Man from St. Charles Killed in Three Car Crash on Thursday Night

A three vehicle crash on Thursday night resulted in the death of St. Charles man Michael Prater, 33. The accident, which occurred in Franklin County on Highway 100, was the result of a car, driven by Nicole Feldmann, crossing the center lane. Feldmann hit Prater, causing Prater to spin across the highway and be struck by a pickup truck, driven by Terry Robinson. While the other drivers sustained minor to moderate injuries, Prater suffered critical injuries. He passed away on Thursday evening at St. John’s Mercy Medical.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Prater family. I wish them the utmost strength as they endure these hard times.

 I also hope that his family can get the treatment they deserve from the insurance company. In order to do so, it will be important for them to contact an attorney who is experienced in wrongful death situations. There are a few possibilities as to the cause of the accident—one of which may be a violation by the driver who originally hit Michael. If that driver had been breaking the law, like driving while distracted or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the nature of Michael’s death will be clearer.

It is hard to negotiate with the insurance company when you are under the stress of losing a loved one. The Prater family would be well-advised to contact an attorney to help them navigate their way through this painful time.

Rollover Crash on I-170 results in Ejection and Serious Injuries for a Florissant Woman

Christian Spight, a woman from Florissant, was ejected from her car after a St. Louis County rollover crash on Interstate 170. Afterward, as reported by the post-dispatch, a helicopter flew her to Barnes-Jewish Hospital where she remains in serious condition. Her 2008 Kia Optima rolled after hitting a grass embankment. It was reported that Spight was not wearing her seatbelt. Her passenger, Treman Coleman, however was wearing a seatbelt and is in moderate condition.

My thoughts are with both the Spight and Coleman families. I wish both Christian and Treman a speedy recovery.

It will be important for the Spight and Coleman families to truly understand what happened during the accident. Though it was reported that Christian was not wearing her seatbelt, there are certain instances where a defective seatbelt can detach during a crash, making it look as though a seatbelt had not been worn when it, in fact, had.

It will also be important to properly examine the vehicle for any other possible defects before any changes or repairs are made. Since the car rolled, a weakness in the roof or frame of the car could have drastically changed the nature of the accident—and contributed to the serious injuries that were sustained. Both families would be well-advised to contact an attorney experienced in auto defects soon. The next few days will be critical in determining how they are treated by the insurance companies.

11-Year Old Trevor Dennis Goes To Trial Against The Coleman Company

8-year old Trevor Dennis was just like most kids his age.  He enjoyed all the things kids normally do, especially camping.  All that changed for Trevor on December 5, 2005 when he was on one of many such camping trips with his parents.  On that fateful day, Trevor went to bed in the family’s camper trailer which was heated by a Model 5053 ProCat PerfecTemp Coleman propane heater.  Sometime during that evening, the heater malfunctioned which caused the camper to burst into flames trapping Trevor inside.  Experts for John Bisnar of BISNAR | CHASE, a California personal injury law firm specializing in defective product cases, agree that the Coleman Company manufactured this particular model propane heater using a faulty design, sub-par critical parts and inadequate qualify controls to prevent this type of foreseeable injury to a child.

Taking on a corporation the size of The Coleman Company is no easy task.  Most victims just like Trevor don’t have the resources to ask The Coleman Company to do the right thing.  The Coleman Company has denied that their design was defective and that they are not responsible for the severe burns to Trevor.  They have refused to do the right thing in this case.  Fortunately, our justice system provides a system to resolve disputes for anyone injured as a result of the negligence of another.  On Monday, November 2, 2009 in Orange County Superior Court, Judge William Monroe will empower a jury to hear little Trevor’s case against The Coleman Company.  As they say, “Everyone gets their day in Court.”  And that is no different for now 11-year old Trevor Dennis.

On Monday, Trevor will get his chance to stand up to The Coleman Company and show a jury all of the evidence why this model of propane heater was defective and should not have been sold to the unsuspecting public.  The jury will get to see first hand the severe burns on Trevor’s body as a result of the way that propane heater was manufactured.  I am sure plenty of expert evidence will be presented to show the jury why The Coleman Company should have reasonably known severe harm could be the result of the normal use of their product.  Although I have not seen the evidence and don’t know the outcome, I know that once the Dennis family is able to put forth all of their facts to a jury of reasonable citizens and hold the giant Coleman Company responsible, one thing is for certain.  11-year old Trevor Dennis will have made a stand against a giant manufacturer of consumer goods just so they would do the right thing.

Young Man Dies, Five Others Injured in Jefferson County Car Accident

An accident on Highway 67 in Jefferson County claimed the life of one young man and killed five others. Benjamin Warf, 21, a driver involved in the accident, was killed and reported to have not been wearing a seatbelt. Warf was hit by a Dodge Caliber while attempting to make a left turn. Benjamin’s passenger, Jessica Holloway, 19, was injured along with the driver and three passengers in the Caliber. Everyone in the Caliber was reported as wearing their seatbelts, however.

My thoughts are with the family of Benjamin Warf and the other young people injured in the accident. It is devastating for an accident to claim the life of someone so young. I wish those injured a speedy recovery. 

This is a tragic example of the importance of keeping a car after an accident for investigation. While police have stated that Benjamin had not been wearing a seatbelt, it is possible that a deficiency in his vehicle caused his seatbelt to be ineffective during the accident. If the car is properly inspected, an attorney experienced in traffic fatalities as a result of auto defects may be able to help Benjamin’s family. It is not always clear what truly happened during an accident. Benjamin’s family and the families of the other victims would be well-advised to contact an attorney that handles defective seat belt cases and who can help them understand what happened during the accident that caused these tragic results.

Van Strikes St. Ann Police Officer on Highway 70

A St. Ann police officer was hit while on duty today. According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, Officer Jeffrey Hacker was pursuing a robbery suspect when his chase took him across I-70 by Lambert Airport. While crossing the west-bound lanes, he was hit by a van. The driver did not receive a ticket but Officer Hacker was taken to St. John’s Mercy Hospital to be treated.

It is always heart breaking to hear of an officer getting injured while trying to do his duty to protect. I have a great respect for police men and women who put their lives on the line every day. While this may be hard to believe, the legal matter here is workers’ compensation. There is a system set to compensate those who are injured on the job and Officer Hacker’s accident is applicable. He would be well-advised to consult an attorney who deals specifically with serious workers’ compensation cases like his. With an experienced attorney, Officer Hacker can avoid any mistakes in receiving the compensation he deserves.