The Missouri Department of Transportation reported that there have been 300 deaths on Missouri highways through May 2009 for this year alone.  Compared with 365 from Jan 1 - May 31 in 2008, authorities report a decline in fatalities on Missouri roadways.  You wouldn't think there has been a decline in Missouri car accidents and tractor-trailer crashes this year.  Over this past weekend, there were several fatal accidents, including two in Joplin, one in Springfield, and one in Lebanon. 

Missouri appears to be on a 15 percent annual decline in fatal car accidents.  This is great news, as more and more motorists travel on our state's roads and highways with each new year.  Remember that if you are injured in a Missouri car accident or truck crash, to follow several important steps to preserve the viability of your injury claim. Visit the Schultz Legal Group injury victim helpsite if you have been injured in an automobile accident.  If you have been injured in a Missouri tractor-trailer crash, visit the firm's tractor-trailer crash information center.

Missouri wrongful death claims are some of the most sensitive our injury attorneys handle.  They are also some of the most complicated claims to prosecute.  Missouri has a Wrongful Death Statute that breaks down who is entitled to file a claim on behalf of the decedent and what types of damages are recoverable.  The first group of persons entitled to file a wrongful death claim in Missouri are the surviving spouse, children, and parents.  This grouping is commonly referred to as "tier one" representatives.  Second tier representatives include siblings and their descendants.  Third tier, the final grouping, include a plaintiff ad litem.

So what type of compensation is permitted in a Missouri wrongful death claim?  Economic losses (special damages), including:  medical bills for treatment from the time of the injury to death, financial aid expected to be received from the decedent, and burial expenses.  Non-economic (general damages) including:  pain and suffering endured from the point of the injury to the time of death and recovery for the reasonable value of services and companionship suffered by immediate family members for this loss of life.

How long to I have to file a wrongful death claim?  The applicable statute of limitation in Missouri for wrongful death is three (3) years from the death itself.  Because statutes of limitation can still vary depending upon injury and age, contact Missouri Wrongful Death Lawyer Stephen Schultz to discuss the specific facts of your case.  The Missouri injury attorneys at Schultz Legal Group can be reached toll-free at (866) 840-3636, (314) 448-0934, or by email. 

The Missouri Highway Patrol responded to a rear-end car accident in St. Clair in rush hour traffic this morning.  Authorities report that 27 year-old Kenneth Frossard was driving a Ford pick-up truck that crashed into the back of Valerie Tucker's small Ford Focus.  Tucker was stopped in traffic on Missouri Highway 47 when this Franklin County car accident took place.  Tucker sustained personal injuries and was assisted at the scene by Union Ambulance and transported to St. John's Medical Center for emergency treatment. 

Morning rush hour traffic is a commonplace for rear-end car accidents.  Whether by inattention or following too close, drivers end up crashing into other cars stopped or stopping in traffic. Missouri law requires that motorists maintain a 'safe distance' behind the cars ahead.  This requires drivers to exercise prudence in the operation of their vehicles and make the necessary adjustments when traffic is stop and go. 

If you have been injured in a traffic collision, contact St. Clair Accident and Injury Attorney Stephen Schultz and get the experienced lawyers at Schultz Legal Group on your side.  Our Missouri injury attorneys are seasoned veterans when it comes to investigating car and trucking accidents and negotiating a fair settlement with the insurance companies.  Don't be victimized twice!  Call (866) 840-3636 or (314) 448-0934 today!

A serious car accident in Lebanon was reported on Missouri Highway 32 late this afternoon.  The Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to a scene which included two pick-up trucks that both sustained total damage.  45 year-old Daniel Berry was operating a Toyota pick-up that crossed the centerline of traffic and crashed head-on into another pick-up.  Berry was pronounced dead at the scene by the Laclede County Coroner's office.  Bernice Boer and her husband Edward Boer sustained serious personal injuries as a result of this head-on car crash and were transported to Cox Medical Hospital South in Springfield Missouri for emergency treatment.

