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Marijuana charges? Facing big time for a small crime?

BIG time for a small crime is a reality for the residents of Missouri!

“It’s a pattern I’ve seen over and over again!” Sweat poured down his ebony forehead as the elderly prison chaplain pumped his fist in the air.

“Young people in prison doing BIG time for a small crime. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time! They make a stupid mistake. Then they enter prison as a young person. Either they never leave, or they come back over and over again as a hardened criminal. It’s a life no one really wants!”

Maybe that’s you. Perhaps you are facing marijuana or drug charges in the state of Missouri. You simply had a joint in your possession. In a moment of weakness, you decided to sell the joint in your possession to a friend.

You thought you needed the money that badly. You arranged a meeting place, perhaps. What you didn’t pay attention to was that you were just around the corner from subsidized housing.

It’s one of the worst  possible places to get busted in Missouri! Life as you know it is about to be over. Why? Did you know that selling drugs within 2,000 feet of a school or subsidized housing is a Class A felony?  http://statelaws.findlaw.com/missouri-law/missouri-marijuana-laws.html

What does a Class A felony mean for you?

The minimum sentence is ten years in prison. You could be stuck there for a lifetime if the judge decides to throw the book at you.

You hopefully have plans for your life! At the very least you have hopes and dreams. Maybe you already have a family and home of your own.

Just imagine your friends and family spending the next ten years only seeing you in a prison jumpsuit when they find time to visit!

Possibly picture your children visiting you there! How will this affect their lives and their self-confidence?

Maybe you are facing smaller drug charges. Even a small marijuana possession charge carries serious, life-changing consequences for Missouri residents. Why?

Minimum prison sentences are mandatory in Missouri!

Say you have just an ounce of marijuana (cannabis) in your possession. That’s a pretty small amount. The minimum sentence is one year in prison! Three hundred and sixty-five looong days in the clink!

Try to picture yourself getting a decent job with a year of prison on your record. Most employers won’t even take a second look at your resume! NO job means practically no life. What a huge price to pay for a little bit of weed!

Now’s the time to own your mistakes and fight for the best possible outcome for your future. It’s your life and happiness at stake! You need a criminal defense lawyer today who cares about your tomorrows!

Nathan A. Steimel, an experienced Missouri criminal defense attorney, will give you a free initial consultation. You will get a fair evaluation of your likely outcome based on your charges. He will fight vigorously for your rights in court!

It’s only fair that a small crime should receive the least amount of time!

http://steimel-law.com/criminal-defense.html

Call The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC today to fight for your best possible future! (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.

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Drive to survive — even when your cell’s ringing!

Distracted driving has advanced with each new generation.

I once spoke to a small-town resident who spent most of his life in the same county.  “Harry” used to drive his farm wagon into town to deliver fresh produce.  Incredibly,  his horse knew the way home from his route. Harry could day-dream “behind the wheel”, so to speak.  He might have even munched on a stray carrot or strawberry left over from his route. No big deal when you’re limited to a horsepower of one, right?

Fast forward almost a century! (Yes, “Harry” was in nineties when I met him.) Our horsepower behind the wheel is at least 10x what it used to be!

When my brothers learned to drive, cell phones were  still a brand-new, space-age technology. That wasn’t the issue. Early work hours were. Hot oatmeal was still on the menu for breakfast.

Grab and go breakfast meant a tub of hot oatmeal.

Combine that with a newly-minted driver! Dad’s work truck ended up hitting and destroying a mailbox, post and all, due to one tub of hot oatmeal spilling in the driver’s lap.

Fortunately, the residents were understanding. No personal injury lawyers were needed. Just a handshake, a sincere apology, and some sweat to replace the post and mailbox repaired the damages.  No lives were injured or lost. We all counted our blessings!

How many of you eat and drive? Guilty hand raised here! I’m going estimate at least 95% of folks do.

Have you ever had an auto accident related to distracted driving? Did your burger and fries do more damage than just clogging your arteries? What about hot coffee? I’ve had a few close calls myself with that form of distracted driving.

