Blog Posts in August, 2021

The Direct and Causal Connection Required for Occupational Diseases

People who have been hurt on the job in Missouri have a steep hill to climb to prove that they deserve workers’ compensation . One of the trickiest is to show that there is a direct causal connection between the job and an occupational disease . Occupational Diseases Have to be Directly Caused by Job The workers’ compensation law that defines occupational diseases, Missouri Statute 287.067 , does ...

NHTSA Investigates Tesla’s Autopilot System

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system after a series of avoidable car accidents . Both the accident and the investigation raise some pressing questions about the use of partial driver assistance features in vehicles. NHTSA Investigates Tesla’s Autopilot System After years of inaction, on August 13, the NHTSA announced ...

Is it a Hit-and-Run if Passengers Flee the Scene?

A car accident in St. Joseph ended with several people fleeing the scene. The incident draws out some important distinctions in Missouri’s hit-and-run law. People Flee Scene of Car Accident in St. Joseph The accident happened on Saturday evening, August 7, 2021, at the intersection of North Belt Highway and Faraon Street . According to the police, a vehicle going south on the Belt Highway hit two ...

Is Being a Police Officer Inherently Stressful Enough for Workers’ Compensation?

A workers’ compensation claim on behalf of a Missouri police officer argued that the stress that he suffered on the job amounted to an occupational disease. The administrative law judge and the Labor and Industrial Relations Board (LIRB), however, disagreed. Police Officer Dies from Heart Condition The claim was filed on the officer’s behalf by his wife. The police officer in St. Louis and ...