St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer Blog

As our St. Louis personal injury attorneys have reported in an earlier post to our St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer Blog, heavy snow and icy roads greatly increase the risk of a serious or fatal St. Louis car accident.

In fact, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, inclement weather road conditions were responsible for 132 fatal Missouri car accidents in 2009 that left 7,093 injured and damaged 27,312 vehicles. Ice, snow and slush alone were linked to 28 fatal car accidents that injured 1,200 and left more than 5,200 vehicles in need of repairs.

It's no secret that this winter season has been particularly treacherous for St. Louis drivers as storm system after storm system has relentlessly hammered the Midwest. Thanks to El Nino, WUWT reports, the nation as a whole has seen record amounts of snowfall in October, December, January and February. At one point mid-February, every U.S. state save Florida was dusted with snow -- and this included Hawaii!

Great news for skiers; not so much for morning commuters.

With that said, St. Louis drivers took another pounding the morning of Feb. 23, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, as a pre-dawn bout of freezing rain turned rush hour into slush hour on I-64/Hwy. 40. By 5 a.m., a 31-car pile-up sent nearly two dozen motorists to area hospitals.

Eastbound lanes remained closed for four-and-a-half hours as emergency vehicles transported victims, tow trucks removed damaged vehicles and investigators cleared the road of debris and collected evidence. Patches of black ice are believed to be to blame.

Crash-linked road closures spanned all directions of area interstates making travel next to impossible throughout the greater St. Louis region. State law enforcement officials were happy to report no fatalities were linked to the unexpected, unpredicted, surprise ice storm that grabbed international headlines as far away as the United Kingdom.

Continue reading "31-car St. Louis pile-up snags headlines in London, no fatalities reported" »

One teenager is dead and two others injured after a Missouri car accident in Franklin County, ABC3 News reported.

St. Louis personal injury lawyers understand all too well the dangers faced by teenagers behind the wheel. And, as this case illustrates, their passengers and other motorists on the road are too often seriously injured or killed in traffic accidents involving young drivers.

Authorities report the 16-year-old lost control of his SUV and hit a utility pole on Yellow Banks Road south of Mulkeytown. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Two other passengers, ages 17 and 13, were transported to St. Louis for treatment of their injuries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 195 motorists were killed in Missouri car accidents involving teenagers in 2008. Of those, 62 were passengers in a teen's car and 45 were either occupants of other vehicles or were non-occupants, such as a bicyclist or pedestrian.

Health News Digest reports a new study by State Farm Insurance and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found nearly one-third of those killed in teen car accidents were not even in the car driven by a teenager.

In all, about 681,000 motorists will be in a crash with a teen driver this year and an estimated 40,000 will be seriously injured. Key behaviors leading to serious or fatal injuries among teens include failure to wear seat belts, speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving.

"Reducing speeding and alcohol use, increasing seat belt use, and eliminating distractions for teen drivers are the four calls-to-action we see in this report that would have great impact on reducing injuries and fatalities for all road users," says Dr. Dennis Durbin, who is also an emergency physician and one of the study's authors. "More than half of teens who were fatally injured in crashes were speeding, 40 percent had a positive blood alcohol level, more than half were not wearing seat belts, and 16 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving."

Car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers and claim more lives than cancer, homicide and suicide combined.

Continue reading "One Dead, Two Injured in Missouri Car Accident involving Teenagers" »

Ryan R. Cox & Associates recently secured $1.15 Million for a female victim of a St. Charles, Missouri car accident who was injured by a teen driver who took a "joy ride" at excessive speeds. When rounding a curve on Ruth Drive in St. Charles County at a rate 25 miles per hour over the speed limit, the teen crossed over the center line and struck the victim's vehicle in a head on collision.

Due to the severity of impact, the victim's steering wheel was broken in half and her lower body was jammed into the dashboard. She lost consciousness before being taken by ambulance to St. Joseph Health Center where she was diagnosed with multiple fractures, including several pelvic fractures and a left distal femur and patellar knee fracture.

Due to the reckless behavior of the teen involved, Mr. Cox was able to maximize his client's recovery by arguing for a punitive element. The teen's insurance company also misrepresented the amount of insurance available on the claim and did not volunteer the existence of a $1 Million umbrella policy until Mr. Cox got involved and pursued aggressive litigation.

The behavior of the teen and his insurance company along with the result obtained by Mr. Cox in this case is but one of many examples of why those injured in car collisions need an experienced aggressive personal injury attorney on their side. If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, call Ryan R. Cox & Associates today for a free consultation.

With yet another storm bearing down on the Midwest, authorities continue to urge caution and limited travel during inclement weather in an effort to reduce the risk of serious and fatal St. Louis car accidents.

"Our crews are ready to give it their all," MoDOT Director of System Management Don Hillis said. "We're looking at significant snow accumulations, ice, heavy winds and bitter cold, so this storm is definitely going to be a challenge. We'll be out in full force doing all we can to clear the roads."

St. Louis personal injury lawyers understand the increased risk of Missouri car accidents during bad winter weather. The Missouri Highway Patrol reports 49 motorists have lost their lives in traffic accidents already in 2011.

"The safety of Missourians is our top priority," MoDOT Director Kevin Keith said. "The governor has asked us to help, and we are ready to go to work."

If you must travel during inclement weather, you are urged to take your time, plan ahead, consult the local weather forecast and let a family member or loved one know your direction of travel and planned arrival time.

Missouri road conditions are constantly updated on the state's travel map, available here. Meanwhile, the state is promising help with snow removal in numerous counties.

Here are Missouri winter driving tips:

-Winterize your vehicle and always conduct a pre-trip inspection.

-Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle, including flashlight, first aid kit, medications, blankets, shovel, booster cables, tool kit, bottled water and non-perishable food items.

-Keep plenty of gas in your vehicle and always travel with a charged cell phone.

-Obey speed limits and drive at a speed suitable for driving conditions.

-Watch for other vehicles having problems.

-If stranded, stay with your vehicle. Hang brightly colored cloth from antenna.

-Keep exhaust clear and window cracked for ventilation.

Continue reading "Harsh winter increases risk of car accidents in St. Louis " »