Blog

Although many of the restrictions surround the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic have been lifted, that doesn’t make the virus or any other kind of disease go away. Even if it’s a small case or laryngitis, it’s important to...

Although you may not have seen it in your workplace, the reality is that workers in Columbia get injured while on the job every single day. From broken bones to ringing ears and everything in between, there...

Whether it’s a minor scratch or a broken leg, any incident that leads to an injury in the workplace must be reported through the proper channels. Even incidents that resulted with no injuries should be reported if...

While it is true that you can get injured on the job regardless of your industry or position, there are certain groups of people who are particularly at-risk to getting hurt in the workplace. Perhaps one of...

There seem to be a million different ways of getting yourself hurt in the world, and this is especially true in the workplace. From lacerations to broken bones, people get hurt at work every single day. Not...

No matter what you do or where you work, there are probably at least a couple safety hazards in your workplace. For some people, working in potentially hazardous conditions is an everyday occurrence. Typically, employers will put...

Although it feels tedious and draining, there are several hoops that every person must jump through when going through the workers’ compensation process. If you want your injuries and lost wages covered, you are required to navigate...

Throughout the long and difficult process of having your medical expenses paid by workers’ compensation, you will likely hear a lot of words and phrases thrown around. So many, you might notice, that many of them are...

There are very few instances where hitting another person is acceptable. Most of the time, attacking another person will very quickly land you an assault charge. Due to the violent nature of an assault charge, these kinds...

Although it is unfortunate, the truth is that a lot of workers’ compensation cases end with the injured person not receiving the benefits they need. This is partially because of the workers’ compensation process. It is, after...

In the state of Missouri, we have many avenues to help people who commit crimes. Not every conviction needs to end in incarceration, and for many Americans, this is the case. The Bureau of Justice Statistics finds...

We have long since passed the winter solstice, and the days are slowly but surely getting longer. Even still, the sun will continue to set relatively early in the evening until we’re well into spring. The lack...

Workplace safety should always be the top priority of any employer, no matter what industry they’re in. Whether your place of work is a field, a warehouse, a restaurant, or an office, there are rules and regulations...

If you’re of legal drinking age, you know well that drinking alcohol causes a lot of changes to a person. Not only do they typically act in a different way, but drunk people also will experience a...

Although we missed the opportunity for a white Christmas, the winter weather has hit Columbia hard and fast. For many people, this influx of snow does not put their lives on pause. Many Columbia residents still need...

We all know that the holiday season is a stressful time for everyone, both young and old. This is especially true to drivers during Christmas time. It’s a well-documented phenomenon that the United States experiences a huge...

During this time of year, we typically see car accidents happen due to poor lighting, winter weather conditions, or roads deteriorating due to ice and slush. There is a lot that can go wrong in a car...

When a car accident happens in or near Columbia, there are a multitude of factors that go into that accident. Many times, very preventable occurrences were involved in the accident and may have even been the reason...

New Year’s Eve celebrations were in full swing in Columbia, as people all across town watched the ball drop and welcomed in 2024. Many people spent their evening at parties or in bars, drinking, eating, and celebrating,...

Whether we like to admit it or not, almost everyone has driven faster than the speed limit allows. It’s also very likely that you’ve received a speeding ticket because of this behavior. Research reports that nearly one...

No one is truly safe on the road, nor are they immune to being involved in a car accident. The fact of the matter is that car crashes happen every day, and many of them are fatal....

Perhaps it is simply a consequence of living in a state where the primary form of transportation are cars, but car accidents happen every single day in Missouri. What’s worse, the state has noticed a rise in...

Ever since 2019, the state of Missouri has seen a concerning trend in the number of fatal car accidents. In 2023, the Missouri State Highway Patrol has been working hard in the hopes that this trend ends...

 As we’ve discussed before, Thanksgiving can be one of the deadliest times to drive in the United States. In Missouri, it can be particularly rough. Data pulled from FASS (the Fatality Analysis Reporting System), Missouri is actually...

For many Columbia residents, the weekend of Veterans Day is meant to celebrate our service members, both past and present. Many people hold barbecues and parties to celebrate their family members who served in the military. For...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, where we all come together to celebrate the end-of-year festivities. There will certainly be good food and plenty of alcohol in everyone’s future. Just because you’re cutting loose, however,...

Although driving in a vehicle feels like a part of everyday life in Columbia, there is so much that can go wrong in such a short amount of time. The fact of the matter is that car...

Legal proceedings are, if anything, lengthy. Sometimes it can take months of even years to reach a conclusion or decision, but these proceedings have a purpose. This gives everyone involved the chance to fully explore and understand...

