Shortly before noon on Friday, February 18th, an accident involving a transportation bus and three vehicles injured three people in Alhambra. The collision occurred on the westbound 10 Freeway near Atlantic Avenue. Paramedics transported the injured to local hospitals. Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident, explains a California personal injury lawyer.

Alhambra accounted for 3 of the 390 fatalities and 485 of the 64,178 injuries suffered by motor vehicle occupants in traffic accidents in Los Angeles County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. The California Office of Traffic Safety compares the accident statistics of cities with similar populations, giving those with the poorest records the highest rankings, with first place considered the worst. That year, Alhambra ranked 35th out of 104 cities for fatal and injury crashes.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to wish the three people who were injured in the accident involving the bus yesterday a full recovery.

The Los Angeles Times originally reported this Alhambra collision.

Resources for accident victims, such as books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury claim, are available to the public free of charge.

To request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California personal injury lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

Shortly before 8 a.m. on Tuesday, February 14th, 28-year-old bicyclist Christian Rhineer was struck by a vehicle in an Irvine intersection, sustaining injuries that proved to be fatal. The accident occurred at the intersection of Von Karman Avenue and Michelson Drive when the 26-year-old driver of a Volvo Sedan collided with Rhineer. He suffered serious trauma and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Authorities are investigating the accident, reported the Orange County Register.

aAfter a fatal accident, the investigation can take several weeks,a explains Orange County-based injury lawyer James Ballidis, awhich can be frustrating for a family seeking information about what happened to their loved one.a

Irvine accounted for none of the 12 fatalities and 71 of the 1,201 injuries suffered in bicycle accidents in Orange County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. The California Office of Traffic Safety compares the accident statistics of counties with similar populations, giving those with the poorest records the highest rankings, with 1st place considered the worst. That year, Orange County ranked 11th out of 58 counties for bicyclist safety.

When the negligence of a driver results in a fatal accident, the family of the victim has legal recourse, including the right to compensation for the loss of the loved one; however, the outcome of such cases is dependant on evidence, much of which must be gathered immediately after the accident. Families in such circumstances should consult with a lawyer specializing in personal injury as soon as possible. The lawyer would conduct an immediate and thorough investigation, including visiting the scene, interviewing witnesses, and interacting with police working on the case.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the family of Christian Rhineer, the Irvine man who sustained fatal injuries in the bicycle accident on Tuesday.

Resources for accident victims and their families, such as books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge through our office.

To request one of these free resources, or to discuss a specific legal matter with an Orange County injury lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

Shortly before 3 a.m. on Saturday, February 11th, a wrong-way driver caused a head-on freeway collision in Tustin. While traveling south on the northbound 55 Freeway in a Nissan sedan, the man crashed into a Volkswagen SUV, the impact causing the woman inside to suffer major trauma. She was transported to a local hospital, while the man was pronounced dead at the scene after being freed from the wreckage. Authorities are investigating the accident, explains an auto accident lawyer in Orange County.

Tustin accounted for 3 of the 101 fatalities and 453 of the 16,620 injuries suffered by motor vehicle occupants in traffic accidents in Orange County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. The California Office of Traffic Safety compares the accident statistics of cities with similar populations, giving those with the poorest records the highest rankings, with 1st place considered the worst. That year, Tustin ranked 44th out of 104 cities.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the family of the man who was killed in the wrong-way freeway collision in Tustin. We would also like to wish the woman who was seriously injured a full recovery.

The Los Angeles Times originally reported this Tustin accident.

Resources for accident victims and their families, including books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with an auto accident lawyer in Orange County, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

Shortly after 2 a.m. on Friday, February 10th, Jose Anthony Hernandez and Everardo Zuniga, both 22 years old, were killed in a DUI crash near the county line bordering Orange and Los Angeles counties. While traveling west on La Mirada Boulevard near Alondra Boulevard, 22-year-old Ryan Hernandez collided with a raised median and continued west across the intersection before crashing into a block wall and a concrete light pole. Jose Anthony Hernandez and Everardo Zuniga were riding in the back seat and died in the accident; a passenger in the front seat suffered minor injuries and was transported to a hospital for treatment. Ryan Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter, explains an auto accident lawyer in Orange County.

