6 Year Old Pontoon Beach Girl Killed After Being Struck by a Pickup

A 6 year old girl in Pontoon Beach was tragically killed Sunday afternoon after being run over by a pickup truck. Lyvia Roach had been riding her bike down the street when a pickup backed out of a nearby driveway and struck her. Her bike was found in the grass nearby. She had not been wearing a helmet and did suffer a head injury. According to the autopsy, her injuries seem to be the result of contact with a vehicle and not a fall, which one neighbor insisted as the cause of death. The accident happened just a few feet from a traffic sign that warned motorists to drive slowly because of playing children.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Roach family during this terrible tragedy. To lose someone so young is truly heartbreaking and I hope her family can find the strength to make it through this unfortunate period.

This tragedy is a reminder that if not handled with care, a motor vehicle  can cause serious injury and death even operating at slow speeds for short distances.  Drivers of all types of vehicles have a duty to keep a proper lookout before proceeding from any stopped position.  That duty is even greater when there is known to be children present such as a neighborhood like Lyvia Roach’s or school zones.  A 6-yr old child is not expected in our society to be able to recognize and understand the danger of being around cars and trucks of any size, so the extra burden is placed on the driver.  The Roach family will likely need time to sort through and mourn the loss of their daughter and the last thing on their mind will be the little things that can be missed or mistakes made when in such an emotional state.  Our best decisions are not made when we are in this state of mind. 

When you or someone you love has been seriously injured or even killed in a car wreck or truck accident, the best thing to do is find someone who can step in and help take care of all of the details to determine exactly what went wrong and to make sure no important evidence is lost along the way.  That leaves families like the Roaches free to take whatever time they need to cope with the tragic loss of their daughter.  Knowing the right person to do just that can be difficult, but as with anything, the more you know, the better decision you can make.  Before hiring any attorney in a case as important as this, the Roaches should take the time to request information to review in their own home so they are not pressured in a stranger’s office when they are in an emotional state of mind. 

Then, if the books, reports and other materials provided make sense and the feeling is right, choose the right St. Louis accident attorney that fits your needs.  If the attorney has no information other than a brochure to provide and just wants to have you sign on the dotted line, it is a huge red flag to look for someone else.

When a child is hurt, the situation is not only more traumatic but also more complicated. Since it is often hard to think clearly in these instances, it would be wise to know the mistakes that can be made after an accident before it even occurs. You can learn why you shouldn’t talk to the adjuster or sign any forms by requesting a free copy of my Missouri accident guide, “I Survived! The Crash Victim’s Guide to Dealing with the Aftermath.”

4 Year Old Wentzville Boy is Killed in East St. Louis Crash

A one-car crash in the 2500 block of Caseyville Avenue in East St. Louis resulted in the death of 4 year old Taqwon Reeves of Wentzville Missouri. The boy’s father was driving the car when he struck a utility pole in the early evening. The boy’s father was critically injured along with another 2 year old passenger.

I wish the Reeves family strength as they suffer through this terrible loss. Losing a child so young is absolutely devastating and my thoughts are with the family. Fatal car accident statistics show that car crash deaths are the number one for children—killing more kids than any other danger.

Since the report did not reveal the conditions of the road or what kind of car Taqwon’s father had been driving, it is hard for me to predict what could have happened during the crash that resulted in the tragic death of the 4 year old. It is critical that the Reeves family contacts a St. Louis auto accident lawyer who can help them understand the nature of the crash.

If the children and adults in the car were properly strapped in, it may make the car accident injuries and fatality more of a mystery. Unfortunately, the insurance adjuster will use the mysteries about the accident to reduce the car accident settlement; which could leave the Reeves family without help with medical bills or under a hefty medical lien. A St. Louis car accident lawyer, however, could help them avoid these mistakes and negotiate with the insurance company for a settlement that could actually help them pay their medical bills and get back on their feet. The family would be well-advised to find free information from a personal accident lawyer like my book, “I Survived! The Crash Victim’s Guide to Dealing with the Aftermath.” In fact, anyone can request it for free by clicking here.

2 Year Old Girl Dies From Poor Supervision in Texas; Information Prevented From Going Public

A loophole in Texas day care licensing may to be blame for preventing information about the death of 2 year old Isabella Estep from becoming public. Isabella had put a small rock taken from the playground in her mouth. She was not under appropriate supervision on the playground and by the time she returned to the classroom, she was choking on the rock. She lay unconscious on the floor of the classroom and, while the children around her had began to take notice, her teacher, Mia Jennings, did not acknowledge the situation until her lips had turned blue. Even though Jennings eventually noticed, she was not trained in first aid and had to carry Isabella to find help.

Unfortunately, too much time had elapsed and Isabella died.

