Car accidents are serious and often result in permanent injury.  Even a "soft-tissue" injury can be deemed serious and any first-rate orthopedist will opine that soft-tissue disc trauma is in fact a permanent injury.  Victims of car accidents are vulnerable. This creates a potential issue when it comes time for the victim to discuss the claim with an insurance claims adjuster.  The victim, having little to no knowledge of the law, enters into any conversation with an insurance adjuster on an unequal footing.  Insurance adjusters are highly trained and do have a general knowledge of the law in Missouri.  That doesn't necessarily mean that the adjuster plans to share that knowledge with the victim.  Our St. Louis car accident attorneys find that often times an insurance adjuster will misguide the victim into believing that the claim must be settled immediately or else "the file will be closed."

Big insurance companies bet on the odds that most injury victims will not retain a car accident injury lawyer to represent their claim.  The victims that eventually do retain a lawyer are benefited many times over by legal representation.  Most people do not understand all of the types of compensation that are available under Missouri law.  As such, never discuss your car accident with an insurance claims adjuster.  Never accept a settlement without first consulting with a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer. 

Attorney Stephen Schultz is a lifetime member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and rated a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Missouri by the American Trial Lawyers Association.  Don't be victimized twice.  Contact the lawyers at Schultz Legal Group for an immediate consultation by calling (866) 840-3636.

Injury victims of serious car accidents and truck accidents often wonder what types of compensation they are entitled to pursuant to Missouri law.  Unfortunately there is no simple answer.  While car accidents and truck accidents both take place on roadways, the similarities between the two end there.  Persons who are seriously injured in car accidents are entitled to compensation for past medical bills, future medical bills, past pain & suffering, future pain & suffering, past lost wages, future lost wages, loss of earning capacity.  Legal spouses of injury victims are also entitled to compensation under the doctrine of loss of consortium.  The surviving family members of those who are fatally injured are entitled to certain types of compensation pursuant to Missouri's Wrongful Death Statute, Mo. Rev. Stat. 537.080. 

Injury victims should keep detailed records from the date of the injury through maximum medical improvement (if such exists).  Some victims are so catastrophically injured that they require a lifetime of medical care.  Economic damages (such as medical bills) are compensated upon proof of the loss, or "expense".  Missouri does not all plaintiff's to recover compensation based upon speculation.  Itemized medical bills are required. 

Tractor-trailer accidents commonly cause severe and permanent injuries.  These types of unfortunate incidents may necessitate a lifetime of 24 hour medical care from professionals.  Juries are reluctant to award a plaintiff compensation for future medical care in a tractor-trailer injury claim unless a certified life-care planner writes a detailed future medical report as evidence.  This traditionally requires the attention of a licensed physician, otherwise the life-care plan may be stricken as unreliable. 

If you have questions on the types of compensation you can claim in a car accident injury claim or truck accident injury claim, call the injury lawyers at Schultz Legal Group for an immediate consultation.  A St. Louis Accident Injury Lawyer is available live by calling (314) 448-0934 or (866) 840-3636.  Don't be victimized twice.

St. Louis Tractor-Trailer Accident Lawyer Stephen Schultz was recently inducted into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.  Attorney Schultz was awarded a lifetime membership into both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.  Membership requires a trial lawyer to obtain a single verdict or settlement in excess of one million dollars and in excess of two million dollars.  This elite organization was founded in 1997 and to-date has just 3000 members nationwide.  Fewer than 1% of trial lawyers in the United States share this distinction. 

Tractor-trailer accidents require exceptional legal representation from a lawyer who is focused in this practice area.  Truck accidents involve a complicated body of federal statutory authority entitled the "Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations."  These Federal Regulations set the minimum safety standards that commerical motor carriers and professional truck drivers must follow.  These laws are designed to protect other motorists who share our nation's highways with trucks that can exceed 60,000 pounds each. 

