Missouri Injury Lawyer Blog

It's that time of year again, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol is ringing it in with somber statistics that unfortunately ring all too true with a Missouri auto accident attorney like me. In a press release on Monday, they reminded motorists to buckle up, obey the speed limit, and keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

MSHP participated in a campaign last year called Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) from the evening of July 3 through the night of July 6, 2008. During that time, Operation C.A.R.E. had all available officers patrolling Missouri's highways and roads to enforce Missouri's speed limit, seat belt and alcohol laws. They also were there to tally a staggering number of injuries and deaths.

According to MSHP, seven people were killed and 194 people injured in car crashes over last year's holiday counting period. That's an average of one person being killed and injured every 20.3 minutes. In addition to those injured and killed, state troopers arrested 195 people for driving while intoxicated -- just one less than the number of reported injuries, and those are only the ones who got caught.

This year's counting period for the Fourth of July holiday takes place 6 p.m. Thursday, July 2 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 5, 2009. To prepare, MSHP advised motorists to make sure their cars are in good condition before starting a trip to see friends, relatives or fireworks. It also suggested checking the Missouri Department of Transportation's traveler info map at www.modot.mo.gov to anticipate detours for construction or flooding.

In closing, MSHP reminded drivers who need assistance or witness crime while traveling on Missouri roads to contact their nearest Highway Patrol headquarters via their emergency hotline. All I can add is that if any Missouri motorists are injured in a July Fourth drunk driving accident, they should contact a Missouri reckless driving attorney right away to learn about their legal options. People hurt by an irresponsible drunk driver have the right to hold that driver legally responsible for the injuries he or she caused, including wrongful deaths, permanent disabilities and all of the financial costs related to the crash.

With offices in St. Louis and Belleville, Ill., The Lowe Law Firm represents victims of serious personal injuries caused by car crashes in Missouri and southern Illinois. Our Missouri auto accident lawyers help people who have been seriously hurt or lost a loved one in a car, truck or motorcycle wreck recover the money they need to pay medical bills, make ends meet and eventually move past the incident. If you and your family are in this position and you’d like to learn more, please contact The Lowe Law Firm online, or call us toll-free at 1-877-678-3400.

The other day, I came across an article about a new city ordinance on bicycle safety that passed unanimously in Columbia, Missouri. The ordinance specifies that a motorist commits the class A misdemeanor of harassment if he or she verbally threatens a cyclist, sounds a horn with the aim of frightening or disturbing the cyclist, purposely throws an object at a cyclist, or knowingly engages in conduct that puts the cyclist's life at risk. The misdemeanor is punishable by a $1,000 fine or one year in jail.

What makes this new ordinance interesting to me as a Missouri auto accident lawyer is that it focuses on motorists curbing their road rage. Road rage is, of course, commonly known as a cause of traffic accidents. And when the accident involves a car and a bicyclist, guess who usually wins? It is true that cyclists frequently disobey traffic laws -- not unlike motorists -- but airing your frustration by throwing things at bike riders, or worse, is dangerous to everyone and too often results in unintended tragedy. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "Recent data shows that the 698 bicyclist deaths in 2007 accounted for two percent of all traffic fatalities with an additional 44,000 injured in traffic crashes."

An even more interesting fact the story brought up was how many cyclists could, but choose not to, press charges for injuries that come as the result of such harassment. Columbia citizens are hoping that cyclists who have been the victims of such injuries or trauma will be emboldened by the new ordinance. According to the Columbia Tribune, Columbia Police Chief Ken Burton said “People that are pushing the envelope, getting close to assault without assaulting someone would be covered under the ordinance… As far as the ‘prosecutability,’ for lack of a better word, we’ll just have to see.”

Many Columbia residents hope that the new ordinance will be just the beginning. “Bicyclists are not the only ones subject to this behavior,” Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade said. “The ordinance needs to be effective in reducing harassment wherever it occurs.” He went on to suggest future amendments to the ordinance protecting joggers, wheelchair users and other users of non-motor vehicle transportation.

