Missouri Highway Accident Attorneys
On highways, where speed limits are typically 60 mph or greater, any accident that occurs is likely to result in significant property damage and injuries. When drivers exceed the posted speed limit, they raise the risk of causing a serious or fatal crash – in 2015, speeding was a factor in 27 percent of all fatal vehicle crashes.
On Missouri’s Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 63, speeding is just one of many factors in most crashes. Some type of driver error is usually to blame, as well. Common driving errors include:
- Following too closely (tailgating)
- Distraction
- Traveling too fast for road conditions
- Overcorrecting while steering
- Unexplained lane departure.
If you’ve been injured in a highway crash, you may be entitled to compensation that can help cover damage to your vehicle, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Bley & Evans has successfully represented personal injury victims in and around Columbia, helping them get the settlement they deserve.
Don’t wait to ask for help. Schedule your free consultation today by calling 844-443-8385.
Wrong-Way Crash Attorneys
One of the most devastating types of highway crashes is a wrong-way collision. Often, these crashes occur because a driver mistakes a freeway exit ramp for an on-ramp and enters the road going the wrong direction.
A health or vision problem could interfere with a driver’s ability to see the “Wrong Way” and “Do Not Enter” signs that line freeway exit ramps, but alcohol and drug impairment are more common causes of wrong-way crashes.
In January, a wrong-way crash in Cooper County sent two drivers to Columbia’s University Hospital for treatment of their injuries. The crash occurred on I-70 westbound, when a man driving the wrong way collided with another vehicle. While in the hospital, the driver who caused the crash was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, driving the wrong direction, driving without insurance, using another person’s vehicle registration, and not wearing a seat belt.
In October 2016, felony assault charges were filed against a Jefferson City driver who, in August, had deliberately driven the wrong way on U.S. Route 63 in an effort to end his own life.
The man and his passenger were injured in a head-on collision with another vehicle, and the driver of the other car suffered severe injuries. ABC News 17 reported the driver who caused the crash had been arrested in May 2016 for driving while intoxicated. At the time of that arrest, his blood alcohol level had not been above the legal limit, but he admitted he had taken several prescription pills that night.
Icy Roads & Speed: A Dangerous Combination
In Central Missouri, winter weather often leads to icy roads. Most drivers know that when roads are slick, it’s important to slow down, pay attention, and follow at a safe distance. Drivers who fail to exercise caution may be putting other drivers in danger.
On Jan. 11, the Missouri Department of Transportation advised motorists to avoid travel Jan. 12 through 15, due to accumulating freezing rain and ice. Nevertheless, many drivers were on the roads during that time, and state troopers recorded 69 crashes in a four-day period. Many of those crashes involved drivers traveling too fast for road conditions, such as one in which a driver traveling on I-70 westbound near Florissant Road lost control of his car on the ice and struck another vehicle. The driver – who had no insurance – and his three passengers were taken to area hospitals for treatment of their injuries.
Official Efforts to Prevent Crashes
After identifying some stretches of highway that had a high crash rate, MoDOT decided to lower the speed limit in an effort to reduce crashes. In 2013, it lowered the speed limit from 65 mph to 60 mph on U.S. 63, between Vienna and the State Route 28 junction. It also lowered the speed limit from 70 mph to 60 mph on I-70, from the U.S. 63/I-70 connector to the Lake of the Woods/St. Charles Road interchange. (Between 2009 and 2013, four fatal crashes occurred on that stretch.)
“Missouri’s Blueprint – A Partnership Toward Zero Deaths” is an ongoing effort to reduce vehicle crash deaths in the state. In previous versions of the blueprint, the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety had set a goal of reducing roadway fatalities to fewer than 700 in 2016. Unfortunately, Missouri State Highway Patrol recorded 941 vehicle-crash fatalities last year.
Strategies for reducing the incidence of highway crashes may include increased enforcement efforts, road design modifications, and vehicle crash-prevention technology. Above all, drivers must be responsible and not engage in behaviors that endanger other motorists.
If you need an I-70 crash attorney or a U.S. 63 crash attorney to help you with your personal injury case, call the law firm of Bley & Evans at 844-443-8385, or fill out our online contact form, to request your free consultation.
Recent posts
Guide to Missouri Wrongful Death Actions / In Missouri, a civil suit for wrongful death is a statutory action authorized by R.S.Mo. § 537.080, 537.085, and 537.090. The statutes created a new cause of action where none existed at common law. In other words, a wr...
Early Winter Weather / Early winter weather struck mid-Missouri late last month. While temperatures remained near 20 degrees with wind chills in the single digits, snow moved into the region. The City of Columbia preemptively deployed a 16 man...
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Snow and Ice Create Dangerous Road Conditions in Mid-Missouri / Snow and ice over the last week has caused dangerous road conditions in Columbia and surrounding areas. Since Friday morning, nearly 400 accidents have been reportedly caused by icy conditions. Additionally, first respon...
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Missouri Strikes Down Red-Light Camera Ordinances / Earlier this week, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down local ordinances regarding the use of red-light cameras in St. Louis, Kansas City, and St. Peters. While the Court did not ultimately decide the legality of using...
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Takata Airbag Recall / What you should know and what owners of recalled vehicles should do As of June 12, faulty deployment mechanisms in airbags produced by the Japanese supplier Takata have caused seven fatalities, as well as over one hundr...
Best Practices to Prevent Workplace Accidents / Merriam-Webster's definition of accident is, "an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance." The first example of the word used in a sentence is, "He was injured in an accident at work." Why d...
