Pa Work Injury Law

150 Layoffs in the GTP Towanda Plant

2012-02-16T04:37:00.000-08:00

TOWANDA - Global Tungsten & Powders Corp. announced Wednesday that it is eliminating 150 positions at its Towanda plant. The reduction in employees is occurring because the plant has experienced a dropoff in sales in its wire and phosphor business, according to a press release from the company.

"The phasing out of incandescent light bulbs and technology changes that require less phosphor in fluorescent lamp manufacturing" has a resulted in a decrease in sales in GTP's wire and phosphor business, GTP said in its press release.

The positions being eliminated are all associated with the plant's production of wire products, which are used in a variety of industries, primarily lighting, said Craig Rieder, director of human resources at GTP. The elimination of the positions is expected to begin in September 2012 and be completed by February 2013, the release said.

As I often tell clients who are laid off, if you are currently working but on light duty with restrictions due to a work injury, and then you're laid off, you need to contact a competent workers' compensation attorney immediately. Your wage benefits should be immediately reinstated upon lay off....even if the work injury is an old one. Call me if you have any questions.

Worker gets two years for injecting semen in lunches

2012-02-13T07:18:00.000-08:00

From The Towanda Daily Review:

A former worker at the Procter & Gamble paper plant in Wyoming County who injected his semen in the lunches of co-workers was sentenced to two years in prison Tuesday by a federal judge in Scranton who called the man's actions despicable and disgusting.

Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Conaboy also imposed a $1,000 fine and two years' supervised release on Joseph Bartorillo, a 60-year-old Larksville man who pleaded guilty to tampering with consumer products, a federal crime that carries up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The two-year prison sentence was part of a plea agreement negotiated by defense attorney Demetrius Fannick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski.

Mr. Bartorillo, who lost his job at P&G after 20 years with the company, is expected to enter a guilty plea to pending state charges in Wyoming County, Mr. Fannick said. Judge Conaboy said victims in the case have indicated civil suits may be filed.

Mr. Bartorillo was given until March 5 to report to federal prison. He told Judge Conaboy he was "deeply embarrassed and ashamed."

The first hint of Mr. Bartorillo's perversion surfaced in the summer of 2010, when the first victim noticed pinholes in the foil covering yogurt containers. Months later, she overheard a coworker complaining her yogurt appeared tampered with and smelled foul. Police were called and a state police laboratory analysis revealed the yogurt had been contaminated with human semen, and DNA was extracted.

Hidden cameras were later set up in the lunchroom by the FBI. On May 31, 2011, the victims spotted the pinholes again and a review of the tapes showed Mr. Bartorillo in the lunchroom injecting something into the yogurt.

Mr. Bartorillo later told authorities he brought the semen from home and injected it into the yogurt.

Penn. Regulators Approve 5.7% Decrease in Workers’ Comp Costs

2012-02-08T06:46:00.000-08:00

From The Insurance Journal:

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department has approved a 5.7 percent decrease in overall workers’ compensation costs that will result in $160 million in savings for Pennsylvania employers.
Regulators said employers can expect a 5.7 percent rate decrease, on average, in 2012. However, some will see rates go up, some will see no change, and others will see rates go down beyond the 5.7 percent. This will vary according to type of business, as well as the employer’s specific claims history.

SUPERTRUCK!!

2012-02-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

I have a bad feeling about this one....

From CNN.com:

Could tractor-trailer rigs almost as long as Boeing 737s be driving on a highway near you? If a new transportation bill proposed by House Republicans passes, the answer is yes, and the safety ramifications would be astronomical, say congressional opponents of the bill and the AAA Auto Club.

The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act introduced Tuesday by Republicans would authorize about $260 billion over five years to fund federal highway programs.The legislation also contains a controversial provision allowing heavier tractor-trailer trucks on highways by increasing the federal weight limit from 80,000 pounds to 97,000 pounds. In some cases, it would allow 126,000-pound trucks onto highways.

The legislation also allows the largest rigs, which comprise two and sometimes three trailers, to be as much as 10 feet longer -- a total length of more than 100 feet.

While statistics from 2010 show overall traffic fatalities declining across the nation, truck crash fatalities actually increased 9%, to 3,675, according to statistics from the Truck Safety Coalition.

