2016 was the deadliest year on U.S. highways and roads since 2007. Almost 40,000 people lost their lives in car accidents in 2016.

That raises an interesting question—Where do most fatalities occur? On average, more accident fatalities happen on interstates, highways, and urban/city streets than in rural areas. This makes sense when you consider the fact that city areas and highways usually see far more traffic. City streets also see foot and bicycle traffic which can add to the potential for collisions.

One of the most common questions we receive at the Law Office of Mike Campbell is how our attorney’s fees are handled. Personal injury attorneys handle fees differently than most other types of lawyers. This blog contains answers to some of the questions we receive about our fees and the costs of filing a personal injury claim at our firm.

Note: Keep in mind that this blog is written from the perspective of our attorneys. Other personal injury firms may handle fees differently than noted below.

If you’ve been in a car accident in Missouri, you might be wondering what your first course of action should be. It may seem unnecessary to contact the police if the crash seems fairly minor– especially if you’re not seriously injured. You should always call the police if a car accident happens and request that they make a report, however. Doing so is the best way to ensure everyone gets the medical care they need and that you’re protected legally.

You should never think about leaving the scene of an accident. You or the other driver can be cited for leaving the scene of an accident without notifying the police. Also, your own insurance company may have specific provisions that require you to make a police report. This is particularly true if the other driver fled the scene. If you have to make a claim with your own insurance through underinsurance, most policies require you to make a police report immediately! Additionally, one of the first things we are asked for by the other side’s insurance company is a copy of a police report.

If you’re thinking about contacting a personal injury lawyer for an accident you were injured in, you likely have some questions. One of the most common questions potential clients have at our law firm is the question regarding the initial case consultation. Many potential clients wonder about the costs for a consultation, what will happen during the consultation itself, and what determines whether or not a case is accepted.

At the Law Office of Mike Campbell, we believe in being honest and upfront with our clients at all times during the process of filing an injury claim. Here is some information you may find useful if you choose to contact our firm for an initial case evaluation:

After a car crash, you start the claim process so you can get compensation for the accident. You’ll have to speak with the other party involved in the accident and your insurance company. One of the main factors with compensation is finding who was responsible for the accident. In some cases, the responsible party may own up to their mistake and admit fault outright. Others who were clearly in the wrong could insist that the accident wasn’t their fault. There may be a few circumstances where one person wasn’t completely at fault and the accident happened because of both parties’ actions.

The car accident fault laws vary from state to state. It’s important to know yours so you’re informed about how your car accident claim will work. If you’ve been in a car accident, the Law Office of Mike Campbell can help. A Missouri car accident lawyer will listen to your case and do everything possible to get you a favorable settlement.

Missouri has a new expungement law going into effect this January. It allows people to get convictions expunged from their criminal record. The time people have to wait to apply for expungement has been reduced, too. This will open a lot of doors for people who might not have been able to get a job, housing, get a loan, or volunteer their time because of a previous conviction.

Applying to have convictions expunged from your record can be overwhelming to take on alone. You need a Columbia criminal defense lawyer that you can depend on. The Law Office of Mike Campbell is ready to help you fight for your rights. We’ll make sure you’re meeting the requirements to get convictions expunged from your record.

If you were the victim of a violent crime in Missouri and have filed a case against your offender, you may be in a position where you feel helpless. Information and updates can be hard to come by and the hours, days, and weeks can seem to crawl by as you wait to find out how the case resolved. Luckily, there are ways in which you can track the offender’s case yourself. We’re going to tell you about those options today.

If you want to track an offender’s case as it moves its way through the criminal justice system in Missouri, you have two options: Vinelink and Missouri Case Net. Beyond working with the prosecutor or with the victim’s advocate, you can use these online options to track a case and keep notified of case updates.

The Missouri Crime Victim’s Compensation Program is designed to financially assist victims who have sustained bodily or psychological injury in paying for reasonable medical expenses, counseling expenses, funeral expenses, and lost wages or loss of support after experiencing a violent crime. To apply for this compensation, victims need to fill out an application. Here is some information about the application process and how eligibility is determined:

The first thing you’ll need to know is that the application must be filed with the office within two (2) years of the crime date, or in cases involving persons under 18, within two (2) years of discovery. The term “discovery” here refers to the date when the event occurred or in the case of a loved one whose life was lost, the date the event was discovered.

It’s no secret that when it comes to education, entrepreneurship, and industry, those of us who live and work in Columbia, Missouri know how to get down to business. That being said, we also know how to party. Stroll the streets of downtown Columbia during a major holiday or Mizzou sports weekend, and you can definitely see the alcohol flowing freely. Though our law enforcement has made great strides in the past several years in reducing the number of drunk driving fatalities and arrests, we still have a long way to go to get that number down to zero.

On a national level, there were nearly 10,000 alcohol related driving fatalities in 2014. 205 of these occurred in Missouri, ranking us in the top 10 for drunk driving for that particular year. Add these statistics to our extremely low beer and wine taxes (2nd and 3rd lowest in the nation, respectively) and you have a toxic brew.

Teenagers who can drive often have reckless driving behaviors. They’re most likely to drink and drive, or drive without wearing a seatbelt. About 6,000 teens die in car accidents each year, and teenagers are more likely to crash when other teenagers are in the car.

In an effort to reduce these numbers, teenagers in most states have a curfew until they can get their senior driver’s license. A study from UT Dallas found that teenage curfews reduce car accidents and teenage crimes.