Personal Injury Law

Head-On Crash Kills Both Drivers in Jefferson County

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

Danial Patton, 58, and Ronald Bieser, 59, were killed when the vehicles they were driving collided Wednesday evening on Highway 21 near De Soto, the Missouri Highway Patrol said.

According to the crash report, Patton?s 1994 Dodge Van was heading south when it crossed the center line, sideswiped a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu, and struck Bieser?s northbound 1990 Chevrolet 1500 head-on.

Patton?s vehicle spun to a stop on the highway while Bieser?s ran off the roadway, overturned, and Bieser was partially thrown from the driver?s side window. The Malibu spun across the center line, but did not impact any other vehicles or overturn, according to the highway patrol.

Patton was airlifted to Jefferson Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead around 8 p.m. Bieser was pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics. The driver of the Malibu, Henry Deibel, 80, was uninjured, according to the crash report.

Neither Patton or Bieser was wearing a seatbelt.

The investigating officer said Patton was driving his vehicle without insurance. Under Missouri law, all insurance plans (even liability only plans) come with uninsured motorist coverage which must provide at least $25,000 of coverage per person. Often insurance plans will not state that uninsured motorist coverage (UM) is included. This is a sneaky, unfair and borderline fraudulent trick most all insurance companies play on their insureds, hoping a claim will never be made. UM coverage typically is written for the same amount of liability coverage carried by the insured. This coverage allows drivers to file a claim against their own insurance company to pay compensation for bodily injury or death resulting from an accident caused by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver.

There is a Statute of Limitations that applies when filing uninsured motorist claims so it is important for anybody involved in such a crash to contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

Since two drivers were killed in this accident, an accident reconstruction will be performed by the Missouri Highway Patrol. This investigation will examine tire skid marks, debris placement and other factors to determine the specifics of the crash and which drivers were at fault.

The Bradley Law Firm has over 30 years of experience in handling insurance claims. If you have questions regarding your insurance coverage, Contact us today for free consultation.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on June 19, 2008 (boomark / email).