It was determined by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, who is in charge of licensing day cares, that her death was the result of poor supervision. It was later found that Jennings had no high school education or first aid training—which violated Texas law and resulted in charges against the owner of the school, Woodbridge Day School, for neglectful supervision among other things.

With the perceived threat of being shut down, the owner’s husband, Robert Hall announced his intention to sell the school to allow the teachers there to keep their jobs. As it turns out, there is a loophole in Texas state law that allows teacher’s names to be removed from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website listing if the ownership changes hands. This means that the facility can continue without public information about Isabella’s death and the tragic cause.

The current lawsuit, brought about by Isabella’s mother Marcelina Osorio, accuses the day care center “failed to provide the minimum degree of competency and good judgment.” The attorney on the case is Jeff Rasansky, a Dallas attorney with special expertise in day care injury cases.

I wish Jeff the best of luck in fighting for this mother. Accidents involving children are particularly devastating and it is important to bring these accidents out in the light in order to avoid them in the future.

Cottage Hills Boy Hurt in Unusual Accident on I-255

An accident involving a car, a minivan, and a tow truck left 12 year old Zachary Anderson in satisfactory condition yesterday morning. On 1-255 by Collinsville, IL, a wheel lift fell off a tow truck. The wheel lift was hit by a car and then struck by a minivan, which caused it to strike Zachary. The driver, Crystal Little, and other passenger of the car, Dylan Little, had only minor injuries. Sean Reese, the driver of the tow truck, was written up for an equipment violation.

Accidents involving children are particularly heart-wrenching. My thoughts are with the Anderson family as he recovers from this tragic accident.

Since Reese was cited for an equipment violation, the Anderson family may want to consider contacting an attorney who specializes in accidents as the result of negligence. Negligence is the failure to take proper care in a situation that could cause someone else to be injured or killed. Not securing the equipment on a truck may be a sign that the operator of the truck had been negligent. If this is the case, an experienced personal injury attorney would know exactly the right evidence to collect to ensure that the Anderson family can recover emotionally and financially.

For more information, see the original article at: http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/st-louis-crime-beat/2009/11/02/boy-12-hurt-in-i-255-accident-near-collinsville/

To contact our office, visit: http://www.castlelaw.net/contact.cfm

High Accident Rate Calls for Safety Tips This Halloween

While your kids (or maybe you!) prepare to dress in your best costume and celebrate All Hallow’s Eve, it is important to remember safety. The amount of accidents increases substantially on Halloween. With the combination of distracting costumes and the high likelihood for children to dart out into traffic, Halloween has turned into an annual event with one of the highest rates of injury. So what should your children be keeping in mind?

–Pick costumes that your kids can see through. Impaired vision is one of the leading causes of accidents for children.

–Remind your children to use crosswalks and look both ways before crossing the street.

–Make sure your kids remember not to get into cars or talk to strangers.

–Be careful with any props that could actually hurt your children or their friends. While plastic knives, guns and swords are a fun add to a costume, they are potentially dangerous.

–Make sure costumes and wigs are flame retardant and any candles inside pumpkins are far away from a door or anything that could catch fire.

–Teach children their home number and 911 in case of emergency. If they are going out on their own, you may want to consider lending them a cellular phone.

–Get costumes that are bright and reflective or add reflective tape to their trick-or-treat bags for better visibility.

My memories of Halloween with my children are some of my best. I realize it is a time to have fun and relax, but don’t forget to be safe.

Highway DD to Be Revamped But the Roads Might Not Be the Only Problem

If you’ve driven on Highway DD in St. Charles, you know the inherent dangers of the road. In early September, 16 year old Elise Sunderhuse was killed in an accident on highway DD—but she is not the only casualty of the road. They highway curves around the Busch Wildlife Area toward Augusta and Defiance and has been reported as one of the most dangerous roads in the state. To make matters worse, traffic has dramatically increased due to new residential development.

The state has responded with plans to build paved shoulders along a one-mile stretch from Highway 40 to Frontier Middle School. Senator Scott Rupp of Wentzville has also planned  a town hall meeting for later this month to discuss ways to urge the state to move quickly in its new construction plan.

While the new construction is needed, I see some issues that are being ignored. When Elise Sunderhuse, the 16 year old killed in September, crashed, she was wearing a seat belt. Seat belt failure is an area that  is commonly overlooked when reviewing a serious auto accident claim. When a faulty seatbelt is put in a car, drivers and passengers are under the false impression that they are protected when in fact they may not be. And it is not as if car makers do not know these dangers.

Some of the most common seat belt defects have been well known to car makers for years but they’ve been ignored because of the cost to fix them is less than the potential cost of settling a lawsuit by someone who can detect a seatbelt failure actually occurred. In the case of Elise Sunderhuse, detection of the faulty seatbelt could’ve been critical to her survival. If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in auto accident while wearing a seatbelt, it is vital that you contact an attorney who understands auto defects and knows the right way to pursue legal action.

