Kansas City Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Head-On Collision Leaves 2 Dead & 4 K State Students Injured

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:41:29 -0600

Early this morning, a wrong way car collision in Riley County, Kansas left 2 motorists dead and 4 Kansas State University students injured. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, law enforcement officials believe that alcohol played a key role in the crash.

The accident happened just west of Manhattan at around 3:00 a.m. A Chevy Silverado truck carrying the group of K State students was traveling east in the westbound lanes of Kansas 18 when it collided with a westbound Buick head-on.

The 2 occupants of the Buick, both from Ogden, died at the scene of the crash. The K State students were taken by ambulance to Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan, and 2 were later transported on to the larger Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka. None of the victims' names (nor any additional information about their current conditions) have yet been released: law enforcement officials are currently attempting to contact their families and loved ones.

The accident remains under investigation. Lieutenant Gregory Harkrader of the Kansas Highway Patrol told WIBW that alcohol was believed to be a causal factor in the crash. In addition, the Patrol will work to determine why the driver of the Buick did not appear to veer or stop after realizing that the truck was coming straight at the car head-on.

Head-on collisions commonly cause serious, life-threatening injuries. More people are killed in these crashes than in any other kind of traffic accident. Most often, however, these accidents are the result of improper passing or unintentional drifting across the center line: in fact, 83% of head-on collisions occur on 2-lane rural roadways. As a head-on collision cause, wrong way drivers are considerably more rare.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that wrong way drivers are involved in about 1.5% of car accidents nationwide. Transportation agencies have been working to combat the problem of wrong way freeway driving since the 1950s, when the interstate highway system was founded. Normally, wrong way drivers tend to fit into 1 of the following 4 categories.

• Older drivers who are confused or disoriented
• Intentional drivers (i.e. drivers trying to avoid traffic jams or congestion caused by crashes, etc.)
• Inattentive drivers who mistake an off-ramp for an on-ramp
• Impaired drivers (i.e. drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs)

Toddler Struck & Killed in Hit and Run Accident After Running Onto U.S. 350

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:54:10 -0600

In the early morning hours of May 5, a hit and run driver struck and killed a 2 year-old boy on U.S. 350 near Kansas City.

At about 2:30 a.m., a witness reportedly saw a small child wandering in the westbound lanes of Blue Parkway near the 67th Street intersection. She told police that she immediately turned around and went back to try and locate the boy, and then discovered that he had been struck by a vehicle. When emergency responders arrived on the scene, they pronounced the boy dead. He would have turned 3 in June.

No one seems to know how the boy came to be walking on the busy highway. According to police, the boy was visiting the area with family (his parents and two older siblings). The group was staying at the Crown Lodge Motel, about half a mile from Raytown and about a quarter of a mile from the accident site. Shortly after the collision, police say the boy's father reported his son missing from their hotel room. The parents claim they don't know how the boy got out of the room.

Guest room doors at the Crown Lodge have deadbolt locks, but they automatically retract when the knob is turned from the inside. The doors are also equipped with chain locks, but police don't know whether or not the parents had latched the chain. "It is not unreasonable to believe that a kid can climb up...and operate (the) chain bolt," motel property manager Grover Clawson told KCTV5.

The speed limit is 55 on the section of highway where the accident occurred. To reach the site on foot, the boy would've had to walk a considerable distance through a parking lot across a field. There is no guardrail or concrete barrier separating the field from the highway.

Police believe that the boy was likely sideswiped, and that the driver who struck him may not be aware that he or she hit a child. Anyone who has information pertaining to this incident should contact the Kansas City Police TIPS hotline at 816-474-8477.

This accident was the third auto-related fatality involving a Kansas City area child within a 3 day span. On Thursday, May 3, an infant boy died in Lee's Summit after being left alone in an SUV all day. According to police, there are no indications of foul play: the child's mother mistakenly believed she had already dropped the child at daycare when she left him in her vehicle and proceeded into her workplace.

Head On Collision in Caldwell County Leaves 2 Dead, Including Well-Known Missouri Cancer Survivor

Wed, 02 May 2012 09:45:34 -0600

When 2 vehicles of approximately the same size and weight collide head on, the abrupt impact is equivalent to a car smashing into a concrete wall. As a result, head on collisions are notorious for causing serious injuries and fatalities.

