Mayer Law Office Mayer Law Office2026-08-07T23:10:05Zhttps://www.mayerlawoffice.com/feed/atom/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/sites/1102988/2019/05/cropped-fab-32x32.pngOn Behalf of Mayer Law Office<![CDATA[What happens if you ignore a traffic ticket in Missouri?]]>https://www.mayerlawoffice.com/?p=516242026-08-07T23:10:05Z2026-08-07T23:10:05ZMissing the deadline can lead to additional penalties
Every Missouri traffic ticket includes instructions explaining how and when a driver must respond. Ignoring that deadline does not make the ticket invalid. Instead, the court may treat the failure to respond as a separate legal issue. Depending on the circumstances, the court may:
Assess additional fines and court costs
Enter a judgment against the driver
Schedule additional court proceedings
Issue notices requiring further action
The longer a citation remains unresolved, the more expensive and complicated the situation can become.
What should you do after receiving a Missouri traffic ticket?
The appropriate response after receiving the ticket depends on the nature of the citation and the driver's circumstances. Possible next steps include:
Reviewing the citation carefully for response deadlines
Paying the fine if appropriate
Requesting a court hearing to challenge the allegation
Determining whether the offense requires a mandatory court appearance
Acting before the deadline can provide more flexibility than attempting to resolve the issue after additional penalties have been imposed.
A traffic ticket that begins as a relatively minor matter can lead to significant legal consequences simply because a driver fails to respond. Addressing a citation may help protect driving privileges, reduce unnecessary penalties and provide a clearer path toward resolving the matter under Missouri law.]]>On Behalf of Mayer Law Office<![CDATA[New law raises stakes for those charged with fatal DWI crashes]]>https://www.mayerlawoffice.com/?p=516222026-07-25T23:30:48Z2026-07-25T23:30:48Zsurviving parent or guardian who is raising a child. They generally are to continue until a child turns 18. However, if the child is attending college or has a disability, they may be ordered to continue until they turn 21.
If the driver is sentenced to prison, they do not have to begin making payments until a year after they have been released. However, they have to make up for the payments they missed during that time. The new law also raises the minimum sentence for someone convicted of DWI in a fatal crash to five years.
How the amount of support is determined
Courts determine how much support is owed similarly to how they do in traditional child support cases. They are to consider factors including:
The financial needs of the child (including physical and mental health care, educational and child care needs)
The financial resources of the surviving caregiver(s)
The child’s standard of living prior to the parent’s death
The law notes that the driver can still face civil liability from surviving loved ones. However, “the child maintenance order shall offset the judgment awarded in the civil action.”
This new law raises the stakes even more for those charged with causing a fatal crash while driving while intoxicated. And, that’s just one reason why it’s critical that anyone who is facing this charge gets experienced legal guidance as early as possible to protect their rights and determine the best way forward.Bottom of Form
Ce]]>On Behalf of Mayer Law Office<![CDATA[How to handle a commercial truck wreck in rural Missouri]]>https://www.mayerlawoffice.com/?p=516202026-07-24T08:21:13Z2026-07-24T08:21:13ZGet medical help and report the crash
After a serious crash, health comes first. If you can move safely, get to a secure place and call for help. Prompt medical care can protect your health and create a record of injuries tied to the wreck. Reporting the crash also helps create an official account of what happened.
What details should you try to preserve?
The basic facts from the scene can matter if the trucking company disputes fault or the seriousness of your injuries. If you can do so safely, try to gather:
Photos of the vehicles and road conditions
The police report
Witness names and contact information
The trucking company name
Visible truck or trailer numbers
These details matter because some of the most important records may remain with the company, not the injured driver. Truck accident lawsuits often turn on records about maintenance, cargo and company responsibility that are harder to access without legal help.
Some important evidence may stay out of your hands
Truck cases often involve records and decisions that do not exist in a typical car accident claim. That can make early legal review especially important when the case may involve serious injuries, lost income or long-term care needs. A lawyer can help identify what evidence matters, what may still be available and how a crash may develop into a broader claim involving accident-related losses.]]>On Behalf of Mayer Law Office<![CDATA[When can the state prosecute per se DWI charges?]]>https://www.mayerlawoffice.com/?p=516182026-07-01T15:17:52Z2026-07-01T15:17:52ZPer se offenses are crimes on their own
The state prohibits driving while in a chemically impaired state. The law also imposes a strict limit on a driver's blood alcohol concentration (BAC). If there is evidence that a motorist was behind the wheel with a BAC above the legal limit, that can warrant a per se DWI charge.
