Kansas City Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Early this morning, a wrong way car collision in Riley County, Kansas left 2 motorists dead and 4 Kansas State University students injured. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, law enforcement officials believe that alcohol played a key role in the crash.

The accident happened just west of Manhattan at around 3:00 a.m. A Chevy Silverado truck carrying the group of K State students was traveling east in the westbound lanes of Kansas 18 when it collided with a westbound Buick head-on.

The 2 occupants of the Buick, both from Ogden, died at the scene of the crash. The K State students were taken by ambulance to Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan, and 2 were later transported on to the larger Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka. None of the victims' names (nor any additional information about their current conditions) have yet been released: law enforcement officials are currently attempting to contact their families and loved ones.

The accident remains under investigation. Lieutenant Gregory Harkrader of the Kansas Highway Patrol told WIBW that alcohol was believed to be a causal factor in the crash. In addition, the Patrol will work to determine why the driver of the Buick did not appear to veer or stop after realizing that the truck was coming straight at the car head-on.

Head-on collisions commonly cause serious, life-threatening injuries. More people are killed in these crashes than in any other kind of traffic accident. Most often, however, these accidents are the result of improper passing or unintentional drifting across the center line: in fact, 83% of head-on collisions occur on 2-lane rural roadways. As a head-on collision cause, wrong way drivers are considerably more rare.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that wrong way drivers are involved in about 1.5% of car accidents nationwide. Transportation agencies have been working to combat the problem of wrong way freeway driving since the 1950s, when the interstate highway system was founded. Normally, wrong way drivers tend to fit into 1 of the following 4 categories.

• Older drivers who are confused or disoriented
• Intentional drivers (i.e. drivers trying to avoid traffic jams or congestion caused by crashes, etc.)
• Inattentive drivers who mistake an off-ramp for an on-ramp
• Impaired drivers (i.e. drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs)

Continue reading "Head-On Collision Leaves 2 Dead & 4 K State Students Injured" »

When 2 vehicles of approximately the same size and weight collide head on, the abrupt impact is equivalent to a car smashing into a concrete wall. As a result, head on collisions are notorious for causing serious injuries and fatalities.

Last weekend, 2 Missouri men died after such an accident. On Friday morning at around 5:00 a.m., 20 year-old Mathew Tucker of Lathrop and 28 year-old Keith Staus of Polo were killed in a 3-vehicle crash on Missouri Highway 116. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, Tucker's Ford F150 pickup was traveling east when it crossed the center line and veered into the path of an oncoming car.

The driver of that car - 52 year-old Rory Hicks - tried to avoid the collision by steering onto the shoulder of the road, but the left front of the F150 clipped the left front of Hicks' car. The car spun counter-clockwise, eventually coming to rest in the westbound lane, facing north. Meanwhile, the F150 continued traveling east, where it struck another vehicle - a 1999 Chevrolet - head on. The truck skidded sideways and stopped, blocking both lanes of traffic. The Chevrolet rolled over and caught fire.

Tucker and Staus were both pronounced dead at the scene. Tucker was not wearing a seatbelt, and it is not known whether Staus was buckled up, according to the Patrol. Hicks, who was wearing a seatbelt, sustained minor injuries in the crash and was taken to a nearby hospital by private vehicle. The highway was closed for several hours following the accident.

Many longtime Kansas City residents will no doubt remember Mat Tucker - and remember him fondly. In October 1992, then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton joined a city-wide effort to support Tucker, who was diagnosed with leukemia at 10 months old and only had a 1% chance of survival. Tucker's only chance was an expensive bone marrow transplant, but his father was self-employed and didn't have health insurance. Clinton organized the "I Ran for Mat with Bill" 5K run to help generate funds for the $300,000 procedure. Between the charity events and several city initiatives, the funds were raised and the surgery was successful. (In fact, residents of Kansas City raised enough money to pay for 2 other marrow transplants in addition to Tucker's.)

Continue reading "Head On Collision in Caldwell County Leaves 2 Dead, Including Well-Known Missouri Cancer Survivor" »

Early Sunday morning, a Wisconsin mother and her 22 year-old son were killed in separate car accidents that happened just hours apart - and within only 2 miles of each other. What's more, local law enforcement officials believe that both crashes involved alcohol.

"I'm trying to think back, I've seen a lot of strange things. I don't remember anything like this before," said Deputy Chief Charles Padgett of the West Allis Police Department. Padgett has been in law enforcement for 24 years.