Women feel more pain than men

2012-01-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

Because I represent injured people in workers' comp cases or auto accidents or other types of accidents like slip and falls, I deal with people in pain on a constant basis. That's why this article from the NY Daily News jumped out at me.

Researchers at Stanford University examined medical records of more than 72,000 patients, and found that women reported feeling about 20 percent more pain than men.

Patients were asked to rate their pain on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being no pain at all, and ten being the most extreme pain, and on average women reported one point higher than men. Their findings, which were published Monday in the Journal of Pain, held true for a wide variety of diagnoses.

Scientists are studying whether the disparity proves that women actually feel more than men, or whether they're simply more willing to report feeling pain.

I'm not sure what I make of this. Obviously, our culture stresses that boys and men, generally, should not complain of pain or be deemed "less manly." I think that probably has a lot to do with it. Anyway...fascinating stuff. The entire article is a good read.

Teamster strike, local picketing, ends in pipeline industry

2012-01-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

From the Towanda Daily Review:

A strike by Teamsters Union members working in the gas and oil pipeline construction industry has ended, though some issues remain unresolved.

During the strike, which began the during the first week of January, Teamsters Union members picketed against pipeline contractors in Troy and North Towanda Township. Teamster workers across the country in the pipeline construction industry returned to work Friday following an agreement between the union and the Pipe Line Contractors Association (PLCA) to extend the previous labor agreement for three months, according to a press release posted by the Teamsters Union on its national website.

This will mark the third time the National Pipe Line Agreement, which expired on Jan. 31, 2011, between the Teamsters and the PLCA has been extended. The full term of the extension will run from Nov. 15-April 13, 2012.

Hotel workers routinely taken advantage of...

2012-01-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

From The HuffingtonPost.com:

More than a dozen low-level hotel workers in Indianapolis have filed a class-action lawsuit against ten of the city's hotels and a labor staffing agency, claiming they were routinely cheated out of pay with the knowledge of hotel management.

The workers -- most of them Hispanic immigrants employed as housekeepers, dishwashers and bussers -- say they were forced to work off the clock and through their unpaid breaks, sometimes pushing their earnings below the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The suit could potentially involve more than a thousand workers and millions of dollars in claims, according to the hotel workers union UNITE HERE, which is organizing workers in Indianapolis.

I wonder if this type of thing goes on in our area. This article caught my attention due to the many hotels being built in our area. There are two new hotels that will constructed in the Valley on Elmira Street in Athens Township. A few years ago a Hampton Inn opened up on Elmira Street. There are two new hotels in Towanda with a third one planned.

Gas Pipeline Safety Regulations

2012-01-04T05:16:00.000-08:00

Here is an article from the Rocket Courier of Wyalusing about the enactment of legislation that would enhance the safety of gas pipelines in Pennsylvania. House Bill 344 permits the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to have regulatory oversight of natural gas lines.

“Currently, Pennsylvania is one of a very few states that produce natural gas that does not give the authority of gas lines to a state entity, and as a result, there is no designated agency to ensure compliance for a number of safety regulations,” Pickett said. “The influx of activity in the Marcellus Shale region and the increasing demand for this type of energy has necessitated action on this legislation, and I am pleased to see this bill finally moving to the governor.”

The legislation gives the PUC the power to inspect and investigate natural gas pipelines with the Commonwealth in coordination with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration.

The article's slant is toward protecting landowners, which is important, in and of itself. But it will also protect gas workers. There has been rash of gas pipeline explosions that has killed and injured dozens throughout the state. Hopefully this legislation will cut down those types of injuries. We will have to wait and see.

Wage protections for home health care workers

2011-12-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

This is great news. This class of employee has been taken advantage of for years and years. As our population ages, home health care workers have a daunting job.

Here is a link to the article from the New York Times.

Layoffs at Wyalusing's Cargill Plant

2011-12-14T06:13:00.000-08:00

From the Towanda Daily Review:

The Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Wyalusing has eliminated ten positions as part of a worldwide reduction in the company's workforce. The cuts amount to about one percent of the Wyalusing plant's 1,100-person workforce, said Cargill Meat Solutions spokesman Mike Martin. The eliminated positions come from a variety of departments within the plant, Martin said.