Last weekend, 2 Missouri men died after such an accident. On Friday morning at around 5:00 a.m., 20 year-old Mathew Tucker of Lathrop and 28 year-old Keith Staus of Polo were killed in a 3-vehicle crash on Missouri Highway 116. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, Tucker's Ford F150 pickup was traveling east when it crossed the center line and veered into the path of an oncoming car.

The driver of that car - 52 year-old Rory Hicks - tried to avoid the collision by steering onto the shoulder of the road, but the left front of the F150 clipped the left front of Hicks' car. The car spun counter-clockwise, eventually coming to rest in the westbound lane, facing north. Meanwhile, the F150 continued traveling east, where it struck another vehicle - a 1999 Chevrolet - head on. The truck skidded sideways and stopped, blocking both lanes of traffic. The Chevrolet rolled over and caught fire.

Tucker and Staus were both pronounced dead at the scene. Tucker was not wearing a seatbelt, and it is not known whether Staus was buckled up, according to the Patrol. Hicks, who was wearing a seatbelt, sustained minor injuries in the crash and was taken to a nearby hospital by private vehicle. The highway was closed for several hours following the accident.

Many longtime Kansas City residents will no doubt remember Mat Tucker - and remember him fondly. In October 1992, then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton joined a city-wide effort to support Tucker, who was diagnosed with leukemia at 10 months old and only had a 1% chance of survival. Tucker's only chance was an expensive bone marrow transplant, but his father was self-employed and didn't have health insurance. Clinton organized the "I Ran for Mat with Bill" 5K run to help generate funds for the $300,000 procedure. Between the charity events and several city initiatives, the funds were raised and the surgery was successful. (In fact, residents of Kansas City raised enough money to pay for 2 other marrow transplants in addition to Tucker's.)

Wisconsin Mother & Son Killed in Separate Car Accidents Only Hours Apart

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:40:50 -0600

Early Sunday morning, a Wisconsin mother and her 22 year-old son were killed in separate car accidents that happened just hours apart - and within only 2 miles of each other. What's more, local law enforcement officials believe that both crashes involved alcohol.

"I'm trying to think back, I've seen a lot of strange things. I don't remember anything like this before," said Deputy Chief Charles Padgett of the West Allis Police Department. Padgett has been in law enforcement for 24 years.

Just before 1:00 a.m. on April 29, 45 year-old Mary Jane Moore called her son Thomas Olson and told him she had been in an argument, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Moore had been at a nearby bar for part of the evening, but she placed this call from the boardinghouse where she was staying. She told Olson, who lived 30 blocks away, that she was walking over to his place.

Minutes later, Moore was struck by a vehicle as she lay in the roadway in front of the boardinghouse. She was horizontal and her face was down: police are continuing to investigate what she was doing in the street. ABC News reports that a witness to the accident (a driver behind the vehicle that hit Moore) initially believed that the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix that struck Moore had gone over a speed bump. However, as the witness drew closer, it became clear that a woman - Moore - was lying in the road. Moore died as a result of her injuries. The driver who hit her left the scene, but was located and arrested in the hours following the collision.

According to Padgett, Moore had been drinking prior to the crash, but her blood alcohol content is still unknown: the autopsy was scheduled for today, but the results are still pending. Some reports have suggested that the driver who hit Moore had also been drinking, but Padgett says the West Allis Police will not bring alcohol related charges against that driver at this time.

Kansas Doctor Pleads No Contest to Killing Pedestrian, Then Driving 3 Miles with Body on Car

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:14:50 -0600

Wichita doctor Mohammad Sarrafizadeh appeared in court last Friday and pleaded no contest to 1 count of involuntary vehicular homicide. The charge was connected to a June 2011 hit and run car accident that killed 31 year-old Ramon Martinez-Limon, a pedestrian working near a roadway.

On the morning of the collision, 67 year-old Sarrafizadeh was driving his 22 year-old daughter (who is severely disabled) to her special needs school. At around 7:15 a.m., he struck Martinez-Limon, who was cutting grass in an easement near the entrance to a Hawker Beechcraft plant. According to Kansas police, the impact caused Martinez-Limon to be thrown onto the roof of the van. Sarrafizadeh proceeded to drive home and park in his garage. Multiple witnesses tried to stop him, and several also called 911 to report seeing the victim on the roof of the van: a few even followed him home.