Fatal car crashes are terrible tragedies, and they’re unfortunately incredibly common. In 2021 alone, Missouri experienced 117 pedestrian deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. There are many factors that go into how an accident...

Although it doesn’t happen often, the Columbia Police Department has the ability to temporarily close streets or neighborhoods within the city. It might seem like an inconvenience at first, but most of the time it is to...

With the holiday season in full swing, people will be traveling, above all else. As a matter of fact, the United States sees a drastic spike in car accidents around every major US holiday. This is largely...

As we transition to winter months, it’s more important than ever to avoid distractions while driving. In winter months, the sun goes down sooner and sooner with each passing day, just as the days get colder and...

There’s so much to enjoy about the holidays, and certainly there’s plenty to love about Thanksgiving. Whether your gathering is big or small, it’s a time to come together with your family, express your gratitude for the...

November is possibly Columbia’s favorite month of the year! Tailgating season is in full swing. Before packing up the hot dogs and the cooler, however, it’s important to make sure you and your party have safe, responsible...

Anyone traveling in Boone County on Friday, October 13 might have noticed that Highway 124 was closed for about an hour and a half. This was not due to maintenance or construction, however. An accident occurred that...

When we imagine the kinds of accidents that lead to a workers’ compensation case, we often think of things like slipping on a slick floor or lifting an object that was too heavy. Physical injuries are certainly...

College is supposed to be a time of growth and opportunity, where young minds come together to learn the skills they need to succeed. There is, naturally, also plenty of time for wild nights out and crazy...

October might be the month for horror and Halloween, but no one wants to have to deal with the horror of dangerous pathogens in your workplace. Unfortunately for the firefighters in the Columbia Fire Department, they may...

The road to receiving workers’ compensation can be rough and long, and if you fail to take the right steps, your work comp claim could very easily be denied. It could be because you failed to report...

People get hurt in the workplace every day, in every industry. Workers’ compensation is meant to act as a safety net, so that you do not have to worry about lost wages and medical expenses after getting...

Everyone knows someone who has strained their back lifting a heavy box or snagged by a letter opener at work. Workplace injuries happen nearly every day, and although many of them result with no incident, a large...

Busy and well-traveled roads might seem like a safe option when traveling, but car accidents are just as likely to occur there as a poorly lit, two-lane road. If anything, the increase of drivers and the sometimes-unpredictable...

Regardless of what industry you work in or the nature of your accident, an injury in the workplace is always a serious matter. Last year alone, the state of Missouri experienced 91,724 workplace-related injury incidents. When an...

Recently, in Randolph County, MO, the North Missouri Drug Task Force made a major bust when they executed search warrants in the Higbee area. After a multi-year investigation, they arrested three individuals and seized over 6 pounds...

Automobile accidents are unfortunately all too common, and when they occur, the consequences typically involve injuries and sometimes death. One such recent accident occurred in Morgan County, MO on January 29th, which resulted in the death of...

An accident on the road can occur suddenly and without warning, permanently altering the lives of those involved within a matter of seconds. Such was the case on January 29, when a head-on collision in Camden County,...

Injuries in the line of work are not just limited to those who work in hazardous environments. They can happen to anyone, at any time. A recent accident in Belle, Missouri is evidence of that. On January...

A recent cement truck accident on January 16 on Route Z, east of Columbia, MO, resulting in the death of the driver, serves as a reminder of the inherent dangers of working in this industry. In this...

In what can only be described as a blatant disregard for workplace safety laws, Dollar General stores have been the subject of numerous Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigations dating back to 2017. This includes numerous...

Shortly before midnight on Friday, December 2, a Centralia man turned onto Jennings Road and collided with a Norfolk Southern Amtrak train near the intersection of Jennings Road and Keil Road in Sturgeon, Missouri. Unfortunately, the man...

In what is still an ongoing investigation, a fatal car crash occurred on December 1st, in Columbia on East Broadway near the Hominy Creek Trail Bridge. At around 2:00 p.m., a 2008 Ford Expedition and a 2004...

On August 28, an individual was pulled over for a traffic violation by Missouri State Highway Patrol. State Troopers subsequently found 79 Oxycodone pills and a large sum of cash in the vehicle. The man was arrested...

With the passage of Amendment 3 in Missouri, recreational marijuana use is now legal in Columbia for adults aged 21 or older. This new statute is meant to benefit adults who choose to partake in marijuana consumption....

After several informational meetings in the last month, it appears likely that the Columbia Police Department will soon be able to access and view footage from many of the city's businesses' security cameras. This new technology, called...