An experienced St. Louis truck accident lawyer can investigate the circumstances of the crash with its own accident reconstruction team.  It is well-known that commercial motor carriers dispatch insurance teams to the scene of a serious tractor-trailer accident within hours.  Evidence such as driver log books, trip sheets, fuel receipts, bills of laiding, and other critical documentation may be purposely or accidentally misplaced.  These types of documents are necessary for an injury victim or wrongful death claimaint to receive full and fair compensation from the negligent truck driver and negligent trucking company.  Don't be victimized twice.  Contact a lawyer immediately by calling toll-free (866) 840-3636, locally at (314) 448-0934, or by email.

An unidentified tractor-trailer fled the scene of a serious accident late Thursday afternoon near Warrenton Missouri.  The tractor-trailer allegedly sideswiped a Jeep SUV, causing the Jeep to spin out of control into another vehicle that was parked on the side of the Interstate.  The sliding SUV struck a parked Chevy Blazer, causing a subsequent impact with a pedestrian who was standing next to the Blazer.  The tractor-trailer that started this chain reaction of events was traveling westbound on Interstate 70 near the Route F exit in Warren County.  The chain reaction caused serious injuries to Chandlier Scronce of Hawk Pointe and Jessica Richardson of Overland Park Kansas.  17 year-old Scronce (the pedestrian) sustained catastrophic injuries and was required to be airlifted to the level-1 trauma unit at St. Johns Medical Center in St. Louis.  The identity of the tractor-trailer driver or the company he/she was hauling for is yet to be determined.  Authorities are urging any witnesses to come forward who may have information to assist in bringing the truck driver and commercial motor carrier to justice.

Many serious tractor-trailer accidents involve improper lane change/improper lane usage.  In this specific case, it is alleged that the truck driver merged into the lane of the Jeep SUV, without warning, causing this crash.  Improper lane usage by a commercial motor vehicle is in the top 4 of contributing circumstances to serious truck accidents each year according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and its 2006 Large Truck Crash Causation Study.  Improper lane change is a serious safety violation according to Federal Regulations.

Serious tractor-trailer crashes require serious legal representation. Contact a Warren County truck accident lawyer today to discuss your legal options.  A lawyer is available day or night by calling (866) 840-3636, or locally at (314) 448-0934.  Don't be victimized twice.     

32 year-old Christina Girard of Marshall was involved in a collision with a tractor-trailer last Wednesday evening.  The serious crash occurred on the Route J exit ramp off of eastbound Interstate 70 in Saline County.  The Peterbilt tractor-trailer was partially blocking the exit ramp.  Unsure whether the truck driver was in his sleeper berth at the time of the crash, the investigation will continue forward.  The identity of the truck driver has not yet been released.  Girard was transported to a local hospital in Marshall before being airlifted to University Hospital in Columbia due to the severity of her injuries.  Girard's Dodge minivan was destroyed and had to be removed from the scene by a flatbed wrecker.

Commercial motor carriers and truck drivers are required to pull completely off the highway when stopping for rest or to address mechanical problems.  They are required to use flares and reflective triangles when there are potential mechanical issues with the truck or trailer.  Tractor-trailers that are partially stopped on the highway or exit ramp present a real danger to passenger cars and other commercial motor vehicles.  These trucks may be large, but at night they can blend in with surroundings and become indiscrete to other drivers.  Drivers of passenger vehicles or other tractor-trailers may not notice a large parked truck until it is too late.

Time is of the essence in any tractor-trailer accident when serious personal injuries or death is involved.  Evidence at the scene is critical and often times the initial responders do not know what to look for in the way of contributing causes to the crash.  A Marshall tractor-trailer accident lawyer will dispatch his own crash investigation team to the scene.  Even if a few days have passed since the crash, a truck accident injury lawyer will still be able to inspect the truck and conduct an ECM (electronic control module) download to pull data that will prove useful when presenting a claim to the trucking company and its commercial insurance carrier.  Call (866) 840-3636 to speak to a lawyer immediately. 

