geisner was airlifted to St. John's Hospital for emergency treatment. Rogers was not seriously injured in this Missouri motorcycle crash.

No citation was noted on the initial crash report filed by the investigating state trooper.

This accident is very similar to others that have happened in the St. Louis area recently. Larger cars have a tendency to misjudge where motorcycles are and can pull in front of them or cut them off, causing a serious accident. From the initial report, that's what appears to have happened in this incident, but further investigation is always important to verify the brief initial details.

If you or a family member have been involved in an accident and would like to educate yourself on your legal rights, contact a St. Louis area motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible.

As the weather begins to warm up, more and more motorcyclists are hitting the road. Unfortunately, this also means we will start to see more motorcycle injury accidents on local highways. Already, there have been dozens of accidents with most of them resulting in serious injury or even death.

The dangers of motorcycle riding are obvious. Without the protection provided by the body of a car, motorcycle riders are particularly vulnerable in crashes. Helmets offer some protection, but if thrown from a bike at high speeds, serious injury is almost inevitable.

In addition to being more vulnerable in a crash, motorcycle riders are also at a disadvantage because their smaller size often leads to other drivers overlooking them on the roadway and causing a crash.

Here are some tips to help us all avoid more serious Missouri motorcycle crashes:

-Drivers need to be on the lookout for motorcycles. They are smaller and harder to spot, but they share the road with larger passenger cars all the time. It is everyone's responsibility to be looking out for one another.

-Since motorcycles are smaller and generally only have one headlight, their speed and distance may be harder to judge. Other drivers need to be aware of this and take this into account on the roadways.

-Give motorcyclists plenty of space when following them and make sure to check your blind spots when changing lanes. This is just safe driving in general, but worth mentioning again here because of the vulnerability of motorcyclists.

-Motorcycle riders need to take responsibility for their own safety. Too many times we see fatal motorcycle accidents caused by a rider speeding negligently down the highway or weaving his way in and out of traffic. Also, no matter what state you are in and what laws exist at the time, please, wear a helmet.

David Presley, 35, was seriously injured Sunday in a Missouri motorcycle accident on Route YY in Franklin County.

According to the investigating trooper of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Presley was riding a 2007 Kawasaki Motorcycle eastbound on Route YY at the time of the accident. At the same time, Mary Bowman, 56, was driving a 1999 Ford Ranger pickup truck westbound on the same road. As the two vehicles approached Route C, Bowman attempted to make a left turn. The pickup pulled into the path of the motorcycle and Presley was unable to avoid a collision. Presley's motorcycle slammed into the passenger side of the pickup.

Presley was seriously injured and taken to St. John's Hospital for treatment. Bowman was not injured.

Motorcycle injury accidents can be devastating to those involved. With nothing to protect to the rider, they are often seriously injured or worse. Hopefully Presley can make a full recovery.

Many times, motorcycle crashes are caused because other drivers didn't see the motorcyclist until it was too late. Larger passenger cars will merge vehicles off the roadway or cut in front of the smaller motorcycle which leads to an accident. In this particular case, while the accident was caused when Bowman made a left turn, some more details need to be fleshed out before liability can be determined. The speeds of the two vehicles as well whether either driver broke any driving regulations needs to be determined. None of this information is available on the initial crash report.

Sometimes, insurance companies will not be cooperative in making sure accident victims get the assistance they need for a full recovery. In these cases, victims should contact a St. Louis area motorcycle accident lawyer to make sure their rights are protected. Our lawyers frequently handle car accidents in Franklin County, Missouri and can advise you on your legal rights.

Four people were hospitalized Friday after a Johnson County, Missouri car accident.

According to the initial accident report on this Missouri car accident, the crash happened at the intersection of Highway 50 and Missouri Route 131. A 1997 Acura, driven by James Frisbey, 31, was heading northbound toward the intersection at the same time as a 2005 GMC pickup, driven by Henry Tiner, 59. According to the investigating trooper from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Frisbey failed to yield at the intersection and pulled into the path of Tiner's pickup. The pickup then slammed into the driver's side of Frisbey's car.

Both drivers were taken to local hospitals with Frisbey, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, sustaining the most serious injuries. Chelsea Fink, 20, a passenger in the Acura, and Doris Tiner, 56, a passenger in the pickup, were also both injured and taken to local hospitals.

Charges are pending and an investigation into this Missouri injury crash is ongoing.

