Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog

Photo from Baxter Bulletin

A Chesterfield, Missouri man, his son and another teenager were killed Friday when their five-passenger plane crashed during takeoff from a grass airfield in Arkansas.

The pilot was Warren Langford, 52 and his son was Brendan Langford, 15. Both were pronounced dead at the crash site. Jacob Ritz, 15, was taken to Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home, Arkansas where he was also pronounced dead.

Two others, Donald Beckerle, 43, and his son, Joshua Beckerle, 15, were injured and taken to the hospital for treatment. Joshua Beckerle’s injuries were considered very serious, but his current condition was not available, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

The plane they were flying was a Piper Cherokee Lance owned by Propaire Inc., a St. Louis based company. The Piper Cherokee Lance is a small, single-engine plane designed to carry five to six passengers. It has a range of 1000 miles. According to the Post Dispatch, Langford and the others had flown down to an Arkansas resort earlier in the week and were taking off for their trip home when the fatal plane crash occurred.

According to witnesses in the Baxter Bulletin, the plane was tilting back and forth as it tried to take off. It then crashed through a fence at the end of the runway before hitting some trees.

Federal Aviation Administration officials are investigating the deadly plane crash, but no cause has been released yet.

FAA and NTSB investigators will look into the various mechanical and structural problems that could have contributed to this crash. If it turns out that negligence on the part of Piper Aircraft Company or Propaire Inc. contributed to this incident, the families of those onboard may be able to hire an aviation accident lawyer to help recover damages. These investigations can be long, complicated and difficult processes, especially in the case of a fatal accident, but they are important to help make sure a similar accident doesn’t happen in the future.

The Piper PA-32R line of aircraft, which includes the Cherokee Lance involved in the Arkansas crash, has been at the center of a couple high profile incidents. In 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. and two others were killed when a Piper Saratoga, a variant of the Piper PA-32R, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. A 2008 Piper Saratoga crash in Ohio claimed the life of Michael Connell, a communications and technology expert for leading Republicans including George W. Bush, John McCain, and Karl Rove.

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Posted In: Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer , Missouri Airplane Crashes , Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer News , Personal Injury News

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Updating a story we commented on earlier, a Sunset Hills police officer is being sued for wrongful death in connection to an accident on March 21 that killed four people, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

The suit alleges that Christine Miller, 41, was drinking heavily at a bar before driving the wrong way on Dougherty Ferry and allegedly causing the accident.

Criminal charges were filed against Miller last week. She faces four counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and one count of second-degree assault stemming from injuries suffered by the other car’s driver who survived the wreck.

The passengers in the car were all natives of India and most were students at Eastern Illinois University. The four that were killed were Anusha Anumolu, 23; Satya Chinta, 25; Anita Veerapaneni, 23; and Priya Muppavarapu, 22. Nitesh Adusumilli, 27, was the driver and lone survivor of the second car.

O’Leary’s Restaurant is also being sued in connection with the accident, according to the Post Dispatch. The suit claims that the bar’s employees continued to serve Miller alcohol after she was intoxicated and did not prevent her from driving.

When a personal injury attorney feels a bar was negligent in allowing its customers to drive drunk, he might pursue a suit under ‘dram shop law’. This area of law governs the liability of liquor stores and bars when their patrons have alcohol related car accidents. Each state handles this area of law differently, which is why it’s important to hire an experienced Missouri car accident lawyer. Under Missouri law, for a dram shop case to be successful there must be proof that the person who later caused an accident was demonstrated significant impairment while at the bar.

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Three people were seriously injured, including one child, in a Missouri car accident on Missouri 64 in Dallas County, Missouri.

The crash occurred when a 1988 Lincoln Continental, driven by Tina Hughling, 42, crossed the center line of the roadway. According to the initial crash report, her car struck a 1983 Chevrolet S10 Pickup head on after crossing into oncoming traffic.

No indication was made as to why Hughling lost control of her vehicle and crossed the center line.

Brian Stafford, 28, was driving the pickup and sustained serious injuries. He was taken by ambulance to Central Missouri Hospital. Tina Hughling and her daughter, Ruby Hughling, 6, were both airlifted to Cox South Hospital with serious injuries.

Neither Tina Hughling nor her young daughter were wearing a seatbelt. Everybody should wear a seatbelt every time they get in a car. Not only will it protect you from serious injury, it is the law. Furthermore, if you are injured in a car accident and are found to have not been wearing a seat belt, you can be found to be comparatively negligent and your damages may be reduced.

The initial crash report submitted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol only has the basic information on this crash. It does not say why Hughling crossed the center line or what the speeds of the two vehicles were. There is simply not enough evidence to assign fault yet, which is why the drivers should contact a Missouri personal injury attorney to investigate the crash.