Orange County accounted for 62 of the fatalities and 1,340 of the injuries and Los Angeles County accounted for 204 of the fatalities and 4,672 of the injuries suffered in traffic accidents in the state in which alcohol was a factor in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. Throughout the state, alcohol contributed to 1,146 fatalities and 17,976 injuries in crashes that year.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the families of Jose Anthony Hernandez and Everardo Zuniga, the two passengers who were killed in the DUI crash in Buena Park last Friday.

The Orange County Register originally reported this accident.

Resources for accident victims and their families, such as books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with an auto accident lawyer in Orange County, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

At about 6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 8th, a toddler was killed and her mother critically injured in a hit-and-run accident involving a stolen vehicle in Anaheim. The crash occurred in a crosswalk on Gilbert Street at Guinida Lane when a 1995 Nissan Maxima struck a 26-year-old woman who was pushing her 3-year-old daughter in a stroller. Paramedics transported the mother and child to a local hospital, where the child died and the mother remains in critical condition. The driver fled the scene, leaving the vehicle, which had been reported stolen minutes before the accident, in a nearby residential area. The California Highway Patrol has requested that anyone with information about this crash or the whereabouts of the driver call 949-559-7888, explains an Orange County injury attorney.

Residents of the neighborhood where the accident occurred conveyed that they had been urging the city for years to install a light at the crosswalk, both due to a high incidence of accidents and its location near an elementary and high school.

Anaheim accounted for 8 of the 41 fatalities and 110 of the 914 injuries suffered by pedestrians in traffic accidents in Orange County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. Throughout the state, pedestrian fatalities increased by 15.4 percent, from 567 in 2009 to 599 in 2010, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the mother who was struck and critically injured last night and her family for the loss of their child. We would also like to wish her a full recovery from her injuries.

The Orange County Register originally reported this hit-and-run accident involving the stolen vehicle.

Resources for accident victims and their families, such as books and articles on pedestrian rights and the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with an Orange County injury attorney, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

At about 11 a.m. on Monday, February 6th, two women were seriously injured in a semi crash in San Clemente. The accident occurred at the Interstate 5 off-ramp near Avenida Pico when a semi ran a red light while exiting the freeway, colliding with a sedan and an SUV. A second semi was also involved in the crash. Paramedics transported the two women, believed to be in their twenties, to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo. Another person suffered minor injuries, while a fourth declined treatment at the scene. Authorities are investigating the incident, explains a truck accident lawyer in Orange County.

San Clemente accounted for 2 of the 101 fatalities and 242 of the 16,620 injuries suffered by motor vehicle occupants in traffic accidents in Orange County, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. Large trucks were involved in 5 of the fatal and 298 of the injury collisions that occurred that year in the county.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to wish the two women who were seriously injured in the semi crash this morning a full recovery.

The Orange County Register originally reported this San Clemente accident.

Resources for accident victims, such as books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with a truck accident lawyer in Orange County, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

Shortly before 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 25th, a van struck 29-year-old Nelly Ruelasvela and her children in a crosswalk in Camarillo. The accident occurred at the intersection of East Las Posas Road and Glenbrook Avenue when a minivan driven by 37-year-old Christopher Rowland turned left and hit Ruelasvela, who was pushing her 3-month-old and 20-month-old children in a stroller. She sustained significant trauma and was transported to a local hospital. Although her children were not hurt, they were also taken to the hospital as a precaution. Police have asked that witnesses call 805-388-5100, explains a California personal injury lawyer.

Camarillo accounted for 3 of the 50 fatalities and 432 of the 4,259 injuries suffered by motor vehicle occupants in traffic accidents in Ventura County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. The California Office of Traffic Safety compares the accident statistics of cities with similarly sized populations, giving those with the poorest records the highest rankings, with 1st place considered the worst. That year, Camarillo ranked 15th out of 104 cities.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to wish Nelly Ruelasvela, the woman who was struck and injured while walking in the Camarillo crosswalk with her children, a full recovery.

The Ventura County Star originally reported this pedestrian accident.