A New York Times article recently discussed an emerging trend in hospitals that supports open disclosure of possible medical malpractice amongst doctors and patients.  It had been a long standing procedure for doctors NOT to disclose medical errors to patients, leaving the patients and lawyers to decide whether medical negligence had occurred.  Doctors are now being encouraged to disclose, even apologize, to patients when a medical mistake takes place.  According to a study by the University of Michigan Health System, this new approach of repentance has actually resulted in fewer medical malpractice claims being filed against physicians and hospitals. 

Coincidentally, the Missouri Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week in a case advocating for the repeal/amendment of Missouri's non-economic damages cap for medical malpractice lawsuits.  In Klotz v. St. Anthony's Medical Center et al, the plaintiff challenges the constitutional validity of Missouri's non-economic damages cap of $350,000 in a med mal case.  The Klotzes will argue that Missouri Revised Statute 538.210 violates their constitutional rights to economic recovery, as well as challenging the reason (or lack thereof) for the Missouri legislature enacting this statutory damages cap in this first place.  Missouri has some of the most doctor-friendly medical malpractice laws in the country. 

To discuss your Missouri medical malpractice claim, contact attorney Stephen Schultz by calling (314) 448-0934 or toll-free at (866) 840-3636.  The medical malpractice lawyers at Schultz Legal Group hope to see the Klotz's win their argument in the Supreme Court this week.  It would be a victory for all future victims of medical malpractice.    

Authorities responded to a fatal head-on car crash in Franklin County late Sunday evening.  18 year-old Jeremiah Nolting of Union Missouri was apparently attempting to pass another vehicle on westbound Highway 50 when he crashed into the front of a Chevy Suburban that was traveling eastbound.  Nolting was killed in the crash.  The driver and two passengers in the Suburban were seriously injured and two were transported to the level-one trauma center at St. Johns Medical Center in St. Louis for treatment.  Jacob Carman and Stephanie Dierberg were transported by helicopter due to the catastrophic nature of their injuries.  Kristen Dierberg was taken to St. Johns Mercy in Washington.  It appears that this fatal head-on crash could have been prevented. This fatality represented the third roadway death this year for Troop C of the Missouri Highway Patrol.

In cases involving life-threatening injuries, it is crucial to discover all possible avenues of financial recovery.  This enigma is compounded when you have several victims claiming the serious injuries.  Whether it is liability coverage, uninsured coverage, or underinsured coverage, most persons driving in the state of Missouri are grossly UNDERinsured.  Therefore, it becomes important for a Missouri car accident lawyer to investigate all areas of coverage and all possible parties that share legal responsibility for the cause of the crash.  Those entities can include anyone from a driver to the Missouri Department of Transportation (defective road design).

Call the Franklin County car accident lawyers at Schultz Legal Group for more information on what types of claims for compensation can be presented and what entities may share legal responsibility in your case.  Our lawyers can be reached day or night by calling (314) 448-0934 or toll free at (866) 840-3636.  Don't be victimized twice.

St. Louis Attorney Stephen Schultz was recently inducted into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.  This prestigious organization consists of the top 1% of trial lawyers in the United States.  Membership into the organization requires that an attorney win at least one single verdict in excess of $2,000,000.  To date, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum consists of the top 3000 trial lawyers in the country, and is recognized by most injury lawyers as a distinguished accomplishment.  Stephen Schultz is also recognized by the American Trial Lawyers Association as being one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the State of Missouri.

Stephen Schultz advocates for the victims of serious injury and death claims.  His practice is solely dedicated to personal injury and wrongful death litigation.  Serious car accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, motorcycle accidents, dram shop claims, drug defect claims, and product liability cases require the experience of an accomplished injury lawyer.  Several of Mr. Schultz's cases have been the focus of local and nationwide media attention.  His achievements have been published in local newspapers and legal periodicals. 

To discuss your serious injury case with St. Louis Attorney Stephen Schultz, call local (314) 448-0934, or toll-free (866) 840-3636.  Get the experience and dedication of a top trial lawyer on your side!       

