Safety tips for a spring trip into St. Louis (OR some ways to avoid becoming a victim of violent crime)

 

Violent crime rates in St. Louis are a matter of hot debate.

While the St. Louis area has been in the “hot seat” on the news in the past few years,  there’s some evidence that the crime statistics are skewed. You can read the article links included. You decide for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions about Safety in St. Louis

http://www.politifact.com/missouri/statements/2017/oct/24/pete-hegseth/pete-hegseth-gives-correct-statistics-st-louis-cri/

What’s not up for debate — most major cities worldwide have certain areas prone to violent crime.

Crowded conditions, poverty levels, and cultural differences all contribute. Interesting to note, when calculating crime rates in St. Louis, the suburbs were not included unlike calculations for some other major cities. Therefore, Politifact.com gives a “mostly true” rating to St. Louis crime statistics.  Does that mean you need to avoid the city of St. Louis? Certainly not.

St. Louis has such a wealth of things to see and do! If you’re getting “spring fever”,  you just need a little safety guidance to enjoy the area.

According to Trip Advisor and Smarter Travel’s websites, exercise greater caution in the north and east parts of St. Louis. Violent crime is higher in these areas.

Many of the city’s tourist attractions are NOT located in these areas. If you’re heading out to enjoy a major sporting event, you’ll find the 3 major stadiums in the safe Central Business District.

Looking for a great music or performing arts event?  Grand Center is the hub for the performing arts, also known to be a safe district.

Use common sense. Make a safety check list for your young people venturing out on their own.

  • Lock your valuables out of sight inside your car.
  • Don’t carry large amounts of cash.
  • Don’t walk alone at night.
  • Park in a well-lit, Preferred Downtown Parking Facility
  • Always be alert and aware of your surroundings.

Limit cell phone distraction while you are on foot in the city.

According to  30 year law enforcement veteran Steve Kardian, it only takes seven seconds for a criminal to choose you as a target.  How long does it take for you to glance down at your cell phone?

In his 2017 book The New Superpower for Women, Kardian outlines concrete ways or tips to avoid becoming a target of violent crime.  Surprisingly, a confident walk and stride helps to deter a would-be assailant. If you shuffle down the street while hunched over your phone, you become a prime target.

Kardian also suggests the “casual glance” or a split-second glance as you’re out and about.

The casual glance around helps you to stay aware of your changing surroundings. A split-second glance also lets a troublemaker know that you are aware of him. What criminal wants to get caught?  As a result, a victim of choice is at least temporarily distracted or unaware of their surroundings. Busy mom alert!

Stay cool in crowded conditions and keep your eyes open for your exit route. ( Don’t want to be accused of violent crime? Keep your own cool at your child’s sporting events.)

Pop concert? Large outdoor event? Check out your potential exit routes.

If you’re the aggressive, elbow-shoving  type, take a chill-pill before entering the crowds. Take note of the Anheuser-Busch heir Billy Busch.  He was recently in the news unfortunately being charged with fourth degree assault due to losing his cool at his son’s basketball practice!

Protect yourself and those you love. If you need an experienced criminal defense lawyer who knows the law and  will defend your rights, call attorney Nathan A. Steimel – (636)244-3737 for free initial consultation today.

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

 

 

3 (more) tips to avoid a backyard premises liability case

Kids, dogs, pools — what are your backyard hazards?

Hey, homeowner! Is your yard or property a breeding ground for a premises liability case or a personal injury case? Good question, right?! With spring just around the corner,  it’s time to make a to-do list.

Those that you invite on your property are your responsibility in a sense. You are responsible to protect them from known dangers and dangers that an ordinary inspection would reveal. Even uninvited guests, like child trespassers, pose a worrisome legal liability.

Most of the time we think of slip-and-fall accidents when we worry about getting sued in a premises liability case or a personal injury case. Living on a corner lot in town, we get a lot of foot traffic.  The sidewalks around my house are our responsibility.

Our town grants us 48 hours to get our sidewalks cleared. However, our sidewalks get cleared of snow and ice quickly! Then they get treated with ice-melt. The sidewalks are a long, narrow skating rink otherwise.

However, a few years back, the town decided to come in and redo the sidewalks. They also installed a handicapped accessible crosswalk on our corner.

