Blog Topic

Drinking and Driving Led to a Nightmare
Posted by: Christopher Hoffmann
September 24, 2008

In the early morning hours of Jan. 14, 2006, Michaela Rae Lindsey got behind the wheel of her pickup truck after drinking eight beers. Then 18, Lindsey was driving in rural Clinton County, Mo. when she broadsided a car driven by Joshua M. Holdsworth. Holdsworth, 21, was killed in the crash. His passenger, Derek White, was seriously injured.

On Monday, Lindsey pleaded guilty to first-degree involuntary manslaughter and assault in the second degree, the St. Joseph News-Press reports. A judge will soon decide whether she should serve up to 22 years in prison.

As part of the guilty plea, Holdsworth's parents spoke about their son's death. His mother said that for two years, she's been in "a million little pieces."

Drunk driving continues to claim the lives of innocent victims in Missouri, especially around the holidays.

With Halloween just around the corner, the problem of drunk driving will once again be in the spotlight. There's a good reason. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 44 percent of all highway deaths on Halloween night involved a motorist with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.

To avoid a tragedy on Halloween, the NHTSA recommends:

• Select a designated driver
• Party hosts should not allow impaired guests to drive
• Buckle-up
• Trick or treaters should use a flashlight and stay on the sidewalk

If you, or a family member, were unfortunate enough to be involved in a drunk driving accident, please retain an experienced lawyer immediately. The sooner an experienced attorney gets involved, the better.

An experienced motor vehicle accident attorney can work with a toxicology expert to gather evidence from police reports, the scene of the accident and from witnesses. At the Hoffmann Law Firm in St. Louis, our car and truck accident lawyer Chris Hoffmann can assist you in obtaining the compensation you need for present and future needs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Call 314.480.3378 or fill out our personal injury intake form today, and attorney Chris Hoffmann will personally call you back. The amount of compensation you receive from an injury claim is important for you future - choose your lawyer carefully.

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Operation Safe Ride Leads to Tickets, Arrests
Posted by: Christopher Hoffmann
September 18, 2008

In July, the Springfield Police Department launched Operation Safe Ride which aims to reduce motorcycle-related crashes. In late August, the Greene County Sheriff's Department and the Missouri Highway Patrol joined the effort.

A Springfield Police Department news release from late August stated:

"The primary goal of Operation Safe Ride is to educate motorists of the inherent dangers that motorcycle riders face while driving in traffic, as well as enforcing the traffic laws that are often found to be a contributing factor in the serious injury and fatality crashes investigated by the department."

Last Friday night, as part of Operation Safe Ride, five arrests were made and 75 tickets were written, the Springfield News-Leader reports. The offences cited included speeding, driving while license was revoked, no helmet, no license plates, no insurance and careless and imprudent driving.

In a Sept. 12 article, the Springfield News-Leader also noted that there have been 14 deaths from crashes in Springfield in 2008 and that ten of those killed have been motorcyclists.

At the Hoffmann Law Firm, we hope you can avoid a future accident. However, if you were unfortunate enough to be involved in an auto accident, rest assured that help is available. Please schedule a free consultation with motor vehicle accident attorney Chris Hoffmann by calling us at 314.480.3378 or filling out our personal injury intake form.

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Teen Driving Age Debated
Posted by: Christopher Hoffmann
September 10, 2008

A recommendation to raise the age for getting a driver's license from 16 to 17 or 18 is sure to generate a lot of debate.

On Sept. 9, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a report that called for states to delay licensure for teens. That same day, the president of the research group funded by the auto insurance industry presented the proposal at the annual conference of the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Supporters of the proposal argue that raising the driving age will save lives. The Institute for Highway Safety cites teen fatality rates in New Jersey and Connecticut as proof. In New Jersey, where the licensure age is 17, the fatality rate for 16- and 17-year-old drivers was 18 per 100,000. In Connecticut, where the licensure age is 16, the fatality rate is 26 per 100,000.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, the 16- to 20-year-olds comprised the most overrepresented age group in fatal traffic accidents in the state during 2007.

Opponents - including some parents who will have to shoulder the continued responsibility for chauffeuring busy teens - don't think raising the driving age is the answer. Margaret Menotti, a mother in Uxbridge, Mass., said to the Associated Press:

"Do we really want our kids dependent upon parents for virtually everything until they go to college, can vote and serve their country?"

Some are pushing for a third alternative which would include passing laws that would ban teens from using cells phones or texting while driving, impose stricter curfews and requiring teens who are ticketed with moving violations to attend education programs.

The public policy debate over the teen driving age won't end in the near future. However, at The Hoffmann Law Firm, we think it is important that teens are made aware of some of the dangers on the road so that they will become defensive drivers.

We have plenty of business, and would prefer that young drivers are able to avoid a car accident in the first place and that they will never need legal representation.

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Rear-End Collisions Account for a Third of Crashes
Posted by: Christopher Hoffmann
September 04, 2008

According to the latest available data from the Missouri Department of Transportation, rear-end collisions accounted for more than one-third of all crashes that occurred on the state's highways.

In MoDOT's 2006 report, "Traffic Crash Statistics," it was noted that of the 87,708 total crashes, 32,328 involved rear-end collisions. And one-third of all the injury accidents in 2006 were caused by rear-end crashes.

Rear-end collisions can have many different causes: driving too fast when it is raining or snowing; driving too fast in a construction zone; driving while texting or talking on the cell phone; adjusting a radio dial; reaching for something on the floor or in the back seat; or stomping on the gas when a red light turns to green.

When you have been in a rear-end collision, you may have a sense of who caused it. Issues of fault, however, can be complicated by who acted when and which laws governed the situation. If the other driver was negligent, you may have to prove that the driver breached a duty of care to you and that the breach caused your damages. The assistance of an attorney can be immensely valuable at this time, whether you are battling an insurance company, seeking compensation for your injuries or defending yourself in court.

Because we only handle motor vehicle accident claims, chances are excellent that we have handled a claim similar to yours, including similar causes and similar injuries. Whether your claim involves a herniated disc or nerve injury, a fractured bone or a brain or spinal cord injury, we are prepared to provide you with the answers you seek and the representation designed to get you maximum compensation.

To schedule a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer to discuss your car accident injury claim, please call us at 314.480.3378 or fill out our personal injury intake form.

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