The only reason I highlight this article is to point out and remind workers that if you're laid off due to economic conditions AND you're still on light duty from an accepted work injury, then your workers' comp wage benefits automatically get reinstated-- no questions asked. If the insurance company refuses to immediately reinstate your weekly wage benefits, then you need to contact a lawyer so he/she can file a penalty petition with the workers' compensation judge. This rule even applies to old injuries. As long as you're still on restricted duty from a work injury and you get laid off, then your benefits are reinstated.

Hope this helps. And my heart goes out to the laid off workers and their families. Tough time of the year to be unemployed. Good luck to them.

Less regulation means more death and injuries in the gas industry

2011-12-11T09:57:00.001-08:00

Here's a great article about the unsafe practices of the gas industry, specifically related to the construction of the gas pipelines that criss-cross the Commonwealth. Less regulation and enforcement of those regulations will lead to more worker death and injury. It's a simple fact. And no matter how many billboards the gas industry erects toting how wonderful they are will not change this simple fact.

If you're a gas worker and you are injured, don't be afraid to contact a good workers' compensation lawyer. There are several great comp lawyers in our region that will help you and protect you.

Crazy Commonwealth Court Decision

2011-10-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

I think the Commonwealth Court has lost it marbles. In a recent decision, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board v. WCAB, the court addressed what is an abnormal working condition while working at a liquor store.

As we all know from my past blog entries, you can receive workers compensation benefits for a psychological injury but only if you prove that the event that caused the psychological injury (stress, anxiety, nightmares, post traumatic stress disorder) was caused by an abnormal working condition. Obviously, these cases are extremely fact sensitive and it depends upon the specific jobs being looked at.

For example, in the above case, the employee worked for a liquor store who suffered an armed robbery while working. The court held that this incident was not an “abnormal working condition” because four other liquor store robberies had occurred in the same general area of the store that the robbery took place. Therefore, the court must have felt that this one particular liquor store clerk who experienced a traumatic armed robbery, should have expected to undergo this event.

This is why I think the Commonwealth Court has lost its marbles. How insane are they to believe that this is a normal working condition? Being held up at gun point and suffering a traumatic, emotional/psychological injury because of it is normal?!?! I'm dumbfounded...

More possible treatments for lumbar disc injuries

2011-08-24T06:02:00.001-07:00

Surprisingly, the treatment doesn't involve surgery or spine manipulation or traction or any of the traditional treatments. It involves the use of adult stem cells to regenerate the damaged disc including the reversal of the degenerative process. Cool stuff...hope the clinical trial pans out. Here's a link to the article.

Child Labor Rules Stalled At White House As Farm Accidents Continue

2011-08-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

Good read from HuffingtonPost.com. We live in a very rural area where many kids and teenagers live and work on farms. Farming can certainly be a dangerous place. Actually, Bradford County's District Attorney, Dan Barrett, lost an arm in a farming accident when he was a teenager.

Last week, two 17 year olds were critically injured in Oklahoma when they were pulled into a grain augur while on the job. Responders had to cut the augur to free the boys, who were flown to a hospital with severe leg injuries.
Yet the White House continues to sit on new child labor rules proposed last year by the Department of Labor that some safety advocates say could have prevented that accident.
Although the rules proposed by the Labor Department have not yet been made public, sources familiar with them say they would deem certain work activities on farms too dangerous for minors to perform, potentially strengthening laws that haven’t been updated in 40 years.

Update on the recent gas worker fatality in Bradford County

2011-07-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

Here's an update on the recent gas worker fatality that occurred in Bradford County. From the Towanda Daily Review:

Leonard L. Inness III, 35, of Elmira, N.Y., was pronounced dead on arrival at Memorial Hospital in Towanda at 5:06 p.m. Thursday, according to a report by the Bradford County coroner's office.
Coroner Thomas Carman ruled the manner of Inness' death as accidental. A cause of death was withheld pending the results of an autopsy scheduled for Saturday. An autopsy is standard procedure in the case of a workplace accident, Carman said. Routine toxicology tests will also be performed.
Inness was married and had children, Carman said.
Inness was operating a bulldozer Thursday at the Chesapeake Energy Corporation gas well site off Towner Hill Road. He lost his balance while standing and fell onto the bulldozer's track. The machine then ran him over, according to the coroner's office.