As a St. Louis pedestrian injury attorney, I couldn't agree more. All of these people need to share the road with motorists, and they are entitled to do so safely and without injury. Not every Missouri city has an ordinance outlawing aggression against bicyclists and others who share the road with cars. But regardless of where they are in Missouri, these victims have the right to hold drivers with road rage responsible for the injuries they cause with a Missouri bicycle accident lawsuit. These lawsuits can help them recover money for medical bills -- which can be rather serious in an accident with a car -- as well as compensation for their injuries physical pain, emotional suffering and any permanent disability or wrongful death.

Based in St. Louis and Belleville, Ill., The Lowe Law Firm represents victims of serious personal injuries caused by car wrecks in Missouri and southern Illinois. Our Missouri auto accident lawyers help people who were seriously hurt or lost a loved one due to a driver's negligence. We can help you recover the money you need to pay medical bills, make ends meet, and eventually move past the accident. If you or a family member are in this position and you’d like to learn more, please contact The Lowe Law Firm online or call us toll-free at 1-877-678-3400.

A couple days ago I saw a story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about a wooden deck that collapsed when about 20 women got on it to pose for a picture at a wedding shower. The women fell approximately 10 feet, and nine of them were hurt to varying degrees. The injured were taken to hospitals near Wildwood, where the incident happened -- apparently one of them was even flown in by helicopter. The women's injuries included broken bones, cuts and bruises, and serious internal injuries.

This story is interesting to me as a St. Louis personal injury lawyer, as a possible example of a legal theory called premises liability. Of course, we don’t know from the article, but perhaps they had not properly maintained their deck. Of course, 20 sounds like it may be a lot of people to have on a backyard deck, and it may simply have been overloaded. If it turns out that the homeowner had maintained the deck poorly, or negligently and knowingly allowed too many guests on it, she could be liable in a Missouri premises liability lawsuit.

If you have been injured on someone else’s property and you believe it was caused by that person or organization’s carelessness, you should consult a legal professional who specializes in accidents similar to yours and understands the law. In this case, that would be a Missouri personal injury attorney like me. That lawyer could then help the injured parties find out exactly what their rights are.

Based in St. Louis, The Lowe Law Firm handles personal injury lawsuits for people throughout Missouri and southern Illinois. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured because of someone else’s negligence, our St. Louis personal injury lawyers would like to help. We offer free, confidential consultations, so you can learn more about your rights and your claim with no risk or commitment. To set up an appointment, please contact us online or call toll-free at 1-877-678-3400.

This week I read a local news story that was remarkable by any measure, and of particular interest to a Southern Illinois car accident attorney like me. On May 27 in Jefferson County, Ill., a school bus driver with a full load of children passed out at the wheel. The bus veered off course, hit a tree and continued about 100 yards before the students onboard managed to shut off the bus.

Miraculously, none of the children were harmed. However, the driver, 41-year-old Tonya Glass, was taken from the accident site to a nearby hospital with minor injuries. This week, Jefferson County Sheriff Roger Mulch revealed that blood drawn from the Glass at the hospital had tested positive for a controlled substance. Glass was subsequently charged with a DUI.

“The story is that the kids did physically shut off the bus,” Mulch stated. “They checked on each other and made sure each other were all right.” They also were the ones to call for help, he said. The students' ages ranged between 5 and 14. As for Glass, Mulch said, “She’s received one citation for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and a second citation for DUI.”

Naturally, this story interests me as a Southern Illinois auto accident lawyer -- particularly because so many questions remain unanswered. The substance found in the driver's blood has still not been disclosed; further tests are pending from the Illinois State Police Crime Lab, according to Mulch. The sheriff said the case will undergo further investigation as to what the substance was; he did not say whether information would be released as to whether it was prescribed to Glass, but that would be one of my first questions as a Southern Illinois personal injury attorney.

As of press time, no charges have been filed. Time will tell as to whether the driver will be charged for this incident, but at any rate the case bears extremely thorough investigation and is far from over.

If you or a loved one has been injured by or suffered trauma due to a driver who was incapacitated by a substance, legal or otherwise, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible. Based in St. Louis, The Lowe Law Firm offers free, confidential consultations, so you can learn more about your rights and your claim with no risk or commitment. We handle personal injury lawsuits for people throughout Missouri and southern Illinois, and our Southern Illinois auto accident lawyers are ready to help you. To set up a free consultation, please contact us online or call us toll-free at 1-877-678-3400.