Recent Blog Posts in May 2010

May 22-28, 2010 is Safe Boating Week in Missouri as proclaimed by Governor Jay Nixon in preparation for the Memorial Day Weekend and summer season.  About 700 deaths occur in the U.S. due to boat related accidents. Far more minor and catastrophic injuries are a result of boating and Jet Ski accidents as well.  Prevention is the best defense against such injuries and must occur before the boat ever enters the water.  The Missouri State Water Patrol offers several suggestions to keep you safe on the water this boating season:

Take a certified boating education course

Wear your life jackets

Do not consume alcoholic beverages while operating a boat

Be familiar with your boat and the equipment on board

Have a safety check of your boat before beginning the season

In order to get your boat safety inspected, you can contact the Missouri Water Patrol website for future safety inspection locations:  http://www.mswp.dps.mo.gov/News/NRDetailsbasic.asp?ID=N07100006  Each boat that passes inspection will get a "Wear It Missouri" sticker promoting campaign for life jacket use.

The Handbook of Missouri Boating Laws and Responsibilities is available at http://www.boat-ed.com/mo/handbook/checklist.htm.

Injured in a Boating Accident in St. Louis Area?

If you have suffered an injury in a boating accident or Jet Ski accident in or around St. Louis, Missouri, it's in your best interest to consult an attorney at the Cagle Law Firm as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights and options. Under Missouri personal injury law, boating and Jet Ski accident victims may be legally entitled to compensation if the accident was caused by the negligent, reckless, or careless actions of another. This might include negligence on the part of another boat operator, or on the part of a company or corporation.  At the Cagle Law Firm, we will thoroughly analyze the circumstances leading up to you or your loved one's accident to determine who is at fault for the accident and thus liable for injuries. From there, we will aggressively pursue a verdict or settlement for maximum compensation. Our goal is to ensure you are justly compensated for your pain and suffering, emotional trauma, medical bills, lost wages, and any other hardship incurred due to the accident.

Contact the Cagle Law today to speak with an experienced and dedicated St. Louis personal injury lawyer about filing a boating, Jet Ski or wrongful death claim.
To schedule a consultation to discuss your claim, please contact the firm today at (800) 716-2621

    A Florida man was killed last Thursday night after a violent motorcycle accident. The victim was riding in group of motorcycles when he lost control and hit a light pole. His body was thrown from the motorcycle over an embankment and landed almost 350 feet in a yard below. The motorcycle continued down the highway for another 350-400 feet. It was a particularly gruesome accident as the victim's legs were missing after the impact.  Investigators state that the victim certainly died upon impact; however, they are still investigating the cause of the motorcycle accident and will be interviewing witnesses from the scene. Authorities spent the rest of the night and Friday morning trying to recover everything including evidence that will the of assistance in the investigation.  
    As summer progresses many motorcyclists will take to the highways and side streets and all motorists must constantly be aware of motorcyclist.   As well, motorcyclist must be constantly aware of their surroundings in order to avoid accidents with automobiles and inanimate objects.  Catastrophic injuries can be sustained in a motorcycle accident and sometimes resulting in death.

Injured in a Motorcycle Accident in St. Louis?

If you have suffered an injury in a motorcycle accident in or around St. Louis, Missouri, it's in your best interest to consult an attorney at the Cagle Law Firm as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights and options. Under Missouri personal injury law, motorcycle accident victims are legally entitled to compensation if the accident was caused by the negligent, reckless, or careless actions of another. This might include negligence on the part of another motorist on the road, or on the part of a company or corporation. For example, if a defect with the motorcycle causes an accident to occur, such as brake failure, the company that manufactured the motorcycle can be held liable for damages. At the Cagle Law Firm, we will thoroughly analyze the circumstances leading up to you or your loved one's accident to determine who is at fault for the accident and thus liable for injuries. From there, we will aggressively pursue a verdict or settlement for maximum compensation. Our goal is to ensure you are justly compensated for your pain and suffering, emotional trauma, medical bills, lost wages, and any other hardship incurred due to the accident.

Contact the Cagle Law today to speak with an experienced and dedicated St. Louis personal injury lawyer about filing a motorcycle accident or wrongful death claim.
To schedule a consultation to discuss your claim, please contact the firm today at (800) 716-2621

A train and a semi-truck collided on May 14, 2010 in Michigan, and investigators are trying to determine if it was caused by driver error or malfunctioning railroad signals. The violent crash resulted in four people being injured. The train conductor, conductor assistant and an engineer were on board the locomotive at the time of the crash and the 59-year old driver of the semi-truck was alone. All four of the victims reported bruises, bumps and back pain.  As railroad accidents continue to increase involving derailment, crashes with other trains, pedestrians, equipment failure or crashes with other vehicles; all of these types of accidents can result in catastrophic injuries, deaths, and extremely large amounts of property damage.

To schedule a consultation to discuss your claim, please contact the firm today at (800) 716-2621

Dog bites account for over 368,000 emergency room visits per year - that is approximately 1,000 per day. More than 4.7 million people are bitten yearly.  Dog bites are the fifth most frequent type of emergency room visits for children.

There are 10 good guidelines provided by the CDC. (Health New Digest) to follow in order to decrease your probability of being bitten by an unfamiliar dog and sustaining serious injuries:

• Never approach a dog whether leased or unleashed. Overcome the urge to pet a dog just because it is near.
• Teach children not to run at a strange dog or scream and wave arms wildly around a loose dog
• Ask the owner if a dog is friendly before attempting to pet a leashed dog
• Avoid staring directly into a dog's eyes, they frequently see this as threatening
• Always allow a dog to sniff and see you before petting them. As well, keep the exchange short
• Never leave children alone around a dog even if you think you know the dog
• Dogs are like toys, they should not be climbed on or cuddled if you don't know them and think about it twice if you do know them
• If a dog is approaching you, do not run away as this may trigger their prey instinct. Stand straight up with your arms folded. Turn slightly to the side and do not look the dog in the eye. Even if the dog is barking and jumping, they usually become disinterested in anything that is not moving
• If a dog knocks you down, roll into a ball and try to be still. Cover your head with your arms. Avoid screaming or rolling as some dogs see this as playfulness.
• Never approach a dog that is eating or playing with something or attempt to take the object away from the dog.