According to his attorney, Dan Monnat, the collision happened because Sarrafizadeh suffered a serious stroke, and he was simply unaware that it occurred. In court, Monmat said that doctors "have regarded the evidence and the testing as sufficient to conclude that he had a stroke at the time of the accident and his condition continues to deteriorate," reports the Kansas City Star.

Prosecutors disputed that claim: they argued that there was no scientific evidence and maintained that Sarrafizadeh's behavior was inconsistent with someone who had suffered a stroke. They pointed out that he was cognizant enough to drive home and park in his garage. Further, they said, Sarrafizadeh made a statement to police after the accident, wherein he reported seeing Martinez-Limon 50 to 100 feet away before hitting him. Sarrafizadeh also said he remembered seeing the victim strike his windshield. (Sarrafizadeh did have a serious stroke in the months following the accident, according to chief deputy attorney Aaron Breitenbach.)

Drunk Driving Crash Rips Van in Half, Killing 13 Year-Old Girl: Driver Charged

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:19:51 -0600

300 Missourians were killed by drunk drivers in 2009, according to The Century Council. Often, the casualties of alcohol related crashes don't include the impaired drivers themselves, but rather the innocent motorists who happen to be traveling near them. A recent crash in Miami-Dade County, Florida demonstrated this cruel truth, leaving a 13 year-old dead and her family stunned by the loss.

The accident happened on Friday, April 13 shortly after 5:00 a.m., reports the Miami Herald. Kirk Camacho was driving his daughters Bree Ann and Kaely to their mother's house: 16 year-old Bree Ann was riding up front, and 13 year-old Kaely was sitting in the back seat, fast asleep. Their van was struck by a Range Rover that was illegally traveling in bus lanes running parallel to the roadway: it was later determined that the SUV was traveling over 100 miles per hour. It smashed into the side of the van, ripping it in half: Pieces of the van's wreckage were later discovered nearly 100 feet from the rest of the vehicle.

With the help of witnesses, Kirk Camacho extracted his daughters from the wreckage. Bree Ann suffered burns and abrasions along with an injury to her ankle, and Kirk sustained bruised ribs and cuts. However, because she was riding in the back seat, Kaely's injuries were much more serious. Paramedics responded and Kaely was airlifted to a local hospital, but she died around 8:00 a.m.

Meanwhile, the SUV smashed into a tree and spun several times, coming to rest about 400 feet away from the point of impact. The driver (38 year-old Sandor Guillen) jumped out of the vehicle and staggered away from the scene on foot. When police located him, they found him badly injured: he reportedly sustained a punctured liver, a collapsed lung and 7 broken ribs. He is now facing several serious charges, including DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and leaving the scene of a crash involving a death, along with other offenses.

Kansas City Girl, Age 16, Charged with Manslaughter After Fatal Wreck Caused By Texting & Driving

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:41:24 -0600

This week, a 16 year-old girl from Kansas City, Missouri is facing multiple criminal charges after her decision to text and drive proved to have fatal consequences. Platte County prosecutors have charged Rachel N. Gannon with second-degree involuntary manslaughter in connection with her role in a fatal car accident in September 2011. Gannon is the first person to face manslaughter charges under Missouri's 2009 texting law, which prohibits texting and driving in motorists aged 21 and under.

When the crash occurred, according to police, Gannon was traveling north on Northwest Skyview Road and ran off the right side of the roadway. She then overcorrected, jerking her vehicle back onto the road, crossing the center line, and slamming sideways into a southbound vehicle.

The driver of that car, 72 year-old Loretta Larimer, had to be cut from her vehicle: she was taken to a local hospital where she died as a result of her injuries. Larimer's passenger (her 10 year-old granddaughter, who was riding in the backseat) was also injured: she suffered a chipped arm bone, whiplash and bruising.

In their investigation, police determined that Gannon was looking at her cell phone and sending text messages when the accident occurred. In addition, a passenger in Gannon's car told police that Gannon was texting, and that she "had the music turned up too loud," reports The Daily Mail.

In addition to manslaughter, Gannon is also facing charges of third-degree assault and texting while driving. At present, texting and driving is permissible for drivers over 21, but many Missouri lawmakers, safety organizations and citizens have advocated for a statewide ban on texting and driving for all drivers. Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd told several Kansas City media outlets that he too would support such a ban: "Texting while driving is at least as dangerous as drinking and driving," Zahnd said. "We make a crime of that for anybody, no matter the age. It should also be a crime for anybody to text while driving."

