Newton County Chain Reaction Accident Injuries Six
A Newton County Missouri car accident injured Missourians from Monett and Granby. The chain reaction accident resulted in a Missouri rear impact car accident and a Missouri front end collision on US-60, 3 miles east of Granby, Missouri. The Missouri car crash occurred on June 6, 2011 at 6:45pm.
The collision occurred as a 2002 Ford Windstar driven by Pam L. Sternes of Granby waited to make a left turn. A 1997 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Matthew D. Tucker of Neosho slammed into the rear of Sternes’ vehicle. The force of the collision pushed Sternes into opposing traffic. Strenes crashed head on into a 2006 Dodge Charger driven by Sharrie L. Hartman of Monett. All three vehicles were totaled in the Missouri multivehicle accident.
Two drivers were seriously injured in the accident – Hartman and Sternes. Hartman went to Cox South Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. Sternes went to Freeman West Hospital in Joplin, Missouri. The other reported injuries belonged to four minors in Sternes’ vehicle: Nathan C. Sternes, 10; Lauren Sternes, 12; Kyle A. Sternes, 13; Cotton C. Jones, 14.
Compensation for injuries sustained during Missouri car accidents is governed by state tort law. Missouri tort law allows victims to recover compensation for the loss caused by an accident from the party at fault (or from the party at fault’s insurance company). However, some accident victims cannot obtain full compensation through a lawsuit because the party at fault is indigent, lacks insurance, or files for bankruptcy. Prior to 1987, those accident victims would not be fully compensated for their loss.
In 1987, the Missouri legislature passed a law that established the Missouri Tort Victims’ Compensation Fund (the “Fund”) to help fully compensate accident victims. Accident victims who have obtained a final judgment in personal injury or wrongful death suit who are unable to collect the full judgment are eligible to file a claim against the Fund. Accident victims who settle for the maximum amount of the party at fault’s liability insurance without being fully compensated are also eligible to file a claim. Certain family members of a deceased uncompensated accident victim may file a claim.
Eligibility to receive compensation from the Fund is limited. The Fund is designed to help compensate victims of Missouri car accidents and other torts in the state. As such, if the accident was in another state and the accident victim was not a Missourian, then no one involved can file a claim against the Fund.
The Fund provides relief for accident victims when they are injured by those without the ability to pay judgments. However, accident victims cannot recover from the Fund without first winning a judgment in court or reaching a settlement. Accident victims ought to have good legal representation to aggressively pursue their interests in courts and settlement negotiations to secure the best outcome.
If you were injured in a Missouri car accident and are worried about the party at fault’s ability to pay a judgment, contact a Missouri car accident lawyer today. Missouri car accident attorneys at the Bradley Law Firm are knowledgeable about all the legal avenues available to secure the compensation to which you are entitled.
