Uninsured Driver Causes Camden County Car Accident
Post Date: January 29th, 2011
Kimberly Scott Car Accident
Staying alert on the road is important for the safety of everyone. When a driver is not paying attention, the result can be fatal. As a Missouri car accident attorney, I was bothered to read about a head-on collision caused by an uninsured driver in Linn Creek, Missouri that sent a woman to the hospital with serious injuries.
On January 3, 2011, around 4:45 p.m. the collision occurred on HIghway 54 in Camden County, Missouri, that caused serious and moderate injuries to two people. Kimberly Scott of Linn Creek, Missouri, was driving a 2009 Toyota eastbound on U.S. Highway 54 about a mile west of Route AA. At that time and place, Steven Owens of Macks Creek, Missouri, was the driving westbound on Highway 54 in a 1998 Ford. Owens crossed the centerline and collided head-on with Scott. The impact caused Scott’s Toyota to cross the centerline, where she was hit by another westbound vehicle.
Kimberly Scott had serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital. At-fault driver, Steven Owens, had moderate injuries and was also transported by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital. The third driver of the vehicle unharmed. The motor vehicles of Kimberly Scott and Steven Owens were totaled from the accident, and the third vehicle only had moderate damage. Steven Owens did not have auto insurance.
This crash highlights the importance of having uninsured motorist coverage. This is a type of coverage that each person carriers on their own automobile insurance whether they know it or not. When the driver who hits you is uninsured, or it’s a hit and run accident, then your insurance company acts as if it was the insurance company for the person responsible for your injuries. Unfortunately, this often means that they will try and low-ball you just as the other person’s car insurance would do. However, the added protection you have in these cases, is that, if your insurance company will not be fair, they can be sued not only for your injuries, but also under a little-known Missouri law called vexatious refusal to pay. This allows you to ask a jury, not only for compensation for your injuries, but also for penalties and attorney’s fees for the way the insurance company handled your claim. This is one of my favorite types of cases because insurance companies are never fair and it is satisfying to be able to expose their tactics to a jury.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles motor vehicle accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout the Midwest. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a motor vehicle accident attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf. Call toll free at 888.956.2487. Also, feel free to request your FREE COPY of “The 7 Biggest Mistakes That Will Destroy Your Car Accident Case to learn more about the process and uninsured motorist coverage.
Posted in Camden County Car Accidents, Car Accident Advice, Car Accident News, MO Car Accidents, Uninsured Motorist Coverage | No Comments »