Cell phones! Now there’s the major culprit in distracted driving. Some states ban hand-held cell usage altogether while driving.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety,  80% of drivers feel unsafe due to distracted drivers.  How many times have you been tempted to yell at a fellow driver, “Hang up the phone and drive!”?  More times than you can count, right?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving accounted for over 3, 000 deaths in 2015!

Worse yet, the distracted driving auto accident injuries are over the 300,000 mark!

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

Teens are especially vulnerable to distracted driving. Again, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety  conducted a study on teen drivers.  They found teens drive distracted about 25 % of the time.  We all need help!

3 simple ways to avoid causing a distracted driving car crash:

1.) Don’t allow your teen to use their cell phone while driving.  Check their phones regularly. You may have to become the phone Nazi, but saving lives is worth it!

2.) Set the example! Turn your own phone off or on vibrate. Maybe you really need to take a call? Operate hands-free only! Pull over if at all possible. Show your teen how responsible drivers operate.

3.) Limit food intake on the road! Who am I kidding? We’re all going to eat and drive. Our lives are just too busy not to.  At least forget that messy, drippy taco or the super-sized burger whlle driving.

Sometimes I wish we could return to the days of “Harry” and join him on his leisurely produce wagon deliveries.  No massive traffic, no cell phones, no angry drivers cutting you off in traffic, and almost no distracted drivers, right?

Maybe someone in your house has had an auto accident due to a distracted driver.  You need an experienced car crash attorney to help you pursue your best legal options.

http://steimel-law.com/traffic-matters.html

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC are here to help. Call (636)244-3737 for a free initial consulation 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

 

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Suffering chronic pain from a (even minor) car accident?

Maybe you were recently rear-ended in a minor car accident. Your car was only slightly damaged. But what about your body? 

The next day, perhaps you woke up with a sore neck or even lower back pain. Trip after trip to the doctor has sucked away your precious time and money.

“It’s just a soft tissue injury. Give it time.” Have you heard this?

Unfortunately, your insurance adjuster often considers a soft tissue injury as minor.  So might your doctor!

Weeks can turn into months of pain. Your medical coverage may run out. You can barely work or function around the house. Even worse, your injury is “invisible” to most.

“But you look SO good!” You may have heard these words from family, friends, and neighbors if you are suffering from chronic “invisible” pain. It’s just human nature to not believe what we cannot see.

Recently, a family member was told by a pain management doctor that his back pain was his friend. “Suffering is just part of the journey.”

Yeah, well! Let’s trade shoes for a week, shall we? Pain is a friend no one wants to keep!

Instead, listen to what one local chiropractor says about soft tissue injury.

“…soft tissue injury can result in chronic pain and limited mobility which can result in permanent disability.” (from the newsletter of Dr. Martin Schmaltz of Hazelwood, MO,  www.drmartinschmaltz.com)

Fortunately, you have these experts in soft tissue injury on your side. Your local chiropractor may be just the medical expert to see after even a minor car accident. They can help you in two ways!

1.) Documentation for your personal injury lawyer to help fight for insurance coverage

Chiropractors will help document soft tissue damage that may lead to chronic pain and disability. They take these injuries very seriously.

Records from your local chiropractor can be used to aid your personal injury lawyer to get the best possible coverage from your insurance company.

Partner with your local personal injury lawyer!  Ask about which chiropractor your car accident attorney recommends.

2.) Treatment for your soft tissue injury

Together your personal injury attorney and your chiropractor can possibly prevent a life of chronic pain and disability! Let’s get rid of that unwanted “friend”.

Have you been experiencing chronic pain over time due to a car crash?

Maybe you’ve already used up insurance coverage for a prior auto accident where you were not at fault. Perhaps you did not have an attorney’s help. You can still get a free initial consultation from a personal injury lawyer to see if there is any additional help or coverage possible.

At The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC, chronic pain from any sort of car accident or slip and fall is a serious matter. Attorney Steimel knows how chronic pain turns your life upside down. He will fight for your ability to get the treatment you need!