Just before 1:00 a.m. on April 29, 45 year-old Mary Jane Moore called her son Thomas Olson and told him she had been in an argument, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Moore had been at a nearby bar for part of the evening, but she placed this call from the boardinghouse where she was staying. She told Olson, who lived 30 blocks away, that she was walking over to his place.

Minutes later, Moore was struck by a vehicle as she lay in the roadway in front of the boardinghouse. She was horizontal and her face was down: police are continuing to investigate what she was doing in the street. ABC News reports that a witness to the accident (a driver behind the vehicle that hit Moore) initially believed that the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix that struck Moore had gone over a speed bump. However, as the witness drew closer, it became clear that a woman - Moore - was lying in the road. Moore died as a result of her injuries. The driver who hit her left the scene, but was located and arrested in the hours following the collision.

According to Padgett, Moore had been drinking prior to the crash, but her blood alcohol content is still unknown: the autopsy was scheduled for today, but the results are still pending. Some reports have suggested that the driver who hit Moore had also been drinking, but Padgett says the West Allis Police will not bring alcohol related charges against that driver at this time.

Continue reading "Wisconsin Mother & Son Killed in Separate Car Accidents Only Hours Apart" »

All too often, collisions involving cars and pedestrians result in serious personal injury. Normally, these accidents are caused by an unforeseen circumstance (like a pedestrian darting into the roadway unexpectedly) or by a driver's carelessness (drunk or distracted driving, for example). However, this week in Missouri, police are charging a woman with striking 3 pedestrians on purpose.

A Kansas City mother is charged with 1 count of first-degree assault, 2 counts of second-degree assault, and 3 counts of armed criminal action after she admitted to driving her SUV into a group of young girls near Ingels Elementary School. As of Monday evening, 35 year-old Ladonna Newton remained jailed in Jackson County.

It all started at around 4:30 p.m. last Friday. The Kansas City Star reports that Newton's daughter was involved in a fight with another girl as a group walked home from school. The daughter lost the fight and returned home, but later called one of the girls to say she wanted to fight someone else. The group returned to the location of the original fight to wait for Newton's daughter.

Newton drove her daughter to the scene, bringing a second daughter along as well. As a second fight began - this one involving the second daughter - Newton allegedly accelerated through the parking lot and into the grassy area where the girls were fighting. She struck 3 people, dragging 1 underneath her SUV. Witnesses report the SUV subsequently struck a sewer ditch and fled the scene.

About 90 minutes later, Newton walked into the Kansas City Police Department's South Patrol Division. She told officers there that she had driven into a group of kids, but that she had only done so by accident: she claimed that her foot had slipped off the break and onto the gas, and that she didn't know if she had actually hit anyone.

At this time, the medical status of the 3 victims is unknown, except that their injuries were non-life-threatening. Jackson County Prosecutors have asked that Newton's bond be set at 10% or $70,000.

Continue reading "Kansas City Mother Charged with Assault: Police Allege She Deliberately Drove Into Group of Kids" »

On Easter Sunday, a terrible car crash in Independence claimed the lives of 2 men from the Kansas City metropolitan area. Bruce Stansberry, a witness to the accident, described the aftermath: "Probably one of the worst accidents I've ever seen," he said. "It was pretty clear if there was anyone in there, they weren't alive."

It happened on South Noland Road, at the East 35th Street intersection. According to local law enforcement, a southbound vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control and slammed into the concrete support of the traffic signal at 35th Street. The vehicle was destroyed beyond recognition.

Neither of the occupants was wearing a seatbelt: both the driver and his passenger were ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Their names have not yet been released, but police say the driver was a 23 year-old man from Independence, and his passenger was a 29 year-old man from Kansas City.

Like Stansberry, several other witnesses were beyond shocked at the horrific outcome of the crash. "The whole passenger's side of the car was ripped off, completely open, the motor of the vehicle was in the passenger's seat," witness Hunter Darling told KCTV5. Meanwhile, Ben Titleman, a witness who was passing through en route to Columbia, told The Examiner that he had never seen a vehicle sustain that kind of damage. "Just...it didn't look like a car," Titleman said.

Police do not believe that alcohol or drugs were factors in this collision, but one witness reported that the driver might have been texting in the moments leading up to the crash. At present, police believe that speed was the primary causal factor.

Continue reading "Driver & Passenger Killed in Horrific 1 Vehicle Crash in Independence, Missouri: Speed, Distraction Cited as Possible Causes" »

In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 1,772 car accident fatalities were caused by wrong way drivers - drivers traveling on the wrong side of the road. This week, our Kansas City personal injury attorneys were saddened to hear that a man was killed near Louisburg, KS after colliding with a wrong way driver on U.S. Highway 69.