The state does not need to prove that a driver demonstrated impaired ability. Simply being over the legal limit is a technical violation of the law and is adequate reason for the state to pursue DWI charges.
For adult drivers operating standard passenger vehicles, the BAC limit that applies is 0.08%. Anyone who fails the chemical test could be at risk of a per se DWI charge. Defense strategies differ in cases where the state's case may rely entirely on a single test.
Discussing this kind of case with a DWI defense lawyer can help motorists evaluate different options. The right defense strategy can help people avoid DWI convictions that can affect their daily life and saddle them with a criminal record.]]>On Behalf of Mayer Law Office<![CDATA[What documents should you save after a serious injury?]]>https://www.mayerlawoffice.com/?p=516162026-06-24T15:35:50Z2026-06-24T15:35:50ZMedical records
Your treatment history can help create a clear picture of your diagnosis and recovery. Keep copies of emergency room records, physician notes, test results and treatment plans from every provider involved in your care.
If you attend physical therapy or other rehabilitation appointments, save those records as well. Together, they can help show how your condition developed and what steps you have taken toward recovery.
Medical bills and receipts
The costs associated with an injury can continue long after your initial treatment. Save invoices from healthcare providers, prescription receipts and records related to any medical equipment you need during recovery.
You may also want to keep receipts for changes in expenses related to your injury, such as an Uber ride to the doctor or delivery fees for medicine ordered online. Maintaining a record of these expenses can make it easier to understand the full impact of your injury.
Photos and other evidence
Visual evidence can preserve details that may change as time passes. Take pictures of visible injuries as soon as possible and continue documenting your recovery when appropriate.
You should also consider saving images of damaged personal property connected to the incident. Organizing photos by date can help create a clearer record of how circumstances changed over time.
Employment records
Time away from work can add another layer of stress during recovery. Save pay stubs, notices regarding missed work and any communication with your employer about leave or job restrictions.
If you return with reduced hours or modified duties, keep records reflecting those changes. This information can help demonstrate how your injury affected your ability to work.
Keep everything within reach
Staying organized may feel like one more task on a long list, but it can make important information easier to find when you need it. Consider storing everything in one folder and creating digital copies whenever possible so your records remain accessible.
When in doubt, seeking legal guidance can help you understand which records may matter most.]]>On Behalf of Mayer Law Office<![CDATA[Can car technology be making for worse drivers?]]>https://www.mayerlawoffice.com/?p=516142026-06-21T09:21:12Z2026-06-21T09:21:12ZThe technology in modern cars has dramatically changed the way people drive compared to previous generations. In many ways, this technology is designed to make people safer. Backup cameras, lane departure warning systems, automatic braking, adaptive cruise control and many other features help to prevent car accidents.
That said, researchers have looked at car accident rates and noticed that there has not been a significant decline in recent years. This suggests that, while the technology may be getting better, the human drivers behind the wheel may actually be getting worse. Accidents are still happening, even with some of the most advanced safety systems available.
2 critical issues
The first problem is that some drivers may become overly reliant on the technology. Someone may trust their car to avoid a crash or stop in an emergency. Because they put so much faith in the technology, they may pay less attention to the road and practice less defensive driving themselves, increasing the odds of an accident.The second problem is that technology can be distracting and complicated. Someone who is trying to interact with the screen in their car, for example, may become distracted from the task of actually driving the vehicle. They’re not watching the road or holding the wheel with both hands. As cars grow more complex, driving can become more challenging, and that could lead to mistakes.
Seeking financial compensation
Have you suffered injuries in an accident that another driver caused, perhaps because they were distracted by the technology in their vehicle? You need to know how to seek financial compensation for medical bills and other damages.
]]>On Behalf of Mayer Law Office<![CDATA[Being injured at work can be financially traumatizing]]>https://www.mayerlawoffice.com/?p=516122026-06-11T10:29:38Z2026-06-11T10:29:38ZPeople who are injured at work often worry about what the injury will mean for them. In some cases, they may be wary of seeking medical care or reporting the injury to their employer because of fear of what’s going to happen. Ultimately, it’s always best to report the injury and get medical attention for it.
A work injury can change a family’s financial situation almost immediately, particularly if the employee is living paycheck to paycheck or is the only income earner in the home. If they can’t return to work right away, the household can instantly lose all income. While it’s true that the worker may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, those take time to come through, which can be financially devastating.
Partial wage replacement
Some workers’ compensation cases involve partial wage replacement benefits. This is only equal to a certain percentage of the employee’s full wages, and there are limits to how much can be paid out per week. Typically, partial wage replacement benefits are only paid if the employee can’t return to work quickly.