Resources for accidents victims, such as articles on pedestrian rights and the process of pursuing an injury claim, are available to the public free of charge.

To request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California personal injury lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

Shortly before 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 31st, a wrong-way head-on collision killed two people in Victorville. While traveling northbound on Interstate 15 near the Bear Valley Road onramp in a 2007 Corolla, an 85-year-old woman crashed into a 1993 Cadillac Eldorado occupied by a 67-year-old man heading in the opposite, and correct, direction. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while she succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital. A third vehicle was also involved in the accident, but the driver was not injured. Authorities are investigating the collision, explains a California personal injury lawyer.

Victorville accounted for 15 of the 192 fatalities and 365 of the 10,983 injuries suffered by motor vehicle occupants in traffic accidents throughout San Bernardino County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. That year, traffic fatalities decreased by 10.3 percent in the state, from 3,434 to 3,081.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the families of the two people who were killed in the head-on collision on Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Times originally reported this Victorville wrong-way crash.

Resources for accident victims and their families, including books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California personal injury lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 29th, a car accident in Fontana claimed the life of 11-year-old Noah Ferrer and three others. The crash occurred on Baseline Avenue near Cherry Avenue when a 35-year-old Rancho Cucamonga man in a sport utility vehicle collided with a sedan, the impact causing the SUV to become wrapped around a light pole. The man and his 39-year-old brother were pronounced dead at the scene; their 37-year-old brother died at a nearby hospital; and Ferrer succumbed to his injuries during surgery on Monday morning. Authorities are investigating the accident, explains a California personal injury lawyer.

Fontana accounted for 11 of the 192 fatalities and 644 of the 10,983 injuries suffered by motor vehicle occupants in traffic accidents throughout San Bernardino County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. That year, traffic fatalities in California decreased by 10.3 percent, from 3,434 to 3,081.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the families of Noah Ferrer and the three brothers who were killed in Fontana last night.

The Los Angeles Times originally reported this car accident.

Resources for accident victims and their families, such as books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California personal injury lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

Shortly before 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 25th, 66-year-old semi driver Alfred Eclipse Jr., of Norwalk, was killed in a crash with a speeding vehicle on Interstate 15 near Oak Hill Road in Hesperia. The driver of the Nissan 350 Z, 32-year-old Nathan Herbert, of San Bernardino, was traveling north on the highway at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with the truck, the impact causing it to rollover into an embankment, explains a California truck accident lawyer. Eclipse was pronounced dead at the scene, and Herbert sustained minor injuries.

Hesperia accounted for 7 of the 192 fatalities and 356 of the 10,983 injuries suffered by motor vehicle occupants in traffic accidents throughout San Bernardino County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. That year crashes involving large trucks contributed to 29 of the fatalities and 410 of the injuries.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the family of Alfred Eclipse Jr., the semi driver who was killed in the crash with the speeding vehicle last Wednesday.

Resources for accident victims and their families, such as books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California truck accident lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

Shortly before 7:30 a.m. this morning, a semi crash occurred on the southbound 405 Freeway in Seal Beach. The accident involved two other vehicles, caused injuries, and snarled traffic for a little more than an hour, explains a truck accident lawyer in Orange County.

Orange County accounted for 5 of the 236 fatalities and 298 of the 4,874 injuries suffered in traffic accidents involving large trucks that occurred throughout California in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to wish those who were injured in the semi crash on the 405 Freeway this morning a full recovery.

The Orange County Register originally reported this Seal Beach accident.

Resources for accident victims, including books and articles on the injury claims process, are available to the public free of charge.

To request one of these free resources, or to speak with a truck accident lawyer in Orange County, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

Last weekend, two Orange County residents were killed in separate pedestrian accidents. Shortly before 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 21st, 21-year-old Eric Ford, of Anaheim, was struck near the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Crescent Avenue in Buena Park. Paramedics transported him to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Monday. Then, at around 3:35 a.m. on Sunday, 44-year-old Victor Joseph Scallo, of Huntington Beach, was found lying on the side of the road near the intersection of San Bernardino Avenue and Commerce Street in Fontana. Authorities are searching for the driver, explains an Orange County injury attorney.

