http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/ St. Louis, Missouri Injury Law Firm en-us Copyright 2010 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:50:24 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss St. Louis personal injury lawyer to represent the victim against the negligent party and his/her insurance company.  Most victims feel they have the bargaining power to deal with an insurance claims adjuster without legal representation.  Even the most highly-educated victims will fight a losing battle when they chose to proceed without legal assistance.  Insurance claims adjuster are highly trained at negotiation and are always in a powerful bargaining position compared to a car accident injury victim.  The injured party is vulnerable due to the physical, emotional, and financial stress of a serious car accident or other injury-producing incident.  Statistics prove that accident victims obtain 3X-5X the compensation for a personal injury claim when a lawyer is retained.

Another gamble that insurance companies will play is when an injury lawyer presents a settlement demand package.  The gamble is when the claims adjuster decides not to pay the compensation demanded by the personal injury lawyer, or denying the claim all together.  When an adjuster rejects a lawyer's settlement demands, a lawsuit is typically filed against the negligent party.  The insurance company is then forced into litigation and to defend and indemnify their insured.  If the insurance company had no reasonable basis to deny the settlement demand for compensation made by the injury lawyer, the insurance company may have committed "insurance bad faith."  To learn more about bad faith litigation, visit the Schultz Legal Group injury victim information website.

Some of the best Missouri personal injury lawyers are located in St. Louis.  When searching for a lawyer make sure that he or she is focused solely on personal injury law.  Lawyers who practice family law or criminal law, for example, are probably not the best choice for your personal injury claim.  It is critical to locate a lawyer who is focused on one area of litigation.  This ensures that your injury claim will be handled by an attorney who is experienced in injury settlement negotiations and jury trials.  You only get one chance to obtain fair compensation for a personal injury claim....make that one shot count by hiring the best.
  ]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/injury-lawyers-in-st-louis-can.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/injury-lawyers-in-st-louis-can.html Verdicts and Settlements Injury Lawyers In St. Louis Can Obtain Fair Compensation for Personal Injury Claims Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:50:24 -0600
St. Louis personal injury lawyers often struggle with dram shop liability claims.  These types of cases are complicated and involve a vague Missouri statute, specifically Mo. Rev. Stat. 537.053.  The statute outlines the elements and burden of proof necessary for plaintiff's to prevail in a dram shop claim against an establishment that serves intoxicating liquor for consumption on its premises.  Whether or not a patron is 'visibly intoxicated' as described in the statute, presents a question of fact for the jury to decide.  Expert testimony from toxicologists and pharmacologists can offer the jury guidance as to what level of blood alcohol content (BAC) coincides with visible intoxication.  Witness testimony from other persons at the table, employees, and other customers can also shed light on the defendant's speech, gait, behavior, and appearance at the time of alcohol service and consumption.

The limit for blood alcohol while driving in the state of Missouri is .08%.  A restaurant or bar would be hard-pressed to pick up on 'visible intoxication' at this level, or even in the range of .08-.13%.  However, as a customer approaches a .15% BAC, there will be obvious signs of intoxication.  Bartenders and servers should be properly trained to pick up changes in a customer's behavior.  Common sense also comes into play here.  If a 130 pound woman drinks 5-12oz beers in a couple of hours, even with food, that person will be well over the legal BAC level.  At that point, the server or bartender should step in and cut off service, even ask the customer if he/she needs a taxi summoned to the establishment.

If you have think you may have a St. Louis dram shop liability claim, contact the experienced lawyers at Schultz & Myers by calling (314) 448-0934, or toll-free at (866) 840-3636 for a free consultation.  
]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-6.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-6.html Verdicts and Settlements Wrongful Death St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer Stephen Schultz Featured in Jere Beasley Report Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:15:16 -0600
If a lawsuit is filed, a plaintiff still has the opportunity to settle his or her case prior to trial.  There are many opportunities to settle a personal injury claim and statistically, over 95% of all injury lawsuits are resolved prior to a trial.  As a Missouri car accident lawyer, we are only able to settle a case with the express authority of the client.  One of our jobs as a lawyer is to advocate for fair compensation for all personal injury claims.  A settlement is fair if it accounts for both economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, prescription costs, etc) and non-economic damages (pain & suffering, emotional pain).  There is no magic formula to determine what constitutes a fair personal injury settlement.  Claims must always be valued on an individual case by case basis.

