Missouri Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

St. Louis Has The Worst Drivers

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:52:03 -0600

According to research conducted for an article in Men's Health magazine, St. louis has the worst drivers in a survey of 100 U.S. cities. The study analyzed the rate of fatal crashes; the percentage of fatalities involving alcohol, speeding, or hit and run; and the rate of seatbelt use (from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Then we factored in the average number of years between accidents (data from Allstate) and laws on cellphone use while driving (taken from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and various city governments).

Based on this data, we advise people to be extra careful when driving in St. Louis. Motorists should keep a careful lookout, but don't assume that others around them are doing the same.

NTSB Considers Ban On Use Of Electronic Devices While Driving- Urges States To Do So

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:11:21 -0600

We saw this coming. According to a story posted on-line in today's LA Times, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging states to ban all use of electronic devices while driving. The NTSB is also considering options for national restrictions or an all out ban on their use. This is partly in response to a major accident in 2010 near Gray Summit, Missouri in which a 19-year old driver sent and received 11 text messages in the few minutes just before causing a multi-car pile-up involving trucks and buses that left two dead and 38 others injured.

The attorneys at the Injury Law Center have seen an increase in the frequency of accidents caused by distracted drivers on their cell phones. We aggressively pursue these individuals when they hurt innocent motorists.

Video Profiles Real-Life Dangers Of Texting & Driving

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:22:22 -0600

We all know that AT&T is one of the largest US based cellular phone service providers. It's easy to dislike large companies like this who charge honest working people alot of money for their services. However, they do occasionally use that money to do the right thing.

In an effort to increase public awareness about the dangers of texting while driving, AT&T has produced this 10-minute video. The video isn't very graphic, yet it's still very powerful because it shows the emotional aftermath of senseless tragedies that could have easily been avoided. The simple message is that "IT CAN WAIT."

Illinois Traffic Fatalities Are Historically Low For A Second Straight Year

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:45:47 -0600

According to a joint announcement today from the Illinois State Police (ISP) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), there were less than 1,000 traffic fatalities for the second straight year in 2010. This marks the lowest two-year totals since 1921. The Illinois' Transportation Secretary called it a "historic accomplishment."

The data gathered reflects that there were 911 motor vehicle fatalities in 2009, followed by 923 fatalities in 2010.

IDOT and the ISP are crediting increased use of safety belts, increased holiday police patrols, as well as safety programs such as Operation Teen Safe Driving, Motorcycle Safety, Impaired Driving, Work Zone Safety, Motor Carrier Safety, and Occupant Protection.

Dog Bites Are On The Rise In Missouri

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 19:17:07 -0600

There are 4.5 million dog bites in the United States annually, and they are most common here in the Midwest. This issue was recently featured in an article on stltoday.com. According to the latest figures from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, dog bites caused 316,200 emergency room visits and 9,500 stays in the hospital in 2008. This means that visits to the hospital from the bites have nearly doubled over the past 15 years. Locally, the St. Louis County Department of Health had 1,480 reports of dog bites in 2009.

If you or a loved one is bit by a dog, you will face many serious questions beyond the obvious health concern from the wounds. Does it have rabies? Will there be long-term effects? Who will pay for the medical bills?

Rabies is very unlikely these days, but precautionary shots are still common after a bite where the history of the dog is unknown. A more common problem, especially when the bite victim is a child, is post-traumatic stress disorder. Then, many families struggle with the problem of paying for the costly medical care, where a hospital stay can reach or surpass $20,000.00.

Missouri Highway Patrol Gets Anti-Texting While Driving Message Out

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:02:26 -0600

You've either done it yourself or seen somebody else do it recently- caught yourself or another motorist swerving into another lane or onto the shoulder of the road because of a text message. This is an increasing problem in Missouri, and law enforcement officials are taking notice...and more aggressive efforts at stopping the activity.

Missouri has already made it illegal to text message while driving if you are under 21 years old (see Missouri Revised Statutes Sect. 304.820). This is likely just the first step toward an all around banning of texting while driving.