Warehouse employment is one of the more dangerous occupations in the United States. Most warehouse workers are aware of the potential risks associated with working in a fast-paced environment where they are constantly lifting and moving heavy...

In what encompassed over a decade of litigation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned the use of certain pesticides in flea and tick collars due to a link to brain damage in children. The collars in...

Fall is here and the new school year in Columbia is already in full swing. With Mizzou's homecoming just around the corner, students are gearing up for a weekend of fun. However, along with all the excitement,...

As marijuana laws have become more relaxed across the United States, employers and workers alike have begun to reap the benefits of this newfound leniency – primarily as it relates to workers' compensation claims. A 2021 study...

​​Suffering an injury on the job in Columbia and navigating the workers' compensation system can be difficult enough but figuring out whether you can or should return to work can be even more confusing. Columbia workers who...

In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court vacated the convictions of two physicians for violating the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), essentially holding that the mens rea requirement must be met for an individual to be convicted of...

In March 2022, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, handed down a decision in State v. Gill that significantly limited the availability of the Good Samaritan defense in drug possession cases for those who choose to...

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), there has been a disturbing trend of employers retaliating against workers who assert their protected rights under the law. In fact, the EEOC reports that retaliation is the most...

Every year, thousands of car accidents occur on Missouri roads, and of those, there is an alarming number of fatalities. In fact, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation, over 1,000 deaths resulted from car accidents in...

Unfortunately, car accidents are a reality of life on American roads. No matter how careful a driver you are, there’s always the potential that you could be involved in a collision. Even if the accident is minor,...

Mendon is a tiny rural town in Missouri with a population of barely 200 people, but on July 27, 2022, that number swelled as news crews and curious onlookers descended on the town after an Amtrak train...

First of all, remain calm. Commuting can be hectic and seeing those flashing lights behind you in that hectic moment could trigger a slight panic attack. Our clients ask us all the time: What should I do...

Callaway County, Missouri is a quiet Mid-Missouri county that shares a border with Boone County. The county is home to rural communities like Fulton, Holts Summit, Kingdom City, and Auxvasse.  These small towns offer a sense of...

Two house bills were passed through the Missouri House of Representatives last year that would give felons a second chance at rehabilitation outside of a prison facility. The bills were introduced to the legislature in an effort...

In Missouri, traffic crashes increase every year around the holiday season. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are some of the most dangerous times to travel in Missouri. Tons of families take to the roads to visit loved...

Gene McGrath was arrested in Fulton, Missouri for making terrorist threats at a bar. According to KOMU, McGrath threatened to “get his gun and shoot the place up.” Employees of the bar safely evacuated all patrons after...

As the Pfizer vaccine is being distributed to states across the U.S., states are having to decide how to allocate the vaccine to citizens.  Most states plan to vaccinate frontline workers first, followed by the elderly living...

According to ABC 17, a wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against the Missouri Highway Transportation Commission. The lawsuit is being brought by the family of Jessica Sage, who was killed in a crash off Highway 63...

Relax, 2020 is coming to an end.  But what does the end of 2020 and the start of 2021 spell for the legal world? Our firm looked at how the legal landscape changed in 2020: The Supreme...

In the United States, insurance is used as a safety mechanism for unforeseen, and often expensive, circumstances such as car wrecks, medical conditions, and damages to other assets. People purchase insurance policies on their homes, cars, boats,...

The Columbia Police Department (CPD) released a report indicating that thefts from cars increased by 25% in Columbia over the 2020 calendar year. Theft from cars, also known as car hopping, is a criminal offense common among...

Columbia’s Citizen Police Review Board was established in the wake of protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. According to Columbia’s city website, the board “provides an external and independent process for review of actual or...

A Columbia man faces manslaughter charges after a fatal hit and run on Paris Road. The incident happened on October 18, 2020. According to KOMU, James M. Pittard III, 63, of Columbia, has been charged in connection...

Nicholas A. Barbieri of Brooksville, Florida, was killed on September 25, 2020 in a car crash in Cooper County, Missouri. According to ABC 17, Barbieri was driving eastbound on I-70 when the car flipped near the 95.6...

Two University of Missouri students were involved in a traffic incident in which a vehicle struck a bicyclist. The 19-year-old driver of the vehicle that struck the bicyclist ran from the scene, according to KOMU and MUPD...

Governor Mike Parson signed legislation into law that gives Missouri motorcyclists the option of riding without a helmet. Riding without a helmet, according to the provision in the law, is contingent upon being over the age of...