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A total of six people were hospitalized Monday evening after a head-on collision on Missouri 86.

The accident, which took place near Racine, Missouri, occurred when James Giberti, 22, lost control of his eastbound 2000 Oldsmobile and crossed the center line into oncoming traffic. Cynthia Weaver, 46, was traveling westbound in a 1998 Toyota and was struck head-on by Giberti’s car, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Weaver was driving with her husband, Daniel Weaver, 49; her son, James Weaver, 6; and Eunice Powell, 91. All of the passengers in Weaver’s Oldsmobile suffered significant injuries and were treated at local hospitals. Cynthia Weaver was flown to Freeman West Hospital while the other passengers were taken by ambulance to St. John’s Hospital.

Giberti and his passenger, Caleb McGuffey, 22, suffered less serious injuries but also sought treatment at St. John’s Hospital.

The investigating officer did not indicate what might have caused Giberti to cross the center line.

If there are no extenuating circumstances and the accident is found to have been caused by Giberti, his insurance may have to pay damages to the Weavers and Eunice Powell. Whenever someone is injured in a Missouri car accident by another driver’s negligence, the liability insurance of the at-fault driver is required to pay medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses of the injured party. Local authorities and a Missouri personal injury attorney will look at this case to determine who is to be held liable.

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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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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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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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Photo from Columbia Tribune

Four people were injured Sunday afternoon in a crash involving two cars and a tractor trailer on Interstate 70 in Boone County, Missouri.

The Missouri car crash began when James Jantz, 45, lost control of his 2001 Ford Crown Victoria and began to hydroplane on eastbound I-70, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Jantz’s car struck another eastbound vehicle, a 2006 Mazda driven by Kelly Brown, 23.

Jantz’s vehicle continued to spin out of control before hitting a guard rail and finally coming to a rest in the median. The impact of the initial crash caused Brown’s car to go through the median cables into the westbound lanes of I-70 where it struck a 2007 Freightliner tractor trailer head on.

The tractor trailer also ran off the roadway after the impact, hit two signs, overturned and was engulfed in flames.

Brown and passenger in her car, Chad Bingheim, 24, suffered serious injury and were taken to University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. The driver of the tractor trailer, Mohammed Ali, 28, and a passenger, Pamelia Ali, 39, suffered moderate injuries and were also taken to University hospital. Jantz was not injured according to the initial crash report filed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

This complicated crash needs the attention of an experienced Missouri personal injury lawyer. The brief description in the initial crash report can’t come close to fully detailing all the events leading up to the crash. The speeds of the vehicles, the conditions of the median barriers, and the road conditions are all factors that will need to be investigated.

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Photo from STLToday.com

A worker at the SantoLubes plant in St. Charles, Missouri was seriously injured and covered in burns after an explosion late Sunday night in one of the chemical plant’s buildings.

According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Robert Exner, 57, was mixing chemicals in a large tank when it exploded around 10 p.m. Fortunately, company officials speculate that Exner may have been walking away from the tank when it exploded which saved him from more serious injury or even death.

As it was, Exner was burned over 30 percent of his body and taken to St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in serious condition. An unidentified paramedic also suffered minor injuries in responding to the explosion.

The blast delivered massive damage to the chemical plant and started a fire that destroyed many of the chemicals inside.

Investigators are still looking into the cause of the explosion. Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be on site to try and determine what exactly happened and if the explosion could have been prevented.

Since it is so early in the investigation, it is not yet known if negligence on the part of the chemical company or Exner himself caused the injury accident. Should a workers compensation claim be filed in this case, however, Exner will not have to prove negligence on the part of his employer. Under Missouri workers compensation law, all you have to do is prove that you sustained an injury at work and that the nature of the work was the prevailing factor in the injury. A St. Louis area personal injury attorney may be called in to help facilitate the claim, should one be filed.

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Sandra Moore, 46, was killed Tuesday afternoon when her 2003 Chevrolet Pickup collided with another truck on Highway 61 in Lincoln County, Missouri.

The accident occurred around 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 61 and Cannonball Road, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The second truck, a 1997 Ford F150 driven by Linda Grummel, 51, was heading eastbound on Cannonball Road and attempted to cross Highway 61. As Grummel crossed the highway, she drove her truck into the path of Moore’s truck and stuck the driver’s side. Moore’s truck overturned and she was ejected from the vehicle.

Moore was pronounced dead at the scene. Grummel suffered only minor injuries and sought treatment at St. Joseph’s Hospital West.

Moore was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the initial crash report.