As a Lebanon Injury and Accident Attorney, I commonly come accross cases where the defendant lost his life in the crash in which my clients sustained serious personal injuries.  The situation is a tragic for all parties involved.  Nonetheless, the insurance company for the decedent may be responsible for the injuries caused to other parties as long as it is determined that the driver was at fault for the car accident.  This may be determined by the police report, witness statements, and other evidence gathered at the scene of the car crash.

If you have questions on your injury case, contact Lebanon Injury and Accident Attorney Stephen Schultz and get the experienced lawyers at Schultz Legal Group on your side.  Contact our Missouri injury lawyers toll free at (866) 840-3636, (314) 448-0934, or by email today for a free consultation.

The infamous recorded statement is commonly first requested by the insurance company immediately following a Missouri car accident, truck accident, or motorcycle crash.  As a St. Louis car accident lawyer, I can tell you that any recorded statement, regardless of who was at fault for a crash, is a very bad idea.  The injury victim must understand that insurance companies are not looking out for the best interests of those victimized in an accident.  To the contrary, insurance companies have stockholders to please first and foremost.  I have represented victims of clear liability rear-end car crashes where the insurance company used an otherwise innocent recorded statement to impeach a client's credibility. 

Missouri car accident injury victims have no duty to provide a statement to a defendant's insurance company.  Victims also have no duty to give their own insurance company a recorded statement.  First and foremost, if you are injured in a car accident you should contact a Missouri injury attorney who can place your interests first, not those of some multi-billion dollar commercial insurance company.  If you have already provided a recorded statement, do not dispair.  The injury attorneys at Schultz Legal Group may be able to file documents with the Court to exclude your statement as inadmissible evidence.  Contact our attorneys toll-free at (866) 840-3636, (314) 448-0934, or by email today.

Highway 65 in Sedalia Missouri is a heavily traveled roadway.  It is also a dangerous two-lane highway which sees its share of daily serious automobile accidents resulting in personal injuries.  In the early afternoon on Memorial Day, Maria Flores-Martinez attempted to cross both lanes of Highway 65 and caused another vehicle been operated by Amy Johnson of Lincoln to crash into hers.  This Missouri car accident was violent and unexpected, and caused total damage to both vehicles.  23 year-old Amy Johnson and her passenger, Lisa Ingram, sustained serious personal injuries and were rushed to Bothwell Regional Hospital in Sedalia for emergency treatment.  The Missouri Highway Patrol continues its investigation into this crash to determine if traffic citations should be issued.

Crossing both lanes of a two-lane highway,especially highway 65 in mid-Missouri, is dangerous and extreme caution must be exercised.  Motorists commonly underestimate the time and distance required to safely cross all lanes of traffic.  As such, numerous lives are lost on this stretch of roadway between Highway 70 and 44 in Missouri.  Persons who are injured because another driver failed to exercise caution and prudence on Highway 65 should contact a Missouri Injury Attorney.  Only an experienced Sedalia car accident lawyer can get the compensation necessary to piece back together the life of an injury victim.
 

Authorities reported a early morning rush hour car accident in Cape Girardeau early Friday morning on US Highway 61.  Apparently 21 year-old Amanda Landgraf was pulling out from a private driveway onto Highway 61 when she was broadsided by another vehicle driven by 35 year-old Brian Lillibridge of Millersville Missouri.  This Cape Girardeau car accident resulted in total vehicle damage and serious personal injuries for the parties involved.  The Missouri Highway Patrol reports that Landgraf failed to yield the right of way to Lillibridge.  Both drivers were transported by ambulance to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau for treatment for their personal injuries.

Yielding the right of way to oncoming traffic is a law in Missouri, as enacted through section 304 of the Missouri Revised Statutes.  These statutes, commonly known as Missouri's statutory "Rules of the Road" require drivers to exercise prudence on Missouri's roads.  When a driver fails to obey one of these statutes, he or she can be criminally accoutable.  That driver may also be found negligent per se, leading to a cause of action in civil tort for negligence.

