The Meehan Law Firm recently concluded a personal injury claim for a victim of a shooting on a gas station parking lot. The Meehan Law Firm obtained a $200,000 settlement for its client.

The client had stopped to purchase a soda and cigarettes at the Crown Mart convenience store in East St. Louis across from the City Hall. While exiting the convenience store, he was shot by another patron and sustained serious injuries to his left arm. The arm required surgery and has left the client with significant injuries and disabilities.

The Meehan Law Firm discovered that the owners of the convenience store were under investigation for illegal activities and later entered into a consent judgment with the St. Clair State’s Attorney Office for operating a dangerous business. The St. Clair County judgment required Crown Mart to maintain security guards, lighting and security cameras. None of these precautions existed before the Meehan Law Firm sued Crown Mart. The area is now safer due to the Meehan Law Firm’s actions.

If you have been the victim of violent crime while visiting a business on public place, call the Meehan Law Firm as we specialize in these negligent shooting cases and dangerous business operations.

The Meehan Law Firm recently concluded litigation for Khiry Thomas, who was 16 when he was struck by an uninsured motorist in his neighborhood.  Several other lawyers had dropped the case because they could not find any insurance.

The Meehan Law Firm recognized that uninsured motorist benefits are available to anyone who is a minor but lives in multiple households.  At the time Khiry had lived with his mother, and also his maternal grandfather.  His maternal grandfather had a policy of insurance with Geico, and The Meehan Law Firm was able to successfully persuade Geico to pay its policy limits of $100,000.00.

Khiry sustained a serious fracture to his right leg that required an operation and the insertion of metal prosthetics.  This case is a good example of why you never want to give up on any claim, even if the original driver is uninsured.  It also points out problems with the new Missouri statute that prohibits uninsured drivers from pursuing injury claims.  In this case, the law would have been inapplicable because Khiry was a pedestrian.

If you think you are entitled to uninsured motorist benefits or need help in an accident claim, contact The Meehan Law Firm.

For more about your rights in a traffic accident and the laws in Missouri, please visit our website, www.motruckaccident.com.

Lead exposure in adults can cause neurologic problems, kidney problems, joint pain and cognitive issues.  The employer denied any liability; however, after obtaining medical records and obtaining an expert medical report, the Meehan Law Firm was able to negotiate a substantial settlement for the employee.

If you or anyone you know has been exposed to lead in the workplace or nearby a lead smelter, please contact the Meehan Law Firm to protect your rights.  You or your loved ones may be entitled to substantial compensation.  By the way, Brown & Crouppen, Brown & Brown and Cofman Townsley do not take these kinds of cases.  You need the expert legal help of the Meehan Law Firm. Contact us today.

You know those law firms, the ones that advertise on TV every morning – the ones that brag about their toughness, their winning record, and all their success.

What happens if you call their number and they tell you that they are not interested in your case? This is usually because your case is difficult and they are not interested in cases that have to go to court. These TV law firms are looking for simple cases that they can quickly settle.

The Meehan Law Firm specializes in all kinds of injury cases, including workers compensation, motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents, drunk driving accidents, defective products, work injuries and dangerous and defective real estate.

We have over 28 years of experience in Missouri and Illinois courts, and we are often the lawyer of last resort. The Meehan Law Firm has won hundreds of thousands of dollars in verdicts and settlements on cases that were rejected by other lawyers or dropped when the going got tough. Don’t be fooled by slick TV advertising. If you need help, come to real trial lawyers at The Meehan Law Firm.

The major provisions of the law prohibit any driver who is without insurance who is involved in a motor vehicle accident from recovering non-economic damages (also known as pain and suffering) from any other driver, even if the other driver was at fault in the accident. This law was pushed by the insurance industry and its paid political allies in the State Assembly. Gov. Jay Nixon courageously vetoed the bill; however, his veto was overridden and the law now takes effect October 11.

