The Meehan Law Firm successfully obtained by a substantial settlement for a Southeast Missouri couple who lost their infant child due to the negligence of a home day care provider. Terms of the settlement were confidential.

The claim underscored the ricks parents encounter when they use unlicensed home day care providers. In this case, the couple’s eight-month-old infant was left unattended for over three hours in a portable playpen while the day care provider attended to care for twelve other children in the home. The child suffocated and was found dead in the playpen. The day care provider was untrained and had no state license.

Local authorities declined to charge the provider criminally, but The Meehan Law Firm successfully sued and obtained a six-figured settlement for the parents’ loss.

If your child has been injured or killed while at school, at play or in the case of a third party, call The Meehan Law Firm for results.

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.

The Meehan Law Firm has litigated multiple claims with Gerber, Globe and AARP and has been successful in obtaining benefits for all of its clients. The two most common denial reasons are health and misstatements on the policies. The Meehan Law Firm has discovered that the policies generally do not have any type of affirmation or oath, and therefore under Missouri law the policies cannot be denied unless there is a material misstatement of fact that is known to be intentional by the applicant. This is almost impossible to prove, and The Meehan Law Firm has been successful in refuting that defense in almost every claim.

The Meehan Law Firm has seen a new development, where a higher policy amount is applied and paid for, but when the death benefit is paid only a percentage of the payout is made. The Meehan Law Firm believes that many claimants are being systematically denied their true life insurance benefits.

If you have been denied benefits by any insurance company, but especially one of these TV life insurance companies, call The Meehan Law Firm 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

Sadly, things can still go wrong when people seek treatment.  Two cases earlier this year show the range and complexity of medical malpractice suits.  In the first, a neurosurgeon was under scrutiny for 10 years by the Missouri medical board, a state commission and appellate courts before finally being placed on probation.  During that time he continued to practice medicine even though more than 50 lawsuits had been filed against him since 1987.   This one surgeon was responsible for causing pain and suffering over more than 20 years.

The second case was altogether different.  An experienced neurosurgeon with a good track record operated on the wrong side of a patient’s brain.  This type of error should never happen, and many procedures are in place to make sure it won’t.  In this case, the failure was not just the physician’s but also the whole system in place to prevent such horrific mistakes.

No two cases of medical malpractice are the same.  However, regardless of the specific facts of your case there are four standards to prove:

• A doctor-patient relationship existed.  Typically this is not hard to prove, but keep in mind that general advice given by a doctor outside the doctor-patient relationship won’t stand up to a malpractice suit.
• The doctor was negligent.  Doctors are not liable for malpractice if you are unhappy with your treatment or results.  To be liable, the doctor must have been negligent and harmed you in a way another doctor would not have.
• The doctor’s negligence caused the injury. This accusation requires testimony by medical experts.  The state of Missouri requires medical testimony to be filed within 90 days of the petition or the case will be dismissed – regardless of the facts of the case.
• The injury led to specific damages.  The types of harm patients can sue for include:
  • Physical pain;
  • Mental anguish;
  • Additional medical bills; and
  • Lost work and lost earning capacity.

You need to consult with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to assess your case, your chances of success and possible damage awards.  Call the Meehan Law Firm to guide your case to a successful conclusion.

Sources:

Missouri Revised Statutes, Chapter 538, Tort Actions Based on Improper Health Care

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/medical-malpractice-basics-29855.html

“Dozens of malpractice lawsuits cloud St. Louis neurosurgeon’s career.”  Jim Doyle, www.stltoday.com.  April 28, 2013

“Lawsuit accuses surgeon of operating on wrong side of woman’s brain.”  Jim Doyle, www.stltoday.com  April 30, 2013

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