When determining what is fair compensation for your car accident personal injury claim, factors such as venue, property damage, comparative fault, crash scene dynamics, and other aspects must be carefully weighed.  The amount of your medical bills is never a determining factor of the amount of compensation that should be demanded from an insurance company claims adjuster.  Many attorneys overlook subtle aspects of a case that can actually play a heavy factor on what a jury would really award if the case were to go to trial.  It is important to discuss ALL aspects of your case with a qualified Missouri personal injury lawyer who has experience in court and mediation.  Our lawyers are recognized as a Top 100 trial lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association and are members of the elite Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.  Because we are respected by defense attorneys and insurance companies, our St. Louis personal injury lawyers are able to obtain substantial compensation for our client's personal injury claims.
]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/how-to-obtain-fair-compensatio.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/how-to-obtain-fair-compensatio.html Auto Accidents Personal Injury Verdicts and Settlements How to Obtain Fair Compensation or Personal Injury Settlement Following a Missouri Car Accident Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:52:24 -0600 St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer, we present injury claims to insurance companies on a daily basis.  Many of them involve the following types of incidents:

• St. Louis car accident injury claims
• St. Louis tractor-trailer accident injury claims
• St. Louis motorcycle accident injury claims
• St. Louis pedestrian injury claims
• St. Louis brain injury claims
• St. Louis spine injury claims
• St. Louis construction accident injury claims
• St. Louis dram shop claims
• St. Louis products liability claims

Anytime our lawyers present a serious injury claim to an insurance company, the claims adjuster makes a decision whether to pay or deny the claim.  In situations where an insurance adjuster improperly or hastily denies a claim, an insurance bad faith claim may become viable down the line.  I say down the line because a bad faith claim will only accrue (become viable) upon a jury verdict.  When a plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit obtains a jury verdict in his or her favor, and if the insurance claims adjuster had previously denied that claim, the defendant may have a bad faith claim against his own insurance company for failing to pay the claim when it could have, thus exposing the defendant to an excess verdict. 

When an injury victim obtains a verdict in excess of the defendant's policy limits of insurance, the defendant's personal assets then become available to the plaintiff for sale and satisfaction of that excess verdict.  A string of Missouri cases deal specifically with insurance bad faith law and direct insurance companies to be very careful when evaluating the merits of a personal injury claim. Ganaway v. Shelter Mutual Ins., 795 S.W.2d 544 (Mo. App. 1990); Craig v. Iowa Kemper Ins. Co, 565 S.W.2d 716, 711 (Mo. App. W.D. 1978); Grewell v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins., 162 S.W.3d 503, 409 (Mo. App. W.D. 2005); Freeman v. Leader Nat'l Ins. Co., 58 S.W.3d 590, 598 (Mo. App. E.D. 2001); and Zumwalt v. Utilities Insurance Co., 228 S.W.2d 750 753-56 (Mo. 1950).

Insurance companies are constantly denying meritorious St. Louis personal injury claims and they must be held accountable for their actions.  Contact a St. Louis personal injury lawyer at Schultz & Myers to find out if the insurance claims adjuster in your case is acting in bad faith.  ]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-5.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-5.html Auto Accidents Personal Injury Wrongful Death St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer Investigating Insurance Bad Faith Claims Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:47:42 -0600 Missouri Personal Injury Lawyers have the unfortunate task of encountering fatal car accident wrongful death claims on a regular basis.  The situation is particularly traumatic for family members and understanding Missouri's wrongful death statute can be confusing.  Because in Missouri, only certain surviving family members are permitted to file a Missouri death claim on behalf of a person fatally injured in a car accident.  Those persons are broken up into three (3) classes, with surviving spouses and children getting first opportunity at filing any wrongful death claim.  Even the forms and type of compensation permitted in a fatal car accident wrongful death claim is limited in Missouri.

Wrongful death claims and wrongful death settlements for compensation must be approved in a Missouri court.  A Judge will hear evidence put on by all persons with a claim filed on behalf of a fatal car accident victim.  The Judge will make sure that all classes of persons have notice of a potential claim and right to recovery before he or she will approve any settlement proposed by the parties.  Occasionally an insurance claims adjuster will attempt to propose a wrongful death settlement disbursement to surviving family members.  It becomes critical to immediately discuss your options with a Missouri personal injury lawyer before accepting any proposed wrongful death settlement.  In certain situations there may be excess liability insurance or an umbrella policy that will provide extra compensation to surviving wrongful death claimants.  Insurance companies rarely, if ever, volunteer this excess coverage as applicable.