It happened Thursday morning around 5:30 a.m. - and by that time, drivers were already calling 911 to report a minivan swerving, driving erratically, and, eventually, traveling north in the highway's southbound lanes. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, 45 year-old Marilyn Nickell veered across the grass median and traveled approximately 1.5 miles in the southbound lanes before she slammed into a vehicle driven by 57 year-old Scott Klein of San Clemente, California.

Klein was pronounced dead at the scene. In a tragic twist, KCTV 5 reports that Klein's brother died several years ago in a car accident caused by a drunk driver.

It is not yet known if Nickell was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident, or if a medical condition may have been a factor. Nickell sustained serious injuries in the crash, though police report she was "alert and talking" when emergency responders finally extricated her from the minivan - she was trapped inside for nearly an hour. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where she remains in stable condition. No charges have yet been filed, but the accident remains under investigation by the Miami County Sheriff's Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Crashes caused by wrong way drivers commonly result in critical injuries and fatalities: more often than not, these crashes are head-on collisions, which result in more motorist fatalities than any other kind of car accident. In a head-on collision, the front ends of the vehicles slam into each other, and the combined force from both moving vehicles makes the impact immense.

Sometimes, these accidents are caused by drivers who are simply confused: they lose their bearings, and find themselves going the wrong direction on a divided highway or a one-way street. Sometimes, bad road conditions (due to weather or maintenance) play a role. However, alcohol and/or drugs are a factor in a large number of these crashes. Other possible causes include dangerous passing, lane departure due to driver distraction, and failing to negotiate a curve in the roadway, but these scenarios are more common on 2 lane roads than on divided highways.

Continue reading "Head-On Collisions Commonly Cause Injuries & Fatalities in Kansas City, Missouri & Nationwide" »

Our Kansas City car accident attorneys understand that railroad crossing accidents oftentimes produce fatal results. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, trains and cars collide every 12 minutes. There were more than 9,500 accidents involving trains and motor vehicles in 2009. Many of these accidents could have been avoided with the proper precautionary steps.

In the 2009 accidents, there were nearly 700 people killed and almost 6,700 people injured. More than 95% of the fatalities resulting from train accidents occurred through highway-rail incidents and during trespassing. There were more than 200 incidents reported during the year of a motor-vehicle accident with a train. These incidents killed more than 190 people.

There are a number of factors that can contribute to these serious accidents. Some of these factors include train operator negligence, defective train tracks or crossing equipment and brake malfunctions. Human errors, including trespassing and fatigued train drivers contribute to approximately 35 percent of all incidents. Defects with the tracks contributed to about 34 percent.

The average-sized train weighs roughly 12 million pounds. In comparison to an average-sized motor vehicle, your car is more like a soda can and can be crushed instantly upon impact. It takes about a mile for the average 100-car train traveling at 50 mph to stop.

Continue reading "Railroad Crossings Can Prove Hazardous for Drivers in Missouri & Nationwide" »

According to the Missouri Driving Guide, an aggressive driver is "an individual [who] commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property." Aggressive drivers significantly increase the chances of a car accident in Lee's Summit and elsewhere throughout Missouri. Traffic accidents caused by these irresponsible drivers can result in significant property damage, personal injury and even death. It's important to remember that these types of accidents are completely preventable.

Our Kansas City car accident attorneys would like to discuss the consequences that are associated with aggressive driving. Of course, we all get a little frustrated behind the wheel from time to time, but there are more efficient ways to deal with driving-related stress than driving aggressively, thereby endangering our passengers and other motorists (not to mention ourselves). It's also important to know how to handle encounters with aggressive drivers: one wrong move could make them snap. Learning how to deal with these drivers safely can help you avoid a potentially serious accident.

Common Aggressive Driver Behaviors:

• Using the horn gratuitously (especially to express frustration).
• Flashing the headlights.
• Forcing another driver to swerve.
• Intentionally tailgating.
• Yelling at other motorists.
• Making rude gestures.
• Illegally passing other vehicles.
• Traveling faster than 80 miles per hour.
• Running stop signs and red lights.
• Weaving in and out of traffic.

Every year, there are nearly 35,000 people who die on U.S. roadways. This means that nearly 4 people die every hour. Many of these traffic fatalities are the result of those irresponsible and aggressive drivers.