While these tips may decrease your probability of being bitten by a dog, it sometimes still occurs. Actually, dog bites are increasing in numbers partly due to lack of obedience training by owners.  If you have been injured in an animal attack and need compensation for medical bills, lost wages, etc., call us at the Cagle Law firm today.  Our premier St. Louis personal injury attorneys will speak with you personally in a free consultation, answering any and all questions you may have about your claim.

To schedule a consultation to discuss your claim, please contact the firm today at (800) 716-2621

    Drowning is the second leading cause of serious injury or death for U.S. children. Nine people drown every day in the US and 75% of the drowning occurs between May and September.  Many steps can be taken to prevent your child from drowning or sustaining a serious injury. Children don't just drown in swimming pool accidents. Children can drown in bath tubs, drainage ditches, and buckets as well. The most reasonable solution to safeguarding your children is by teaching children to swim. However, parents of even the strongest swimmers should gather strategies on safeguarding their children around water as to avoid injuries such astramautic brain injury or spinal cord injuries.

Some general safety rules include:

• Children should never swim alone, even if they know how to swim. Cramps and fatigue can cause an accomplished swimmer to drown.
• Always check the depth of the water before diving in.  Observe "No diving" or "No Swimming" signs
• Swim in areas with a lifeguard, however, pools that are overcrowded can be very dangerous as the chaos can mask the danger.
• If you give your children a flotation device as toy, it should never be a substitute for a PFD (personal flotation device).  Floaties and water wings should never replace the parent.

Some theories suggest that flotation devices should never be given to children so that they can become familiar with the properties of water and learn to swim more efficiently. 

• Do not allow your children to run as decks and concrete patios are often wet and slippery. Slip and falls for children can easily occur that would often seem small, however, children can fall quickly and the fall can result in a serious brain injury.
• It is advised that NO DIVING should ever happen in an above-ground pool.
• Keep a telephone outside close to the pool area, so you will not be tempted to leave the pool area for even a few seconds to answer the phone.
• Keep chairs and tables far away from pool to keep children from accidentally falling in
• Keep toys away from pool area as children can easily fall in trying to access the toys
• Keep emergency numbers at the poolside telephone
• Keep rescue equipment beside the pool at all times
• Have children start swimming lessons early, but never think that after a few lessons that your child "can swim" or should be left alone to swim
• Completely fence off the pool by using self-closing and safety latch gates.

A  St. Peters man was killed in an auto accident on Interstate 70 when the Dodge Durango he was driving was struck by the wheel of a tractor trailer.  Equipment failure caused the truck to lose two wheels from the rear axle. The wheel struck the front windshield of the victim's  Durango. After the collision, the Durango then traveled to the right and struck the side of a Nissan Altima in oncoming traffic on I-70. The driver of the Nissan was transported via ambulance to a hospital with minor injuries, however, the St. Peters man was pronounced dead at the site.  While this is the first fatality of May, it is the 44^th  highway fatality of the year in the St. Louis area.

No charges have been filed as of yet, however, the family of the victim may have a wrongful death claim. Were you injured or have you lost a loved one because of a defective product or an auto accident?  If so, you may have grounds to a file legal claim for compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, property damage, and emotional distress. Contacting an attorney early after the accident is crucial in many instances for thorough investigation. At the Cagle Law Firm,  an experienced St. Louis Auto Accident Attorney can review your claim and help you file a lawsuit against the person responsible for your accident or injury or to help you to determine if you have a wrongful death claim.

To schedule a consultation to discuss your claim, please contact the firm today at (800) 716-2621. 

A woman sustained serious injuries after colliding with a tractor-trailer in a four-car crash in Illinois last week. The woman was traveling northbound in the southbound lane of I-255 when she crashed into a tractor-trailer. After colliding with the tractor-trailer, she was struck by a van and a SUV that were traveling southbound on I-255. The woman was charged with drunk-driving, failure to reduce speed, and improper lane usage. The woman and the driver of the van were transported to the hospital. 

If you were injured in an auto accident because of the negligent or reckless driving of someone else, you may have grounds to file legal claim for compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, property damage, emotional distress, and more. At the Cagle Law Firm, an experienced St. Louis Auto Accident Attorney can review your claim and help you file a lawsuit against the person responsible for your accident or injury. 

To schedule a consultation to discuss your claim, please contact the firm today at (800) 716-2621. 

Trapped yesterday afternoon in cars were two women after a head-on crash in Arnold, Missouri. The auto crash occurred at Interstate 55 and Highway 141 after an elderly woman entered traffic into the southbound lanes from a northbound lane. Both drivers were injured and had to be rescued from the cars and sent to local area hospitals. The auto injury victims were taken to area hospitals via helicopter.  

Need the Help of an Experienced Auto Accident Lawyer?

If you were injured in an auto accident because of the negligent or reckless driving of someone else, you may have grounds to file legal claim for compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, property damage, emotional distress, and more. At the Cagle Law Firm, an experienced St. Louis Auto Accident Attorney can review your claim and help you file a lawsuit against the person responsible for your accident or injury. 

To schedule a consultation to discuss your claim, please contact the firm today at (800) 716-2621.