Returning to work
If the employee can return to work, they may have restrictions on what they’re allowed to do. If they’re placed on light duty, they may have their hours cut, which can have a negative impact on their income. It’s sometimes possible to receive partial workers’ compensation benefits. One expense that injured workers shouldn’t have to worry about is the medical care associated with the on-the-job injury. Workers’ compensation should cover those expenses. It’s sometimes necessary to appeal decisions regarding workers’ compensation because injured workers don’t always receive what they’re due right away.
]]>On Behalf of Mayer Law Office<![CDATA[3 reasons young drivers cause so many car accidents]]>https://www.mayerlawoffice.com/?p=516102026-05-27T15:49:22Z2026-05-27T15:49:22ZNo age group has a higher fatal car accident rate than teenage drivers. This is especially true for young teens who are 16 or 17 years old and have only recently received their licenses. Even by ages 18 and 19, fatal accident rates begin to decline, and there is another substantial drop for drivers in their 20s.In this sense, age is certainly correlated with serious car accidents. But what are some of the reasons why young drivers are more susceptible to these crashes?
Engaging in risky behaviors
For one thing, young people are often more likely to make risky or dangerous decisions. They may not fully think through the long-term consequences of their actions. Examples can include speeding, aggressive driving or failing to wear a seatbelt.
Driving with friends
Teens are also more likely to drive with friends in the vehicle, especially when they are the first person in their friend group to get a driver’s license. However, crash risks increase when there are other teenagers in the car. A group of high school students driving together is statistically more likely to be involved in an accident than a single teen driving alone.
Inexperience
The main reason for many of these crashes, however, is simply inexperience. Young drivers are more likely to overlook hazards, make poor decisions or react incorrectly in dangerous situations because they have spent less time behind the wheel.Driving safely takes practice and experience, and young drivers are still developing those skills.
Seeking compensation
Have you or a loved one been injured in an accident caused by another driver? If so, it is important to understand what legal options may be available to seek financial compensation.
]]>On Behalf of Mayer Law Office<![CDATA[Truck drivers are prohibited from using handheld devices]]>https://www.mayerlawoffice.com/?p=516082026-05-13T10:33:55Z2026-05-13T10:33:55ZTruck drivers cannot use handheld devices on the road. This is a clear rule laid out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. There are some situations in which they can push one button to use a hands-free device when communication is necessary, but a truck driver should never be using their personal cellphone or holding it in their hand to text, call, operate the GPS or do anything else.The problem is that a handheld device is a significant safety issue and it distracts the driver from the traffic conditions around them. Even if they are glancing back and forth from the phone to the road, they are not paying as much attention as they should be. Semi-trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and pose significant risks to motorists around them, so drivers are required to be more attentive.
Long stopping distances
A related issue is that trucks have long stopping distances of around 525 feet. This is much longer than the comparable stopping distance for a passenger car, which is slightly over 300 feet.What this means is that, if traffic conditions change or traffic starts to slow ahead of the truck, that truck driver needs to react much sooner than the drivers around them. In order to react appropriately, they have to be paying attention to the road. A driver who is looking at their cellphone may not start braking in time, and the extended stopping distance—due to the weight of their vehicle—could make it impossible for them to avoid causing a rear-end accident.
Financial compensation after a crash
Have you been involved in an accident caused by a commercial driver? If you have suffered serious injuries, you need to know what legal steps to take to seek financial compensation for medical bills and more.
]]>On Behalf of Mayer Law Office<![CDATA[Can you get a DWI the next morning?]]>https://www.mayerlawoffice.com/?p=516062026-04-30T22:49:53Z2026-04-30T22:49:53Zget a DWI the next morning. There are many factors to consider, such as how high a person’s blood alcohol concentration got the night before and how long they waited to get behind the wheel.
How fast does your BAC decline?
A big thing to consider is simply that your BAC drops at a rate of about 0.015% per hour. So it may take you significantly longer to get back down to zero than you assume.
For instance, it would take six hours to get to zero if your BAC was at 0.09%, and that is just barely over the legal limit of 0.08%. If you had a BAC that was significantly elevated over that limit, it could take much longer. There is nothing you can do to speed up alcohol metabolism, so you simply need to give your body time.
For those who stay out late into the night or get up early in the morning for work or school the next day, they simply may not have slept long enough to get back to zero. If so, it is certainly possible to fail a breath test the next morning.
Your DWI defense options
If you do find yourself facing DWI charges, it may come as a surprise. It can put your driver’s license at risk, and you could face ramifications like significant fines and even the potential for jail time. It is very important to understand exactly what legal defense options you have at this time. Seeking legal guidance is a good way to start.]]>