Missourians went to the voting booths on Tuesday, August 4th to vote in their party’s gubernatorial primary and weigh their voices on Amendment 2, which would expand Medicaid. Missouri voters selected Governor Mike Parson as the GOP...

The family of Steve Lemay, a 56-year-old tower repairman from Blaine, Washington, is suing Missouri State University for wrongful death. Lemay was killed on April 19, 2018 when a 2,000-foot tall TV tower collapsed while under repair....

After practicing law in and around a college town like Columbia, we have seen this situation time and time again. We get it; you are not 21 years old and you did not want to be left...

Protests erupted in Kenosha, Wisconsin following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Blake was shot on Sunday, August 23 after police responded to calls of a domestic incident. A video showing Blake walking away from the police...

The United States has a long, tumultuous history with the prohibition of illegal substances. Prohibition, for people living in the United States, is understood to be the period in United States’ history in which sales on alcohol...

It was no secret to anyone that the 2020 academic year would be a mess—we just did not know what the mess would look like. The students are back, and this year looks different than any other...

The effects of the pandemic have permeated every aspect of our lives. We have had to reorganize how we work, go to school, interact with each other, and everything in-between. The pandemic left a lot of our...

The Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts revoked the physician and surgeon license of John Ure of Deepwater, Missouri. According to KOMU, Ure lost his license after amputating a patient’s gangrenous toe on the...

Boating at the Lake of the Ozarks is nothing short of a Missouri pastime. We spend our hot summer days down at the Lake, beer in-hand (not the driver, of course), kids in-tow behind the boat on...

This summer marks two years since the Branson, Missouri duck boat tragedy that claimed the lives of 17 people. The boat sank on July 19, 2018, during a severe storm. The captain of the duck boat, Kenneth...

Jacob Schrimpf, 31, was killed while working on a construction site in Jefferson City in January of 2020. Schrimpf was a landscaper at Schrimpf Landscaping and was working the construction site for the Old St. Mary’s Hospital...

The Missouri Governor’s Council on Disability held a celebration on Tuesday, July 28 for the 30th anniversary of the American Disabilities Act. The celebration took place in the Capitol Rotunda and featured Governor Parson as a speaker....

Missouri ranks 18th among states with the most uninsured motorists. In 1999, it was estimated by the Missouri Department of Insurance that 28 percent of drivers within the municipality of St. Louis were uninsured—one of the highest...

Construction and maintenance sites on the highway are very dangerous. We’re asked to reduce our speeds, watch out for workers, and stay off our phones when traveling through these areas—and for good reason! Traveling on the highway...

What is Assault in the First Degree? Unless the actor inflicts serious physical injury upon the victim, assault in the first degree is a class B felony upon which a person attempts to kill or knowingly cause...

Governor Mike Parson is set to begin his special session on violent crime on Monday, July 27. The special session is to be held in the wake of the passage of Missouri’s controversial crime reform bill, SB...

A three-year-old boy died in Columbia on Wednesday, July 22 after being struck by an SUV in a backover accident. Backover accidents typically occur when a vehicle is pulling out of a driveway or parking space and...

Chronic stress can change the way our brain functions. Stress affects everything from our sleeping and eating habits, our ability to think clearly, and the way we interact with people. A study published in the journal Alzheimer’s...

As the world seemingly descends into chaos, The Law Office of Chris Miller has some exciting new announcements! Throughout the pandemic, our team has been hard at work piecing together our new office space. The team is...

What Happened? Andria Heese, a police officer with the Columbia Police Department, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter after the death of four-year-old Gabriella Curry. Curry was struck and killed by a police vehicle at Battle High School...

Considering your cybersecurity in this day and age is imperative to maintaining safety in both your personal and financial realms of life. Your digital devices contain so much vital information. Family vacation pictures, social media accounts, and...

Andrew Capps, 20, was arrested by the Boone County Sheriff’s Department Cybersecurity Task Force for sharing sexually explicit images of children via Facebook Messenger. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children warned the Cybersecurity Task Force...

In 2017, distracted driving in Missouri caused more vehicular wrecks than drunk driving and speeding. Distracted driving resulted in 21,058 car wrecks, while speeding-related and drunk driving accidents were numbered at 19,535 and 5,321, respectively. Here are...

On Friday, July 10th at 5:00 PM, Columbia began enforcing a city-wide mask ordinance. The ordinance requires that people wear a mask outside their households in situations in which an individual cannot keep at least six feet...

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into legislation to counteract and provide legal standing against the rampant discrimination found within the United States in the 1960s. Most people in the United States understand the Civil...

If you have been living under a rock for the last couple of months, and more importantly the last couple of days, you may have missed a couple of things. First, you may have missed that actor...