Kansas City Mother Charged with Assault: Police Allege She Deliberately Drove Into Group of Kids

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:00:57 -0600

All too often, collisions involving cars and pedestrians result in serious personal injury. Normally, these accidents are caused by an unforeseen circumstance (like a pedestrian darting into the roadway unexpectedly) or by a driver's carelessness (drunk or distracted driving, for example). However, this week in Missouri, police are charging a woman with striking 3 pedestrians on purpose.

A Kansas City mother is charged with 1 count of first-degree assault, 2 counts of second-degree assault, and 3 counts of armed criminal action after she admitted to driving her SUV into a group of young girls near Ingels Elementary School. As of Monday evening, 35 year-old Ladonna Newton remained jailed in Jackson County.

It all started at around 4:30 p.m. last Friday. The Kansas City Star reports that Newton's daughter was involved in a fight with another girl as a group walked home from school. The daughter lost the fight and returned home, but later called one of the girls to say she wanted to fight someone else. The group returned to the location of the original fight to wait for Newton's daughter.

Newton drove her daughter to the scene, bringing a second daughter along as well. As a second fight began - this one involving the second daughter - Newton allegedly accelerated through the parking lot and into the grassy area where the girls were fighting. She struck 3 people, dragging 1 underneath her SUV. Witnesses report the SUV subsequently struck a sewer ditch and fled the scene.

About 90 minutes later, Newton walked into the Kansas City Police Department's South Patrol Division. She told officers there that she had driven into a group of kids, but that she had only done so by accident: she claimed that her foot had slipped off the break and onto the gas, and that she didn't know if she had actually hit anyone.

At this time, the medical status of the 3 victims is unknown, except that their injuries were non-life-threatening. Jackson County Prosecutors have asked that Newton's bond be set at 10% or $70,000.

Bicycle Statistics Reveal Risks for Riders in Lee's Summit, Missouri & Nationwide

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:19:20 -0600

Nationwide, more than 7,000 bicyclists were killed in motor vehicle accidents between 2000 and 2009, meaning an average 600-800 cyclists die in the U.S. every single year. Meanwhile, hundreds of bicyclists sustain injuries caused by collisions with cars and other passenger vehicles.

Our Lee's Summit car accident lawyers understand that bicyclists will be hitting the streets in full force as the spring and summer months draw near. And, as cyclists know all too well, they have a high risk of suffering serious or fatal injuries in Missouri bicycle accidents this summer.

On May 16, 2012, the Ride of Silence will be held in the United States and across the world to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. This silent procession honors those who have suffered because of a motorist's negligence. Though many drivers don't know this, cyclists have the same legal rights as motorists on our roadways. Since motorists are often unaware of these rights, they're often unaware of bicyclists as well.

The Ride of Silence asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the entire ride. No sponsors and no registration fees accompany this event. The ride is held during National Bike Month and aims to raise the awareness of motorists that bicyclists have a legal right to all public roads. In 2011, cyclists in all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated in this event.

Driver & Passenger Killed in Horrific 1 Vehicle Crash in Independence, Missouri: Speed, Distraction Cited as Possible Causes

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:31:47 -0600

On Easter Sunday, a terrible car crash in Independence claimed the lives of 2 men from the Kansas City metropolitan area. Bruce Stansberry, a witness to the accident, described the aftermath: "Probably one of the worst accidents I've ever seen," he said. "It was pretty clear if there was anyone in there, they weren't alive."

It happened on South Noland Road, at the East 35th Street intersection. According to local law enforcement, a southbound vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control and slammed into the concrete support of the traffic signal at 35th Street. The vehicle was destroyed beyond recognition.

Neither of the occupants was wearing a seatbelt: both the driver and his passenger were ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Their names have not yet been released, but police say the driver was a 23 year-old man from Independence, and his passenger was a 29 year-old man from Kansas City.

Like Stansberry, several other witnesses were beyond shocked at the horrific outcome of the crash. "The whole passenger's side of the car was ripped off, completely open, the motor of the vehicle was in the passenger's seat," witness Hunter Darling told KCTV5. Meanwhile, Ben Titleman, a witness who was passing through en route to Columbia, told The Examiner that he had never seen a vehicle sustain that kind of damage. "Just...it didn't look like a car," Titleman said.

