Eyes On The Road

Distracted drivers can cause traumatic accidents on our nations roads simply by sending a text. Yes, we've been discussing texting and driving for some time now. We shouldn't stop until the message is clear. The dangers of texting and driving aren't a myth.

Each year, teen drivers get behind the wheel. Before the technological boom, talking on the phone and driving were teenagers favorite pastimes. But since then, those pastimes have combined and yielded deadly results.

The importance of telling your children about the dangers of driving and texting/talking are as important as telling them not to drink and drive. It starts with leading a good example. Mom and Dad can't talk or text either. It's proven that it's just as distracting for them. Consider as bad as driving the kids to school with a cocktail in your hand... It's that bad.

Spread awareness. Let others know (politely) of the dangers of texting while driving. If you see it, report it. It's that serious.

We Are Here To Help.

The Glassman Law Firm is here to fight for you. We will take on the smallest to largest of corporations to ensure that reparations are made for pain and suffering you incurred at the irresponsible hands of another.

As a motorist, a few things are expected of you. Insurance, registration and proof of ownership (title). These are minimal things to ask of our citizens yet many will forgo the requirements for reasons they believe to be justified.

Unfortunately, when these motorists take the road, they are subject to being involved in-- or causing a car accident. The statistics reveal they are far more likely to cause a wreck than a properly insured driver. Which leads to why they probably don't have insurance in the first place.

What recourse do you have if you are involved with an uninsured or underinsured motorist? Will your insurance company foot the bill?

We at at The Glassman Law Firm, P.C., will fight aggressively on your behalf to see to it that you aren't stuck with a bill incurred by an irresponsible motorist.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a motor accident with a passenger and or commercial vehicle and the other party was uninsured/underinsured--give us a call. Time is paramount. We are here for you.

A Hit-And-Run Driver Is An Uninsured Motorist

In the State of Missouri, ALL automobile owners are required to carry proof of liability insurance coverage. This, however, isn't always the case.

The Uninsured Motorist Who Flees:

The reality is many people don't adhere to this law. They get behind the wheel and occupy the same roads as those who have purchased the legal minimum. The inevitable is bound to happen...they cause an accident. You're the victim. They flee the scene, usually because they have no insurance, do not have a license, or are driving under the influence. What recourse do you have against a driver when you can’t find out if he is insured or even identify him? What if your insurance company refuses to accept this type of uninsured motorist claim or compensate you for all damages, including your pain and suffering?

This is a quandary many face in the event of a hit-and-run. They see it as an instance of random bad luck and there is no way to recover for their injuries in this kind of crash.

This is NOT true. That's when a closer look at your very own insurance policy will shed some light. That is when a call to the Glassman Law Firm, can relieve your worry and stress.

A Few Hard Facts...

FACT: When you bring an uninsured claim against your own insurance company, it CAN'T legally cancel your policy or raise your premium.

FACT: A hit-and-run accident is NOT categorized as a “chargeable loss" to your policy. Simply put, it's not your fault. You cannot be punished by rate increases or cancellation.

FACT: A hit-and-run can be a (non-contact) accident.

For example, a negligent motorist causes you to swerve because they were checking their email while driving. He was heading straight at you in the wrong lane, causing you to run off the road into an embankment. The emailing driver flees. You've experienced a non-contact hit-and-run. This is also considered an uninsured motorist claim and you are entitled to recover all losses caused by your injuries, lost pay, medical costs, and pain and suffering from your own insurance company.

What Should You Do?

If you or someone you know has been hit by an uninsured motorist, it is critical that you seek the expertise of The Glassman Law Firm, P.C. Our understanding of the complex and often ambiguously written insurance policies is of infinite value to anyone who has been involved in an accident caused by an irresponsible, uninsured motorist. We will help you recover every benefit and cost that your company is obligated to pay you for uninsured motorist damages.

We will fight vigorously to seek full monetary compensation for all of your pain and suffering, loss of work, medical bills and permanent injuries. Again, if it wasn't your fault, why should you have to suffer these personal and financial losses?

Truck Accidents May Take Years To Resolve.

Unlike passenger vehicle accidents, truck accidents can take years to resolve. That's why it is important to establish a relationship with a competent law firm that will continue fighting for you until it wins all the money you are entitled to recover to help ease your pain and suffering.

The Glassman Law Firm is experienced in dealing with shrewd corporations who will try to suppress and bury the average individual in an avalanche of legal paper in order to delay and obstruct your right to recover damages for your severe injuries. Our masterful attorneys use innovation and diligent investigative methods to ensure you aren't buried in litigation by a trucking company's legal team.

We will fight for you to expose:

-Intoxicated truck drivers;

-Truck drivers with impaired health;

-Untrained/unlicensed truck drivers;

-Unsafe truck equipment;

-Improper maintenance;

-Unsafe/poorly loaded trucks; and

-FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) violations, log book fabrications, and log book violations.

These are just a few of the factors that trucking companies will make extensive efforts to cover up and/or pass the blame to another party. Any party...perhaps you.

In many cases, trucking companies and the corporations that hire them have an investigator of their own on the scene—sometimes arriving before first responders. It really gives you an idea of the lengths to which they are willing to go to protect their own interests and damage yours.

If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident with a semi-truck, big-rig, commercial vehicle, or 18-wheeler, give us a call today. Time is of the essence. Truck companies are working right now to bury your case. Call us so we can uncover the truth.