Typically a wrongful death claim is filed in the jurisdiction and venue in which the Missouri fatal car accident took place.  Most judges require the attendance of ALL claimants at a settlement approval hearing, although some judges will accept sworn affidavits in lieu of live testimony if attendance would cause undue hardship.  Wrongful death claimants who live out of the state of Missouri may sometimes use these affidavits in place of traveling to court in Missouri.

A Missouri wrongful death attorney at Schultz & Myers is available to discuss your case and concerns at (314) 448-0934, or toll-free at (866) 840-3636.
]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/missouri-personal-injury-lawye.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/missouri-personal-injury-lawye.html Auto Accidents Personal Injury Wrongful Death Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer Discusses Fatal Car Accident Wrongful Death Claims Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:23:28 -0600
St. Louis car accident injury claims for compensation can occasionally be settled with the insurance company by a St. Louis personal injury lawyer.  For those car accident injury cases that cannot be settled for fair compensation by an injury lawyer, a lawsuit can be filed against the negligent driver and his/her car insurance company.  Missouri venue laws require a Missouri personal injury lawyer to file a car accident lawsuit in the jurisdiction in which the crash took place.  So car accidents in St. Louis City must be filed in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis.  Car accidents in St. Charles County would be filed in the Circuit Court of St. Charles County, and so on. 

St. Louis car accident claims for compensation can include several theories of negligence and prayer for several forms of financial recovery, including compensation for lost wages, past and future medical bills, pain & suffering, and emotional damages.  A Missouri personal injury lawyer can offer advice as to what forms of recovery apply to each type of injury case and the overall value of the claim. 

Have you been injured in a car accident in the St. Louis area?  Don't attempt to negotiate any settlement with an insurance company without first consulting with a personal injury lawyer at Schultz & Myers LLC.  Never sign a medical record release authorization or submit to a recorded statement.  Doing so will expose yourself to the games that insurance company claims adjusters play with personal injury victims.  Call the Schultz & Myers car accident injury victim hotline at (314) 448-0934 or toll-free at (866) 840-3636.
]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/st-louis-car-accident-injury-c.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/st-louis-car-accident-injury-c.html Auto Accidents Personal Injury St. Louis Car Accident Injury Claims Can Be Filed in St. Louis City or St. Louis County Sat, 10 Jul 2010 08:00:46 -0600 Missouri Truck Accident Lawyers at Schultz & Myers Law Firm are investigating a Phelps County tractor-trailer accident which seriously injured a woman from Washington.  The Phelps County truck crash took place on Monday, July 5, amidst heavy holiday traffic.  The collision involved two separate tractor-trailer big rigs and caused traffic delays while crews and emergency personnel cleaned up the mess.  21 year-old Kaycie Brueggemann was seriously injured in the crash and was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.  Brueggemann is a resident of Washington.

Tractor-trailer accidents are much more complicated than small passenger vehicle accidents due to the equipment involved and the laws that will apply to the case.  Both federal and state law are implicated any time there is a commercial motor vehicle 18-wheeler accident in the state of Missouri.  The lawyers at Schultz & Myers are focused on tractor-trailer accident injury litigation and have represented clients located throughout Missouri and the U.S.  Victims of big rig accidents are usually severely injured and have medical bills in excess of several hundred thousand dollars.  Compensation for an injury claim involving substantial economic damages can only be accomplished by use of industry experts and an aggressive legal team.  Experts in the fields of accident reconstruction, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, medicine, pain management, economics, and life-care planning are critical in order to obtain fair compensation for any truck accident injury claim.

Contact the Missouri truck accident injury lawyers at Schultz & Myers to discuss how to preserve a truck accident claim.  Crucial steps must be taken almost immediately after the truck crash in order to preserve evidence and avoid foul play.  Commercial trucking companies and their insurance companies will be working hard immediately following any Missouri tractor-trailer accident to minimize financial exposure.  Without the assistance of an experienced truck accident lawyer, a victim's chances at prevailing against these defendants are minimal. 