Another gas worker fatality in the Marcellus Shale

2011-07-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

From the Towanda Daily Review:

Christine Dwyer, spokesperson for Ferguson Enterprises, parent company of Onda-Lay Pipe, confirmed Friday morning that a temporary employee of Onda-Lay Pipe has died as a result of a workplace accident Thursday at a gas well site in Rome Township.

I'll post more information once I have it.

The Mystery of Chronic Pain

2011-06-20T06:45:00.000-07:00

Many of my clients suffer from chronic pain. It is a costly--physically, emotionally and financially-- condition. I have attached a video from Dr. Elliot Krane who is an expert on chronic pain. It's a quick, fascinating explanation of chronic pain.

We think of pain as a symptom, but there are cases where the nervous system develops feedback loops and pain becomes a terrifying disease in itself. Starting with the story of a girl whose sprained wrist turned into a nightmare, Elliot Krane talks about the complex mystery of chronic pain, and reviews the facts we're just learning about how it works and how to treat it.

April Proves Tough Month for Gas Drillers

2011-05-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

From the Wyalusing Rocket Courier:

Mounting Protests and Government Crackdowns Challenge Industry

April has perhaps been the most difficult stretch of time yet faced by companies related to the natural gas drilling industry, especially in Bradford County. The heated rancor of the public was already reaching a fever pitch when Chesapeake Energy’s Atgas 2H well in Leroy Township experienced a serious malfunction on April 19 that spewed thousands of gallons of toxic fracking water, much of which ran off into a tributary of Towanda Creek.

Earlier in the month, state environmental regulators asked the gas companies to voluntarily suspend the controversial practice of discharging extracted fracking water into rivers and streams. Meanwhile, local municipalities are refusing to allow the companies to construct wastewater treatment plants. Citizens in towns along both branches of the Susquehanna River are mounting objections to additional drafting of river water for fracking purposes.

The gas well blow-out and mounting public opposition to almost every aspect of gas drilling prompted Bradford County Commissioner Mark W. Smith to compose a stern letter to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett.

“Issue after issue has arisen in Bradford County in relation to the development of natural gas,” Smith stated at the beginning of his letter. Smith went on to detail several key gas-related issues that have affected the residents of Bradford County in ways, he asserts, that are not being addressed at the state level.

Among his concerns are recent reports that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) spends an average of 35 minutes deliberating the approval of new gas well permits. “This is an appalling statistic considering the significant impact of a natural gas drilling site and even more appalling considering that there have been nearly 2,000 gas wells permitted in Bradford County.”

Can I Settle My PA Workers’ Comp Case?

2011-05-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

Sure! (Well, most of the time.) I represent injured workers who receive PA workers’ comp. Sometimes, a case is just right to “settle” - or “put an end to” - medical benefits, wage benefits or even both. Settling a Workers’ Comp case means that the injured worker and the insurance company have come to an agreement as to just how much ‘value’ (or ‘money’) the case is worth when considering medical bills and treatment as well as any past or future lost wages. Once everyone agrees on a value for the case, a Workers’ Comp Judge reviews the terms of the settlement (in Comp lingo, called a ‘Compromise and Release’). Then, the Judge issues a Decision approving the C&R and the insurance company pays you the ‘value’ you agreed upon.

Do we settle every case? Definitely not! In most cases we start thinking about settling only after our client is finished treating with his doctor and once we know the client’s long-term prognosis. It makes no sense to settle your case if you are unsure about the need for future surgery, therapy or the like. It also makes no sense to settle the case if you are unsure whether you’ll be returning to work at the same wage you earned before the injury or whether you might not return to work at all. And then there are the times that settling the case is the right thing to do despite the medical or wage issues.

Based on my 16 years' of experience in litigating PA Workers’ Comp cases, I may have reason to believe that your chances of winning before the Judge are slim. If this is the case, it may be in your best interest to settle the case rather than risk losing before the Judge and getting no

Comp benefits at all. It is important to remember that each case is different. You need to evaluate your case based on these and other factors to determine if settlement is appropriate.