Continue reading "Aggressive Drivers Make Car Accidents More Likely in Independence, Missouri & Nationwide" »

It wasn't a good weekend for teen drivers in Missouri. Our Kansas City car accident lawyers were troubled to see these Monday morning headlines:

• Cuba: 1 dead, 4 injured following Crawford County crash
Just before 10 p.m. Friday, 17 year-old Jeremy Ottermann was attempting to pass 2 vehicles on a hill when he crashed into a vehicle head-on. The driver of the oncoming vehicle, 64 year-old Robert Sexton, was killed; Sexton's passenger, 50 year-old Sherri Hill, was seriously injured and airlifted to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. Ottermann also suffered serious injuries: he was airlifted to Children's Hospital in St. Louis. Ottermann's passengers were also injured in the crash: 17 year-old Joseph Alvey was taken to a Sullivan hospital with moderate injuries, and 17 year-old Michael Marino was taken to Rolla with minor injuries. Ottermann wore a seatbelt, but his passengers did not.

• Hillsboro: Teen killed in Jefferson County crash
On Friday evening, 19 year-old Jacob Douglas was killed in a single-vehicle accident on Goldman Road, near Hillsboro. At approximately 11:00 p.m., Douglas was driving north in a 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier when his car left the road just north of Highway A: the Cavalier crashed into a tree and a concrete culvert before flipping over. Douglas was ejected. His passenger, 17 year-old Cody Dove, suffered moderate injuries and was airlifted to Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur. Neither teen wore a seat belt.

• St. Louis: Four-vehicle crash kills two teens in Central West End
Two teenagers died early Saturday morning in a wreck near Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Local law enforcement reports that 18 year-old Armanji Ahmed was speeding as he traveled south on Kingshighway at around 12:30 p.m.. When Ahmed swerved to avoid hitting a car, his 2004 Infiniti crashed into the vehicle traveling alongside him. The Infiniti subsequently flipped into northbound traffic, colliding with 2 more cars. The crash happened just outside the Barnes ER, so paramedics were on the scene immediately: Ahmed and his passenger, 17 year-old Qais Nooreen, were ejected from the vehicle and later died as a result of their injuries; of the 7 occupants of the other vehicles involved, 3 suffered minor injuries. Ahmed and Nooreen were not wearing seat belts.

Continue reading "Multiple Teen Car Crashes Over the Weekend Cause Missouri Injuries, Fatalities" »

At some point, if you're like most people, you become concerned about drunk drivers on Missouri roadways. We're pleased to say that public awareness about drunk driving dangers continues to grow, and law enforcement initiatives are helping to keep more impaired drivers off the road. Unfortunately, even with all that progress, the fact of the matter is this: there are drunk drivers on Kansas City roads at all times of the day, every day of the week. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are approximately 30 drunk driving deaths in the United States every single day - that's a fatality every 48 minutes.

Some drivers want to create a distinction between drunk driving and "buzzed" driving, but in reality, even a low blood alcohol content (BAC) can affect your driving abilities, according to the CDC:

• .02% BAC: Decline in visual functions (rapid tracking of a moving target); decline in ability to perform 2 tasks at the same time (divided attention)

• .05% BAC: Reduced coordination; reduced ability to track moving objects; difficulty steering; reduced response to emergency driving situations

• .08% BAC: Muscle coordination becomes poor (e.g., balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing); harder to detect danger; judgment, self-control, reasoning, and memory are impaired; reduced information processing capability (e.g., signal detection, visual search); impaired perception.

• .10% BAC: Reduced ability to maintain lane position and brake appropriately

• .15% BAC: Substantial impairment in vehicle control, attention to driving tasks, and in necessary visual and auditory information processing

Because we have seen the devastation drunk drivers cause, we offer these tips to help you and your loved ones avoid being injured by a drunk driver.

Your ride home:

• Never get in the car with someone who is impaired. It's never worth it.
• Don't be afraid to "cause a scene." Never ride with someone who is impaired.
• If you have a friend who commonly drinks and drives, drive yourself to all events.
• Carry a cell phone and cash to ensure that you can get a safe ride home if the person you're riding with is intoxicated. Call for help, stay where you are, or take public transportation.

Continue reading "Drunk Drivers Still Create Safety Hazards for Motorists in Kansas City and Throughout Missouri" »

Lately, our Kansas City car accident attorneys have read about several fatal Missouri collisions that have one thing in common: pedestrians killed by highway traffic. These accidents are usually caused when motorists and passengers exit their vehicles near a busy roadway (normally, because they've been involved in collisions, or because their vehicles are disabled). A recent four-car pileup on Kansas City's busy I-35 serves as an important lesson to local drivers: local police say that damages and injuries could've been considerably reduced, had all parties involved simply remained inside their vehicles.