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-carcrash.html

NO money, no worries! You will pay no attorney fees unless a settlement is reached in your favor. 

Give The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC,  a call today for help with your accident-related chronic pain. (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.

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5 Open season safety tips (for pools and kids, that is)

 

Warm weather, sunshine, and outdoor pool time – sounds wonderful and innocent like childhood should be, right?

For one family I met, though, the backyard pool was covered with vines. It was a horrible, daily reminder of the tragic drowning loss of their three-year old daughter.  As a guest at their home, I could barely bring myself to look at it either!

It is surprising to learn, though, that “drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1-4,” according to Pool Safely.

Homepage

 

Let’s ask an important question here. What if that drowned child was your neighbor’s kid swimming in YOUR backyard pool?

A drowning tragedy is something you never want to experience in your family or your friends and neighbor’s families. The consequences could spiral – broken relationships and possible personal injury lawsuits being among them. Even a bad slip and fall injury at your family’s pool could really dampen the summer fun.

So here are a few basic “hello, there” reminders to help avoid injury or even death this summer. They may seem obvious, but sometimes the simplest steps are the best.

 

1) NEVER let children swim alone.

Truth! It’s not even a great idea for teens or adults to swim solo, but we do. Imagine the sick feeling we had when we learned a friend’s son drowned while swimming alone in the ocean! We like to think we’re invincible. In fact, life is so fragile.

Children should always swim with a responsible older person.  Make sure that person knows they are the designated child watcher, too.

 

2) FENCE, GATE, AND LOCK your pool.

If you can afford to maintain a pool, you can afford a fence with a gate and some sort of lock. Some districts require this of homeowners. You will never be sorry you had these safety measures in place.

We’ve all heard the tales of neighbor kids sneaking into a pool while the family was gone. It’s just too big of a temptation to resist for some kids! Hang a “NO Trespassing” sign, too, just to cover all your bases. You really do not want be held liable or start a neighborhood feud.

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-premisesliability.html 

3) Make sure your kids know how to swim!

Our family doesn’t own a pool. We’ve been kindly invited to spend time at a neighbor’s pool each summer. I always accept! Why? Teaching my child how to swim was on my top 10 life-skills list. It took multiple summers, but I’m the proud momma of an official swimmer now. The drowning risk is lessened!

4) Ban running around the pool perimeter. Really?

Think wet pavement. Think slip and fall accident. Think concussion, broken bones, or stitches. If you have a pool brimming with kids, you need some basic sanity rules. This is just one of a handful of rules you need.

5) Check/Install anti-entrapment drain covers AND cover your pool when not in use.

Kids and kittens do the craziest stunts! Just add water to create more drama. Extra precautions are more than wise. You may even save a life!

At The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC , we can help if you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident. Attorney Steimel is an experienced personal injury lawyer. Call for a free initial consultation 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.

 

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How to survive your teen learning to drive

Drive to Survive: why some driver’s ed for teens is a good idea

Do you have teens anxious to get behind the wheel? It’s a terrifying stage of parenthood for many folks.  When it is time for your teen to learn to drive, not only do you want full and proper insurance coverage, you want them to have mad driving skills. After all, there are a lot of crazies on the road!

So do you have what it takes to pass these survival skills along? Or do you need to hire a driver’s ed company? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

Am I a patient teacher? 

Equipping your teen to drive safely and avoid unnecessary auto accidents takes time, practice, and patience. Loads of patience! Are you ready for that?

Am I a good example?

Step back and take a long look at yourself.  What is your driving record like?

Do you have a history of at-fault car crashes?  Loads of speeding tickets?

Hopefully not a DUI on your record, right? If you’re not pretty clean, you should consider deferring to someone else to teach your teen.

Do I or my spouse have time to invest in hours of driver instruction?

