Studies have shown that almost half of all teenage drivers admit to texting on a cellphone while behind the wheel. Furthermore, researchers concluded those who engage in this risky behavior are not only more likely to engage in other dangerous behaviors, like not wearing a seat belt or drinking and driving, but also are more likely to be involved in Car Accidents.

In an effort to educate Missouri teens about the dangers of distracted driving, officials at Forsyth County High School conducted a program yesterday on campus that included a mock car crash scene.

According to a story from Ozarks First, students at the school were able to watch as first responders worked to rescue the teens’ peers from an “accident” that had been caused when a student crashed while texting on a phone. Participants in the program donned fake blood and special effects makeup to show the damage and injuries that can be caused by such a collision. While some of the participants “died” as a result of the crash, others were injured and transported from the scene by paramedics.

The aim of the program is to show teens the aftermath of poor choices behind the wheel and how those decisions can have effects on an individual’s life for years.

The St. Louis Personal Injury Attorneys with CofmanTownsley are hopeful the program is successful in preventing accidents involving teen drivers.

A Missouri Medical Malpractice Lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a 53-year-old woman who was the victim of a botched brain surgery. The incident has prompted a further investigation into the hospital’s policies and procedures for patient safety.

A story published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explained the incident occurred on April 4 at the St. Clare health Center in Fenton, Missouri. The woman suffered from a condition that had caused her to experience several strokes in the past. The procedure was intended to prevent future strokes; however, the doctor who was overseeing the procedure preformed the surgery on the wrong side of the patient’s brain. The botched surgery left the patient unable to care for herself and in need of constant medical attention.

Experts say that mistakes like this can be a sign that a health care facility’s patient safety policies and procedures may either be flawed or inadequate. Chris Howard, president and chief executive of SSM Health Care-St. Louis, has already admitted this to be the case in the botched brain surgery.

The Missouri Personal Injury Attorneys with CofmanTownsley are hopeful a decision in the case will bring closure to the incident for the victim and her family. The firm is also hopeful the case will open further dialogue and action as to how medical facilities in the state can improve patient safety policies.

For emergency responders, the development of mental disorders and other conditions that can be caused by working in a traumatic environment are a serious occupational risk. Now, the government in Missouri is considering a bill that would allow law enforcement officers to receive Missouri Workers’ Compensation Benefits for such conditions.

The law was heard before the Senate Small Business, Insurance, and Industry Committee this past Tuesday and was approved. The law was introduced to give law enforcement the same benefits firefighters receive.

According to an article from Northwest Missouri News, the law covering firefighters for similar conditions, such a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, was adopted after a hotel collapsed in Kansas City, Missouri, during the summer of 1981. The disaster left a total of 114 people dead and another 216 injured. The event resulted in many of the first responders struggling to mentally deal with the events they witnessed that day.

The new law would require police department insurance policies to cover medical expenses and other costs associated with an officer who developed a life-altering condition as a result of their job.

Similar laws are being considered in the state of Connecticut following a recent school shooting.

The St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers recognize the risks emergency responders face daily while on the job. The firm may be able to help an individual who has suffered due to a work-related injury.

In March, the Missouri House of Representatives advanced a bill that called for the reinstatement of laws upholding caps on awards given in Missouri Medical Malpractice Lawsuits.

According to St. Louis Public Radio, the state legislature adopted a limit of $350,000 in 2005 on awards for non-economic damages, like pain and suffering, that are given to victims of negligent medical staff. Then, last year, the state Supreme Court ruled to do away with the limitations.

Now, a state representative has introduced and received initial approval of a bill that would call for the limits to be brought back. Rep. Eric Burleson, the bill’s sponsor, claims re-adopting the limits will cut healthcare citizen healthcare bills by limiting physician liability costs, which in turn, attracts doctors to open practices in the state. He went on to claim the number of doctor’s in the state decreased after the medical malpractice caps were eliminated last year.

Opponents argued if the bill were enacted, it would take away a victim’s ability to receive fair compensation for their losses.

The bill now goes before the Senate for approval.

The Missouri Personal Injury Attorneys with CofmanTownsley point out data presented at congressional hearings has shown, the five states with the highest medical malpractice insurance premium rates also had damage caps in place. Furthermore, the state with the lowest premium rates has no caps in place, while medical malpractice payouts have also decreased in the state by more than 16 percent.

Most people consider the scene of a dog chasing a mailman down the street to be something only seen in cartoons or movies. However, the United States Postal Service (USPS) and a Harrisburg Postmaster have released statements saying dog attacks are a very realistic and serious threat to postal workers.

According to an article published in the Harrisburg Daily Register, numerous attacks that result in injury occur each year. In fact, a total of 131 letter carriers sustained Missouri Dog Bite Injuries last year alone.

For the past several years, the USPS has been working to educate the public on the responsibilities pet owners carry of ensuring their animal is restrained at all times. Measures have also been taken to ensure that postal workers are trained in how to properly defend themselves against a vicious animal.

Harrisburg Postmaster, Donna Denny, stated that despite these efforts, there are still pets that pose a risk to the public. Denny reminded animal owners that their mail service could be suspended until the animal is properly restrained.