Around 6:30 a.m. on Friday, February 10, a woman - who is suspected of driving while intoxicated - crashed into a semi-trailer near the Gregory intersection. A third approaching vehicle swerved, attempted to avoid the wreckage, and subsequently crashed into a guardrail. The driver of this third vehicle got out of her car - presumably to check on occupants in the first two vehicles - and was struck by a fourth vehicle, an oncoming pickup truck. The suspected drunk driver was arrested and is now facing charges. The driver of the third vehicle sustained the most serious injuries, and is currently hospitalized in critical condition.

Stacy Graves, of the KCMO Police Department, says it's understandable that the driver wanted to check on others involved in the accident, but in most cases, drivers should resist the impulse to exit their vehicles following an accident, especially on the highway. "Those types of accidents, getting out of the car and exchanging info right there, can be more dangerous than the accident you were just involved in," Graves said.

Throughout the state, law enforcement has become increasingly concerned about the growing number of pedestrian fatalities. Crash data from the Missouri Highway Patrol shows that 91% of 2010 collisions between cars and pedestrians resulted in serious injury or death. Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that approximately 16% of fatal pedestrian auto collisions happen close to freeways.

Continue reading "4 Car Accident on I-435 in Kansas City Leaves Missouri Driver Critically Injured After Exiting Her Car" »

Our Kansas City personal injury attorneys understand that red light cameras are a controversial topic: there's a clear dispute over cameras' effectiveness in reducing car accidents in Missouri. Many argue that they're inaccurate traffic enforcement devices that only generate revenue for the city (and increase the number of rear-end accidents). Others argue that these cameras are necessary to ensure motorist safety. According to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT), motorists are much less likely to run a red light when a camera is looking over them. A MoDOT study concluded that these cameras reduce right-angle accidents that cause serious injury or death. The reported reduction is as much as 50%, according to the Florissant Patch.

"We believe automated enforcement is a good tool for keeping motorists safe," said MoDOT Director Kevin Keith.

However, the Kansas City police department recently released a report that evaluates camera performance, and the results are somewhat unclear. According to the report, "Accidents went up at some locations and down in others without any clear patterns." Overall, the total number of accidents was actually 12% higher than before the cameras were installed. Right angle accidents did decrease by 4%, but rear end accidents shot up 17%.

Missouri started experimenting with red-light cameras back in 2006. When a motorist passes through and intersection on a red light, the camera takes a picture of the vehicle's license plate and, in some Missouri counties, the driver. Once an incident is recorded, the driver is sent a red light ticket in the mail.

In 2011, a policy was put into effect requiring that signs be placed at these intersections to warn motorists of the cameras. The policy also requires that any tickets for violations be issued by certified police officers. But the fate of all Missouri red light cameras is uncertain, as state lawmakers are currently considering legislation that would ban the devices statewide. Opponents of the cameras have suggested that they violate drivers' basic legal rights. "Defendants have to go in and prove they were not driving or were not in the car at the moment," Defense attorney Howard Lotven says. "They have to prove they're innocent, rather than the city having to prove their guilt."

Continue reading "Do Red Light Camera Prevent Car Collisions in Kansas City, Missouri?" »

As Missouri personal injury attorneys, we know that head on collisions frequently cause serious injuries and/or fatalities--in Kansas City and throughout the United States. In 2005, only 2% of auto accidents nationwide were head on collisions, and yet head on collisions accounted for 10.1% of fatal accidents. These accidents (along with sideswipes and run off the road accidents) are commonly referred to as lane departure or road departure accidents, and most often occur on undivided, rural roads (normally as the result of failed passing maneuvers). However, when a head on collision occurs on a busy urban highway, the potential for damage is especially high.

Such an accident occurred recently on Interstate 70, near Topeka, Kansas, when an eastbound car crossed the grass median and struck a westbound minivan head on. The van was occupied by a family of 5: a pastor, his wife, and their three children, who had just moved to Kansas about a month previously. Laura Geske, age 37; Joshua Geske, age 8; and Joy Geske, age 3 were killed in the collision. Reverend Jeffrey Geske, age 41; and Joy's twin, Jacob Geske, age 3, survived, but suffered serious injuries in the crash. Everyone involved in the accident wore a seatbelt, and the younger Geske children were properly restrained in child safety seats.