Police do not believe that alcohol or drugs were factors in this collision, but one witness reported that the driver might have been texting in the moments leading up to the crash. At present, police believe that speed was the primary causal factor.

5 Dead, 13 Injured on I-35 in Kansas After Converted Box Truck Plunges Into Ravine

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:21:12 -0600

Time and time again, our auto accident lawyers have seen the total destruction caused by large truck wrecks. On April 1, a crash near Williamsburg, Kansas took that destruction to epic proportions.

According to local police, a converted semi-trailer was carrying 18 people as it traveled down Interstate 35, southeast of Kansas City: many of the occupants were members of an extended family from Minnesota who were returning home after taking a vacation with friends to see a motocross event in Texas. At the time of the accident, 17 year-old Adam Kerber was driving the converted Freightliner box truck, which had been modified to include living quarters and included a storage area for motocross equipment. The crash report indicates that Kerber veered off the road and then overcorrected, causing the truck to strike a guard rail and a concrete bridge rail before it overturned and plunged nearly 30 feet down into a ravine.

5 occupants were confirmed dead at the scene: 25 year-old Tom Kerber, 24 year-old Melissa Kerber, 14 year-old Joy Kerber, 12 year-old James Kerber, and 10 year-old Jessica Kerber. All of the other occupants suffered various levels of injury: Adam Kerber was in critical condition on Monday morning, while his mother, 46 year-old Pauline Kerber remains in critical but stable condition. According to Minnesota news outlets, Pauline Kerber is a widowed mother of 12. The other occupants, ranging between ages 2 and 30, remain hospitalized at Overland Park Regional Medical Center and Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

Since the accident, it has been reported that Adam Kerber was in possession of a provisional driver's license. Under ordinary circumstances, he would've been unable to drive the truck legally because of its weight and the number of occupants it carried. However, in Minnesota, there's a loophole related to private RVs. Several sources indicate that the modified trailer did not have seatbelts, but here again, Minnesota law only requires seat belts in a vehicle's front seat.

The Associated Press reports that John Hausladen, president of the Minnesota Trucking Association, stressed the importance of training and experience when operating large trucks. While he would not comment specifically on the Kerber accident, he said that professional truck drivers require extensive preparation "to handle the physics of driving a larger vehicle. They receive training with regard to stopping distances, following distances, blind spots and other aspects of maneuvering with a large vehicle."

Safety Advocates Press Missouri Legislature to Adopt Statewide Ban on Texting and Driving

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:56:05 -0600

Today, advocates of a Missouri ban on texting met with a House committee, reports the Kansas City Star. A trauma specialist, an insurance representative, a cycling advocate, and a high school student were among those who spoke to lawmakers about enacting the ban. 35 states and Washington D.C. already have similar bans in place. Safety advocates have pressed for Missouri to adopt a similar ban ever since the National Transportation Safety Board called for a nationwide ban on hand-held cell phones - and cited a Missouri wreck in making that recommendation.

Our Kansas City car accident lawyers urge residents to use their time behind the wheel focusing on the road instead of on phone calls or text messages. Numerous studies have proven that taking your eyes off the road to look at your cell phone greatly increases your chance of being involved in a serious accident. Since a reported 90% of drivers now carry cell phones, Missouri needs this texting ban now more than ever.

In recent months, Missourians have been urged, through a statewide anti-texting while driving campaign, to put down their cell phone to prevent distracted-driving car accidents throughout our state. Distracted driving is among the leading causes of serious -- and fatal -- car accidents nationwide.

"Inattention is a leading cause of traffic crashes," said Colonel Ron Replogle, superintendent of the Missouri Highway Patrol. "If you're focused on sending a text message, then you aren't paying attention to your driving. Cell phone usage -- particularly texting while driving can lead to tragic consequences. These consequences are easily preventable if drivers would simply put down their phones and focus on the road."

Head-On Collisions Commonly Cause Injuries & Fatalities in Kansas City, Missouri & Nationwide

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:39:07 -0600

In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 1,772 car accident fatalities were caused by wrong way drivers - drivers traveling on the wrong side of the road. This week, our Kansas City personal injury attorneys were saddened to hear that a man was killed near Louisburg, KS after colliding with a wrong way driver on U.S. Highway 69.