Unfortunately the design engineers did not correctly account for the drainage on our street. Since then, the handicapped crosswalk section always floods in wet weather. In freezing temperatures the small pond turns into a sheet of ice. The “pond” is almost impossible to keep clear under those conditions.

Who would be responsible for a slip-and-fall on the section of sidewalk turned nightmare? It’s a question that bothers me every winter. What are your yard hazards?

1.) Sidewalk maintenance helps prevent slip-and-fall accidents.

Town rules differ. You’ll need to check with your town office or your neighborhood homeowner’s association as to your responsibilities.  Waiting until an accident occurs is not good game plan.  Clearly, cracked, uneven, or broken sidewalks are a slip-and-fall hazard.  The same goes for driveways.

2.) Remove tree and yard debris.

Interestingly factoid —  New York City is a prime place to get injured by a falling tree.  More than 2.5 million trees line New York’s parks and city streets!

What about your home and yard? Missouri weather is not a friend to trees!  Between the high winds, snow, ice, and maybe even a tornado, your trees get battered.

The Missouri Department of Conservation publishes a helpful guide to cleaning up damaged trees after storms. The MDC recommends hiring an arborist if you have trees you are unsure about saving.

If you have kids, especially, those downed tree limbs are a kid-magnet. War, fort building, limb-launching — you name it, they’ll do it. So if the neighbor’s kids gravitate toward your yard,  ward off a premises liability claim by removing temptation!

3.) Use a fence and “no trespassing” signs if your yard contains a pool or a dog.

Fido may be all bark and no bite, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. “Beware of the guard dog.” and “no trespassing” signs are preventative measures.

Since pools are “attractive nuisances” for child trespassers, secure fencing and a sign are a must. Although neither of these can totally prevent an accidental drowning,  good fences make good neighbors. Our youngest neighbors deserve our best protection.

If you’re getting your yard ready for spring and summer fun, here’s another article on backyard safety for you from your friends at The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC

BONUS TIP: Hide your grill behind that secure fencing, too. You never know when a child chef wanna-be might try out your grill.

If you or a loved one have suffered serious injuries due to someone else’s unsafe property conditions, you need professional legal help.  Call 636-244-3737 for free initial consultation with Nathan A. Steimel, an experienced personal injury lawyer serving the greater St. Louis area.

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

Semi-truck accident victim? Find help here!

Cleaning up after a semi-truck accident is not fun. Big rig — big destruction!

Big gratitude, also,  goes to the first responders who see the mangled messes and provide life-saving care. Firefighters, EMS crews,  police officers, and ER medical staff, our hats are off to you. Not all of us can stomach this line of work.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (www.iihs.org) regularly analyzes large truck accident data from the US Department of Transportation.  Here’s what’s surprising! Although our technology has improved, the death rates from semi-truck accidents do not show a huge improvement over the past 40 years!

The past ten years are slightly better than 1975’s data. (Though anything’s better than the statistics for 1979.)

The IIHS states that “about 1 in 10 highway deaths occur in a crash involving a large truck.”

Unfortunately, the fatalities are usually the occupants of the passenger vehicle. Weight is a major reason. Semi-trucks typically carry loads up to 80,000 pounds.

The sheer size and weight of a loaded tractor-trailer means braking takes 20 to 30% longer than a passenger vehicle.  Bad weather? Slippery pavement? Busy highways?  All of these factors drive those semi-truck accident rates higher.

Does anyone here feel that it is safe to drive 11 hours at one stretch? Did you know the federal hours-of service regulations allow drivers of large trucks to do this? Maybe it is time for a change!

Sadly, sleep-deprived driving is not uncommon. Just like folks push the speed limit, tractor-trailer drivers push  and stretch the limits of their driving hours.

As a result, fatality rates soar. Fatalities are not the only damage from a tractor-trailer crash. Multiple injuries, many of  them serious, are also common with semi-truck accidents.

Also, the devastation continues long after a semi-truck accident occurs. A December 2017 article in the St. Louis news reports a terrible recent accident. The semi-truck driver was momentarily distracted by reaching for a cup of tea and plowed into a car. This crash caused a chain reaction injuring ten people. Three of these injuries were serious!

