Southeast Missouri Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Here at Aaron Sachs and Associates, our car accident lawyers are pleased to partner with KFVS12 for the upcoming Heartland Winter Blood Drive on January 10 to January 12, 2013. At this time of year, the American Red Cross typically sees a drop in blood donations because of factors like holiday travel, poor weather conditions and seasonal illness. All blood types are needed, so we'd like to encourage our readers in southeastern Missouri to come out and donate blood. While supplies last, donors will receive a Red Cross T-shirt and a $3.00 Subway gift card.

KFVS blood drive: How you can help

Call 1-800-RED-CROSS to schedule an appointment to give blood on January 10 (2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.), January 11 (2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.), or January 12 (10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) at any of these participating locations:

• Sikeston: Factory Outlet Mall
• Poplar Bluff: First United Methodist Church
• Cape Girardeau: West Park Mall
• Dexter: Fraternal Order of Eagles
• Perryville: Perry Park Center Gym
• Marion, IL: Illinois Star Centre Mall
• Carbondale. IL: University Mall

What you'll need:

• A blood donor card and driver's license (or two other forms of identification) are required to check in.

• Donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in reasonably good health. (Note: High school students and donors age 18 and younger must meet specific height and weight requirements.)

• Donating blood involves four basic steps: registration; medical history and mini-physical; donation; and refreshments. Any information you give the Red Cross during the donation process is confidential.

Continue reading "Support the KFVS12 Heartland Winter Blood Drive, Jan. 10-12" »

On Friday, a Butler County school bus driver was arrested on an outstanding warrant during a traffic stop that happened as he transported the Poplar Bluff varsity soccer team to an Illinois game. According to the Southeast Missourian, 33 year-old Bobby Joe Tippit was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 57 near the Missouri - Illinois border, as the bus was en route to Anna-Jonesboro Community High School in Anna, IL. The speed limit on I-57 is 70 in Missouri, but it drops to 65 in Illinois. Tippit was reportedly driving 75 miles per hour when he was stopped.

The Pulaski County Sheriff's Department, the officer who stopped Tippit discovered an outstanding warrant for failure to appear on a charge of drug paraphernalia possession. The warrant came from the mid-2000s, the Missourian reports, and it was issued in DuPage County, which is near Chicago. Tippit was taken into custody and remains incarcerated at the Tri-County Justice and Detention Center. His bond has been set at $6,000.

Law enforcement officials report that Tippit was cooperative and that he expressed concerns about the students on the bus. The Poplar Bluff soccer team waited with an assistant coach, and the Anna-Jonesboro school district sent another driver to retrieve the team. Poplar Bluff then sent a driver to Anna to bring the students back home.

Chris Hon, superintendent of Poplar Bluff Public Schools, says Tippit's warrant did not show up on the fingerprint background check that is required of all newly hired employees in the district. Hon says the district will investigate how the omission occurred. WSIL TV in southern Illinois reports that Tippit since has been fired. It's unclear how long he had worked for the district.

In Missouri school districts, effective 2005, bus drivers must pass a drug test and a background check before they are hired. Also, they must obtain a school bus endorsement on a commercial driver's license (CDL), which requires a separate written exam and driving test. Missouri law says that "No person shall operate any school bus owned by or under contract with a public school or the state board of education unless such driver has qualified for a school bus (S) endorsement and complied with the pertinent rules and regulations of the Department of Revenue." (Section 302.272, RSMo). Along with the CDL, the school bus endorsement must be renewed every six years for drivers under age 70 - drivers over 70 must renew their licenses annually.

Hon says Tippit met all of the applicable state requirements before he went to work for the district.

Continue reading "Poplar Bluff bus driver pulled over, arrested while transporting varsity soccer team" »

Recently, a 2 year-old Missouri boy was saved from drowning by a political candidate who just happened to be knocking on his front door. It happened in St. Charles County: according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, an O'Fallon parent had stepped inside his home for a moment, and when he returned, he found his young son unresponsive in a small rubber swimming pool. Luckily, just about then, state representative candidate Rod Hoffman approached the family's front door, and heard a scream. Hoffman ran to assist the child and immediately performed CPR. The boy survived and has since been released from the hospital.

Hoffman, a former assistant principal, said his former employer required CPR training. "I would sit in those meetings, and it would be pretty much the same stuff over and over, but I'm glad they made me go," he told the Dispatch. "I recall a couple of instances in the last four or five years that a co-worker, teacher or administrator saved a kid or two from choking. It has paid big dividends."

Drownings are the number one cause of injury deaths for children age 4 and younger. Every single day, at least three children die because of drowning. What's more, there are roughly 7.1 million children under age 16 who visit the emergency room each year for various injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a majority of child injuries are unintentional, like suffocation, burns, ingestion of harmful substances.

There are nearly 450 children under the age of 20 that are treated in emergency rooms for burns every day. Of these incidents, roughly two die every day. Young children oftentimes acquire these injuries because of steam or hot liquids, while older children experience more of the burns as a result of direct contact with fire.