CofmanTownsley and their team of St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers point out the owner of an animal that is responsible for an attack may be held liable in court for civil damages as well. The firm urges anyone who has been injured in a dog attack to discuss their legal rights with an attorney immediately.

A Missouri Boat Accident that occurred over the weekend was responsible for claiming the life of a Golden City man. Reports indicate the incident occurred Saturday afternoon on the waters of Stockton Lake, just north of Springfield.

According to FOX 4 News, the 20-year-old victim was on the water in a canoe with another individual. When the victim attempted to untie the canoe from a tree though, the boat capsized and both occupants were plunged into the water.

One of the men was able to swim a short distance to shore; however, the 20-year-old man never returned to the water’s surface.

Rescue crews were called to the scene and found the victim a short time later, roughly 20-yards from the lake’s edge. Officials declared him dead at the scene.

Accidents like this often leave the public wondering what can be done to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again.

The St. Louis Personal Injury Attorneys with CofmanTownsley explain one of the most effective methods for keeping those aboard a boat safe on the water is to properly utilize flotation devices. Each person aboard a boat should be equipped with a properly fitting life jacket to wear at all times. Each vessel should also carry extra flotation devices that can be thrown to an individual who falls overboard.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized that making the public more aware of recalls that have been issued on Defective Products or drugs should be a high priority. In order to accomplish this goal, the agency has implemented several new strategies and tools that will help get better information to the public in a more efficient manner.

An FDA press release explained how the display on the agency’s webpage for results stemming from a search of recalled products has been drastically improved. Instead of results being listed in a simple text format, they are now laid out in a table, which is sorted by date. The table also provides links to news stories and releases that discuss the recall.

The FDA has also partnered with a handful of other government organizations and agencies in developing an application for smartphones to allow citizens more access to information about recalled products. The app is simply named Recalls.gov and allows consumers to type in the name of a product to see if it has been recalled at any time. The technology also provides photos of the product and how to properly dispose of any recalled products in a person’s possession.

CofmanTownsley and their team of St. Louis Personal Injury Attorneys are hopeful the improvements in technology will better protect the public from the harm that malfunctioning products can cause.

Slip, trip, and fall accidents are one of the leading causes of workplace injuries and fatalities today. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that around 15 percent of all work-related fatalities were the result these accidents. More recently, a Missouri Slip and Fall Accident resulted in a worker losing both legs after coming into contact with a tire shredder.

According to CBS St. Louis News, the incident occurred last Monday, March 18, at approximately 10:30 a.m., at the ABC Tire Recycling Center in Kansas City, Missouri. A spokesman for the Kansas City Fire Department, James Garrett, explained the victim was preforming maintenance on the machine when he slipped and fell. He then became caught in the equipment’s mechanisms and both legs were amputated.

Rescue crews transported the man to a local trauma center to receive treatment. He remains hospitalized at the facility.

In the meantime, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been called to the scene to investigate the cause of the accident and if it could have been prevented.

Cofman Townsley has a team of Missouri Personal Injury Attorneys who are experienced in helping employees who have been hurt on-the-job at no fault of their own. That’s why they would encourage anyone who has suffered such an injury to contact them today to discuss your legal options.

Numbers show soldiers returning from service overseas are waiting longer than ever to receive Veterans’ Disability Benefits they desperately need. This fact was highlighted when the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) announced it took the agency an average of 327 days to process claims filed by soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Kansas City Star explains the VA has made efforts to solve the problem by implementing a new computerized processing system; however, there have been numerous reports the new system may actually be slower than the old one.

During recent audits of the system, reports rose of it taking between three and four minutes to open a document. Others stated the system would repeatedly crash, while another employee claimed it took twice as long to perform an integral part of the claim process.

Despite these concerns, the VA has announced the new processing system will be rolled out to all offices by the end of the year. VA spokespeople affirmed the decision by arguing most of the problems were due to factors outside of the agency’s control.

The St. Louis Personal Injury Attorneys with Cofman Townsley are knowledgeable in the complexities of the Veterans Disability system. The firm urges anyone who was permanently disabled during their time in the service to discuss their legal rights with a qualified attorney immediately.

A bill placing limits on the amount of civil damages that can be awarded to a victim for pain and suffering in a Missouri Medical Malpractice case has moved one step closer to approval. Three Rivers Publishing released an article that said the Missouri House Health Committee had passed the bill with a 7-3 vote.

The joint resolution calls for non-economic damages awarded in a lawsuit not to exceed $350,000. These damages are any award given for an immeasurable loss of quality of life, loss of a loved one, or pain. Two other bills currently before the Senate would also make proving liability in a medical malpractice case more difficult.

Proponents of the law say the changes will improve the quality of care patients receive and lower costs associated with care by decreasing prices paid for medical malpractice insurance. The Missouri Supreme Court has found similar measures illegal in the past though. The court ruled this past July that such limits impede a jury’s fact-finding role, and therefore, violated a person’s right to trial by jury.

Currently, there are a total of 28 states that have similar damage caps on the books.

The St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers with Cofman Townsley are aware the changes, if approved, may make it more important than ever before to have a qualified attorney by your side when filing a medical malpractice claim.