You and I both know it’s a dangerous road out there. Not only does your teen have to deal with their own lack of driving experience, they will have  to deal with the reckless and sometimes dangerous driving of others. You will need to plan to spend many hours beside your teen as they drive in many  different situations and weather. (Just no tornado chasing, okay?)

Does your teen listen to you …fairly well?

Ah! There’s the rub for a number of parents. If your teen constantly tunes you out, teaching them to drive is likely to make these issues worse. You need to know your teen will listen fairly well as you give driving instructions. Patiently, of course!

How well do you know the traffic laws? 

Many of us could use a refresher course, right? Things change over the years.

Some of us, well, know family members or friends we wish we could send to driving school.

Of course, this is no excuse to shuffle the job to someone else. Get the Driver’s Handbook out and review! You could make it a trivia game with your teen.

Is your child’s life worth the risk?

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among teens aged 16-19! Honestly, considering all the distractions available to drivers today, that’s not too surprising. You want to do your best to protect them against a tragic car accident!

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html

Actually, the best option is parental training and a driver’s ed class. 

After all, you are the person who cares the most for your child’s well-being,  right?

Pick the safest parent teacher. You get a refresher course in defensive  driving as you teach your teen what you know.

You’ve lived this long already! Your experience really does count.

Happily, whatever they learn from you is  reinforced by an outside authority.  That way it’s not just what Dad and Mom say.  Your teen may even end up being impressed with your driver savvy. If not,  it’s time to take  them out go-cart racing!

Good news! If you pay for defensive driving classes, you can save on your teen’s auto insurance. 

While driver’s ed is not mandatory in the state of Missouri , defensive driving classes do save you money in the long run. Most insurance companies will offer a 5% to 15% discount for certified completion of defensive driving or even an online driving class.

https://www.dmv.com/mo/missouri/drivers-ed

At The Law Offices of Nathan Steimel, LLC,  we think defensive driving safety is important! It’s like eating healthy food, exercising, and getting  your regular check-ups. 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Knowledge and practice! That’s what it takes to build a safe driving experience for your teen. If you or your teen should end up in an auto accident, you can protect your legal rights by calling our car crash attorneys at (636)244-3737.

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury.html

 

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.

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What you don’t know about a DUI could RUIN your weekend and more…

What you didn’t know about a DUI could ruin your weekend!

Graduations, weddings, Memorial Day weekend — there’s a lot of
reasons to party just around the corner. You work hard to be free
to enjoy your weekends, right?

There’s a lot to celebrate, too, with winter behind us.

So don’t let one too many celebratory beers ruin your weekend
plans, especially if you already have a DUI on your record.

Here’s what could happen. Say you’re on your way home from
that great barbecue. You see the flashing lights behind you. You
weren’t even speeding! What!? Maybe a tail light was out?

Suddenly you remember you had more than one drink at that
barbecue. You’re not drunk. But that won’t matter if your BAC
(blood alcohol content) is above .08!

Not only do you stand to have your license suspended, you may end up paying $400 hard-earned dollars to lose your weekend! Yes. You will most likely be required to attend a Weekend Intervention Program, described as a “marathon weekend of structured activities.”

http://www.modwi.com/SATOP-WIP.asp

And yes, you will have to pay for it out of your pocket. There are
surely fifty other ways you would love to spend $400!
The program is 48 consecutive hours long, designed to make you
“feel the heat”.

Now that’s not a wonderful summer’s heat. While
your friends are out enjoying the next celebration, you will be in
the hot seat.

There’s more bad news. This weekend intervention program is
just the beginning, depending on your record. You will be evaluated for your ongoing need for counseling. Try to fit that in while working a 9 to 5 job!

Without legal help for a second DUI you are also very likely to lose
your driver’s license in the state of Missouri.

http://dor.mo.gov/drivers/RDP_alcohol.php

How are you going to get to work? Pay the bills?
Even worse, you will have to jump through some serious hoops to
get your driver’s license reinstated. Not fun explaining that to
your boss.

Imagine having to bum a daily ride off of friends and family for an
entire year. I helped a friend one summer who lost her license for
three months. It was so humiliating for her, just trying to get to work or get her children to where they needed to be.