Children are also commonly injured in non-fatal accidents like falls. This type of accident is the number one cause of non-fatal injuries for those under the age of 20. There are approximately 8,000 children sent to emergency rooms in the U.S. for fall-related injuries every day - which means roughly 2.08 million kids are treated every single year.

Finally, it's prudent for parents to monitor their children's access to dangerous chemicals.Children can be poisoned from a number of products, not just marked products in your home. The most common dangerous chemicals that your child can be exposed to are medicines and household cleaners. Nearly 400 children under age 19 are taken to emergency rooms every day. About two children die every day from unintentional poisoning.

Continue reading "Preventing Child Injuries in Kennett: Drowning, Burns, Poisoning too Common" »

Carl Kinnison, former Cape Girardeau Chief of Police, will serve as the new director of Southeast Missouri State University's Law Enforcement. KFVS reports that Kinnison, who retired from the police department on July 31, will also teach criminal justice and sociology courses at the university. At present, Assistant Chief Roger Fields has been named interim chief, and he will serve the department while the city searches for Kinnison's replacement.

Kinnison spent 33 years with the Cape police department, serving the last seven years as its Chief. During his tenure, he made auto accident prevention a priority. Last year, Kinnison discussed the hiring of two additional officers in an interview with the Southeast Missourian, and he said the move was made in response to an increasing number of Cape crashes. "Our goal, our mission in life, is to keep those numbers down, and, more importantly, injuries and fatalities down," he said. "That's what we're trying to do."

In 2007, budgetary restraints caused city leaders to reduce police funding. This in turn forced the Cape Girardeau PD to eliminate two positions in the department's traffic division. Kinnison maintained that fewer traffic officers meant fewer tickets issued, which ultimately caused an increase in crashes: between 2007 and 2010, the number of traffic citations steadily declined, while the number of traffic accidents, including fatal car crashes, increased. In 2011, after reviewing Kinnison's data, the Cape Girardeau City Council restored funding to the police department, which allowed the department to hire the new officers.

Is there a connection between traffic citations and auto accidents?

On the surface, a decline in traffic citations might appear to be a good thing. After all, no one likes to get a ticket. In an ideal world, a drop in the number of tickets issued would simply mean that fewer drivers were breaking traffic laws. But in Cape, the numbers told a different story. In 2006, Cape Girardeau police officers issued 8,900 traffic citations. In 2010, they issued 5,587. Over roughly the same time period, traffic accidents rose by 4.5%.

Continue reading "Cape police chief retires from department; accepts position as director of SEMO's Law Enforcement Academy" »

As the weather warms up and more drivers hit the road to enjoy the summer travel season, poorly maintained tires can pose an increased threat to Missouri motorists. Your vehicle's tires might be increasing your chances of being involved in a car accident in Jackson, Perryville, Kennett or any of the surrounding Missouri areas.

"Tire care, while important throughout the year, is especially critical in warm weather because long trips, heavy loads, high speeds and higher temperatures all put additional stress on your tires," reports The Weather Channel. Indeed, that additional stress can cause a sudden blowout, a "bursting tire accompanied by a rapid loss of air pressure." When blowouts happen - and particularly, when they happen on highways - they can create ideal conditions for a serious or even fatal accident.

Last summer, the U.S. Department of Transportation released a consumer advisory urging all motorists to ensure that their tires are properly inflated and there are no severe signs of tread wear and damage. Given the unseasonably warm temperatures we've already experienced this year, we can expect to see another hot Missouri summer in 2012.

"As the weather warms up, it's especially important for drivers to ensure their tires are properly inflated," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in 2011. "For your safety and the safety of others on the road, inspect your tires regularly and maintain the proper inflation."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that about 3,400 people died in tire-related accidents between 2005 and 2009. An estimated 1,166,000 motorists were injured in these incidents.

"While it's true improperly maintained tires can contribute to a crash at any time of year, it is particularly critical for motorists to check tires during hot weather, when families and luggage often overload vehicles for long vacation trips," NHTSA Administrator David Strickland warned. "Underinflated tires spinning on hot asphalt for extended periods of time can be a recipe for disaster."

Continue reading "Are Your Vehicle's Tires Ready for Summertime in Missouri?" »

The Cape Girardeau, Missouri car accident attorneys are always happy to support initiatives that advocate roadway safety, especially for young adults and teenagers. So we were pleased to hear about a contest sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation and Scholastic. The 3rd Annual Drive2Life PSA Contest is looking for a student-submitted public service announcement (PSA) covering a topic that's especially important to our lawyers: the dangers of distracted driving. The winner of the contest will receive a $1000 prize, plus an expense-paid trip to New York to collaborate with a professional film director and make the PSA a reality. The chosen PSA will air next May nationwide, in honor of Global Youth Traffic Safety Month.

Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic, feels that the contest serves an important purpose: "The Drive2Life PSA Contest is a great way for students to get creative and let their voices be heard in the dialogue about the dangers of distracted driving," Alexander said. Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, agrees: "Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on our roadways, and teens are the most at risk," LaHood said. "It's critically important that young drivers get the message that even one text or call could have devastating consequences."

The contest is open to students in grades 6-12. Students should submit a distracted driving concept in the form of scripts, storyboards, or treatments, for a PSA that will last between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Video entries, or entries submitted by a group, will not be accepted.

In addition to appearing online and in various newscasts, the winning PSA will be broadcast on over 220 stations during Teen Kids News, a popular nationally-syndicated program for young adults. Additionally, Scholastic's classroom magazines, used by nearly 40,000 teachers and more than 3 million students, will feature the winner in a profile. Judges will also select two runners-up in each grade category (6-8, 9-12) to receive $500 prizes.

The deadline for entries is February 29. To find entry forms, complete rules, and additional information about the contest, visit the National Road Safety Foundation or Scholastic online. On their contest pages, you can also look at sample scripts, storyboards, and submissions from past winners.

Continue reading "Drive2Life PSA Contest for Teens Aims to Raise Awareness About Distracted Driving Accidents in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and Elsewhere" »

Traditionally Labor Day Weekend is the last hurrah before summer ends. Everybody wants one last camping trip and one last weekend at the lake. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler and this means summer is almost over. In southeast Missouri, Labor Day Weekend also means an increase in traffic accidents and it means an increase in boat accidents. The southeast Missouri boat accident lawyers have a few tips to help you enjoy your last summer weekend on the water.

Missouri Water Patrol Safety Tips
Missouri Water Patrol, a branch of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, advised that they will have extra patrols both on the highways and on the water for this Labor Day weekend. A spokesperson for the Missouri Water Patrol advised that you should "Think before you drink." That is a good motto to help keep both Missouri roadways and waterways free of potential traffic accidents and boat accidents.

More Safety Tips from Missouri Water Patrol

• Have a designated skipper. Driving a boat is a serious responsibility, do it sober.


• Be prepared for sobriety check points. Drink responsibly and use a designated spotter too.


• Make sure you have enough life jackets and they are the right size and the correct design for your use.


• Wear a life jacket while you are on the docks. People underestimate how easy it is to fall into the water and how hard it is to get back out.


• Follow all water traffic rules.


• Keep license, registration, proof of insurance and water safety certificate in the boat with you.


• Use a flag and a spotter when people are in the water.

Anyone born after January 1, 1984 must successfully complete a water safety course to legally operate a boat, personal water craft, or other vessel on Missouri lakes. But it is also a great idea for safety's sake and for better enjoyment when you are on the water. So we encourage you to take a boat safety course to refresh your knowledge and improve your safety on a Missouri water way.

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Continue reading "Follow Missouri Water Patrol Safety Tips to Cape Giradeau Area to Avoid a Boat Accident as You Enjoy Labor Day Weekend" »

The Cape Girardeau Law Firm of Aaron Sachs & Associates, P.C. in partnership with TV station KFVS 12, is proud to sponsor The Heartland's Best Teachers for the second year in a row.

A banquet of recognition for the selected teachers will take place this Saturday, June 4, starting at 11:30 a.m. The University Center of Southeast Missouri State University will be the location of the banquet. Banterra Bank is another one of the sponsors.

Heartland's Best Teachers is an annual event for KFVS 12.They seek to honor those teachers who go "above and beyond" to our state's children. Each year at the banquet, many local valedictorians speak of the impact that "special teacher" made on their lives. Poplar Bluff Personal Injury Lawyers know that most of these teachers never get the praise or recognition that they deserve, which is why we are so proud to be a part of this wonderful annual event.

The Cape Girardeau car accident lawyers at the Aaron Sachs Law Firm have a special place in their hearts for the children of Missouri as well, and frequently participate in community service programs involving children, such as their ongoing bicycle helmet giveaway.

Cape Girardeau Personal Injury Attorneys Invite You to Meet Heartland's Best Teachers for 2011...

Andrea Stanfield -- Gideon Elementary, Gideon
Beverly Claybrooks -- Fulton Co. Elementary, Hickman
Misty Wiseman -- Oak Grove, Poplar Bluff
Roger McCaghron -- Qulin Middle, Qulin
Fran Wachter -- Creal Springs, Creal Springs
Stephanie Bristow -- Malden Elementary, Malden
Gena Karnes -- Concord Elementary, Concord
Marie McMillen -- South Marshall Middle, Benton Ky.
Mary Kutz -- St. Vincent High, Perryville
Angela Gordon - Egyptian, Tamms
Nicole LaRue -- Ste. Genevieve Middle, Ste. Genevieve
Tammy Fulenwider -- Woodland R-IV, Marble Hill

Continue reading "Cape Girardeau Missouri Personal Injury Law Firm and Station KFVS 12 Co-sponsor "Heartland's Best Teachers" " »