If you have been injured due to driver negligence in Cape Girardeau, contact Missouri Accident and Injury Attorney Stephen Schultz and get the experienced lawyers at Schultz Legal Group fighting for your rights.  Don't be victimized twice!  Only a competent Missouri car accident attorney can properly handle injury claims against the well-funded insurance companies that so vigorously defend them.  The injury attorneys at Schultz Legal Group can be reached toll-free at (866) 840-3636, (314) 448-0934, or by email.

Hydroxycut has claimed its first life, according to the Food & Drug Administration.  In addition to this first death, reports of dozens and dozens of serious health problems are flooding the FDA.  These health problems include jaundice, elevated liver enzymes, seizures, cardiovascular disorders, and muscle damage.  The liver damage is so severe that in some cases the victim requires a liver transplant. Do you have a Hydroxycut injury claim?

The Federal Food & Drug Administration does not regular sport supplements that include natural ingredients and that are over-the-counter.  Accordingly, many companies can put just about any combination of natural ingredients in a sports supplement or weight loss pill and have little to no oversight from the federal government.  Phen-Phen and Ephedra were commonly known to cause serious adverse side effects and personal injury or death in users.  Hydroxycut may be the next Phen-Phen or Ephedra and users are strongly encouraged to get tested for liver or other internal body damage. 

If you have taken Hydroxycut, contact Hydroxycut Injury Lawyer Stephen Schultz and get the experienced mass torts lawyers at Schultz Legal Group on your side.  Our Missouri injury attorneys will file a claim on your behalf and make certain that any future medical needs are compensated for before the statute of limitations on your claim expires. 

The Missouri Highway Patrol has pledged to place every available officer on the road this Memorial Day Weekend.  Officers will be strictly enforcing traffic laws in an effort to keep Missouri car accidents and tractor-trailer crashes to a minimum.  Combined Accident Reduction Effort (C.A.R.E.) will be implemented for the holiday weekend and will involve local and statewide law enforcement.  In 2008, 477 people sustained personal injuries in Missouri as a result of serious car accidents and truck crashes over the Memorial Day weekend.  11 people involved in those traffic accidents lost their life.

Law enforcement and the Missouri Department of Transportation report that inattention, failing to yield, and speeding were among the top three contributing causes to serious automobile collisions last year.  So put down that cell phone and easy up on the gas.  These to preventative factors alone will greatly improve your chances of avoiding a serious crash and arriving at your destination without personal injury or worse.

In the unfortunate event you are injured in a car or truck crash over the holiday weekend, contact an experienced Missouri accident and injury attorney immediately and get your legal rights protected.  Insurance companies are not out for your best interests and without a successful injury attorney on your side, you may become victimized for the second time.

WARNING!  The Food and Drug Administration has just published a Level-1 warning in regards to the sport supplement Hydroxycut.  It is suspected that this weight loss / energy booster causes serious liver damage. Hydroxycut is marketed and distributed by MuscleTech and may also be marketed by Lovate.  The company has agreed to pull the drug from distribution immediately following the FDA's recent warning.  Symptoms associated with an adverse reaction to Hydroxycut include vomitting, light-colored stools, lightheadedness, weakness, and extreme fatigue.  You may have a Hydroxycut Injury Claim if you have used Hydroxycut. 

The wieght loss fad is stronger than ever and Hydroxycut is just one brand that is in the mix.  This product promises to help uses gain energey and lose weight and comes in many forms, including: drink packets, pills, powder, and liquid packets.  If you are taking Hydroxycut and have any of the product left, stop ingesting it immediately!

Manufacturers and distributors of products have an absolute duty to make certain that their products are safe.  In the legal area, this is called "strict liability".  Accordingly, when a user sustains personal injury or death when using the product as it was intended, the manufacturer is responsible for any and all damages.  If you have taken Hydroxycut, contact a Hydroxycut Injury Lawyer and get the experienced products liability lawyers at Schultz Legal Group on your side.  Don't sit idly by without seeking medical attention to determine what, if any, serious damage has been caused to your liver by Hydroxycut.  Contact Injury Attorney Stephen Schultz at (314) 448-0934, or toll-free at (866) 840-3636.