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Guide to Missouri Wrongful Death Actions / In Missouri, a civil suit for wrongful death is a statutory action authorized by R.S.Mo. § 537.080, 537.085, and 537.090. The statutes created a new cause of action where none existed at common law. In other words, a wr...
Early Winter Weather / Early winter weather struck mid-Missouri late last month. While temperatures remained near 20 degrees with wind chills in the single digits, snow moved into the region. The City of Columbia preemptively deployed a 16 man...
Beware of Deer on Missouri Roads / The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is warning Missouri motorists of deer on roads during the peak months of October and November. MoDOT reported car and deer collisions result in almost 200 deaths and $1.1...
Back to School Road Safety / According to the United States Department of Transportation, 50 millions students will be attending America’s public elementary and secondary schools this fall. Included in that figure is 35 million kids who will be at...
Tips to Prepare for Summer Travel / The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released its list of Cool Tips for a Safe Summer Trip. Following these tips could help avoid a breakdown or even a highway collision. First, before you embark o...
Work Zone Safety: Buckle up Phone Down / The Missouri Department of Transportation wants to remind motorists to buckle up and put phones down. As warmer weather arrives in the region, work zones will become more common on the state’s highway system. While wor...
Missouri Motorist Insurance / According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, the Show Me State requires that all motorists keep liability insurance coverage. Liability insurance is designed to indemnify the policyholder when his or her actions caus...
Aviation Consumer Protection / The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a new website of the Aviation Consumer Protection Division (ACPD). The ACPD receives and reviews consumer complaints directed at airlines. The website contains a wealt...
4 Reasons a Personal Injury Attorney Helps Your Case / One of the most well-known sentiments in the legal field is that someone who represents themselves in court has a fool for a client. One of the central ideas behind this axiom is that even attorneys typically have the go...
Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week / The Federal Highway Administration’s second annual Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week runs from November 13 – November 19. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported a 7.2% increase in ...
Seatbelt Usage on the Rise as MoDOT Reminds Motorists to Drive Safely Around Big Trucks / The Missouri Safety Center and the University of Central Missouri recently released the results of the 2017 Missouri Seat Belt Usage Survey. The results showed that more Missourians are making the smart choice to buckle ...
Annual Fatal Traffic Crash Data / Last week the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its annual report of fatal traffic crashes for calendar year 2016. The NHTSA collected information from ...
Pavement Blow-ups / Columbia has had its first pavement blow-up of the year, according to Barry Dalton, a public information officer for the Columbia Public Works Department. Eastbound Bernadette Drive was closed down for over 24 hours earl...
Bill in Missouri Legislature May Limit Consumer Protections for Plaintiffs / A bill currently in the Missouri Legislature threatens to limit consumer protections in Missouri. The proposal, Senate Bill 5, specifically changes current laws relating to unlawful merchandising practices, class actio...
Laptop Battery Pack Recall Expanded / Toshiba has recently expanded a recall of Panasonic lithium-ion battery packs that were installed on over 40 models of Toshiba Satellite laptops. The original recall was announced in March 2016, but was expanded in Janu...
Five Injured after Multiple Vehicles Collide on I-70 / Snow and ice once again contributed a number of accidents in early January in the Mid-Missouri area. The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that five people were injured in a four-vehicle crash on I-70 near Columbia on Janu...
Snow and Ice Create Dangerous Road Conditions in Mid-Missouri / Snow and ice over the last week has caused dangerous road conditions in Columbia and surrounding areas. Since Friday morning, nearly 400 accidents have been reportedly caused by icy conditions. Additionally, first respon...
MoDOT to Missouri Motorists: Move Over for First Responders / On average, emergency crews working for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) respond to 5,500 traffic accidents per month. Every year, hundreds of these emergency responders, including fire fighters, law enf...
Semi-Truck Accidents Increasingly Common in Missouri / How new and proposed rules may decrease accidents. According to a study conducted by the Missouri Department of Transportation in 2011, accidents involving commercial motor vehicles made up 9.2% off all traffic crashe...
Missouri Strikes Down Red-Light Camera Ordinances / Earlier this week, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down local ordinances regarding the use of red-light cameras in St. Louis, Kansas City, and St. Peters. While the Court did not ultimately decide the legality of using...
10-Year Statute of Repose for Medical Malpractice / Missouri Supreme Court Upholds 10-Year Statute of Repose for Medical Malpractice Claims Earlier this year, The Supreme Court of Missouri affirmed a trial court’s dismissal of a medical malpractice claim after a heal...
Flooding Roadways / Flooded Roadways Extremely Dangerous to Motorists Due to the high amount of rain in the past few weeks, many lakes, rivers, and streams across Missouri have seen an increase in water levels and flooding. Because flooded...
Takata Airbag Recall / What you should know and what owners of recalled vehicles should do As of June 12, faulty deployment mechanisms in airbags produced by the Japanese supplier Takata have caused seven fatalities, as well as over one hundr...
Best Practices to Prevent Workplace Accidents / Merriam-Webster's definition of accident is, "an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance." The first example of the word used in a sentence is, "He was injured in an accident at work." Why d...
Viking Gas Range Recall / Hazard: The ranges’ ovens can turn on by themselves, posing a burn hazard to consumers. If you or someone you know has been injured by a Viking Gas Range, contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensati...
What to Do After a Car Accident / Get your injuries treated If you have injuries at the accident scene, do not drive yourself away. Have yourself fully evaluated and treated by a medical professional. Document your injuries It will be much eas...
Work Safety Guide / The backbone of a safe working environment is a proper injury and accident prevention program that incorporates the aforementioned practices and encourages employees to take safety measures seriously. As an employer, it'...