]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/missouri-truck-accident-lawyer.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/07/missouri-truck-accident-lawyer.html Trucking Accidents Wrongful Death Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Investigating Phelps County Tractor-Trailer Crash Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:42:53 -0600
Traffic on Interstates 70 and 44 will be heavy this weekend.  Despite the 70 mph speed limit, traffic will be slow and congested at times.  This presents a real danger, as cars and trucks that are used to traveling at freeway speeds for set distances will be faced with slowing traffic.  This is precisely what caused the recent fatal tractor-trailer crash in Herculaneum Missouri a few weeks ago.  In that instance, a distracted truck driver failed to notice slowing traffic and violently collided into seven passenger cars that were slowing in traffic congestion. 

If you notice traffic slowing ahead of you, check your rear-view mirror for fast-approaching vehicles.  If necessary, active your emergency flashers briefly to grab the attention of motorists traveling behind you, including large trucks.  If that doesn't work, your last resort may be to pull off onto the shoulder of the roadway to avoid a collision.  Bottom line is pay attention to your sorroundings on the highway and have a safe holiday weekend.  You don't want to be calling a St. Louis personal injury lawyer this weekend due to a preventable car accident.
]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-4.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-4.html St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer Discusses Safe Driving Habits to Avoid a Missouri Car Accident Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:27:51 -0600
Traffic on Interstates 70 and 44 will be heavy this weekend.  Despite the 70 mph speed limit, traffic will be slow and congested at times.  This presents a real danger, as cars and trucks that are used to traveling at freeway speeds for set distances will be faced with slowing traffic.  This is precisely what caused the recent fatal tractor-trailer crash in Herculaneum Missouri a few weeks ago.  In that instance, a distracted truck driver failed to notice slowing traffic and violently collided into seven passenger cars that were slowing in traffic congestion. 

If you notice traffic slowing ahead of you, check your rear-view mirror for fast-approaching vehicles.  If necessary, active your emergency flashers briefly to grab the attention of motorists traveling behind you, including large trucks.  If that doesn't work, your last resort may be to pull off onto the shoulder of the roadway to avoid a collision.  Bottom line is pay attention to your sorroundings on the highway and have a safe holiday weekend.  You don't want to be calling a St. Louis personal injury lawyer this weekend due to a preventable car accident.
]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-3.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-3.html Auto Accidents Personal Injury St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer Discusses Safe Driving Habits to Avoid a Missouri Car Accident Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:27:51 -0600 St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer, I am always asked by new client what the value of their car accident injury claim is.  The answer is not a simple one.  Any personal injury lawyer that is able to opine as to the value of an injury claim after first meeting with a new client is either purposely or mistakingly misleading the client.  The true value of an injury claim can only be determined when the victim has completed treatment OR when all treating doctors are in a position to forecast what the cost of future medical treatment will be.  Even the best doctors are not fortune tellers, they cannot forecast future medical costs with absolute certainty.  After it is all said and done, a lawyer can only offer a ballpark of what a car accident compensation claim is worth.

Compensation for injuries sustained in a serious car accident in Missouri depends on many factors, some of which have nothing to do with the injury victim.  For instance, the venue where the lawsuit will be filed factors into value.  Venue is a procedural law in which a lawyer must observe and file a civil injury lawsuit in a certain Missouri county or city circuit court.  The current venue laws in Missouri require a plaintiff to file his or her injury lawsuit in the county or city where the car accident took place.  Rural venues such as Audrain County, Butler County, and Clay County typically offer rather conservative jury pools, where a plaintiff can reasonably anticipate a verdict that is lower than an urban county such as St. Louis County or St. Charles County.  Venue is a value indicator that is often overlooked by less experienced Missouri personal injury lawyers.

Medical bills, lost wages, future medical costs, emotional damages, and pain & suffering all play a large part of how to value a car accident personal injury claim.  Medical bills and lost wages make up the economic damage component of the claim, while emotional damages and pain & suffering comprise the non-economic damage portion of the claim.  Age, marital status, economic status, and other factors also effect the value of the claim.  Younger plaintiff's can typically expect to obtain more compensation for their personal injuries, especially if the injuries are permanent.  Keep in mind that even soft-tissue injuries such as disc herneation and whiplash injuries can be categorized as permanent.