Of the 596 fatalities and 13,083 injuries suffered by pedestrians in traffic accidents throughout California in 2009, one fatality and 28 injuries occurred in Buena Park and no fatalities and 44 injuries occurred in Fontana, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. The California Office of Traffic Safety compares the accident statistics of cities with similar populations, ranking those with the poorest records the highest. That year, Buena Park ranked 35th out of 104 cities and Fontana ranked 39th out of 56 cities.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the families of Eric Ford and Victor Joseph Scallo.

The Orange County Register originally reported these pedestrian accidents.

Resources for accident victims and their families, such as articles on pedestrian rights and on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with an Orange County injury attorney, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

At about 2:40 p.m. on Thursday, January 12th, a semi driver was killed and Kelli Lynne Groves and her family, of San Juan Capistrano, were seriously injured in a crash on the 101 Freeway near Buellton. The accident occurred in the northbound lane of the freeway near Santa Rosa Road when the semi rear-ended the BMW in which Groves and her daughters, ages 10 years and 10 weeks, were occupants, explains a California truck accident attorney. The impact pushed the BMW into the railing of a bridge, leaving it hanging over the edge until firefighters arrived, while the semi continued on through, crashing into the creek bed below and bursting into flames. Authorities pronounced the driver of the truck dead at the scene, while Groves and her daughters were transported to a local hospital.

Buellton accounted for none of the 35 fatalities and 16 of the 2,203 injuries suffered by motor vehicle occupants in traffic accidents throughout Santa Barbara County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. The California Office of Traffic Safety compares the accident statistics of counties with similar populations, giving those with the poorest records the worst rankings, with 1st place being the worst. That year, Santa Barbara ranked 31st out of 58 counties.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the family of the semi driver killed in the crash in Buellton. We would also like to wish a full recovery to Kelli Lynne Groves and her family.

The Orange County Register originally reported this accident.

Resources for accident victims and their families, such as books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California truck accident attorney, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

Shortly after 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 29th, a head-on collision in Malibu killed 48-year-old Lyssa Marie Hand and seriously injured 47-year-old Keith William Imrie. While traveling southbound in a Ford Expedition on Malibu Canyon Road, Hand veered into oncoming traffic while negotiating a curve, striking Imrieas Toyota pickup truck, explains a California personal injury attorney. The impact caused the truck to rollover onto its roof. Hand suffered major trauma and was transported to West Hills Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Imrie was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center in critical condition.

Malibu accounted for 1 of the 390 fatalities and 150 of the 64,178 injuries suffered by motor vehicle occupants in traffic accidents in Los Angeles County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrolas Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. According to the CHP, crossing into opposing lanes of traffic accounted for 125 of the fatal head-on collisions that year and 180 of all types of traffic-related fatalities.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the family of Lyssa Marie Hand, the woman killed in the head-on collision in Malibu. We would also like to wish a full recovery to Keith William Imrie, who was seriously injured in the crash.

The Malibu Times originally reported this accident.

Resources for accident victims and their families, including books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California personal injury attorney, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

As a southern Illinois tractor-trailer accident lawyer, I was interested to see an appeals court decision on the unusual topic of when defendants can be held liable for setting the stage for a serious crash. In Blood v. VH-1 Music First, the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to overturn a ruling that trucker Dennis Hernandez cannot be sued for causing the traffic jam in which another trucker, Milinko Cukovic, rear-ended a vehicle occupied by David and Paul Blood, two brothers. David Blood sued Cukovic and his trucking company, which in turn filed third-party complaints against Hernandez and several entertainment-industry entities for which he was working. Blood subsequently added them to his case. The federal district court for southern Illinois ultimately granted summary judgment to the Hernandez defendants, and Blood appealed.

It is undisputed that Hernandez caused the initial accident on Interstate 57 in 2008, causing the West Frankfort fire department to close the northbound lanes and back up traffic for several miles. Four hours after the crash, David and Paul Blood slowed and stopped for this traffic, but truck driver Cukovic failed to stop behind them and slammed into their car. Paul Blood died and David Blood was seriously injured. David Blood and the estate of Paul Blood filed separate but similar claims against Cukovic and T.E.A.M. Logistics, his trucking company. The defendants removed the cases to federal court and then added the Hernandez defendants, alleging that their negligence in the first accident proximately caused the second accident. Blood then added the Hernandez defendants as direct defendants and settled with the Cukovic defendants. The district court then granted summary judgment to the Hernandez defendants, and Blood appealed.