Hurry Up and Settle Your Claim…Or Should You?

So, now you know that the insurance adjuster isn’t working to help you but what other than recorded statements should you be looking out for? The adjuster may seem like he is in a hurry to settle your claim. And, of course, you comply because you are hoping the nightmare will be over. And wow, he or she is making this awfully easy and being really nice. But rushing to settle your claim may not help you get the right compensation.

What is really happening is that an adjuster is concealing that he knows injuries and losses from accidents don’t always surface until months—or years—after your accident. And he wants to settle your claim fast for three reasons:

• First, he knows you are likely confused because so many things are happening all at once.
• Second, he can settle the claim for a lowball offer because your injuries haven’t fully surfaced.
• Third, he doesn’t want to give you a chance to talk with an experienced attorney.

 What if your back starts to hurt next week and you have to miss work? What if your neck injury becomes so bad that you need surgery? If you’ve already settled your claim, the response from your insurance company will be good luck since you already signed a release of liability.

An experienced serious injury attorney will know that you have to keep track of your injuries and losses until you are healthy again in order to get the fairest compensation. At our office, we offer a very unique accident diary for you to know what information is important to keep and which facts could be vital to the success of your claim. If you have been injured in an accident, it is crucial for you to contact an attorney who understands how to make the best claim possible.

O’Fallon Girl Killed in Car Accident

An O’Fallon girl of just 16, Elise Sunderhuse, died in a car crash yesterday. Elise was a passenger; the car was driven by Courtney Miener, also 16. Courtney had overcorrected after deviating from Highway DD. She then hit a subdivision sign. Elise was dead at the scene but Courtney remains in good condition at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

My thoughts go out to both families. The Sunderhuse family—along with Courtney, must be devastated. The highways West of St. Louis, including DD and Highway P, are dangerous and the idea of new drivers being on them makes me nervous. I am always sure to tell my own young drivers, Tyler and Devyn, to be careful going down highways with dangerous paths or ones they are not familiar with.

As a personal injury attorney who specializes in traffic fatalities, I know how important these next few days will be for the Sunderhuse and Miener families. The statements that they make to the insurance adjuster will be vital in their ability to get fair compensation. An insurance adjuster tries to settle a claim for as little as possible. He will surely attempt to do so in this case.

The families would be well-advised to speak with a serious injury attorney who knows how to negotiate with the insurance companies. That would probably be their best chance at having the compensation they need.

Seatbelts Optional?

Many of us think of seat belts only being a feature in a car. We make sure our kids and ourselves are buckled in before we hit the road; but have you given any thought to the absence of seat belts on busses?

According to an article from the ozarksfirst.com, busses are usually thought of as a “cocoon” of safety—with reinforced windows, ceilings, and seats. Seatbelts would certainly increase the safety of the vehicle, preventing students from being thrown around the bus in the event of a rollover.

I remember roaming bus aisles, fitting 3 or 4 of my friends in one seat, and standing up in my seat to check on all the other kiddos. Wearing a seatbelt wasn’t exactly on my list of priorities. Now, times have changed.

We have entered a time of many more rules meant to keep us safe. I’m reminded of the “Click It or Ticket” rule every time I drive down 270. So why have seatbelts still not been added to the vehicles carrying our most precious cargo?

Legislation has been written and has made multiple attempts at passing, according to the same article. Three different bills have come up in Missouri legislature in 2005, 2006, and 2007 but all did not get enough votes.

 Of course, the cost of adding seatbelts to every bus in Missouri is no doubt high. It would cost an estimated $1.4 million to equip new busses. I will be sure to watch news for a resurfacing of this bill. For now, I’m not sure what outcome I expect. Tell me what you think!

Car Crash Kills Cottage Hills Teenager

A Post-Dispatch article reported that Michael Hapgood was killed in a car accident on Hillcrest Drive near Sheppard Street yesterday. The 17 year old was a passenger in a car that ran off a curve, hit a tree, and overturned. The other passengers escaped with minor injuries. The accident happened at 1 a.m. Michael was rushed to Barnes Jewish Hospital and died there around 4:30 a.m.

My condolences go out the Hapgood family. As a parent, I know how scary it is to let our teen drivers out of our sight. There are mistakes that can be made that will be detrimental to receiving the proper treatment from the insurance company and the legal system. In this emotional time, it will be important for Michael’s family to get the proper evidence and information to bring justice to this saddening situation. If the vehicle is shown to have a deficiency or the driver was proved to be negligent, it will be important for all of the families involved to get into immediate contact with an attorney who specializes in fatal car accidents.