With this heap of trouble, no one’s going to be celebrating!

You need a lawyer who cares about your future.

You need an experienced DUI lawyer whose fees will not bankrupt you while he defends you in court. The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC, are here to help.

http://steimel-law.com/dwi.html

With many years of experience defending DUI under his belt,
Attorney Steimel is very good at evaluating your case. He will let
you know honestly what he thinks the outcome will be.

He will vigorously fight for your rights in court.

You have much more to lose than your weekend! Your good name and your driving privileges are on the line if you are facing a DUI.

You have too much at stake! So pick up the phone and call a caring, local DUI lawyer in Missouri for a free consultation today. The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC,  are here to help! (636)244-3737. Check us out on the web at: http://steimel-law.com

 

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.

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Help for your uninsured auto accident nightmare!

Facing an uninsured motorist car accident claim? Here’s why you need legal help.

You know Missouri law requires every driver to have liability insurance. In case of an accident, you take care of your neighbor, right? You also do your best to protect yourself and those you love from harm.

Just because you have proper coverage doesn’t mean your fellow Missouri drivers do.

Sad but true – many people have purchased no coverage at all! Uninsured and underinsured drivers are a real problem.

If you’ve ever been in an auto accident with an uninsured motorist at fault, you know it’s a major headache. Your bad day just got a whole lot worse when you learn that the at-fault driver is not properly insured.

Spending hours on the phone with insurance companies is not fun. Sorry to say, that may be just the beginning of your nightmare if injuries and medical bills are involved.

If one little detail gets messed up in the system, it can days or even weeks to get coverage detangled! When you need ongoing medical care, that’s an added stress you don’t want to deal with.

So how does uninsured motorist coverage actually help you in the event of a car crash?

Uninsured motorist coverage steps in to fill the gap left by the negligent uninsured/underinsured driver. It’s designed to provide coverage to the injured driver up to the uninsured motorists’ limits.

Hit and run accidents are covered by uninsured motorist coverage in the state of Missouri.

Some states unhappily require the uninsured motorist vehicle to have contact with the insured vehicle. Have you ever been run off the road by a speedy driver swerving in and out of traffic?

Thankfully for Missouri residents, if another uninsured driver’s negligence caused your auto accident, you are likely to be eligible for uninsured motorist coverage.

Did debris or equipment left in the road by another vehicle cause your car accident? Even if the negligent vehicle is no longer on the scene, you could still be eligible for uninsured motorist coverage.

This coverage sometimes even applies in situations where an unknown driver “waves out” another vehicle into traffic causing a crash.

How do you claim uninsured motorist coverage if you or your vehicle is damaged by an uninsured driver?

You actually have to bring a claim against your own insurance! That’s what you’ve paid for, right? Whether following a hit and run, a “wave out” crash, or any crash or accident with an uninsured driver, it’s the injured driver’s responsibility to pursue a claim.

Guess what? Your insurance company isn’t going to like this.

Not surprisingly, the insurance will begin looking for ways to blame the insured for comparative fault. Equally unfair and alarming, your insurance company may begin seeking ways to reduce or minimize damages from the time the claim is initially reported.

This is exactly why you need an expert uninsured motorist attorney to represent you!

Our St. Charles and St. Louis car accident lawyers will fight for you to insure the crash investigation is fair.

We will contact witnesses. We will review the police reports.

Most importantly, we will advise you of your rights and communicate with the insurance company on your behalf. Yes! We will handle those frustrating, time-consuming phone calls.

The best news is NO fees unless we recover for your injuries!

We will maximize your claim recovery money for your benefit, not just to line our pockets. We think your rights matter,  not just the big insurance companies’ rights.

So, don’t face your uninsured auto accident nightmare alone!

Pick up the phone today and call The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC at (636)244-3737. You can also check us out at http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-carcrash.html

You need an experienced uninsured motorist lawyer at your side to fight for your rights!

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.