The Seventh Circuit started by noting that Illinois law controls this case, and thus its job was to determine what the Illinois Supreme Court would do. Ultimately, it found no proximate causation by the Hernandez defendants as a matter of law. Citing several cases involving multiple car accidents in succession, the Seventh found that to hold defendants like Hernandez liable, there must be a clear chain of causation between the wrongful act of the first tortfeasor (in this case the Hernandez defendants) and the accident. In addition, the actions of the second tortfeasor (in this case the Cukovic defendants) must be a reasonable response to the conditions created by the first. Neither is true in the case, the Seventh found. Four hours had passed between the Hernandez accident and the Blood-Cukovic accident, breaking the causal chain. But even more important, the court said, was the fact that Cukovicas actions could not be considered reasonable: He drove into a stopped car at 55 mph. Thus, it affirmed the summary judgment order for the defendants.

One thing that interests me about this case, as a St. Louis big rig accident attorney, is the fact that Blood adopted the Cukovic defendantsa position that the Hernandez defendants were liable. While Blood may have stood to gain financially from suing potentially deep-pocketed entertainment companies, the Cukovic defendants also stood to gain from having Bloodas claim diverted to or split with a third party. Itas possible that adding the Hernandez defendants to his claim may have even been a condition of Bloodas settlement with the Cukovic defendants. If thatas true, I hope Blood did not settle for less than the value of his claim, with the expectation of more to come. I believe itas part of my job as a Missouri semi truck accident lawyer to prevent clients from accepting this kind of settlement.

Southern Illinois semi truck accident attorneys like me know that brain injuries are a common and very serious result of accidents with large commercial trucks. Because of trucksa greater height and weight, theyare more likely than other cars to cause this kind of injury a and when they do, the victims are left with an irreparable change to some aspect of their lives. That was the claim in Bennett v. Richmond by John Richmond, whose van was rear-ended in 2004 by a container truck driven by Henry Bennett for Schuman & Sons, Inc. Richmond and his wife sued the defendants, and supported their claim at trial with testimony from a psychologist. After the jury found for the Richmonds, the defendants appealed, arguing that the psychiatrist was not qualified to give this testimony and the testimony was insufficient. The Indiana Supreme Court upheld.

The 2005 lawsuit alleged the accident was responsible for Richmondas neck and back injuries. Richmond had been stopped in a one-ton van when Bennettas 42,000-pound truck rear-ended it, pushing the van 300 feet and causing a type of whiplash. Richmond had also had headaches and memory loss since the crash, but had not been formally diagnosed with a brain injury. His attorney referred him for a psychiatric evaluation with Dr. Sheridan McCabe, a psychologist who diagnosed him with a traumatic brain injury after interviews, tests and a review of the records. Defendants objected before, during and after trial to McCabeas testimony, unsuccessfully. At each step, they argued that the testimony was not admissible. On appeal, the Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the case for a new trial, agreeing that McCabe was not qualified to offer an opinion on the cause of Richmondas injury. The defendants appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court. Unfortunately, John Richmond died in February of 2011; his estate continued the case.

The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in this case that psychologists are not per se unqualified to testify as to the causes of brain injuries, though they must meet Indiana rules for giving testimony; the high court agreed. Thus, it analyzed whether McCabe in particular was not qualified to testify as to Richmondas injuries. The Court of Appeal found that he was not because he was not a medical doctor and had no demonstrated medical expertise in the etiology of brain injuries. However, the Indiana high court found that McCabe was uniquely qualified to testify, particularly in light of the fact that closed brain injuries like Richmondas can go undiagnosed by medical doctors. In any case, the court said, education is just one way to qualify as an expert; McCabe clearly demonstrated the relevant knowledge. Nor does the record show that McCabeas testimony was inadmissible because it was not based on reliable scientific principles, the court found. Thus, it upheld the trial court.

