Whiplash & Whiplash Injury St. Louis

Car Accident Claims

Common Causes of Child-Pedestrian Accidents and How to Prevent Them

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Let’s consider the leading causes of child-pedestrian accidents and tips to help prevent these accidents.

While the frequency of child-pedestrian accidents has decreased over the years, pedestrian injuries are still a leading cause of injury-related death among children in the US. According to the CDC, nearly 20% of 15 years and below children killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2018 were pedestrians. And as it turns out, these deaths could have been prevented.

Let’s consider the leading causes of child-pedestrian accidents and tips to help prevent these accidents.

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two children crossing the road

Common Causes of Child-Pedestrian Accidents

A vast majority of child-pedestrian accidents revolve around a driver’s negligence. We are talking about everything from distracted driving, impatient drivers, impaired drivers, failure to yield the right-of-way, rolling stops, and failure to slow down in school zones. Child-pedestrian accidents can also be caused by reduced visibility, such as bright lights shining in a child’s eyes, objects or cars on the side of the road, or poor weather conditions. 

In other instances, the child can contribute to the risk of pedestrian accidents. Children are often impulsive and playful, which can lead to poor decisions while walking near traffic. In addition, children have limited side (peripheral) vision, which means they may have trouble seeing movement to the side, increasing their risk for accidents. At times, children can become so caught up in the destination that they forget to pay attention to the world around them.

What You Can Do to Prevent Child-Pedestrian Accidents

Parental guidance is the number one safeguard against child-pedestrian injuries and deaths. Here are ways parents and caretakers can help prevent child-pedestrian accidents:

  • Teach your child to look left, right, and left again, and look out for traffic.
  • Young children learn by watching adults. So don’t let your child pick up bad road habits from you. Instead, set a good example by obeying traffic laws and signals and crossing at intersections only.
  • Insist that your children put away phones and other distractions when in traffic.
  • Teach your child to always walk on the sidewalk.

Holding Negligent Parties Accountable

All drivers have a duty to share the road with pedestrians and use reasonable care to avoid hitting any pedestrians. If a driver breaches this duty and hits a child pedestrian, the driver may be held liable for the accident and the resulting injuries.

However, as with any other injury claim, you’ll be required to provide evidence that proves beyond reasonable doubt that the driver was negligent and their action caused your child’s injuries. This is where an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney will benefit your case greatly. Your attorney can help you collect evidence and prove your claim has merit.

St. Louis Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

Car injuries can have long-term consequences for a child, as well as their loved ones. Give us a call 24/7 for a free case evaluation with an experienced St. Louis car accident lawyer.

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Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

Can You Use Your Individual Health Insurance if You Get Injured in a Car Accident?

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There are several instances where you can generally use your health insurance after a St. Louis car accident.

Generally, after sustaining injuries in a St. Louis car accident, you are responsible for paying your treatment and medical care costs as you incur them.

When looking for sources to pay your medical bill, you may find yourself wondering: Can you use your health insurance to cover your medical bills after a car accident?

medical billing statement

Can You Use Your Individual Health Insurance?

The answer is generally yes. 

When Exactly Should You Use Your Individual Health Insurance?

There are several instances where you can generally use your health insurance after an accident. This includes:

To Cover Medical Expenses Before Your Settlement: In most cases, insurance companies wait until the injured victim has recovered and completed all their medical treatments before initiating a car accident settlement. Unfortunately, this often means that your settlement can take months, or even years, depending on how long your treatment takes. 

You can generally use your health insurance to cover your medical bills to avoid being reported to collections during this period.

If Medical Expenses Exceed the Insurance Payout: Sometimes, the other driver’s liability insurance may not be enough to cover all your medical expenses. You can typically use your health insurance to cover any remaining medical costs in such circumstances. 

Can Your Individual Health Insurer Refuse to Pay Your Medical Bills?

Yes, they can. The good news is that, just like any other insurance claim, you can appeal the denial. 

However, before you contact the insurer asking them to reconsider their decision, make sure you find out the reasons for the denial. For example, maybe you provided inaccurate information when documenting your claim. Or perhaps you took too long to inform the insurance company about your accident and injuries. Whatever the reasons for denial, make sure you hire an experienced attorney before you speak to the insurance company. A skilled car accident attorney will help you determine why your claim was rejected and begin to put together the evidence necessary to prove that the insurance company is legally obligated to cover your medical expenses.

Your attorney can also help you file an injury claim against the at-fault driver and collect all the evidence you need to convince the insurance company or judge the defendant is responsible for your injuries. Your attorney can also negotiate with the insurer on your behalf and fight for reimbursement for your medical expenses and other injury-related damages.