“REAL ID” is a piece of federal legislation that was passed by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush in 2005. The Act sets forth stricter and uniform standards in documentation required to obtain a compliant...

Knowing what crime you or a loved one have been charged with is important but can be difficult to understand.  Navigating your way through understanding the difference between a misdemeanor, felony, and the different classes of each...

In Missouri, if you are on probation you could be released early depending upon the charge you are currently serving a term of probation for and how well you are doing on your probation.  In 2012, Governor...

If you are injured at work, your employer can require you to take a drug test to enforce its drug-free workplace policies.  A positive test result could result in a reduction of your workers' compensation benefits. If...

Under Missouri law, there are very strict requirements that you must follow in order to move your children after a custody order has been entered.  At least sixty (60) days in advance of the move, you must...

We've previously blogged about Missouri's new expungement law which opened up the opportunity to have more than 1,900 criminal offenses expunged from the records of criminal defendants.  If you are considering expunging of your criminal record, you...

If you are charged with a crime in Missouri, chances are you could be facing serious time in jail and/or fines.  The amount of time behind bars and/or fine you are facing depends on the the type...

If you are injured at work, chances are that you will want to file a workers' compensation Claim for Compensation.  We've previously discussed the types of benefits that are available to you in all workplace injuries.  In order...

The short answer is, yes, you are always eligible for probation.  The question is whether or not the court will order that you be placed on probation.  In Missouri, there are two types of probation and whichever...

It's a new year.  Time to change bad habits.  Time to learn something new.  Time to clean your criminal record.  For 2018 in Missouri, there's a little secret that could completely reshape your goals for the new year. ...

We've seen various "Top 10 or Top 5" lists educating parents either contemplating or going through divorce about mistakes they can make going through the process.  There is one element that permeates through each item on any...

If you are injured at work, there are three basic types of benefits that are available to you.  The fact that you are receiving one type of benefit does not preclude you from receiving the other two...

Missouri law provides safeguards and protections to prevent employers from firing an employee merely because they have filed a workers' compensation claim.  Under Section 287.780, RSMo, "[n]o employer or agent shall discharge or discriminate against any employee for...

‘Twas the night before Thanksgiving, when all thro’ the town, All the creatures were stirring, even the clowns; The beer specials were all posted by the bar with care, In hopes that old friends would soon be...

Fall is probably my favorite season, especially in mid-Missouri.  Since our last update we've been traveling across Missouri and enjoying the views that the season change provides from the road.  Our travels also allow us to meet...

Some Missouri courts have established what have become known as "Drug Courts" (or "Treatment Courts") which provide alternative sentence options for eligible defendants who have clear problems with controlled substances or alcohol addiction.  If you are charged...

When it comes to getting a divorce, each client asks different questions which are unique to their situation but the most common question I get is, "what will it cost and how long will it take?"  The...

Any criminal and family law attorney knows one true fact:  our client's cell phones contain a ton of information that is either really helpful or really bad evidence.  The iPhone, and other smartphones like it, have created...

A lot of family and friends often ask me how the firm is going so we thought we would provide periodic updates on what we're up to.  Right now we're looking to be a little more aggressive...

It happens like this:  a worker is going about their daily routine on the job.  Something goes wrong and he or she is hurt.  The worker then properly notifies the boss that he or she has been hurt on...

It was August, 2005.  I was just arriving to freshman orientation at Truman State University and the RA for my floor told everyone of a recent law change that was taking effect within days.  The Missouri legislature...

A workplace injury is an all too common occurrence.  When you are injured at work there are very specific technical and legal requirements that you must follow to ensure that workers' compensation benefits are available to you....

During the 2017 Regular Session, the Missouri legislature passed SB 43 which will drastically undermine safeguards against discrimination in the workplace.  The bill, which was sponsored by a legislator who owns and operates businesses currently being sued for workplace discrimination,...

Recently the Missouri Supreme Court issued changes to the way Missouri Courts determine presumed amounts of child support based on Missouri's Form 14.  These changes went into effect on July 1, 2017 and could have a potential impact...

Read the following statement carefully:  driving in Missouri is a privilege.  It can be easy to take that privilege for granted and not pay attention to what happens to your driving record when you receive a traffic ticket....

My summers before an upcoming Fall semester were tons of fun.  I would be able to catch up with old friends, enjoy good weather, and decompress from the life of all-nighters before the big exam.  In all...

Missouri is home to several manmade lakes and waterways throughout the state which are popular spots for boating, fishing and other water sport activities. One of the biggest, and busiest, is the Lake of the Ozarks in...