The initial crash report is only considered hearsay when it comes to finding fault in an accident. In fatality accidents, an accident reconstruction will be performed to detail the events of the crash. From the way the initial report is written, it would appear that Grummel may be at fault, but there are some inconsistencies in the report about the direction of the vehicles. Regardless of what the initial report says, further investigation by a Missouri car accident attorney and local authorities will be needed to get a clearer picture of how exactly this fatal Missouri crash occurred.

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A cautionary tale about statutes of limitations was printed in the St. Louis Post Dispatch today.

The Post Dispatch reported on the story of James Barge, 29, a man who was involved in a fatal car accident four years ago. According to the report, an earlier accident on Interstate 170 in February 2005 blocked two lanes of traffic. Damon Covington, 58, was driving a little behind the accident and stopped to offer any assistance he could. That’s when Barge’s car crashed into the wreckage and killed Covington.

Barge was taken to a local hospital and submitted to a sobriety test that, while conducted hours after the accident, showed that Barge was likely over the legal limit at the time of the crash.

Despite the sobriety test results and a police report stating that Barge’s speeding kept him from avoiding the crash, Barge was not prosecuted and didn’t even get a speeding ticket, according to the Post Dispatch.

Authorities have three years under Missouri law to file criminal charges and due to oversights and miscommunication among the Missouri State Highway Patrol, no criminal charges were ever filed. Now that the deadline has passed, no charges ever will be filed.

This is an example of why you shouldn’t wait if you are involved in a Missouri car accident that causes you or someone you love serious personal injury. While the report described above was dealing mainly with the criminal charges, there are similar laws regarding personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits.

Under Missouri law, the statute of limitations on personal injury and negligence cases is typically five years with the Discovery Rule. Medical malpractice is two years and product liability is five years. The specifics of a case may affect the timeline, but these are the rough guidelines.

Don’t wait to contact a personal injury lawyer if you have been injured by someone else’s negligence. Wait too long and all you are doing is forfeiting your own rights.

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John Hesse, 80, and Judith Thompson, 53, were seriously injured Tuesday after their cars collided on Missouri 81 near Kahoka, Missouri.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, this Missouri injury accident occurred when Hesse tried to cross Missouri 81 in his 1999 Ford. Hesse’s car pulled into the path of Thompson’s 1999 Dodge and was struck in the passenger side door.

Both Hesse and Thompson were seriously injured. Hesse was taken by ambulance to Keokuk Area Hospital and Thompson was airlifted to Blessing Hospital.

Side impact collisions can, in many cases, be more dangerous than head-on collisions. Most cars have numerous safety features designed to keep passengers safe in the event of a head-on collision. The front end of the car also absorbs most of the impact. This is not the case in side impact collisions. While some vehicles do have side curtain airbags, the jarring side to side motion often creates neck injuries and the thin layer of the door often fails to keep the passenger safe from objects entering the cabin.

The initial crash report in the Kahoka crash is just the opinion of the investigating officer. Unless he actually witnessed the crash, it would be considered hearsay in court. A Missouri personal injury lawyer would need to conduct more extensive investigations should this incident produce a personal injury suit.

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Ann Kaminsky, 47, was found dead Sunday after apparently falling into a lake inside a condo complex in Weldon Springs, according to a St. Louis Post Dispatch report.

According to officials cited in the report, no foul play is suspected and no signs of trauma or struggle were immediately visible. An autopsy will be conducted as will a toxicology report, but the findings may not be released for weeks.

The report also says that witnesses saw Kaminsky drinking what might have been alcoholic beverages and reading, though it is not known what exactly she was drinking. Officials say it’s likely that she fell on a slippery area around the lake.

The results of the autopsy and toxicology report will tell us a lot about this case. If Kaminsky had been drinking heavily, it is entirely plausible that she simply fell in the lake while inebriated and was unable to swim out. If it tests come back saying she hadn’t had that much to drink, or that the slip and fall knocked her unconscious, this might be a case of premises liability.

A premises liability case alleges a defect or dangerous condition of property causes personal injury or death to a person. Missouri law requires owners and possessors of property to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe manner. This includes keeping areas free of foreign objects, slippery substances and hidden dangers.

If an investigation into the condo grounds turns up evidence that there was a slippery and unsafe area around the lake that pedestrians were expected to walk in, a Missouri personal injury attorney could argue that the condo managers were negligent in maintaining their property.

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Many people that have not been in a serious injury accident wonder sometimes about the necessity of personal injury lawyers. They may feel like insurance companies will be able to take care of them after they or their loved ones are hurt. After all, that’s what you are paying the insurance premiums for.