More likely than not, there is value in your case and many times the insurance company can be motivated to pay “top dollar” to clear their books of open claims. I will evaluate your case to determine if it’s ready to settle, and if so, the fair ‘value’ of your case so you can move on in your life and support your family. Send me an email, give me a call or just stop by if

I can help with your PA Workers’ Comp case.

Gas industry worker injured in Terry Township

2011-04-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

From The Towanda Daily Review:

A gas industry worker was flown by emergency medical helicopter to a hospital in the region after he suffered a foot injury in an accident at a gas drilling site in Terry Township, the Wyalusing fire chief said.
"He was on a drilling rig (with his foot) stuck between two metal plates" said Adam Dietz, chief of the Wyalusing Volunteer Fire Company.
He was stuck approximately 20 feet above the ground, the fire chief said.
Dietz said he did not know the severity of the man's injury.

I have found that many gas workers do not want to report injuries for fear of being blackballed or just flat out fired.

Workers At Walmart Warehouse Claim Wage Theft

2011-04-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

From The Huffington Post:

A group of eight workers has accused Wisconsin-based Schneider Logistics, a Walmart contractor, and Reliable Staffing, an Illinois-based temp agency, of violating state and federal labor laws at the Elwood, Ill., warehouse where the workers load and unload trucks and containers carrying goods bound for Walmart stores in the Midwest.
Schneider is contracted to run what is effectively a Walmart distribution center. The warehouse inked its contract with Walmart back in 2006.
Reliable and other staffing agencies supply the workforce for Schneider and other warehouses like it in the Chicago area, and much of the staffing comes on a temporary rather than direct-hire basis. The suit could involve hundreds of warehouse employees if it is certified as class-action.
As In These Times first reported, the workers claim their employer reneged on the promise of a $10 hourly rate for their work, a “piece rate” for each of the items they schlepped and bonuses for “team lifts” on especially heavy goods. Robert Hines, who’s been working on and off in Chicagoland warehouses on a temp basis for years, said he wasn’t compensated for what was often grueling work.

This type of behavior is par for the course for WalMart and it's contractors.

Two injured in Sullivan County gas drilling vehicle fire

2011-04-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

From the Towanda Daily Review:

DUSHORE - Two men were injured as a result of a vehicle fire at a Chesapeake drill site around 11 a.m. Sunday off Star Road in Colley Township, Sullivan County, said Dushore Fire Company Fire Chief Scott Hope.
He said the men were hurt while fighting the fire, which destroyed the vehicle. He described it as a construction truck, and said the fire occurred near the rig at the site.
According to the fire chief, one man was flown by Geisinger to a hospital and the other man was taken by ambulance to a hospital. He didn't know what hospitals they were taken to or what caused the fire.
He said they both suffered burns.

Man Mauled By Bear After Smoking Marijuana, Covered By Workers' Compensation

2011-03-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

I call this good lawyering.....

The Montana Supreme Court has upheld a Workers' Compensation Court ruling that about $65,000 in medical bills incurred by a man who was mauled while feeding the bears at a tourist attraction should be covered by workers' compensation, despite the fact the man had smoked marijuana on the day of the attack.

Brock Hopkins filed a claim with the Uninsured Employers' Fund in December 2007, saying he suffered injuries to his legs and buttocks when he was mauled by a bear at Great Bear Adventures near Glacier National Park on Nov. 2, 2007. Hopkins was treated for his injuries at a Kalispell hospital.
The UEF denied Hopkins' claim because Hopkins had smoked marijuana before entering a bear enclosure. The fund also argued that Hopkins was acting outside the scope of his duties.
The Workers' Compensation Court ruled last June that Hopkins was an employee and noted that while his "use of marijuana to kick off a day of working around grizzly bears was ill-advised to say the least and mind-bogglingly stupid to say the most," there was no evidence presented regarding Hopkins' level of impairment.
The WCC found that grizzlies are "equal opportunity maulers" without regard to marijuana consumption.

New "Workers' Comp" sitcom....seriously...

2011-03-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

From Hollywood Reporter:

Morgan Fairchild has been tapped to star in the comedy pilot presentationWorkers Comp.

