Motor Vehicle and Pedestrian Injuries

We handle motor vehicle and pedestrian accident cases including cases involving post traumatic stress, wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries, burns, fractures, injury to joints and cartilage, nerve entrapment injuries, internal injuries and neck and back soft tissue injuries. We have handled many unsafe road traffic engineering cases. ONE SUCH CASE BROUGHT AGAINST THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS RESULTED IN A $1.9 MILLION RECORD VERDICT FOR A PERSON OVER 70 YEARS OLD (SEE PAST EXPERIENCE). ANOTHER RECENT TRAFFIC ENGINEERING CASE INVOLVED THE DANGEROUS I-270 ENTRANCE RAMPS IN NORTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY, AND WAS THE SUBJECT OF LOCAL TELEVISION COVERAGE ON FOX 2 NEWS. A judgment was entered against the Missouri Department of Transportation holding that a particular crossover ramp is dangerous. It is still dangerous at the time of this publication.

IMPORTANT FACTS: IF YOU HAVE LIABILITY INSURANCE AND YOU OR A FAMILY MEMBER WHO LIVES WITH YOU ARE INJURED BY A HIT-AND-RUN VEHICLE OR A VEHICLE WITH NO (OR NOT ENOUGH) INSURANCE TO COVER YOUR LOSS, THERE MAY BE UNINSURED COVERAGE AVAILABLE. CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY.

If you are seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident or by a motor vehicle as a pedestrian, you have a claim unless the accident was entirely your fault. Fault is a determination of a jury and an experienced attorney can make an informed assessment of fault based upon the law and the facts.
Even if the “at fault party” does not have insurance you still have a claim against your insurance carrier under a coverage called uninsured motorist coverage. Every liability policy issued in the State of Missouri must have a minimum of $25,000.00 of uninsured motorist coverage. If you are a passenger in a vehicle and both vehicles involved in the collision do not have insurance, your uninsured motorist coverage for your vehicle or the vehicle of a family member with whom you reside should provide this coverage. Sometimes these coverage's can be stacked and a legal opinion may be necessary to determine the amount of coverage available to you.

In many cases the fault determination of the investigating police agency have been proven wrong. It is appropriate to obtain a free consultation if there is any doubt regarding whose fault the accident was.

The obligation of every operator of a motor vehicle is to act as a very careful person would act under the same or similar circumstances. Common experience demonstrates that people do not always live up to this high standard. This is why the State of Missouri requires compulsory insurance. We do not usually pursue personal injury cases unless there is insurance available. If the “at fault” driver failed to comply with the insurance law, then uninsured motor vehicle coverage should be available if you or the operator of the vehicle in which you are seated has any motor vehicle liability coverage. The bottom line is that you should seek a free legal opinion on insurance coverage.

One of the most asked questions is “Will my insurance rates go up if I make a claim on my own policy.” Missouri Department of Insurance regulations provide: “In no event shall an insurer request an increase in premium from any insured in connection with any claim arising out of any accident for which the insured was not at fault.” 4CRS 190-17.100(3). Therefore claims under uninsured motorist provisions and underinsured motorist provision will not make your rates increase.

If a defect in a vehicle or the road caused or contributed to cause an accident, you may have a case against the controlling governmental agency or vehicle manufacturer. We have handled claims where traffic control devices were not operating or were operating improperly and have obtained settlement and verdicts against governmental agencies for their negligence. We recently obtain a $1.9 million verdict in a wrongful death case against the driver of a truck and the City of St. Louis, for its dangerous design of a crosswalk. We have settled cases against vehicle manufacturers with multi-million dollar total projected payouts.

Another area of common inquiry pertains to medical insurance and the payment of medical bills arising out of motor vehicle accidents. A complete assessment must be made of all types of insurance that you have available in order to properly advise our clients regarding the handling of such matters and the interplay between the insurance companies. Our job is to maximize your recovery.


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