Legal Analysis – Washington County, MO Car Accident Injures Five
Post Date: November 16th, 2010
When we first started driving, most of us had a wise person tell us that we must always be aware of other drivers on the road. We all do our best to watch the road because it is important to our safety. Unfortunately as a Missouri car accident attorney, I see all too often that we can’t always protect ourselves from a negligent driver. A story of a Washington County car accident that required five people to be hospitalized caught my attention because it is similar to an accident that happened early this month in Jefferson County, Missouri.
The two-vehicle accident happened at the intersection of Strange Road and Highway 185 in Washington County, Missouri. Tiffany Puckett was driving her 2003 Ford Focus southbound while Desiree Link was driving northbound also in a 2003 Ford Focus. Link attempted to make a left hand turn, but pulled directly into Puckett’s path. Tiffany Puckett did not have time to respond to Desiree Link’s maneuver and slammed into her passenger side.
16-year-old driver Desiree Link, her three teenage passengers, and Tiffany Puckett were all injured in the accident. Dasia Brewer age 14, Dana McKee age 16, and Thomas Simmons age 18 were taken to the hospital to treat minor injuries. Link and Puckett were not as lucky. They both suffered serious injuries and were given emergency treatment at a local hospital. At the time of the accident, the teenagers in Links Ford Focus were not wearing their seat belt.
Not only do I think that Desiree Link was negligent for not yielding to Puckett’s car before turning in front of her, but given her age, there may also be a valid claim for negligent entrustment against the owners of the car. A negligent entrustment claim occurs when the owner allows another driver to operate the vehicle when the owner knows that the driver is unqualified to drive due to inexperience. Often, reason one would pursue a negligent entrustment claim against the owner of the car in addition to a negligence claim against the driver, in this case Puckett, is to find additional insurance coverage. Often times, drivers do not carry enough insurance to fully compensate those injured by their reckless driving. The role of a good Missouri personal injury lawyer is to investigate every avenue of insurance coverage in order to maximize your car accident settlement.
When a negligent driver causes a motor vehicle accident, the outcome can be life altering for those who are injured. The victims of a motor vehicle accident no only have to deal with a damaged vehicle; they also have to deal with their injuries, loss of wages, and recovery. If you have been in a motor vehicle accident that caused injuries, please contact an experienced attorney immediately. With everything that you have to go through after an accident, you need someone to fight against the insurance company. Our experienced motor vehicle accident attorneys help people deal with the aftermath of a car accident because you shouldn’t have to face it by yourself. If you would like to discuss your case with one of our Washington County Car Accident Attorneys feel free to call us at 888.956.2487.
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.
Tags: Car Accident, dana mckee, dasia brewer, desiree link, thomas simmons, tiffany puckett, washington county
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