If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident that was not your fault and you did not have insurance, you need to call The Meehan Law Firm. The Missouri Association of Trial Lawyers is mounting an attack on this law, however it will be some time before the challenge can reach the Missouri Supreme Court. In the interim, The Meehan Law Firm expects the insurance companies and their lawyers to raise this issue in almost every case that will be filed or may be pending after the October 11 effective date. The TV law firms will not take your case because they do not want to be involved in this type of complex litigation. The Meehan Law Firm is always there to protect your interests. Call today for a free consultation.

As anyone who has ever taken a road trip knows, driving long hours can be physically strenuous.  Overall health and fitness is very important to safe driving.  That’s why the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) requires physical exams for commercial drivers every two years.

But there are problems with the medical certification process.  “The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found evidence that improper medical certification of commercial vehicle drivers with serious disqualifying medical conditions has directly contributed to significant fatal and injury crashes,” says Anne Ferro, Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

High blood pressure is the most common condition that affects medical certification.  In the last four years, consistently 10 percent of drivers have had their certification limited to one year due to high blood pressure.  Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure can lead to heart problems and increased risk for strokes.

Blood pressure is easily measured and a clear standard is set for medical certification.  But other conditions that can affect driver fitness, such as other cardiac concerns, non-insulin diabetes and Obstructive Sleep Apnea, are harder to screen for – and may be more deadly on the road.

Even if a driver has passed the medical certification process, they may not be healthy enough for the road.  If you have been involved in a truck accident and suspect the driver was not physically fit for the job, you need expert legal representation with in-depth knowledge of the trucking industry.  Put the expertise of the Meehan Law Firm to work for you today.

Learn more at http://motruckaccident.com.

Sources:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Lexis Nexis 2012 Commercial Driver Safety Report

National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration

National Transportation Safety Board

If you are in this situation, here are the first steps to getting help.

1. Call Missouri’s Elder Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 800-392-0210.  This service of the state Department of Health and Senior Services responds to reports of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of residents 60 and older, and people with disabilities between 18 and 59.  These individuals may live in the community or in long-term care facilities.
2. Talk with an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer.  Why?  Because facing nursing home corporations, home health care agencies and insurance companies is daunting, and most abuse cases involve complicated legal and medical issues.

When you report an incident, be as prepared as possible to provide the following information.  This information also will be useful to your attorney.

• The alleged victim’s name, address, telephone number, sex, age and general condition;
• The alleged abuser’s name, address, sex, age, relationship to victim and condition;
• The circumstances which led you to believe that the older person is being abused, neglected or financially exploited, with as much specificity as possible;
• Whether the alleged victim is in immediate danger, the best time to contact the alleged victim, if he or she knows of the report, and if there is any danger to the worker going out to investigate;
• Your name, daytime telephone number, and relationship to the alleged victim;
• The names of others with information about the situation; and
• Any other relevant information.

Most cases reported to the hotline are investigated in 24 hours to seven days, depending on the severity of the case.   Meehan Law Firm is prepared to quickly respond to your need for help and has the experience necessary to achieve justice for you and your loved one.

Sources:

http://health.mo.gov/safety/abuse/

Elder Abuse – It Is a Crime

http://health.mo.gov/safety/abuse/pdf/FY11CryingEyeAR.pdf

The American Trucking Association claims the driver shortage the industry is now experiencing — about 20,000 to 25,000 — could jump to as high as 239,000 in just 10 years. Ironically, the driver shortage may be a result of increased regulation at the federal and state level to address safety issues.

Commercial trucking firms are required to maintain up-to-date files on their drivers’ qualifications, including complete applications, motor vehicle records, road tests, physical exams and other measures designed to ensure only qualified drivers are behind the wheel.

But while the number of drivers applying for work is rising, so are the number of errors in their qualification files. This suggests drivers are giving incomplete or inaccurate information in order to gain employment.

A recent transportation study revealed that a record 43 percent of driver applications are missing or incomplete, up from 12 percent in 2010. The second most missing or incorrect information in the driver qualification files was road test documentation and the third was the medical examiner’s certificate, which evaluates whether drivers are physically up to the job.