It happened Thursday morning around 5:30 a.m. - and by that time, drivers were already calling 911 to report a minivan swerving, driving erratically, and, eventually, traveling north in the highway's southbound lanes. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, 45 year-old Marilyn Nickell veered across the grass median and traveled approximately 1.5 miles in the southbound lanes before she slammed into a vehicle driven by 57 year-old Scott Klein of San Clemente, California.

Klein was pronounced dead at the scene. In a tragic twist, KCTV 5 reports that Klein's brother died several years ago in a car accident caused by a drunk driver.

It is not yet known if Nickell was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident, or if a medical condition may have been a factor. Nickell sustained serious injuries in the crash, though police report she was "alert and talking" when emergency responders finally extricated her from the minivan - she was trapped inside for nearly an hour. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where she remains in stable condition. No charges have yet been filed, but the accident remains under investigation by the Miami County Sheriff's Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Crashes caused by wrong way drivers commonly result in critical injuries and fatalities: more often than not, these crashes are head-on collisions, which result in more motorist fatalities than any other kind of car accident. In a head-on collision, the front ends of the vehicles slam into each other, and the combined force from both moving vehicles makes the impact immense.

Sometimes, these accidents are caused by drivers who are simply confused: they lose their bearings, and find themselves going the wrong direction on a divided highway or a one-way street. Sometimes, bad road conditions (due to weather or maintenance) play a role. However, alcohol and/or drugs are a factor in a large number of these crashes. Other possible causes include dangerous passing, lane departure due to driver distraction, and failing to negotiate a curve in the roadway, but these scenarios are more common on 2 lane roads than on divided highways.

The Role of the Lawyer in Kansas City, Missouri Personal Injury Lawsuits

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:23:25 -0600

Most people don't think about hiring a personal injury attorney until they need one, often in the aftermath of an auto accident or other incident that has resulted in personal injury. This period of time can be stressful, and between the ads on television, friends and family giving advice, and the number of links that show up in your internet search, it can be even more difficult to determine whether you're making the right decision.

When you've been involved in an auto accident and suffered an injury, it's important to seek out a competent, qualified attorney that can guide your case to a conclusion with which you can both be satisfied. Car, truck, and motorcycle accidents can wreak havoc on the lives of those injured, long after the property damage has been repaired. Injuries resulting from these kinds of accidents can take months or even years to heal fully: recovery often involves things like surgery and painful, difficult rehabilitation programs. The costs of medical care add up over time, as do lost wages and time away from work. There are also claims for loss of consortium and loss of companionship to consider, especially when you take into account the toll on the families of accident victims.

A personal injury lawyer's job is to help you evaluate your claim - to assess your damages and determine the liability of the party at fault. In some cases, it may not be clear which party bears the majority of the blame for the accident: an experienced attorney can gather the necessary facts to establish your claim and counter the defense's arguments. Insurance companies can be relentless in trying to discredit plaintiffs, and limiting their rights to recovery and compensation for their injuries. It can be crucial to have an experienced advocate in your corner to counter the tactics of insurers and defense attorneys.

Experienced attorneys are also able to put a monetary value on your claims, establishing guidelines as to fair and reasonable compensation and taking into account the factors beyond injuries that make up damages.

Railroad Crossings Can Prove Hazardous for Drivers in Missouri & Nationwide

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:54:31 -0600

Our Kansas City car accident attorneys understand that railroad crossing accidents oftentimes produce fatal results. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, trains and cars collide every 12 minutes. There were more than 9,500 accidents involving trains and motor vehicles in 2009. Many of these accidents could have been avoided with the proper precautionary steps.

In the 2009 accidents, there were nearly 700 people killed and almost 6,700 people injured. More than 95% of the fatalities resulting from train accidents occurred through highway-rail incidents and during trespassing. There were more than 200 incidents reported during the year of a motor-vehicle accident with a train. These incidents killed more than 190 people.

There are a number of factors that can contribute to these serious accidents. Some of these factors include train operator negligence, defective train tracks or crossing equipment and brake malfunctions. Human errors, including trespassing and fatigued train drivers contribute to approximately 35 percent of all incidents. Defects with the tracks contributed to about 34 percent.

The average-sized train weighs roughly 12 million pounds. In comparison to an average-sized motor vehicle, your car is more like a soda can and can be crushed instantly upon impact. It takes about a mile for the average 100-car train traveling at 50 mph to stop.