Missouri Law Blog

High-speed police pursuits are often controversial, not because the police vehicle is a hazard to other drivers but because the driver attempting to escape becomes a significant threat to other drivers. The degree of risk was tragically demonstrated in a recent motor vehicle accident when a car fleeing from Kansas City, Kansas police crossed into Missouri during a lengthy high-speed chase and collided with a sedan occupied by a husband and wife going out for dinner.

Kansas City, Kansas police said the driver hit a police cruiser in the city and then crossed the state line and led police on a 12-mile chase. The chase ended when the fleeing driver ran a red light and slammed into a sedan as it was pulling into a restaurant parking lot. The couple in the sedan survived the collision, but they appear to have suffered severe injuries.

Patients of nursing homes are among the most vulnerable patients in the health care system. Many of them are unable to take care of themselves or to attend to their medical care. A recently filed lawsuit involving nursing home abuse in Derby, Kansas demonstrates the special vulnerability of these elderly citizens.

According to the complaint, the patient was an 89-year-old woman in the Westview of Darby nursing home. The woman fell from her recliner and hit her leg on a wheel chair. The woman suffered a three-inch bruise that did not heal on its own. Her legs also swelled up. She did not receive any antibiotics until almost a month after the accident. By that time, the wound was fully infected and leaking fluid. The complaint alleges that the nursing home staff failed to provide adequate care or to refer her to a wound clinic for specialized treatment. The complaint also alleged that the staff failed to take account of the woman' diabetes and edema, two conditions that increased her risk of developing skin ulcers. The woman died from the infection three months after the fall.

Huge Mistake #6

Waiting to hire a lawyer

You have probably seen shows on TV where a detective opens up a cold case from thirty years ago to go after the murderer and bring him to justice. The family of the victims are finally brought relief, and the detective is a hero for refusing to give up. This is not how it works with personal injury cases. After a certain amount of time, you are not allowed to pursue your case or seek settlement money. Waiting too long raises the question, why didn't you pursue the case right after it happened? People will question whether your personal injury deserves compensation if you take too long. Worst case scenario, the insurance companies will think that you are only looking for an opportunity for free money. Their assumption is that you would not wait to seek a settlement for a serious injury, so your personal injury case must be illegitimate.

Obviously, there are plenty of reasons that might make you wait to seek legal advice. You could be in physical and emotional pain. You're probably frustrated. You might even be humiliated or embarrassed, and the last thing you want to do is have to talk through the details of your traumatic experience. That being said, I have found that most people leave the free consultation that we offer with a greater sense of security. They can rest assured that they have all of the information they need to go forward and the peace of mind that they pursued all of their options. I understand that your personal injury case can be one of the most difficult times in your life, so it's always brought me satisfaction to help people through it.

Huge Mistake #4

Not being honest with your lawyer or doctor

Even though insurance companies are big, powerful entities, they usually avoid paying you money you deserve in one way: they try to make you seem like a liar. Insurance fraud is a legitimate reason for an insurance company not to pay you money. They will be on the lookout for anyone they can brand liar.

I had a client named Lou who fell in a parking lot and severely injured his back. At our first meeting, I asked Lou if he had ever injured his back before. He said, "Absolutely not." It turns out that he was wrong. Lou had previously been trying to remove a refrigerator from his basement, and the refrigerator fell on top of him. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital and was treated many times by a doctor. When the defense found out about the refrigerator accident, they called my client a liar.