Unfortunately, the reality is much more complicated than that. Insurance companies are there to make a profit and many times, this pursuit of profit conflicts with the well-being of their clients. Insurance companies will not full compensate victims and will look for ways out of paying for an expensive accident. The insurance companies know the law and will try to get by paying the bare minimum, even if that leaves their clients less than whole.

Essentially, a personal injury lawyer levels the playing field for the average person. They will fight for you and, if you have an experienced attorney on your side, will have equal knowledge of the law that the insurance companies do. It’s not a matter of trying to make extra money after an accident. It’s a matter of making sure your rights as a victim are preserved.

Accident and injury lawyers usually work on a contingency fee basis, which means that they do not receive a fee unless they successfully represent your case. There are no upfront costs to incur during a time when an injured person already has too many costs to worry about.

If you or a love one have been injured, I would recommend at least getting a consultation with an attorney. Many offer free consultations with no obligation to hire.

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On the common questions asked of a personal injury attorney is, “What if I have lingering injuries from an accident I didn’t originally know I had?”

The answer to this greatly depends on your actions immediately after your accident or injury. The days after an accident can be hectic and confusing, especially if you are dealing with topics you’ve never studied like your rights as a victim, and insurance companies may rush you into a decision you are not ready for.

Insurance company adjustors will probably contact you with a settlement offer fairly quickly and ask you to sign a “Release of all claims” form. Signing this form basically means that you agree with the adjustors offer and are willing to sign away your right to further civil action regarding the case. There are times that this is a fine course of action, but there are many others when the insurance company does not properly asses the damage or your lingering pains require serious medical attention after signing the form.

Consider a person injured in a rear-end collision. Whiplash injuries are very common in these situations and the symptoms may linger for a very long time and require numerous expensive treatments. If that person just assumes the pain will go away naturally and signs the release forms, he will have no recourse a week later when his pain has worsened and is keeping him from working.

My advice would be to tell the insurance company to wait until you are absolutely sure the extent of your injuries is known. See a doctor and if the injury appears more serious than initially thought, contact a personal injury lawyer for advice.

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CNN is reporting that Dustin Dibble, 25, was awarded $2.33 million in a personal injury suit for an accident that cost him his leg after he fell onto the subway tracks in front of a train.

Dibble had been drinking at a downtown New York bar in April 2006, according to CNN. His blood alcohol content was .18. While waiting for the train, he stumbled onto the tracks and his leg was severed by the coming train.

Despite the fact he was drunk, his lawyer successfully argued that the bulk of the responsibility belonged to the NYC Transit system because the train operator had actually seen Dibble on the tracks in plenty of time to stop, but failed to do so because he thought what he saw was an inanimate object. Dibble’s lawyer said that train operators should be better equipped to handle these situations.

Dibble’s drunkenness was considered a secondary cause to the accident, so his compensation was reduced from $3.5 million to $2.3 million under comparative fault laws.

Many people hearing the story of a drunken man falling on the tracks would just say he got what he deserved. A compassionate and experienced personal injury lawyer, though, can look at cases like these and discover the facts behind the headline. You do not lose all your rights simply because you’ve had a drink. Many cases are not black and white and that’s why we have comparative fault and proportional liability laws as well as personal injury attorneys to help people in these complicated cases.

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Photo from KMOV

Newton Keene, 46, was reportedly drunk behind the wheel when he drove into oncoming traffic on Illinois 255 Thursday and caused a crash that killed three people, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

The report says that Keene got on the highway going the wrong way and crashed into a car killing a woman and her friend as well as one of her two children. The names of the victims have not yet been released.

Keene and the other child were in serious condition after the accident.

Keene was charged with three counts of reckless homicide, aggravated drunken driving and aggravated reckless driving.

The Post Dispatch reported also that this is not the first time Keene has had problems with alcohol behind the wheel. He has been convicted six times for various drunken driving crimes and had his license revoked in Illinois and Missouri.

What happened was tragic and all the more so because it could have been avoided. With Keene’s record, it’s hard to see how he was able to get behind the wheel at all. He could be facing significant jail time from criminal charges and lots of damages from a civil lawsuit should an Illinois personal injury attorney be called in to investigate the case.

In drunken driving cases, both a criminal case and a civil suit may result where a driver is sued for damages in separate proceedings. DUI accident cases require an extra level of knowledge, so anyone injured in a drunk driving accident should make sure to find a car accident lawyer that has experience with DUI cases.

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The second thought that goes through many people’s heads after a car accident is usually related to insurance. The most important thing after an accident, of course, is to make sure that you and anybody involved is treated for injuries, but soon the questions start to rise. How much is this going to cost? Am I covered for this? How do I find out if I’m covered?