The driver of the other vehicle, 62 year-old Steven Moore, also survived, but he was also seriously injured. The Kansas Highway Patrol continues to investigate what circumstances caused Moore to cross the median. According to State Trooper Steve Larow, officers are waiting for test results to determine whether or not Moore suffered some kind of medical condition or episode just prior to the collision. They're also examining speed as a possible contributing factor.

Indeed, statistics show that head on collisions are almost always the result of an unintentional maneuver by a driver who falls asleep, or becomes distracted, or takes a curve while traveling too fast. Other factors - like alcohol or drug use, for example - may also play a role. It's worth noting, however, that the key factor here is driver error.

Continue reading "Head On Collisions Often Cause Serious Injuries and Fatalities in Kansas City, Missouri and Nationwide" »

In September 2011, the Kansas City, Missouri "How to Reduce Accidents on Missouri 152" Task Force released their findings and recommendations. This corridor affects drivers in both Kansas City and Liberty, Missouri. After months of work, the 152 Task Force has offered numerous recommendations: read the full report by clicking here. Our Kansas City, Missouri car accident attorneys feel that one of the most important recommendations was to build the Flintlock Flyover, a much needed but expensive improvement--one that would significantly reduce car accidents on the Missouri 152 corridor.

Finally, in late October, it was announced that the Flintlock Flyover was a "go". According to Steve Hansen, Liberty Public Works Director, Liberty, Kansas City, and the Missouri Department of Transportation have signed agreements that should allow the Flintlock Flyover to be constructed. Additionally, these agreements allow for the recommended improvements to the Highway 291/I-35 intersection. The Flintlock Flyover is projected to cost $21.6 million and the intersection improvements are projected at $16.5 million. These agreements help align funding from federal, state, and local monies.

Flintlock Flyover and Highway 291/I-35 Intersection Improvements
Both projects will greatly reduce the number of vehicles traveling on the Missouri 152, which will help to ease traffic congestion. This ease in congestion will help to reduce the number of car accidents along the this heavily traveled corridor.

There are around 30,000 cars using the Missouri 152 corridor per day. In particular, there's a large amount of school traffic in that area, as many students in Liberty schools reside on the Kansas City side of school district boundaries. According to Superintendent Mike Brewer, buses make 128 trips across 1-35 every single day. The flyover will cross over I-35 and reduce the number of vehicles by approximately 7,500 cars. It will feature 2, 16-foot wide driving lanes, a 10-foot wide sidewalk (separated from traffic with a barrier and a fence), and 2 roundabouts (one at Northeast 76th; one at Liberty Drive). It's anticipated that construction will begin this year, and will take 18 months to 2 years to complete

Continue reading "Planned "Flintlock Flyover" Designed to Reduce Accidents on the Missouri 152 Corridor in Liberty and Kansas City" »

Our Kansas City Missouri car accident lawyers know how important a thorough accident investigation can be when it comes to traffic accident cases. A car and motorcycle accident case from March 2009 has been back in the local news recently, illustrating the way an investigation can impact an accident case. This particular accident not only provides an example of why you may need an independent traffic investigator, but also demonstrates the role of the attorney in car accident and personal injury cases.

The Original Accident
In Buchanan County, a new lawyer has been retained by a client who was involved in a St. Joseph collision almost three years ago. The client, Joshua Morgan, is currently serving an 18 year prison sentence after being convicted of charges connected to that accident. In March of 2009, he made a left-hand turn and collided with a motorcycle. Both the driver and passenger of the motorcycle were thrown from the bike, and the passenger subsequently died as a result of the accident.

In December 2009, Morgan pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault and leaving the scene of an accident, on the advice of his original attorney. Now, he and his new lawyer have returned to court: they're asking to have the original judgment vacated. This means they want the original ruling and subsequent sentence to be set aside or corrected.

The Importance of Thorough Accident Investigations
When traffic accidents happen, local law enforcement agencies take pictures, draw diagrams, and talk to witnesses. Normally, citations are issued for any traffic violations. In most cases, the driver who committed the infraction is also the one who caused the accident, but not always. Sometimes, both involved drivers have committed traffic violations, so they are each issued a summons.

It's a car accident attorney's job to make sure a thorough investigation is conducted, and to use the investigation's findings to help protect a client's rights. In Morgan's case, however, he claims his original attorney failed to conduct a reasonable investigation.

Continue reading "Thorough Accident Investigations Play Crucial Role in Kansas City, Missouri Car Accident Cases" »