The Missouri Highway Patrol has just initiated a new media campaign aimed at curbing the growing problem of car accidents involving distracted and inattentive drivers sending text messages. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol website, mobile phone use while driving contributed to cause over 1,780 traffic crashes in Missouri in 2009. During the first half of 2010, there were 791 traffic crashes traced to cell phone usage behind the wheel. Of these crashes, 8 resulted in fatalities and 239 in non-fatal injuries. During that same period, there were 17,535 crashes where distracted driving was cited as a contributing factor.

Missouri & Illinois Driver Alert: Local Police To Implement "Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest" Program

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:30:06 -0600

Watch out Missouri and Illinois drunk drivers! Over the upcoming holidays, area police agencies are expected to implement a national program aimed at arresting and successfully prosecuting impaired drivers. The "Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest" Program is aimed at reducing the number of drunk driving injury and death cases by removing impaired drivers from the streets.

The organized police efforts will include the unusual practice of having a Judge "on call" to issue warrants to obtain blood samples in order to get blood-alcohol readings from suspected drunk drivers who refuse the breath test. The program is sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

U.S. Department of Transportation Proposes Cell Phone Ban For Truck Drivers

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:59:49 -0600

In an on-going effort to combat the problem of accidents caused by inattentive driving, the United States Department of Transportation has proposed a federal ban on the use of hand-held cell phones by interstate truck and bus drivers. According to research by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), commercial vehicle drivers who reach for a cell phone are 3 times more likely to cause a crash. Drivers dialing on a cell phone are 6 times more likely to crash. The FMCSA banned text messaging by commercial drivers in September 2010.

Proposed penalties for violations of the rule range from up to a fine of $2750.00 to the disqualification of a commercial drivers license for repeat violators. In 2009, five hundred thousand people were injured and almost 5,500 people were killed by inattentive drivers. For more information, see the artcle entitled "U.S. DOT Proposes Rule to Ban Hand-Held Cell Phone Use for Commercial Truck and Bus Drivers" on the FMCSA website.

St. Louis Drag Race Crash Suspects Arrested, Girl Injured

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:33:51 -0600

A 17 year old girl from Hazelwood who was acting as a "flag girl" for an illegal street race was struck by the vehicles, and ended up in the hospital in critical condition. According to an stltoday.com article, the drivers of both vehicles, including a 19-year old man from Glen Carbon, Illinois, have been arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident. Police allege that after striking the girl, both drivers fled the scene and left her to be attended to by by-standers.

Street racing is illegal in Missouri. So is leaving the scene of an accident. A vehicle colliding with a pedestrian is commonly considered an accident just like two vehicles colliding. Depending on the severity of the property damage or injuries caused in a Missouri car accident, a driver who leaves the scene could be charged with a Felony offense, as was the case here.

8-Year Old Boy Killed In Franklin County, Mother Charged After Crash

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:59:16 -0600

According to reports from the Missouri State Highway Patrol website and an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch today, an 8-year old boy was killed in a car accident yesterday, and the driver of the car- the boy's 31-year old mother- was arrested by police 15 minutes after the crash under suspicion of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and Involuntary Manslaughter. The crash happened at about 11:58 AM in Franklin County. Apparently the mother also had her 3 daughters, ages 1, 1, and 2, in the car as well, but they weren't injured.

If the mother/driver is charged with DWI and Involuntary Manslaughter, it will be based upon the conclusion that there is no proof the she intended to kill her son. However, if she is found to have been intoxicated before noon and driving her young children around in that condition, she is very likely headed for prison. A wrongful death case may also be pursued by family members on behalf of the boy.

2009 Missouri Auto Accident Stats

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:52:13 -0600

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has issued a report detailing the statistics surrounding statewide auto accidents for the year 2009. This is the most up to date report currently available from the Highway Patrol. Some noteworthy statistics from the report:

-There were 152,995 car accidents statewide in 2009;
-In those accidents 53,829 people were injured and 878 were killed;
-Of the fatal accidents, Speed and Drinking/Drugs were the leading Probable Contributing Circumstances according to the accident investigators;
-36.25% of the fatal accidents involved drinking/drugs;
-The age group 16-35 represented 39.38% of the fatalities;
-Of all the accidents, 70.79% happened during daylight hours and 75.58% occurred on dry pavement.