Speak With a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer

If you or your loved one has been injured in a car accident, reach out to our experienced St. Louis car accident attorney for a free case evaluation.

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Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

St. Louis Auto Accidents Caused by Driving With Loud Music

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Let’s consider the dangerous effects of driving with loud music and why you should avoid it.

On the surface, listening to loud music while driving may seem like harmless fun. However, driving with loud music is dangerous and even illegal in some states. Most of these areas term driving with loud music as distracted driving, and rightly so.

Let’s consider the dangerous effects of driving with loud music and why you should avoid it.

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Searching for Music

Imagine you’re listening to your favorite track on the playlist, then it ends and switches to another track. Naturally, you may want to reach over to change the track to one that you prefer. Unfortunately, this takes your attention away from the road as you fumble with the car stereo to change the music.

Daydreaming and Euphoria

It’s common for music to invoke suppressed emotions or treasured memories in listeners. This is okay if you’re at home relaxing, but it can be dangerous if you are driving. That’s because the wave of emotions and memories may trigger distracting daydreams.

Because the music is so loud, it’s easy for it to take over the driver’s attention. Sometimes drivers can get fixated on a specific item on the road while lost in thought. This is extremely dangerous and can result in a car crash.

Inability to Hear Emergency Vehicles

Vehicles on the road are expected to pave the way for ambulances and other emergency vehicles when they raise their sirens. However, the loud music may drown out the siren, making drivers unaware of emergency vehicles.

St. Louis Car Accident Lawyers

If you have been injured by a driver who was distracted by loud music, you might be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages. Call The Hoffmann Law Firm 24/7 for a free consultation with an experience St. Louis car accident lawyer.

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Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

Most Dangerous Trucks on Missouri Roads – St. Louis Auto Accident Attorney

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Sharing the road with heavy trucks has many potential dangers. Let’s discuss five of the most dangerous trucks on Missouri roads and how you can stay safe.

In 2019 alone, approximately 538,000 large trucks were involved in police-reported traffic crashes. These accidents claimed over 5,000 lives and left 159,000 people injured.

These statistics demonstrate the dangers of sharing the road with heavy trucks. Let’s discuss the five most dangerous trucks on Missouri roads to help you keep safe.

missouri cement truck on the road
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Extra Duty Trucks

These trucks are known to carry extremely heavy and oversized loads. Unfortunately, their sheer size and weight make them a tad difficult to control, especially in wet conditions. As such, the driver can be forced to make a sudden maneuver or slam on their brake, leading to catastrophic accidents. Even worse, the weighty loads may shift and fall, leading to severe injuries and damages.

Dump Trucks

Another type of dangerous truck is the dump truck. These trucks have a high center of gravity, making them prone to rolling over when traveling at high speed. In addition, these trucks have to back up and make numerous turns when making their trips. This results in significant increases in the risk of accidents and injuries.

Cement Trucks

It’s not uncommon for cement trucks to roll over. Unfortunately, the spinning drum and its higher gravity expose them to rollover accidents when making turns at high speed.

Also, like other large trucks, cement trucks have several blind spots, making it extremely dangerous to drive near them.

Tanker Trucks

Tanker trucks transport valuable liquids and gasses across the country. However, they also pose significant dangers to drivers driving near them. In an accident, these liquids may spill and cause life-threatening skin injuries and damages to other road users.

Garbage Trucks

Yes, you read that right. The garbage trucks that you come across in your neighborhood are dangerous.  Here’s why:

  • Most garbage trucks have large tank-like bodies that present several blind spots. Therefore, if you’re driving near a garbage truck, be aware that the driver may not see you, and you may be involved in a fatal blind spot accident.
  • Garbage truck drivers make a lot of stops and turns during their operation. Therefore, driving near them might turn you into a rear-end or improper turn accident victim.
  • Garbage trucks carry heavy and unsteady loads, which may compromise their stability. Sadly, an overloaded or unstable load may fall onto your car and cause tragic injuries.

Were You Hurt in a Truck Accident? Contact The Hoffmann Law Firm

Have you been hurt in an auto accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence? Speak with an experienced St. Louis auto accident attorney at The Hoffmann Law Firm 24/7. Our attorneys can evaluate your claim free of charge and help you determine what you are legally entitled to after a car accident.

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Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

Traumatic Amnesia After a St. Louis Auto Accident

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Let’s discuss what you need to know about this condition and how to pursue fair compensation if you suffer traumatic amnesia after an accident.