Summer is almost here and many of Missouri residents, including me, are thinking ahead to boating season.  Whether you enjoy this recreation at Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake, or another less populated area, boating season comes with personal injury risks no matter where you are.  Lake of the Ozarks has become an increasingly popular destination, with just about most of the shoreline developed for commercial or residential use. 

Visit the Missouri Water Patrol's website for helpful hints in staying safe throughout this boating season.  Also keep in mind that if you were born before 1994, you are required under Missouri law to participate in a boater safety program prior to operating a boat or waverunner on Missouri waterways.  That course is typically 6 hours long and discusses topics on boater safety and awareness.  Given the increasing number of collisions on Missouri waterways, particularly between waverunners and boats, any safety course is both welcome and encouraged.  Collisions between these types of watercraft can cause serious personal injury or death.

If you are injured on Missouri's lakes or rivers, you may be able to recovery under a policy of insurance.  Not all boaters carry liability insurance, and in fact, MOST waverunners are not covered by liability insurance. Contact Missouri Injury Attorney Stephen Schultz to discuss your injury claim and whether you will be able to receive compensation under a policy of liability insurance.  The injury attorneys at Schultz Legal Group can be reached at (314) 448-0934, or toll-free at (866) 840-3636.

Authorities are reporting that 62 year-old Margaret Rhea of Appleton City Missouri was killed in a head-on car crash on highway 52 on Friday evening.  Apparently Norman Sapp of Montrose lost control of his 2005 Chevrolet and crossed the center line of traffic, resulting in this head-on collision between the two vehicles.  Sapp was transported by helicopter to St. Lukes hospital for emergency treatment.  This crash is still under investigation as authorties are uncertain what caused Sapp to cross the center line and strike Rhea's vehicle.  The collision resulted in total property loss to both vehicles.

In the state of Missouri, the surviving next of kin and other relatives are entitled to recover for the death of a loved one pursuant to Missouri's Wrongful Death Statute, cited as Mo. Rev. Stat. 537.080.  The action for recovery is titled as a Missouri Wrongful Death Claim, and allows surviving family members to recover for this type of loss.  A skilled Missouri wrongful death attorney will be able to determine who or whom meets the requirements set forth in Missouri's Wrongful Death Statute and what type of compensation will be permitted in your specific case.

Don't be victimized twice.  Losing a loved one is enough.  Contact a Missouri Accident and Injury Attorney and get your legal interests protected as soon as possible!

I have been approached by many personal injury victims involved in car accidents in truck crashes in Missouri who want to know if they should represent themselves against the insurance company.  On very few occasions do I ever recommend dealing directly with the insurance company when seeking compensation.  The analogy of bringing a knife to a gun fight is very appropriate here.  Unless you are uninjured and merely attempting to recover for the damage sustained to your vehicle, then dealing with the insurance company alone is an unfair proposition.  Victims of automobile accidents and Missouri truck crashes must understand that insurance adjusters are highly trained and skilled in the art of claim minimization.  In fact, many insurance companies reward the adjusters who minimize claim payouts by giving them all-expense paid trips and refrigerators for their offices. 

As a St. Louis Injury and Accident Attorney I know from experience how the insurance companies operate.  The never place the interests of the injury victim first.  Instead, insurance companies find ways to undervalue an injury claim.  Common explanations by the adjuster are:  1) there was a pre-existing medical condition that caused your injuries, 2) there was not significant damage to the vehicles and therefore you are not hurt, and 3) pain and suffering is not compensable.  All these explanations are usually without merit. 

If you have been injured in a Missouri car accident, motorcycle crash, or truck collision, contact a Missouri injury attorney who is experienced in dealing with the insurance companies.  Contact an attorney who knows how to even the scales and obtain fair compensation for your injuries.  Don't be victimized twice!  Contact St. Louis Car Accident Attorney Stephen Schultz at (314) 448-0934, or toll-free (866) 840-3636 and get your case evaluated personally.