The first step to understanding the value of your Missouri car accident injury claim is to contact a St. Louis personal injury lawyer.  An experienced injury lawyer can discuss all the components that will effect the value of your specific case and offer advice on how to protect this value from being minimized by an insurance claims adjuster.  Contact a Missouri personal injury lawyer by calling (866) 840-3636 or locally at (314) 448-0934. ]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/the-value-of-a-car-accident-in.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/the-value-of-a-car-accident-in.html Auto Accidents Personal Injury Wrongful Death The Value of a Car Accident Injury Claim | St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:25:42 -0600 insurance bad faith claims and victimized customers and personal injury victims.

Missouri law requires that an insurance company put the interests of its customer ahead of the company's desire to maintain high profits. Unfortunately, they don't.  Insurance companies are primarily focused on pleasing shareholders and top executives.  They are in business to make a profit, and will go to great lengths to achieve this goal.  Personal injury victims who attempt to negotiate directly with an insurance claims adjuster will find themselves on an uneven playing field.  Without a keen knowledge of the laws of Missouri, injury victims will make the mistake of signing unlimited medical records release authorizations, giving recorded statements or interviews, and ultimately settling their case for pennies on the dollar.  It is strictly a numbers game with the insurance companies, and their bet is that you will not retain a personal injury lawyer to file your claim.  This gamble ALWAYS pays off for the insurance company.

Missouri personal injury lawyers are the equalizers of the insurance claims process.  We make sure that the insurance companies are fair when it comes time to negotiating compensation for a settlement, or taking the case before a judge and jury.  Personal injury lawyers make sure that victims' medical history remains a private matter, not one for the insurance company to drove through like an open book.  We see that baseless arguments of a pre-existing medical condition or comparative fault do not destroy your injury claim.  Don't be victimized twice.  Contact a Missouri personal injury lawyer for free by calling (866) 840-3636 and get your questions answered by an attorney that ONLY represents personal injury victims. 
]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/why-personal-injury-claims-rar.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/why-personal-injury-claims-rar.html Personal Injury Why Personal Injury Claims Rarely Result in Fair Compensation Unless a Personal Injury Lawyer is Involved Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:23:51 -0600 St. Louis personal injury lawyers have received several calls from victims of the fatal truck crash that occurred in Jefferson County last week.  The facts of the crash are all too familiar for the resides of the St. Louis metropolitan area.  An inattentive tractor-trailer driver crashes into traffic on a major interstate highway, causing serious injuries and fatalities.  In this most recent crash, two motorists lost their lives, one at the scene and another shortly thereafter at the hospital.

As St. Louis personal injury lawyers, our firm must immediately request preservation of evidence involved in any serious car accident or tractor-trailer crash.  For accidents involving newer cars and trucks, we can secure the electronic control module (ECM) and download critical data that may help prove liability in a personal injury accident claim for compensation.  Data from the ECM doesn't lie, and often times this information can be used in court or a mediation to motivate the defendant's insurance company to settle the case for a substantial amount of compensation.

Tractor-trailer accidents in Missouri are particularly complicated because they involve both state and federal laws.  These types of injury claims typically result in heated litigation and heavily contested issues of law and fact.  The insurance company for the trucking company will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight innocent victims in court.  These companies have deep pockets and it isn't uncommon for them to hire multiple defense lawyers to defend a truck crash injury claim. 

Contact a Missouri personal injury lawyer at Schultz & Myers for advice on how to proceed with your claim for compensation.  Consultations are the firm are always free and you will always speak with a lawyer, not support staff.  Don't be victimized twice. Call today at (314) 448-0934 or toll-free at (866) 840-3636.

]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-2.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-2.html Personal Injury Trucking Accidents Wrongful Death St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer Investigating Recent Fatal Truck Crash in Jefferson County Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:48:51 -0600
Cpl. Jeff Wilson obtained a statement from Valentine that he "looked over his to his right, and looked back, and traffic had slowed."  The tractor-trailer first struck a small Ford Focus, dragging it for over 100 yards.  The Focus was hard recognizable from the crash, and resulted in the death of the 52 year-old Festus man.  The man may not have survived, even if he was in a tank, given the rate of speed at impact.  The 28 year-old Festus woman who died at St. Louis University Hospital was driving a Pontiac Vibe, which is a smaller passenger vehicle, similar to the Focus.