Here is a list of some of the most common car insurance questions:

Are others covered if they drive my car?

What happens if somebody without insurance hits me?

The answer to all of these questions is…it depends. Many car insurance companies are different and the laws regarding minimum coverage change from state to state. The best way to find out is to examine your policy or call your agent before you get into an accident.

If you are involved in a Missouri or Illinois car accident and still don’t know the answer to these or any other questions, there are people that can help you. You should immediately contact a car accident or personal injury lawyer that is well versed in the specific laws of your state. Bring any information with you that you have on your policy and your attorney will help navigate the details. The important thing is to ask for help. Don’t try to go up against an insurance company if you only think you understand the policy.

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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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Need a Missouri personal injury lawyer? Please visit our website for information about our St. Louis, Missouri law firm as well as helpful information about common types of injuries and lawsuits. As always, we handle all Illinois and Missouri personal injury cases on a "no recovery - no fee basis." That means, if we don't collect money for you, you owe us nothing.

Feel free to call us at any time at 888-STL-INJURY to discuss your case for free.

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The Bradley Law Firm employs Ryan Bradley, a Missouri Injury Lawyer. Ryan is also an Illinois Injury Lawyer. The Bradley Law Firm also employs Rex Bradley, a Missouri Injury Lawyer. Please call us at 888-STL-INJURY to discuss your personal injury lawsuit with a Missouri Injury Lawyer.

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Often, I have people ask me if I can handle their personal injury case when the injury happened in a state other than Missouri. First, I am licensed as a lawyer in Illinois and am able to handle Illinois personal injury cases. In fact, I have handled personal injury cases from Chicago, Illinois all the way down to Madison County, Illinois.

If you are injured in a state other than Missouri or Illinois, The Bradley Law Firm can still help you. We are able to take personal injury cases in other states as long as we affiliate with another law firm and get permission from the court to enter in the case. In these cases, there is no added cost to you to have us involved in your case. Simply put, the attorneys' fee is split between the lawyers according to how much work they do on the case.

If you have been injured in a state other than Missouri or Illinois, feel free to call and discuss your personal injury lawsuit with us. We can arrange to hire competent local counsel in that other state.

Posted by Ryan Bradley | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer

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I often have people ask me, Ryan, with all of the Missouri personal injury lawyers out there, how do I pick the right one? My response is usually, "pick the injury lawyer you are most comfortable with." To me, this means you need to do the following when choosing a personal injury lawyer to represent you:

1. Choose a lawyer that has significant experience in litigating personal injury claims. Ask him or her how many personal injury trials they have done in the last year. Remember, more than 90% of all personal injury cases settle out of court. There are some lawyers who make a living on settling injury claims- not trying cases. You need to make sure you are not at one of these offices. Your lawyer should be ready, willing, and able to try your injury claim to a jury, if necessary.

2. Interview, interview, interview! Meet with as many qualified lawyers as you can. If they insist you speak to one of their associates or secretaries about your case, chances are you are at the wrong place. Do not be afraid to leave!

3. A good Missouri accident lawyer will take whatever time necessary to learn about you, your family, your background and most importantly, your injury and how your injury has changed your life.

4. Ask your potential lawyer if he or she writes articles for any publications, web sites or journals. If he or she does not, they may not be on the cutting edge of Missouri injury law.

5. Ask him or her if they will finance your litigation. The last thing you need when recovering from a personal injury is worrying about paying for your personal injury lawsuit.

6. Ask the lawyer what their overall strategy is in handling your case. A typical response from a lawyer is we are going to do "X, Y and Z." I think the best place to start is by asking the client "what are your goals in having me represent you" or "if you could snap your fingers, what would you like to have done." A typical response is, "help make my personal injury go away." Most lawyers tell their clients, "I can't do that." Nonsense! Your lawyer should have knowledge of the very best medical doctors or specialists in Missouri, and if needed, the country. Many times, when a client initially comes to me, they are not even seeing the right medical specialist for their injury. Ask your lawyer who you should be treating with, get their name, and by all means GO!

7. Ask your Missouri injury lawyer for the names and phone numbers of other clients they have assisted in injuries like yours. Call them and ask what they liked or disliked about that lawyer and whether they would go back to him or her.

Overall, the choice of an injury lawyer is arguable as important as who you marry (maybe more important). You are beginning a relationship with someone who has the power to make your life much better or worse. If you follow the advice I have here, you will make the right decision 99% of the time.

Continue reading "How to Choose a Missouri Accident Lawyer" »

Posted by Ryan Bradley | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer

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