Charley Koontz, Robert Carradine, Castille Landon and Jennifer Lee Wiggins also star in the independently produced project, which centers on a family insurance business owned by Joan (Fairchild) and the workers comp claims -- often extremely bizarre -- that they are forced to manage.

Just one more way for the insurance industry to paint our clients as fakers, frauds and crazies.

Gas Industry Truck Crashes

2011-03-11T04:01:00.000-08:00

Many of our clients, either workers' comp clients or personal injury clients, come to us due to work related car or truck crashes. As you can tell by merely reading the Towanda Daily Review or the Sayre Morning Times, the amount of crashes in Bradford County has increased significantly. This is all related to the boom in the Marcellus Shale gas drilling. It seems like every other day there is news of another fatality due to a gas drilling truck accident. Below is an article from a Missouri lawyer about the specifics of truck crashes and their differences with car crashes.

Over the last few weeks there have been quite a few tractor trailer truck accidents and bus accidents. Inclement weather like we've been experiencing has been responsible for many of these truck accidents, but accidents occur even in the best of conditions. If you or a family member is hurt in an accident, it is important you understand the difference between truck and bus accidents and passenger vehicle accidents. The difference is important.

The first difference is plain to see, due to the size of vehicles such as trucks, busses, and other forms of commercial transportation accidents are far more likely to lead to serious injuries or even fatalities than accidents with passenger cars and trucks.

The next difference is not that obvious. There are a lot of people out there who assume that truck accident laws are the same as car accident laws. That is not the case.

There are many more laws and regulations controlling the operation of commercial motor vehicles than those that regulate driving the family station wagon. If you think about it the extra laws make sense. These vehicles are big, they sometimes carry dangerous cargo, they are on the road for considerably more time, and they often have more equipment which provides greater opportunity for failure. The laws providing oversight for the commercial vehicle industry and specifically for tractor trailers require trucks to be routinely maintained and inspected in order to prevent catastrophic failure. They require the vehicle to be driven in a safe manner (there are more types of traffic tickets that can be issued to commercial vehicles and regular tickets are harder to fight when you have a CDL). Also, there are many rules and regulations meant to supervise driver conduct. Drivers can only drive for so many hours and must rest for specific periods of time before they can drive again. In my opinion, the violation of any of these rules and regulations instantly makes the driver and the trucking company liable for the injuries that result.

A final difference is who could be held responsible for the accident. In an accident between two passenger vehicles the fault generally lies with one of the drivers. Commercial vehicle drivers are usually driving for work. This means that if they act inappropriately, were acting within the terms of their employment, or shouldn't have been allowed to drive the company might be responsible for the driver's accident. Not to complicate the issue; there are also scenarios where what the driver is hauling or what vehicle they are driving can bring more responsible defendants into the case. An accident with a vehicle such as a commercial truck could put any number of parties at fault, including: the truck driver, truck leasing company, the truck's maintenance company , the manufacturer of the truck, the loading company, or even the municipality or county government who maintain the road where the accident happened.

If you're involved in a truck accident or bus accident, you should start by following the steps you normally would take after being involved in an accident. However, truck accident will require extra work by the victim or the victim's attorney because there are more records and evidence to track down, and this information must be gathered immediately. These include the name of the trucking company and all the DOT numbers on the truck and the trailer. In some instances you must also recover the "black box" information from the computer that records certain information about the truck's speed, braking, and other accident related information.

Truck accidents will most likely involve a corporate legal team working against you. Truck and bus companies are, after all, usually big corporations. They have legal departments whose sole responsibility is handling cases like your accident. There will be experts and investigators lined up and ready to respond to an accident at any time. Often times the trucking company will have a lawyer and a legal team respond to the accident along with the police and ambulance. Those companies will have a team of lawyers representing them; you need an experienced truck accident lawyer representing you.

James Brown is a Missouri injury lawyer in St. Louis. If you are hurt in a car accident you need to know the common mistakes car accident victims make when talking to insurance adjusters that ruin their accident claims. Request a free copy of his Missouri accident guide, "I Survived! The Crash Victims Guide to Surviving the Aftermath" at his website http://www.themissouriinjurylawyer.com