St. Louis Injury Lawyer Blog

Late Sunday night, a man's truck clipped the back of a minivan, causing the truck to spin out of control and crash into a concrete pillar near the intersection of Interstate 270 and Missouri 370. The driver, 43-year-old St. Ann resident Mark Maessen, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the mini van, Shokouh Pritchett, 42, sustained minor injuries and was taken to DePaul Medical Center for treatment. Police would not verify whether or not Maessen was wearing a seatbelt, but confirmed that Pritchett was.

Authorities are continuing investigations and no charges have been filed. According to MoDOT, there were 19,132 accidents on Missouri interstates in 2008 and over 25,000 rear-end collisions.

Continue reading "St. Louis Missouri Car Accident Results Fatality, Injury" »

With I-70 running through both states, Missouri and Illinois residents are no strangers to tractor trailers. In fact, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) estimates that I-70 carries approximately 10,000 trucks per day across Missouri- a number that is supposed to double by 2030. In order to keep drivers safe, these vehicles are heavily regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The FMCSA regulates all aspects of the vehicles and the drivers who operate them. For drivers, the organization sets strict medical standards that state drivers have to be in good physical condition. Basic physical requirements include but are not limited to the following:
• No history of cardiac trouble.
• No current clinical diagnosis of high blood pressure.
• Must have visual acuity of 20/40 in each eye, either naturally or with corrective lenses, the ability to recognize all colors of traffic signals, and a field of vision that extends to at least 70° periphery.
• Average hearing loss cannot exceed 50 decibels at 3 different frequencies.
• Mandatory drug and alcohol testing to all who seek a commercial driver's license (CDL)

Beyond the health of the drivers, the FMCSA takes other measures to ensure the safety of commercial operators and all drivers on the road. Operators of tractor trailers or other large vehicles must obtain a commercial driver's license (CDL). Drivers must have a clean driving record and pass a written and driving test in order to receive a license.

Other regulations dictate the consecutive number of hours a driver can drive as well as the minimum allotted rest times are determined by the administration. Drivers are given a 14-hour duty limit, and are only allowed to drive for 11 hours during that period of duty. Once this cap has been met, the driver is required to take 10 consecutive hours off. All of this information is recorded in a log drivers are required to keep. Currently, many logs are kept by automatic, on-board recording devices that allow authorities and fleet owners easy access to information.

Continue reading "Tractor Trailer Safety & Federal Regulations " »

On Tuesday, a former nursing home worker was formally charged with financial exploitation. Authorities believe the employee of Hitz Memorial Home in Alhambra Illinois may have made unauthorized purchases with a resident's credit card and withdrawn money from their bank account.

The employee has been under investigation since December when she resigned from the nursing home. Prior to her resignation, she claimed to have medical conditions that had prompted both local residents and a local church to give her donations. Other employees found these claims suspicious and when confronted about them, the employee chose to resign.

Later in December, a resident discovered several expensive, unauthorized purchases had been made with their credit card. Detectives soon found that not only had the employee purchased furniture and a television with the credit card but she had also forged the resident's signature to make withdrawals totaling close to $16,000 from several bank accounts.

The National Center on Elder Abuse has found that reports of abuse and exploitation have risen steadily over the last two decades. However, current estimates say that only 1 in 25 cases of financial exploitation are actually reported, suggesting there may be up to 5 million cases of financial abuse each year.

Continue reading "Madison County Illinois Nursing Home Worker Charged With Exploiting Resident" »

Whispering Oaks Nursing Home, a residential care facility in Wildwood, Missouri, was shut down Monday night after county officials found the site in appalling conditions. Late Sunday night, county fire officials were alerted that the well water stores supplying the nursing home had frozen. According to a press release from County Executive Charles A. Dooley, by the time public officials arrived on Monday, they found "no running water, overflowing toilets, human waste on the floor and a fire risk caused by an inoperable sprinkler system."

It is estimated that 40-50 patients are currently in care at the facility. The state health department will be assisting in efforts to relocate patients to nearby nursing homes.

Whispering Oaks has a history of violations with the state that range from failures to meet safe drinking water standards to reports of staff abuse by patients. The National Center on Elder Abuse suggests that only 1 in 14 incidents of neglect come to the attention of authorities.

Continue reading "St. Louis Nursing Home Closed; County Officials Find Horrific Conditions" »

Three teens remain in the hospital today after their vehicle rolled last Friday afternoon near Weidman and Clayton Road. The three passengers were ejected from the vehicle when the 16-year-old driver lost control over an icy patch and veered off the road, causing the SUV to flip. When police arrived on the scene, the driver appeared to have been the only passenger wearing a seatbelt and was found in the vehicle.

At this point, investigators do not believe that cell phones are involved in the crash. The teens are reported to be in stable condition and no criminal charges have been made against the driver.

Ice and weather condtions have been the cause of numerous accidents this year. Drivers have a duty to decrease speed and exercise care regardless of the speed limit to accommodate weather condtions.

Continue reading "St. Louis Teens Injured After Rollover Accident" »

A Missouri state trooper was tragically killed after being struck by a sport utility vehicle while assisting with a minor car accident on December 25, 2009. The incident occurred on interstate 44 southwest of St. Louis.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol identified the trooper as 49-year-old Patrolman Dennis Engelhard, a 10-year veteran from Wildwood.

Reports indicate that Engelhard was struck by a sport utility vehicle near Eureka.
Apparently, Engelhard had been working a minor accident and was hit while walking back to his patrol car to retrieve something.

Icy weather conditions led to dozens of accidents in eastern Missouri over the holidays. The incident appears to have been weather-related.

Continue reading "Missouri State Trooper Killed While Working Minor Accident On Highway Near St. Louis." »