Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage is an important aspect of auto insurance policies, designed to protect policyholders in case of accidents involving drivers who do not carry enough insurance to cover the damages. “UIM” coverage is not to be confused with “UM” or UNINSURED motorist coverage.  In Missouri, Uninsured "UM" coverage is mandatory in every automobile insurance policy, and it covers you in the event that the other driver who causes a crash does not have insurance coverage.  Again, this type of coverage must be in every Missouri auto insurance policy. This article is NOT ..read more

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM TRACTORS WITHOUT TRAILERS ON THE ROAD….BOBTAILING IS DANGEROUS!   Have you ever driven down the highway and passed the tractor of a truck without a trailer attached? It can look rather strange.  The practice is referred to a driving a truck bobtail.  Not only does it look strange, bobtailing has its hidden dangers.   One danger specific to bobtailing is that a tractor that is traveling without the weight of a trailer has reduced traction, which increases the risk of skidding out of control.  This is particularly true when the roads are wet ..read more

Who doesn’t love their dog?  Dog is man’s (and woman’s) best friend.  Many dog owners treat their dogs as if they are their children!  But it is important to remember that your dog is an animal and can’t reason like a human.  The sweetest dog may still sense that they are in some way being attacked and may injure someone.  As a result, you need to make sure that you are protected in the event your dog does the unexpected and bites someone. What is your legal responsibility if your dog hurts someone in Missouri? It is important to understand that dog bite laws vary from ..read more

It seems that I'm getting more and more phone calls from people who are injured as a result of a road rage incident. I witnessed one on the road a few weeks ago when an SUV cut off a van, and the van driver got angry, blared the horn, and then whipped around the SUV and slammed her brakes on it in front of the SUV.  Thankfully, no crash occurred, but it sure was scary!   I do get the question, “can I sue the driver who caused a crash during a road rage incident?”  The answer is yes, you can sue the driver, but the problem is that person’s insurance company may likely deny any in ..read more

Comparative Fault in Missouri                 In the world of personal injury law, two of the most common types of cases involve negligence and premises liability.                 Negligence occurs when one party is harmed due to another party’s failure to use ordinary care. In Missouri, the injured party, or Plaintiff, must prove each of the following four elements to succeed on a negligence claim: 1) that the Defendant owed a duty of care to Pl ..read more

Phillip A. Tatlow &  J. Thomas Mihalczo III recently resolved a case for an engineer who suffered an injury through a slip and fall while on a business trip in St. Louis. Our client, Mr. Loren Thacker, checked out of his hotel room at the Sheraton West Port Plaza Hotel and proceeded down a set of stairs to exit the building. Unfortunately, he slipped on a clear wet substance and fell seven stairs down to the stairwell landing when he did so. Mr. Thacker suffered a shoulder injury and a concussion. He did not require surgery but had extensive therapy and pain management treatment ..read more

According to the U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics, the agricultural sector is still amongst the most dangerous in America, with 574 fatalities. Transportation incidents alone resulted in 274 deaths, including104 deaths involving land vehicles in non-roadway areas and 94 in roadway areas. More than 95,000 farms cover over 27 million acres here in Missouri, with more than 400,000 acres of farmland in Stoddard, Bates, Saline, Nodaway, and Vernon counties.[1] A fantastic investigative article by the Missourian details just how every day, Missouri farmers face hazardous work conditions and pote ..read more

MY CAR INSURANCE COVERAGE By J. Thomas Mihalczo III   In this three-part blog series, I will give a brief overview of automobile insurance that every Missouri driver should have and should know about. My intentions are for every insured driver to become more aware of the interactions between their policies and how the coverages, and limits to those coverages, affects a person injured in a motor vehicle accident and their potential recovery. Part I of this blog will briefly address the types of car insurance coverages in Missouri, including the required liability limits and how those limit ..read more

PTSD (or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is identified as a disorder that forms in persons who experience a traumatic event. There are many different symptoms one can experience when suffering from PTSD and they can be triggered by many forms of stimuli.  Some of our clients suffer from the disorder after a fairly significant auto or truck crash or other accidental injury, so we have done our best to learn about the disorder so that we can understand our clients suffering from PTSD.  Below is some general information concerning the disorder, according to the National Institute of Men ..read more

Gary Boothe, Jr.  v. Dish Network, Inc. Missouri Supreme Court decision handed down December 21, 2021   On December 21, 2021, the Missouri Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and held that the Labor Commission’s denial of benefits to a worker who was injured in a one-vehicle crash after he choked on his breakfast food was correct.    Gary Boothe Jr. (“Boothe”) was a Field Service Specialist for DISH Network, Inc. (“DISH”). In this position, he would drive a company vehicle to provide services to customers in a large area. Boothe would receive his itinerary around 7 ..read more