Think of the ripple effect of even one tractor trailer crash. Families, friends, and employers/employees scramble to help the injured. As a result, plans are put on hold.

Everything starts revolving around doctor’s visits, therapy, and rehab. Recovery is often long, slow, and discouraging.

Because of this, financial stress piles up. Money worries and pain are a toxic combination. Since an accident victim may be unable to work, finding a way to pay those bills is an overwhelming challenge.

Survivors of semi-truck accident may never have a normal life again. Severe neck and spine injuries often result from these accidents. Can you imagine the life-long impact?

To be fair, not every semi-truck accident is the truck driver’s fault. It’s just that often multiple cars are involved.

In January 2018, FOX2 Now reports that a car cut off a semi-truck during the busy morning commute on I-64 east near St. Louis. The truck driver simply couldn’t stop in time. Multiple cars, a fatality, and multiple injuries — it’s a story no one ever wants to face personally.

If you are a St. Louis area resident and a victim of a semi-truck accident, you need expert, aggressive legal help. You need  an experienced semi-truck accident attorney!

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC will evaluate your case at no charge.  Even better news — most semi-truck accident victims will pay no legal expenses out of pocket. Your lawyer will be compensated only if the case settles in your favor.  CALL 636-244-3736 for help today!

 

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

What you need to know about a deer-related car accident (with a few tips to help avoid deer)

Courtesy of State Farm

Did you know Missouri drivers are considered at high risk for a deer-related car accident?  Car accidents are a major stress point. So watch out for those pesky deer! According to insurance data and claims forms analyzed by State Farm auto insurance, 1 in 117 Missouri drivers in 2016 were involved in a deer-related car accident.

Fox2 Now also reported in December of 2017 that Missouri is in the “high-risk” category for deer-related car accidents.

Fall and winter are the worst seasons for this type of auto accident. It pays to be alert.  Deer just can’t read those “deer crossing” signs!  They don’t warn you of their presence, either. They are silent and swift but none too smart, apparently.

Unfortunately, the size of the beast causes a lot of body damage to a vehicle.  According to one auto insurance site, the average cost of deer-related car accident damage is about $4,000. Thankfully, these accidents cause very few deaths. Just stress, stress, and more stress!

When you’re tired and on your way home from work, put yourself on high alert. Dusk is just the time when the deer love to come out to feed. If your drive takes you past woods, farms, and fields, chances are even greater of a deer encounter!

Deer are social beings. Expect that when one deer appears, their family and friends are not far behind. I’ve counted at least eight deer leaping across the road in front of me in one incident. Fortunately, I’d been warned to expect a crowd! Even better, I’d seen the leader of the pack  in time to actually safely brake.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) says you should not swerve to avoid hitting a deer.  That’s the natural reaction for most folks. Instead, use your brakes!  Swerving creates huge problems, especially if there is oncoming traffic. A deer-related car accident that involves a second vehicle becomes much more complicated.

What happens if you don’t see a deer in time?

courtesy of the American Automobile Association (AAA)
  • Document your accident. If you think you have any insurance coverage, make sure you call the police. Take photos. Note the time, date, and place of the accident.
  • Don’t approach an injured deer. You could put yourself in harm’s way. Again, this is the time for a phone call. Police will dispatch someone to put the creature out of its misery.
  • If another vehicle was harmed due to your deer-related car accident, you absolutely must call the police. Again, document everything you can. Take plenty of pictures.
  • Take a deep breath and do a self-check. Any potential injuries? Did you hit your head? You may discover that you have whiplash symptoms hours later.  This is another reason to document your accident for insurance purposes.
  • Don’t drive your vehicle unless you are totally certain that it is safe to drive.
  • Call your car insurance company if you plan to make a claim.
  • IF you need to call your car insurance company, you may also need the services of a car accident attorney.

Why should you even consider calling a car accident lawyer?

Your car insurance company will seek to settle for the lowest acceptable pay-out.

You may discover you have long-term chronic pain in your neck or back as a result of your car accident. Sadly, chronic pain makes working a challenge and may even lead to job loss.

Attorney Nathan A. Steimel expertly handles car crash settlement cases in the greater St. Louis area. Book a free initial consultation today at 636-244-3737

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.