As a Missouri tractor-trailer accident lawyer, Iam pleased to see another avenue open for plaintiffs who suffered severe injuries in accidents with 18-wheelers. Iad particularly like to pull out a fact that the Indiana court touched on only briefly: Richmond had an undiagnosed brain injury. This is more common than you might think, if you donat happen to have studied the issue. Brain injuries can be subtle; any blow to the head that causes you to pass out is a mild concussion. After a crash, victims may be too shaken up to evaluate themselves; it may be a week or more before they start noticing telltale signs like unexplained headaches or memory loss. They may also be impaired by the injury itself. Thatas why itas important for victims of trucking accidents to go to the doctor to be checked out after a crash, even if they donat think thereas anything wrong. The sooner itas documented, the sooner a St. Louis big rig accident attorney like me can begin to get help.

As a Missouri semi truck accident attorney, Iave talked here before about the potential negative consequences of allowing large commercial trucks to get even larger. Currently, the tractor-trailers that routinely share our highways can be up to 80,000 pounds and have five axles; the trucking industry and its allies in Congress would like to raise that limit to six axles and 97,000 pounds. According to The Hill, such a provision was inserted into a surface transportation bill being considered by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. However, opponents on both sides of the aisle successfully argued for an amendment that would require a safety study before such a rule could be adopted. The committee adopted the study amendment on a vote of 33 to 20.

The amendment was authored and backed by Jerry Costello, D-Ill., and Lou Barletta, R-Pa. They argued that the increased truck size would pose a safety threat to other motorists by bringing even more potential weight a and thus, force a to bear in the event of an accident. The curb weight of a 2012 Honda Civic is about 2,700 pounds, which would make the proposed new weight limit nearly 36 times heavier. Opponents also took issue with the potential effects on U.S. highways from adding 17,000 pounds per truck, saying they would increase the cost of maintaining our transportation system. Missouri Representative Russ Carnahan, a Democrat, was on the other side, saying the opposition stemmed not from safety concerns but lobbying by the railroad industry, which competes with the trucking industry for contracts. Other proponents said there was no evidence that size makes trucks less safe.

As a southern Illinois big rig accident lawyer, I disagree. The weight issue creates what accident reconstructionists call avehicle mismatcha a meaning a much larger vehicle can do substantial damage to a smaller one in a crash. Accidents between passenger vehicles and 18-wheelers often kill the occupants of the passenger vehicles while truckers can walk away a which is not true for car-car crashes. In addition, the higher weight limit would necessarily mean the new trucks would take longer to brake, which would require awareness and adjustment of driving habits by both truckers and passenger car drivers. And according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the higher weight limit would violate 80,000-pound weight limits on interstate bridges. The group estimates that about 25 percent of those bridges would be unusable by the larger trucks, and increase wear and tear on the other 75 percent.

At Carey, Danis & Lowe, we focus our practice on accidents with large trucks because we understand how devastating they can be. Not only do trucking crashes tend to cause far more serious injuries, but they also tend to involve more insurers and more threats to your legal rights than a crash with another private car. Thatas because trucking companies are businesses, for which crashes are just another cost a and they have systems in place to minimize those costs. If your family is contacted after an accident by a trucking company or insurance company that wants you to sign something, agree to be recorded or take a small cash payment, never say yes before you can talk to our St. Louis tractor-trailer accident attorneys, because your right to fair compensation could be at stake.

An important part of my job as a southern Illinois semi truck accident lawyer is to protect my clients from overreaching and malfeasance by trucking companies with a great deal more money and resources than the clients have. In egregious cases, this can lead to company representatives pressuring accident victims or their families to sign a waiver they donat understand or take money that forecloses their right to sue right after a crash. But later, if the case goes to trial or pretrial proceedings, the power imbalance s often visible in full force, as lawyers for trucking companies and their insurers use the court system to their full advantage. Powell et al. v. Dean Foods Co. et al put an interesting twist on the practice when the same trucking company moved for a substitution of a judge twice under different names. The Illinois Supreme Court ultimately decided no new trial was necessary, preserving a verdict for the plaintiffs.