Other top concerns with drivers’ qualifications included:

1.Inaccurate motor vehicle records, including status suspended, revoked, surrendered and expired

2.Driver’s license copies not legible

3.Incomplete safety sensitive questions, and questions left blank or completely overlooked

4.Previous employer check

Trucking accidents can have many causes, but unqualified drivers are more common than people like to think. In you have been injured in a truck accident, find out how to get help with your personal injury claim by contacting the Meehan Law Firm in St. Louis for a free consultation. To learn more about commercial truck accidents and your rights, visit www.motruckaccident.com.

Sources:

-LexisNexis® 2012 Commercial Driver Safety Report

- http://www.ccjdigital.com/ata-releases-analysis-of-driver-shortage/

-www.meehanlawfirm.com

Types of Elder Abuse

Elder abuse can occur in many forms. While living in a nursing home, senior citizens can be abused physically, sexually, and verbally. Some abuse is obvious, such as hitting a resident. But others are less well known to the public, such as neglect, false imprisonment and financial abuse.
Neglect. Neglect can become abuse when it leads to serious, actual or possible harm. For example, if an elderly resident relies on nursing home staff to provide medication and the staff does not provide the resident’s medication, the elderly resident could have a very serious reaction. This could be considered physical abuse and neglect.

False Imprisonment. False imprisonment occurs when the nursing home staff prevents the resident from leaving a certain area, such as their room, bed or a wing of the facility. Residents are usually left without their wheelchair or crutches and may even be threatened that they will be deprived of food or water for not cooperating.

Financial. A staff member could also potentially steal a resident’s personal property or even withdraw money from a resident’s bank account. There have been cases where a staff member has put pressure on a senior to modify a will, deed or trust. Financial abuse can also come in the form of false fees or charges that deprive a resident of a significant amount of their income or savings.

Know the Signs.

While physical abuse is certainly more apparent, others are hard to spot. Generally, you should be watchful if a staff member is unwilling to let you spend time alone with an elderly resident.

How a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Can Help

Most nursing homes are staffed by low-skilled employees and supervised by one medical doctor who may or may not be trained in geriatric medicine.
The attorneys of Missouri’s Meehan Law Firm have access to experts in the industry that can review the level and quality of patient care to determine what mistakes were made and how they may have resulted in injury or death to your loved one. Contact an attorney to discuss your case today.

Sources:
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/elder-abuse-nursing-homes-30162.html
http://injury.findlaw.com/torts-and-personal-injuries/get-legal-help-with-a-nursing-home-abuse-issue.html
http://meehanlawfirm.com/nursing-home-abuse.html

Image Credit: ABC News

On August 3, 2012 a Megabus carrier coach struck a bridge abutment on Interstate 55 near Litchfield, Illinois, killing one passenger and injuring dozens.  The Illinois State Police have attributed the cause of the accident to a blown left front tire that was apparently bald.

On Wednesday, August 8, another Megabus caught fire along Interstate 85 near Georgia.  No one was injured, but the fire raises renewed concerns about the safety of Megabus and the operation of their buses.

Finally, a 76 year old woman was killed in downtown Chicago when she was hit by a Megabus trying to make a turn.  This is the latest in a long string of accidents attributable to Megabus and its operations.

In the Litchfield, Illinois accident, dozens were sent to area hospitals, including seven that were critically injured.  One passenger, a graduate dental student at the University of Missouri—Columbia, died in the accident.

Interstate passenger buses such as Megabus are common carriers and are held to the highest standard of care regarding the transport of passengers.  They are held to the same standards as airlines and train companies.  Oftentimes, these accidents are caused by safety violations, driver fatigue, driver carelessness and driver inattention.  The Meehan Law Firm has represented victims of bus accidents, and can offer assistance to victims of Megabus accidents, wherever they might occur.  For more information regarding your rights and possible actions against Megabus, contact the Meehan Law Firm.