St. Louis Personal Injury Blog

Study: Sleep-deprived drivers are as dangerous as drunk drivers

On behalf of The Wilbers Law Firm LLC posted in trucking accidents on Wednesday, October 17, 2018.

There’s nothing on St. Louis’s streets or interstates that is bigger, heavier or more difficult to maneuver or stop than an 18-wheeler. When that big rig is driven by someone who has had too little sleep, the risk of a truck accident involving injuries or death can be as great as it is with a drunk driver.

That’s according to researchers with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Their new study states that drivers who get less than four hours of sleep are 15 times more likely to get into a wreck than those who get at least eight hours.

A brief history of the worst U.S. traffic crashes

On behalf of The Wilbers Law Firm LLC posted in commercial vehicle accidents on Tuesday, October 9, 2018.

The chilling headlines in St. Louis news media a few days ago spelled out a disaster that was almost unbelievable. But the news from the small town of Schoharie, New York, was real: 20 people died in the crash of a stretch limousine.

All 18 people inside the vehicle were killed, as were two pedestrians in what is one of the deadliest motor vehicle crashes in U.S. history.

Seven-year-old and grandma struck by Missouri parade vehicle

On behalf of The Wilbers Law Firm LLC posted in personal injury on Tuesday, October 2, 2018.

If you drive south of St. Louis for a couple of hours, you’ll arrive in Sikeston, Missouri. Its annual Cotton Carnival is a popular event in the city of about 41,000. However, this year’s event was marred by a pedestrian accident that resulted in injuries to a 7-year-old boy and his grandmother.

The boy and his grandmother were along the route of the 74th annual Cotton Carnival parade when a vehicle pulling a 36-foot-long trailer missed a right-hand turn and went onto a corner of an intersection.

St. Louis man killed in truck crash on way back to school

On behalf of The Wilbers Law Firm LLC posted in trucking accidents on Friday, September 28, 2018.

He grew up in St. Louis and attended school in the affluent suburb of Ladue. When it was time for the young man to go to college, he went to the University of Kansas, but still returned to his hometown some weekends.

In fact, the 20-year-old was on his way back to the university after spending homecoming weekend here. He was driving near his destination when a tractor-trailer attempting to cross the highway pulled directly in front of him, according to a news report. The former football and track start was killed in the violent collision with the 18-wheeler.

Tips to preventing motorcycle accidents

On behalf of The Wilbers Law Firm LLC on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.

As summer dwindles, your time for motorcycle riding may be dwindling as the cooler weather is on the horizon. However, making sure you stay safe while riding is essential.

Riding a motorcycle can be dangerous. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, there were around 2,000 motorcycle crashes each year. These types of accidents have a high mortality rate as motorcyclists have less protection while on the road. The changing season is a great time to make sure you know these tips to preventing an accident.

St. Louis area toddler struck, killed by ice cream truck

On behalf of The Wilbers Law Firm LLC posted in commercial vehicle accidents on Monday, September 17, 2018.

If you drive a little more than 40 miles west of St. Louis, you’ll arrive in suburban Wentzville. Residents were shocked over the weekend when they learned a two-year-old girl was struck and killed by an ice cream truck there.

The tragic pedestrian accident was at about 3:45 on Sunday afternoon, a spokesperson for the Wentzville Police Department said.

Teen driving dangers

On behalf of The Wilbers Law Firm LLC posted in car accidents on Tuesday, September 11, 2018.

The story is a familiar one: on Saturday night, a car with a teen driver and passenger crossed the center line of a road and smashed head-on into an oncoming vehicle. Both drivers and their passengers were listed in serious condition at a St. Louis hospital.

Law enforcement officials do not yet know why the 17-year-old driver lost control of her vehicle. While the cause of this crash is still unclear, we know that in many auto accidents involving injuries and teenagers, investigators will look at several of the usual suspects: excess speed, impairment and distractions.

Missouri teacher killed in pedestrian accident at grade school

On behalf of The Wilbers Law Firm LLC posted in car accidents on Saturday, September 8, 2018.

At the beginning of every school year, parents fret about their children safely crossing streets. Little attention is typically paid to the parents and teachers who are there to guide the kids across roadways teeming with vehicles at the start and end of school days.

A Missouri teacher who lived southwest of St. Louis was recently struck and killed outside of the elementary school where she worked. Around 3:30 in the afternoon, she was hit by an SUV whose driver had apparently gotten his foot stuck between the accelerator and brake pedals.

Startling distracted driving survey results

On behalf of The Wilbers Law Firm LLC posted in car accidents on Tuesday, September 4, 2018.

Swedish automaker Volvo has long put safety at the top of its priorities list, constantly pushing its designers and engineers to create new features that keep drivers and passengers safe. The company recently commissioned a survey on safety by The Harris Poll.

The results were startling: 71 percent of those surveyed use their phones while driving, putting themselves and their passengers at risk of injuries in automobile crashes.

Teens are learning bad driving habits from their parents

On behalf of The Wilbers Law Firm LLC on Tuesday, August 28, 2018.

One of the proudest moments a parent can have is when they notice they have become a role model for their children. It often happens that when a parent sees their children following in their footsteps on how they live their life. A satisfying sense of pride can easily overtake a parent seeing this. These parents may not feel that same way if they have poor driving habits.

If you are a parent prone to speeding, taking selfies or even driving while intoxicated, there is a good chance your children will emulate this same behavior behind the wheel. According to a new survey, many teens will pick up the same bad driving habits that their parents display.