Adam McDonald, Diana Kakidas and Christina Chakonis were killed in 2002 when their car was hit by a tractor-trailer driven by Jamie Reeves. Reeves was employed as a trucker by Alco of Wisconsin, Inc. The three families filed lawsuits, which were eventually consolidated, against companies including Alco of Wisconsin and Alco, Inc. They alleged that Reeves was speeding, had gone over his hours of service and didnat brake until four seconds after the crash; the corporate defendants were held vicariously liable for Reevesas actions as an employee. On the day trial was to start, four defendants including Alco of Wisconsin and Alco, Inc. moved for and received a change of judge. Defendants objected, pointing out that Alco, Inc. was nothing more than the former name of Alco of Wisconsin and thus they were the same entity and not entitled to two changes. Alder Group, Inc. then requested a new judge, but the judge ultimately denied it because she had already ruled on a substantive issue. The case went to trial and more than $20 million was ultimately awarded to the three families.

Alder Group appealed, arguing that it should have been permitted to request a new judge, and thus all further orders in the case were void. The Illinois appeals court agreed, finding that the trial judgeas ruling on the motion to reconsider the previous substitution of judge was not a substantial issue under Illinois law. It also held that all parties had standing to challenge the ruling because all orders after that ruling were void, and remanded the case for new trial under another judge. Plaintiffs appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court.

That court reversed again, but on the grounds that no plaintiff but Alder Group had standing to appeal. The judgment against Alder Group had been vacated, and plaintiffs moved successfully to dismiss the company as a defendant, with prejudice. Once that company was dismissed, the Illinois high court said, no defendant left had standing to appeal. In so ruling, it sided with an earlier appeals court ruling finding that each litigant is a separate party; each has standing to challenge decisions on only its own motions. It found arguments that the other defendants were prejudiced by the outcome unpersuasive, noting that this would mean any defendant in any case has standing to seek a reversal of any error against any party. Because Alder Group is now dismissed, the court said, thereas no need for a new trial. Thus, it let the ruling stand.

As a Missouri tractor-trailer accident attorney, Iad like to note that part of the confusion in this case stems from Alcoas attempt to get two substitutions of judge. This was rightly not permitted, but the attempt shows how the deck can be stacked against plaintiffs in cases pitting them against much richer and more powerful corporations. After all, the average person cannot legally appear twice in court under the same name, thus getting twice as many chances to influence the case. Nor would the average person be able to pay for two attorneys. In general, when our St. Louis big rig accident lawyers handle these cases, we prefer to step in as early as possible to prevent any attempts at exploitation by the trucking company or its attorneys. Injured people arenat necessarily experienced in the law, and just after a catastrophic accident, they may be in no position to realize their rights are threatened.

As a southern Illinois semi truck accident lawyer, I was interested to read about a new proposal to charge a toll on Interstate 70 through Missouri. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Missouri Department of Transportation is considering charging tolls to cover the cost of expanding to accommodate expected increases in traffic on the highway. The tolls would apply to every driver, but MoDOT plans to charge truckers two to three times the expected toll for drivers in private passenger cars, which is expected to be 10 to 15 cents a mile. The proposal was not well received by the trucking industry and its allies in the state government a including Gov. Jay Nixon a who expressed concern that smaller carriers would be priced out of their ability to drive through Missouri.

According to Kevin Keith, head of MoDOT, Interstate 70 is near the limits of its capacity on a normal day, and often slows if there happens to be road construction or an accident. The pavement is also worn, he noted, and rural stretches near Wentzville and Kansas City need to be updated. To fix this, the agency would like to partner with a private company on one of three proposed projects, ranging in cost from $2 billion to $4 billion. The simplest would replace the pavement, add a lane in each direction and divide the highway. A second plan would, in addition, add a median and replace all the interchanges. The third and most expensive plan would add two lanes in each direction for a total of four, reserving two lanes exclusively for trucks and another two exclusively for cars. MoDOT has already secured permission from the federal government to convert the interstate to a toll road to pay for the work.