The facts of this fatal Herculaneum truck crash are strikingly similar to the crash which occurred on Highway 64/40 near the Mason Road exit in 2008, which resulted in three fatalities.  Truck driver inattention is a serious safety concern, especially in urban areas where traffic congestion can occur at the blink of an eye.  It is unclear whether Valentine was using his cell phone at the time of this crash, but a Herculaneum truck crash attorney will certainly subpoena his mobile records to find out.  Use of a cell phone by truck drivers is currently the topic of a major debate amongst federal and state safety officials.    
]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/fatal-truck-accident-in-hercul.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/fatal-truck-accident-in-hercul.html Personal Injury Trucking Accidents Wrongful Death Fatal Truck Accident in Herculaneum Blamed on Truck Driver Inattention Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:12:29 -0600 fatal truck accident that took place on Interstate 55 in southern Missouri on Wednesday afternoon.  The serious crash closed down northbound I-55 for several hours.  Because the crash involved a fatality and a commercial motor vehicle, the Missouri State Highway Patrol called in an accident reconstruction team.  Typically a crash reconstruction involving this level of injury and number of vehicles will take several weeks to complete.  The reconstruction report will include detailed data gathered from the scene, including witness statements, sight distances, skid marks, vehicle data, and weather information.

The 5 o-clock news interviewed a trooper from the Missouri Highway Patrol who stated that the crash was likely caused by the "inattention of the semi-truck driver."  The collision involved 8 vehicles.  The driver of the vehicle that was first in line was pronounced dead at the scene.  Another woman died shortly after being admitted to the hospital.  Several other motorists and passengers were injured in the crash.  Witnesses state that the tractor-trailer just plowed into slowing traffic.  It is unclear at this time whether the truck driver will face criminal charges. 

A Herculaneum 18-wheeler accident lawyer must request a Circuit Court Order commanding preservation of the electronic control module (ECM) located on the tractor-trailer.  A competent accident investigator and engineer can download data located on the truck's ECM to assist in determining the cause of the crash.  Typically this data will include speed of the truck, gear number, and rpm of the truck at the time leading up to the collision.  This data is critical in assisting a Missouri personal injury lawyer in presenting a claim against the truck driver and his commercial motor carrier.  Contact a top 100 trial lawyer at Schultz Legal Group today by calling (314) 448-0934. 
]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/18-wheeler-crash-in-herculaneu.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/06/18-wheeler-crash-in-herculaneu.html Trucking Accidents Wrongful Death 18-wheeler Crash in Herculaneum Kills 2 and Causes 8 Car Pileup Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:46:23 -0600 St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer Stephen Schultz recently announced the formation of his premier Missouri injury law firm, Schultz & Myers LLC.  Schultz, who was already solely dedicated to the representation of victims of serious injury and death claims, will continue to focus on Missouri car accidents, Missouri tractor-trailer accidents, Missouri motorcycle accidents, Missouri wrongful death claims, Missouri slip & fall claims, Missouri medical malpractice claims, Missouri products liability claims, and nationwide drug recall injury claims.  His partner, Joshua Myers, will also offer representation in these practice areas, expanding the reach of the law firm from Missouri to Illinois as well. 

Stephen Schultz has been featured in numerous public and legal periodicals, including the St. Louis Post Dispatch, The Examiner, The Countian, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, to name just a few.  Schultz is a lifetime member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and recognized as a Top 100 trial lawyer in Missouri by the American Trial Lawyers Association.  Schultz & Myers LLC will be headquartered in Chesterfield Missouri, near the highway 40/270 interchange.  The office location is very close to where Stephen was born and raised.  His high school, Christian Brothers College High School, is located less than a mile from the law firm.

The St. Louis personal injury lawyers at Schultz & Myers LLC can be reached by calling (314) 448-0934, or toll-free (866) 840-3636.  Stephen can also be reached 24 hours a day by email.  His motto, "don't be victimized twice", will continue on at Schultz & Myers LLC.   ]]> http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/05/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-1.html http://www.missouri-injurylawfirm.com/2010/05/st-louis-personal-injury-lawye-1.html Personal Injury Wrongful Death St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer Forms Premier Missouri Injury Law Firm Sat, 08 May 2010 14:16:44 -0600