As a motorcycle rider, you are at a high risk of suffering traumatic amnesia. Sadly, if left untreated, this condition can have lifelong effects. So, what is traumatic amnesia, and how does it happen?  Let’s discuss what you need to know about this condition and how to pursue fair compensation if you suffer traumatic amnesia after an accident.

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two doctors reviewing an mri scan

What Is Traumatic Amnesia?

According to Mayo Clinic, amnesia refers to the loss of memories, facts, information, and experiences. Sadly, when you hit your head in a motorcycle accident, the part responsible for keeping memories, the hippocampus, may be damaged, leading to traumatic amnesia.

There are generally two types of amnesia:

1. Anterograde Amnesia

Anterograde amnesia is a complete or partial inability to retain new information or memories. You may remember events that took place before the crash but have absolutely no idea about what happened afterward. This type of amnesia mostly affects your short memory making it very frustrating.

2. Retrograde Amnesia

Conversely, retrograde amnesia affects your ability to remember existing memories. For example, you may not remember events before the accident but may recall things that happened after the accident.

While retrograde amnesia may never affect your skills, it will certainly affect some of the facts in your life.

Seeking Compensation

Losing your memory is no easy feat. You will likely need the services of a neurologist or therapist to get your memory in good shape. Unfortunately, the services of these specialists are costly and can drain your pockets. In addition, severe amnesia is not always curable and can leave you with side effects that you have to manage for the rest of your life.

To get compensated, you generally must prove that the other party was liable for your injuries which is not always easy.

An experienced St. Louis auto accident attorney can help you avoid common mistakes motorcycle accident victims make, such as not collecting enough evidence, delaying making a report, accepting the blame, or settling for the first compensation offer. In addition, they’ll advocate for you, guide you on how to navigate the case, and help negotiate a fair settlement for you.

St. Louis Auto Accident Attorneys

The effects of amnesia after a motorcycle accident are immense. And getting compensation for your physical and emotional trauma can be tough and complex. However, the experienced attorneys at The Hoffmann Law Firm are here for you during this trying time. Give us a call 24/7 for a free case evaluation to learn more about your legal rights after an accident.

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Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

4 Common Blind Spots to Be Aware of to Prevent Auto Accidents

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Let’s take a look at some of the most common blind spots in commercial trucks and what you can do to avoid them and prevent accidents.

Every time you drive in a truck’s blind spot, you put yourself in harm’s way. This makes it worthwhile to know the different truck’s blind spot areas and how you can avoid them.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common blind spots in commercial trucks and what you can do to avoid them and prevent accidents.

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semi truck mirrors

What Is a Blind Spot?

A blind spot refers to that area of a vehicle that is not visible in the mirrors or by turning your head. While every vehicle has a blind spot, a driver of a smaller car generally has an easier time checking their blind spot than a truck driver. This is because:

  • A truck’s length gives it a large space of no visibility.
  • Commercial trucks are taller than passenger vehicles, making it difficult for truck drivers to see low-riding cars in front or beside them.
  • Big rigs don’t have rearview mirrors.

Common Blind Spots in Commercial Trucks

There are four main truck “no-zones,” namely:

1. Front Blind Spot

A driver operating an 18- wheeler truck without a cab-over design may have trouble seeing the area in front of their truck. What’s more, this blind spot can extend up to 20 feet in front of the truck. You don’t want to overstay in this hot spot, or else you may get in a disastrous rear-end accident.

2. Right Side Blind Spot

The right-side blind spot starts at the edge of the right side of the cab and can run as far as three lanes of traffic.

Please note: when you are at the right side of a big rig, you may not be able to tell where the blind spot starts and ends. So, your best move is to keep away from this extremely dangerous zone.

3. Left Side Blind Spot

This blind spot begins from the left side of a truck’s cab and can run back at an angle as far as three traffic lanes. While the left-side blind spot is smaller than the right-side blind spot, staying in it for long increases your risk of underside, rollover, or side-impact accidents. Therefore, it’s generally best to avoid driving on the left side of any big truck. However, if you have to, always stay in an area where you can see the truck’s mirrors.

4. Rear Blind Spot

As large trucks have no rearview mirrors, their drivers generally can’t see behind the truck. In addition, rear no-zones can run as far as 30 feet from the back of the truck.

Speak With an Experienced St. Louis Car Accident Attorney

Have you been injured because a negligent truck driver failed to check their blind spot? Our experienced St. Louis car accident attorneys can help you understand your legal rights. Give us a call 24/7 for a free consultation.

FREE Consultation

Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242