26 year-old Gregory Swaffar has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and two counts of assault for the fatal head-on car accident near Butterfield, Missouri last weekend.  The fatal car accident took place on Missouri highway 37 in Butterfield, when Swaffer crossed the centerline of the road and struck another vehicle head on in the late evening hours last Saturday.  Kenneth Keif and Melissa Keif were the victims in the vehicle that Swaffar struck head-on.  Both Kenneth and Melissa were transported by air to Cox hospital in Springfield.  Melissa ultimately did not survive the horrific impact.  Our prayers are with the Keif family.

Swaffar was found to be intoxicated at the time of this crash and has a history of like conduct behind the wheel.  DUI and texting while driving account for a high percentage of Missouri's fatal head-on car accidents.  Crossing the centerline of traffic is a common result from this type of poor judgment.  It kills people and ruins the lives of the surviving family members. 

Swaffar will have to face the three pending criminal charges against him.  He will likely face civil charges as well, for negligence, punitive damages, and wrongful death.  A jury of his piers will find it difficult to offer Swaffar any kind of mercy given his prior conduct.  Defendants with similar pending civil charges typically admit liability, however, with an active punitive damages count, a Missouri car accident lawyer will still be able to discuss his conduct.

Missouri personal injury lawyers are hired to hold negligent or reckless drivers accountable for their actions.  Filing a personal injury claim against the party that caused you harm sends a message to other careless drivers.  It operates as a deterrent for this kind of conduct. 

Our St. Louis personal injury lawyers are commonly asked what the settlement value is for a whiplash neck injury accident claim.  Any experienced car accident attorney knows that it is very difficult to put a value on an injury until all medical treatment has concluded and doctors have expressed an opinion as to the future prognosis of the client.  Doctors have a very strong place in any car accident claim for compensation.  Obtaining the right treatment, from respected doctors, is absolutely critical in arming your car accident injury attorney with the evidence necessary to obtain maximum compensation for your case.

Not all neck injuries are valued the same.  Whiplash can be diagnosed in varying degrees of severity.  Minor whiplash commonly resolves itself with physical therapy and other conservative treatment measures.  However, severe whiplash can result in numbness and tingling in the arms and hands.  Commonly referred to by doctors as "radiculopathy", numbness and tingling is an indicator that serious spine or disc injury is present.  Radicular symptoms can be life-changing, interfering with a car accident victim's ability to work and enjoy the ordinary pursuits of life. 

Contacting a St. Louis car accident lawyer is the first step at obtaining a fair settlement for any whiplash car accident claim.  A lawyer will step in and get in between you and an unfair insurance claims adjuster.  First thing you have to understand is that the insurance company is not looking out for your interests.  Any whiplash injury claim from a car accident will be undervalued unless the insurance claims adjuster takes you seriously.

As a St. Louis personal injury lawyer who has been involved in a car accident in the past, I know what it is like to feel victimized and unfamiliar with the best means of getting a fair settlement for an injury claim.  We have legal rights.  We are here to protect them.   

 

Authorities report that 54 year-old John Sanner was turning his tractor-trailer around on Route F near High Hill Missouri when it became stuck in the roadway.  67 year-old Brenda Spellings was driving southbound on Route F when she came upon Sanner's semi-truck.  The 2001 Focus rear-ended the truck, causing total damage to the Ford.  Spellings was seriously injured and rushed to University Hospital in Columbia Missouri where she was treated for life-threatening injuries. 

Tractor-trailers that attempt to turn in the middle of the road present a hazard to other motorists, such as the situation was here with Ms. Spellings.  Other passenger cars often times cannot avoid a truck that is in the middle of the road attempting to turn and blocking traffic.  The hazard presented can cause serious personal injuries or even fatal injuries.  The Batavia truck driver may be cited by authorities following further investigation into this crash.

As a Columbia Missouri semi-truck accident lawyer, I see serious truck crashes take place on a regular basis as a result of the negligence or inattention of a truck driver.  One the first things that a Missouri truck accident lawyer needs to do is download the Electronic Control Module (ECM) of the semi-truck.  Conducting a thorough private accident reconstruction is critical in preserving an subsequent personal injury claim for compensation.

Our Missouri truck accident injury lawyers can be reached by calling (866) 840-3636, or by emailing founding partner Stephen Schultz of Schultz & Myers law firm.

So you have been injured and you think the hard part is over.  You have received medical treatment and doctors and the hospital want to be paid.  Your health insurance covered part of the bills, but there are co-pays, deductibles and other expenses that need to be paid out of your pocket.  To make matters more complicated, the ambulance service that took you to the hospital has decided not to submit your bill to health insurance.  Instead, the ambulance service decided to put a lien on your settlement directly with the car insurance company for the negligent driver that caused the crash.  The insurance claims adjuster tells you that no settlement can be paid to your directly...and that the ambulance service will be written a check directly from the insurance claims adjuster. 

So now you think it is time to negotiate an injury settlement with the insurance claims adjuster.  After presenting your evidence and  reasonable settlement demand, the claims adjuster comes back with a lowball offer.  It isn't fair.  Maybe your initial decision not to hire a Missouri personal injury lawyer was a poor choice.  You know start calling around and finally locate a quality St. Louis semi-truck accident lawyer. 

Insurance claims adjusters are highly skilled in negotiation.  Unfortunately, they are not highly trained in Missouri law and jury verdict trends.  A lawyer on your side is able to negotiate a fair settlement for any injury claim.  Many, many factors determine the value of a personal injury claim.  From venue to the judge, there are many considerations that injury victims and claims adjusters just don't appreciate.  It takes a lawyer who has experience in litigating cases to fully understand the accurate settlement value of an case.

Contact Missouri personal injury lawyer Stephen Schultz and get advice from an expert in handling injury cases throughout the state.  Mr. Schultz can be reached at (866) 840-3636 or by email. 

Car accidents are life-changing, even when they are minor.  From property damage to personal injury, the process of getting your life back to normal can take time and money.  Property damage can always be repaired with money, but often times, serious bodily injuries such as fractures, head trauma, and even soft-tissue back pain may never be taken care of with a payment of cash.  Even a 5mph impact can cause all kinds of orthopedic problems, including back pain and severe whiplash.  Judging an injury from damage to a vehicle is not representative of how serious the injury is.  Insurance claims adjusters will argue otherwise, but science explains otherwise.

So how can you get compensation for injuries in a car accident.  The first step is getting the medical treatment that you need from a specialist.  The second step is contacting a St. Louis car accident lawyer that understands how to battle the insurance companies and their squad of claims adjusters.  In order to obtain compensation and ultimately a personal injury settlement, your attorney will need to file a claim with the at-fault party's insurance company.  A "claim" does not mean a lawsuit, it merely is a communication and written demand to settle a claim for bodily injuries caused by a auto collision.

Personal injury claims are often settled well before they ever make it to trial.  In fact, many claims can be resolved without the need of filing a lawsuit.  However, in some situations the insurance claim adjuster may be acting completely unfair, which requires intervention by the judicial system.  The means of obtaining compensation in this regards involves the civil justice system.  And compensation comes in the form of monetary recovery from the at-fault driver and his or her insurance company.

We all have car insurance for times of need.  Unfortunately, in our times of need that same insurance company can quickly turn against us.  It is always important to contact a St. Louis auto accident lawyer as soon as possible before you do irreparable harm to your own injury claim for compensation.