As more Toyota internal memos become public, a clearer picture of the company's failure to notify customers of safety concerns in a timely manner begins to materialize. The latest revelation to come out of the investigation is that Toyota identified a problem with sticking accelerator pedals in the fall of 2009, months before making the potentially dangerous product defect known in the U.S. The company notified distributors in more than 30 European countries, but failed to alert the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Under federal law, any car manufacturer must make safety defects known to the NHTSA within five days of their discovery and promptly issue a recall. Rather than disclose the whole truth behind the sudden acceleration problem, Toyota only issued a limited recall in the U.S. saying the incidents were all caused by floor mats getting caught on the gas pedal.

Why would Toyota say the problem is limited to floor mats when their own internal memos showed they knew the problems were more complicated? The company says that there were indeed separate problems requiring recalls and that they have since taken steps to improve communication so their customers can be notified more promptly. This explanation hasn't satisfied American transportation officials who have assessed a record fine of over $16 million on Toyota. The car company has not said whether they will appeal the fine or simply pay it.

The NHTSA has said the investigation hasn't concluded, and they will continue to scour thousands of pages of Toyota documents to look for more violations.

In addition to the federal agency's fine, Toyota faces almost 100 personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. As many as 52 deaths can be linked to sudden acceleration in a Toyota vehicle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking to collect $16.4 million in fines from Toyota for not disclosing the nature of potentially dangerous product defects that may have lead to serious car accidents and could be linked to numerous deaths.

The fine is the largest allowed under federal law for this type of case. Under federal regulations, car manufacturers are required to notify the NHTSA within five days of recognizing a defect with the potential to cause injury. Judging by documents obtained by federal investigators, Toyota waited to notify the NHTSA for at least four months that the gas pedals on several of its models had a tendency to stick.

If you'll remember, Toyota has issued several recalls over the last six months to combat a sudden acceleration problem in many of their models. Initially, the company claimed all of the problems were being caused by floor mats, but the newly obtained documents prove that they knew about a mechanical problem with the gas pedal even as they blamed the sudden acceleration reports on floor mats.

Toyota has not yet indicated if it will try and appeal the fines.

While the proposed fine may be the maximum allowed by federal law, it is just a tiny fraction compared to the huge profits brought in yearly by the world's largest automaker. Outside of these fines, there are numerous product liability lawsuits aimed at the company as well.

If companies are negligent in producing a product, they must be held accountable to ensure that lives are not lost and more people don't suffer injury. If you or someone you love has bee injured by a product defect, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible for a consultation on your case.

A Missouri car accident involving three cars occurred Friday afternoon on Interstate 44 and sent two people to the hospital.

According to the initial crash report filed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, traffic on the highway began to back up due to an earlier accident. Thomas Mayfield, 21, stopped his 2006 Honda at the end of the line of cars. Behind him was Joyce Morris, 52, who was unable to avoid hitting Mayfield's car with her 1994 Mercury. Moments later, a second collision occurred when Logan Harris, 20, slammed his 1998 Jeep into the back of Morris' car. The force of the second impact sent Morris' car into Mayfield's for a second time.

Both Morris and Harris were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Mayfield did not sustain serious injury.

The initial crash report did not say why Morris or Harris were unable to stop their cars before colliding with the traffic ahead of them. No citations were listed on the crash report.

Usually negligence on the part of the at-fault driver is assumed in Missouri rear-end collision cases. This is because every driver is responsible for the road ahead of him or her and should always be in control of where the car is going. Many times these crashes are caused by driver inattention. A person will be distracted by a cell phone or the radio and not see cars stopping ahead on the road. The true cause of an accident is often not found in the initial crash report, which is why it is sometimes necessary to consult a Missouri car accident attorney to help investigate your case.

A recent article on Wired's website about multitaskers caught my eye both for the information in the article, and how some people might interpret that information.

The article focuses on the findings of a recent study saying that a small percentage of people are exceptionally good at multitasking behind the wheel. These so-called supertaskers are able to perform well on benchmark driving tests while doing other distracting tasks such as talking on the phone or solving math problems. While the average person's response time when braking is reduced 20 percent when multitasking behind the wheel, supertaskers seem to be unaffected.

The idea that driving performance can be unaffected by cell phone use flies in the face of recent legislative trends to restrict the use of phones behind the wheel. Missouri recently banned minors from texting and driving, while commercial truck drivers have been banned from texting by a federal regulation as a way of preventing fatal traffic accidents.

And that's precisely the concern with the article. Most people are definitely not supertaskers. The average person's reaction time while talking on the phone is equivalent to that of a drunken driver and texting while driving is even more dangerous. Only about two percent of people studied had this unique talent, but chances are, a much higher percentage of people reading that article will get the idea that they, too, are multitasking prodigies.

While the science behind brain function and the existence of supertakers is interesting, don't make any assumptions on your own ability. Distracted driving is incredibly negligent and in the vast majority of cases will increase the chances of a serious car accident.