St. Louis Injury Lawyer Blog

Last Friday, a 10-year-old Livingston girl was fatally injured in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident. The minor, Montana Garner, was a passenger on the adult-sized vehicle being operated by her 12-year-old friend. At some point the vehicle flipped, landing on top of her head and causing her death.

Upon receiving the call about their daughter, Larry and Diane Garner rushed to the scene of the accident. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, her mother administered CPR without response. Montana was rushed to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis. She was pronounced dead upon arriving at the hospital.

Garner's parents claim they didn't know their daughter was riding or in any way operating an ATV. They told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that they never would've given the child permission if the parents had asked.

According to ATVSafety.gov, a site sponsored by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, children under 16 should never be allowed to operate an adult-sized ATV. Their research found that in 2008 alone, there were 135,100 emergency-room treated ATV accidents and 410 of them were fatal.

Continue reading "New Douglas Illinois ATV Accident Tragically Kills 10-Year-Old " »

Last Thursday former Saline Township Supervisor Alvin Steiner was accused in yet another sexual misconduct suit. This suit marks the fifth brought against the former Township employee since January by women who claim that Steiner tried to grope and kiss them when they came to his office seeking financial aid.

According to the Belleville News-Democrat, the fourth woman to file a suit, Laura B. Barry, stated that she never followed up on her aide request because Steiner's original advances had made her too uncomfortable. The suit has also charged other Township employees were aware of Steiner's behavior but made no actions to report or prevent them.

Continue reading "Former Saline Township Supervisor Faces Allegations of Sexual Misconduct" »

James Kirby, a Millstadt resident, was shopping for a car on July 10, 2008 when he slipped on an unidentified substance. Kirby claims the dealership, Bob Brockland Pontiac Buick GMA, failed to alert customers to the spill. On March 3, 2010, he filed a suit claiming negligence on the part of the dealership.

Kirby claimed his daily life had been adversely affected because of his fall. He cited injuries in his knee among injuries that left him disabled, causing him to lost wages and incur medical costs.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there are 27.7 million hospital visits per year caused by unintentional injuries, including things like slip and falls. Any fall, especially for the elderly, can lead to serious and potentially fatal injuries.

Continue reading "Illinois Pontiac Dealer Sued After Slip-and-Fall" »

Two-year-old Amanda Runyon is still recovering after several weeks in the hospital and multiple surgeries. According to the Globe-Democrat, the toddler was brought to the hospital on March 1st after the child was vomiting and drifting in and out of consciousness. Authorities later revealed that the injuries occurred after days of abuse at the hands of the child's mother's boyfriend, 24-year-old Kraig Monroe.

Monroe was arrested in his trailer on the same afternoon the child was admitted to the hospital. Besides suffering from a broken arm and severe bruising, doctors were forced to remove ¼ of Runyon's intestines. Monroe is being charged with aggravated battery of a child. He is currently being held on $500,000 bail.

Continue reading "Edwardsville Illinois Toddler Seriously Injured After Days of Abuse" »

Two St. Louis women were killed on Friday when the car they were riding in was broadsided after pulling into the path of an on-coming SUV. The sisters have been identified as Deneice G. English, 54, and Verna L. Smallwood, 43.

The accident occurred near Illinois Route 3 and Missouri avenue when the car the women were riding in attempted to make a left turn into the Lowe's on Missouri Avenue. The SUV was heading north on Route 3 when it struck the side of the car as it turned, flipping the SUV onto its side.

English was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the Gateway Regional Medical Center in Granite City, while her sister was rushed to a St. Louis hospital where she died the next morning. The driver of the car has not been identified, but reportedly has been treated and released from the hospital. Similarly, the driver of the SUV is reported to have escaped serious injury.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), there have been 142 fatalities from accidents to date in 2010. In a 2008 study, IDOT notes there were 77 fatalities and 11,376 injuries related to accidents while turning.

Continue reading "St. Louis Missouri Sisters Killed in Granite City Crash" »

In 2004, Pamela Hoppe, a Granite City Illinois resident, became an LA Weight Loss client. The center-based weight loss system distributed supplements to Hoppe as part of their weight loss program. However, after following the program for three months, she began to experience symptoms of liver failure.

By August of 2004, Hoppe was rushed to a local hospital with jaundice, nausea and abdominal fullness. She was immediately transferred to St. Louis University Hospital, where she was diagnosed with liver failure. Almost exactly four months after beginning her LA Weight Loss program, Hoppe died while waiting for a liver transplant.

In 2005, Hoppe's sister, Carolyn Schur filed a suit against the weight loss center. As the administrator of her sister's estate and legal guardian of the daughter she left behind, Schur sued LA Weight Loss for negligence, wrongful death, and other charges, claiming they neglected to properly test the supplements and failed to warn clients of their health risks. Now, nearly five years since the suit was filed, LA Weight Loss settled with Schur for $700,000.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for supervising the safety of food and medicine, including diet pills. Many weight loss supplements have not been approved by the FDA, in fact, their website contains a constant list of warnings against both specific diet pills and commonly used ingredients.

Continue reading "Woman Wins Settlement from LA Weight Loss in Wrongful Death Suit" »

Last week a Granite City Illinois man filed a lawsuit after allegedly tripping over a hose while shopping in Lowe's garden center. Gerald Mangiarcino and his wife Donna filed the suit claiming that the slip and fall resulted in injuries that disrupted his daily life, causing disability and a loss of wages. His wife claims that she lost her husbands love, support, affection and companionship.

The fall occurred while the couple was shopping almost four years ago. They claim an employee left the hose out and had allowed water to accumulate on the walkway- just one of several acts of negligence they are filing against Lowe's. In addition, they claim failure to mark the hose or barricade the walkway, and allowing the hose and water to remain on the walkway for an unreasonable time period. Together, the couple is seeking a judgment of at least $100,000.

Continue reading "Suit Filed Over Slip and Fall at Glen Carbon Illinois Lowe's" »