Large Trucking Companies Only Have Their Driver’s Best Interests At Heart

Semi truck accidents are among the most disastrous motor vehicle accidents. Injuries from semi-trucks are often very serious because of the size and weight of the truck. Truck accidents can result in catastrophic injury, permanent disability or even death, causing a ripple effect of pain and suffering.

Drivers of large trucks and other vehicles involved in truck crashes are ten times more likely to be the cause of the crash than other factors, such as weather, road conditions and vehicle performance. The most commonly associated factors were driver related, such as illegal drug/alcohol use, traveling too fast for conditions, unfamiliarity with the roadway, inadequate surveillance, fatigue, improper equipment, and feeling under pressure from their employer as well as others on the road.

Because semi trucks are usually owned by large companies, often a sophisticated team of insurance adjusters or lawyers will quickly begin working on building a case against you —even if the accident was not your fault. Don't talk to these folks.Their interest is in protecting the trucking companies and truck drivers who hire them.

If you or someone you love has been injured or even killed in a Missouri semi truck accident and the accident was not your fault, you have certain rights to recover money for injuries, property damage, missed work, medical bills, pain and suffering and disability. But truck companies or their insurance adjusters or attorneys may try to get you to waive (give up) those rights.

Don’t say another word. Call us today for a competent attorney who understands semi truck laws in Missouri and will fight for you. Time is paramount. Contact us today.

Hire An Attorney With An Extensive Knowledge Of Trucking Rules And Regulations

The income of commercial truck drivers is often based on making deliveries under incredibly tight deadlines, with risk of losing pay if the deadline is not met. This makes the trucking industry one of the most competitive commercial industries in the United States. Regrettably, this culture leads to deadly driving tactics, such as driving fatigued. It is estimated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that operator fatigue plays a role in more than 40% of all tractor trailer accidents on our roads.

In an effort to eliminate drivers operating 40 ton commercial trucks while fatigued, the FMCSA requires that logbooks be filled out documenting hours of rest and sleep. Yet, drivers still regularly falsify these books with aid of trucking companies in order that shipments reach their destinations as quickly as possible. This puts the lives of everyone on the road at risk in order to maximize their profits.

Trucking companies who pressure their drivers to operate big rigs while sleep deprived (or who condone their drivers’ use of falsified logbooks that misrepresent their hours of rest and sleep) must be held responsible for this reckless disregard of public safety.

In recognition of this major risk to the safety and welfare of the driving public, the FMCSA enacted new Hours of Service Rules on 2/27/12. Compliance with these rules became mandatory on 7/1/13. Several of these rules impose penalties and form the basis of civil liability.

FMCSA's new Hours of Service final rule:

• Limits the maximum average work week for truck drivers to 70 hours (a decrease from the current maximum of 82 hours);

• Allows truck drivers who reach the maximum 70 hours of driving within a week to resume if they rest for 34 consecutive hours, including at least two nights when their body clock demands sleep the most (from 1:00 to 5:00 a.m.);

• Requires truck drivers to take a 30-minute break during the first eight hours of a shift; and

• Retains the current 11-hour daily driving limit and 14-hour work day.

The ongoing mayhem on our nation's highways will hopefully be reduced if the Department of Transportation can effectively enforce these new regulations that require necessary driver rest. We need to realize, however, that a lack of enforcement will only encourage large trucking companies to continue their reckless practices that favor profits over people.

Due to the catastrophic injuries and fatalities associated with large truck crashes, it is crucial that an attorney with an extensive knowledge of trucking rules and regulations is employed after a collision. Contact the Missouri Truck Accident Attorneys of The Glassman Law Firm at 314-446-6000 or at GlassmanLegal.com to ensure that your rights are protected.

Johnson & Johnson Reaches Settlement For Misleading Schizophrenia Drugs Practices

It was announced on November 4, 2013 that Johnson & Johnson is ordered to pay $2.2 billion a settlement involving the schizophrenia drugs Risperdal and Invega. This penalty is one of the largest health care related settlements in the country, says the Justice Department.

Arkansas was paid $1.2 billion in fines from Johnson & Johnson in 2011 for deceptive marketing and making false claims about the drug Risperdal. The FDA approved Risperdal to treat schizophrenia, however it was marketed to doctors and nursing homes as a treatment for elderly patients with dementia.

In addition to falsely marketing the drug, Johnson & Johnson was aware that patients on Risperdal were at an increased risk for developing diabetes, yet never publicly disclosed that information, according to the settlement. The drug was encouraged in nursing homes by way of paid pharmacists being sent to nursing homes to review patient records.

"Although consultant pharmacists purported to provide 'independent' recommendations based on their clinical judgment, J&J viewed the pharmacists as an 'extension of [J&J's] sales force,'" said the Justice Department. General Eric Holder said kickbacks and other incentives could have put the "health of some patients at risk."

The consequences of pharmaceutical and medical product negligence can result in catastrophic injuries, emotional and financial hardships for the victim and their family, and death. If you have sustained injury, or if a loved one was killed, as the result of negligence by a pharmaceutical or medical product company, you and your family may qualify for compensation. Contact the Defective Product Attorneys of The Glassman Law Firm at 314-446-6000 to discuss your legal rights and options.