The trucking industry has publicly criticized the proposal because of the cost to trucks moving through Missouri. A big rig driving the entire length of Interstate 70 with a toll could pay as much as $90, Land Line magazine reported. However, as a St. Louis tractor-trailer accident attorney, I see some merit in the proposal. Though the most expensive plan may not be the most popular with Missourians, it does offer an attractive chance to separate heavy truck traffic from ordinary drivers traveling shorter distances. This would allow drivers to avoid terrible, catastrophic accidents with negligent truckers. Truckers who are too drunk, sleepy or distracted to drive would likely still be out there, but they could only endanger other truckers if they were in dedicated lanes, and a truck-truck accident is a much fairer match. Even the smaller projects contain much-needed highway dividers, which would prevent deadly head-on crossover crashes with large trucks.

Crashes between ordinary passenger cars or trucks and semi trucks are almost always serious crashes, because the sheer size and weight of an 18-wheeler guarantees serious damage to the smaller vehicle and the people inside. If your family was seriously hurt in a crash with a semi that you believe was caused by someone elseas negligence, you should call Carey, Danis & Lowe right away. Our Missouri tanker truck accident lawyers focus our practice on these cases because we understand how devastating they can be to victims, personally and financially. In addition to the sudden injuries or deaths in the family, victims sometimes also find themselves pressured by the trucking company and its insurer to accept money or sign papers without time to fully understand what theyare agreeing to. We protect our clients from this type of overreaching and help them get all the compensation theyare legally entitled to from the at-fault truckers and trucking companies.

As a St. Louis tractor-trailer accident attorney, I know that the sheer size and weight of semi trucks can make them serious threats even when they arenat directly responsible for causing a crash. For example, in a chain-reaction crash that recently took the life of a Wildwood woman, the likely cause was a rear-end crash by another driver, but the rear-end accident alone may have been less important than what happened next. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Laura Dunn, 48, was killed after a rear-end accident pushed her car into the path of a big rig, which sent it into another vehicle and into a ditch. In all, four vehicles were involved, but no other serious injuries were reported. News reports mentioned no investigation.

Dunn was east of Clarkson road in Chesterfield at about 3:30 p.m. when she was rear-ended by a 2011 Volkswagen driven by Jeffrey Dobner, 25, of Foristell. Reports did not describe the circumstances of the crash, except to say that Dobneras car was totaled in the accident. That crash pushed Dunnas Hyundai into the path of a Freightliner semi truck driven by 57-year-old James Saale of Chillicothe. The impact with the semi drove the Hyundai into a Toyota minivan driven by Courtney Birkel of Chesterfield, 41, and then off the side of the road. Emergency personnel from the Monarch Fire Protection District pronounced Dunn dead at the scene. All four of the drivers were wearing seat belts. No other injuries were reported, but the crash shut down all westbound lanes of the highway but one for two hours, and traffic continued into the evening as police worked at the scene.

The articles did not announce charges against any driver, and itas possible that the death will ultimately be deemed accidental. But as a Missouri semi truck accident lawyer, I know that if charges are filed, they are most likely to be filed against Dobner, the driver of the car that originally rear-ended Dunnas. In almost all rear-end accidents, police and auto insurance companies start by assuming that the person in the rearmost car is at fault, and their minds may only be changed in very specific circumstances (and with well-documented evidence). The rear-end accident was likely less harmful than the impact with the 18-wheeler, because large trucks like Freightliners are so much larger than the typical sedan that they can do far more damage in a crash. But the trucker, and by extension, his trucking company, may be legally at fault only if their safety choices made it unreasonably difficult to get out of the way.

At Carey, Danis & Lowe, we focus our practice on accidents involving large commercial trucks, because we know how devastating they can be. As this crash shows, a crash between a tractor-trailer and an ordinary-sized passenger car is not a fair contest; the greater size and weight of the large truck means it can do substantially more damage than another car, even at the same speed. For the people inside the smaller car, this means serious injuries, sometimes leading to permanent disability or death. Our southern Illinois big rig accident attorneys help victims of these types of crashes and their families hold the people at fault for the accident legally and financially accountable for the harm they caused. That includes all financial damages, such as lost income and medical bills, as well as compensation for their pain, suffering and losses.