I single vehicle car accident near Birch Tree resulted in serious injuries and one fatality early Saturday morning.  Authorities report that 27 year-old Brandon Drexler of Winona lost control of his Ford minivan and ran off of Old Highway 60, eventually impacting several trees and overturning.  The Shannon County crash resulted in injuries to the driver and two other passengers, Ryan Keeton and Daymond McAmis.  19 year-old Randi Phelps, of Birch Tree, sustained fatal injuries in the car accident and was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders.  McAmis sustained serious injuries and was transported to St. Johns Medical Center in Springfield for treatment.

This fatal car accident has drawn the attention of the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crash Team, which will be doing conducting an accident reconstruction to determine the contributing circumstances to the crash.  Accident reconstruction experts often uncover evidence in single vehicle accidents that assists a car accident lawyer in determining what parties share responsibility for the crash.  Such parties can include automobile manufacturers, automotive parts suppliers, dealerships, or even the entity that designed that particular stretch of roadway.

A fatal car accident attorney will be able to assist in filing a Missouri wrongful death claim on behalf of the surviving family members (ie. parents).  An attorney can also assist in the investigation by retaining a private crash investigation team to participate in gathering, preserving, and processing evidence.  Call to speak to a lawyer immediately by dailing (866) 840-3636.  Don't be victimized twice. 

Authorities report that a Western Star Diesel Tractor-trailer was backing up on Westbound 160th Street near Canton Missouri early Monday morning when it crashed into another vehicle.  The tractor-trailer was being driven by 43 year-old Daniel Fahser of Canton.  A GMC truck heading southbound on Route B impacted the tractor-trailer, causing a serious collision.  66 year-old Wayne Priebe, also of Canton, sustained catastrophic injuries in the collision with the tractor-trailer.  Priebe was airlifted from the scene by Air Evac, and taken to Blessing Hospital for emergency treatment.  His GMC truck was completely totaled and taken from the scene by a flatbed wrecker.

This serious crash raises questions of whether the Star Diesel Truck had the appropriate truck and trailer markings as required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and Missouri state law.  Did the truck driver have a spotter?  Could Mr. Priebe even see that the large truck was backing up at the time of the crash?  Federal regulations and Missouri state law require that commercial motor vehicle operators exercise the highest degree of care when operating a truck over 26,000 pounds.  These regulations are very particular with respect to trailer lighting and reflectors.  Because this crash occurred very early in the morning, just after sunrise, lighting and reflectors may very well have contributed to the cause of the crash. 

A truck accident injury attorney will be able to assist in the investigation and determine what circumstances contributed to the cause of the collision.  If it is determined that the driver of the Western Star Diesel Truck failed to exercise due care or failed to have the proper lights or reflectors on his dump bed trailer, the victim may be able to file a truck accident injury claim.  Call (866) 840-3636 for an immediate consultation with a Canton truck crash injury lawyer. 

Statistics prove that almost every person will be involved in a car accident at some point in their life.  The nature of a car accident itself is traumatic, even when there are no serious injuries reported by persons involved.  Dealing with property damage and negotiating with car insurance companies is unfamiliar to most people.  The gravity of the situation is increased when injuries are involved. 

Car accidents cause both physical injuries and emotional injuries.  Recovery from the injury itself, substantial medical bills, lost wages, damaged credit, and compromised family relationships cause the injury victim to become emotionally vulnerable.  Car insurance claims adjusters often prey on this vulnerability and use it as an opportunity to force injury victims into accepting a low ball settlement offer.  Insurance companies play the odds that most injury victims will not hire an car accident lawyer to file an injury claim against them.  Historically the gamble has paid off for the insurance industry, which even in an economic downturn continues to turn billions of dollars in profits.

If you have been injured in a St. Louis car accident, contact the lawyers at Schultz Legal Group to discuss your legal rights.  Don't be victimized twice by an insurance claims adjuster.  Call (314) 448-0934 or toll-free at (866) 840-3636 for an immediate consultation with an aggressive Missouri injury lawyer.