At approximately 1 am on April 20, 2009, a 2005 Dodge Neon was involved in a serious accident with a semi-truck on I-270 in St. Louis, Mo.  The Neon was driven by Ramon Molina and the Tractor-Trailer was driven by Mark Lipand of Hollywood, Florida.  The details of how exactly the accident occurred are unknown, but we do know that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting the Neon became trapped underneath the semi-truck.  The extent of Mr. Molina's injuries are unknown, but it must have been very serious as he was airlifted from the scene.

As a Missouri Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer, there is much investigation that needs to occur.  Semi-truck accidents are very much unlike car accidents.  This is because truck drivers are goverened by numerous regulations promulgated by the Department of Transportation.  Additionally, while current reports do not detail how the accident happened, many times these details can be gathered by downloading the semi-truck's black box data.  Many people are unaware that a semi-truck has a "black box" much like an airplane.  It constantly records tons of information about how the truck was operating in the moments before the crash.  For instance, it could possibly tell us if the truck was speeding, how long it had been driving (useful because truck drivers can only drive for certain periods of time), or if the truck suddenly slammed on the brakes.

Unfortunately, semi-truck wrecks often lead to severe injuries.  When this happens, a St. Louis semi-truck attorney should be consulted.  Unless your lawyer has specific expertise in this area, things will be missed.  If you would like to speak with a St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyer, contact Josh Myers, owner of Myers Injury Law, LLC at 888.956.2487.  It's always free to discuss your case and there is never any fee until we recover. 

Recently, someone came to my St. Louis Workman's Compensation Lawyer website wanting to know the average settlement amounts for a herniated disc.  Herniated discs are also referred to pinched nerves or bulging discs.  As with all Missouri Worker's Compensation cases, the settlement amount depends on the permanent symptoms.  However, these cases always fall in a range of permanent-partial disability.  This is why when you are seeing the doctors, it is not the time to be modest.  Rather, you need to be sure the doctors document every bit of pain, soreness and stiffness that you are having.  Some people think this sounds like whining, but it is not at all.  Rather, if you down play your symptoms, all you're doing is giving the insurance company the ammo they need to abuse your when it comes to determining the final compensation you're entitled to.

In addition to your symptoms, settlement amounts also depend on the type of treatment that was had.  First, this article is assuming that you've had a herniated or bulging disc diagnosis by an MRI or a CT scan.  Once that is done, there are usually several types of treatment that one will go through.  The first will be epidural injections into the spine.  More serious cases warrant surgery.   Generally, cases with epidural injections should settle for no less than 12.5% of the body.  Surgical cases should settle for at least twice that amount.  Another factor is whether the bulging disc is in the neck (cervical spine) or the low back (lumbar spine).  Generally, lumbar spine cases are worth a little more. 

For a better explanation on the Missouri Work Comp system and how to calculate the final payout amount once you determine the permanent-partial disability, order a free copy of The Ultimate Missouri Work Comp book.   Written by St. Louis Personal Injury lawyer, Josh Myers, it explains everything injured workers need to know about how the system really works.

If you've been hurt at work and would like to speak with a Missouri Worker's Compensation attorney, call Josh Myers at 314.720.2706 or 888.956.2487.  As always, it's free to talk about your case and there is never any attorney's fee until he recovers on your behalf.