Taney County Truck Accident Injures Two Victims

Two Arkansas men were injured in a Taney County Missouri truck accident on May 23, 2011 at 11:50am. The Missouri side collision truck accident occurred on MO-86, just 4 miles west of Ridgedale, Missouri.

Truck driver Terry A. Ozley of Willard, Missouri lost control of a 2001 Freightliner on MO-86 near Ridgedale, Missouri. The Freightliner crossed the centerline of the roadway into oncoming traffic. The Freightliner slammed into the side of a Ford F450 driven by Johnny L. Carter of Harrison, Arkansas. The Freightliner and the F450 both sustained damage in the Missouri side collision truck accident.

The two men injured in the Missouri truck accident were from Harrison, Arkansas. Carter, the driver of the F 450, suffered moderate injuries. Occupant Jeffrey A. Meier sustained minor injuries. Both men were taken to Skaggs Hospital in Branson, Missouri. Both accident victims wore a safety device. There were no reported injuries for the truck driver.

Out-of-state accident victims are advised to obtain a Missouri trucking accident lawyer for legal representation after an accident occurs in Missouri. A Missouri lawyer is well-positioned to understand how Missouri tort law applies to the facts of the accident. Accident victims often sue in the state in which they were injured to avoid jurisdictional issues. An individual court does not have authority over anyone. Rather, a court’s authority is limited by the rules of personal jurisdiction. Personal jurisdiction is the court’s ability to exercise power over a defendant.

State citizenship is one way to establish personal jurisdiction. State courts have personal jurisdiction over the citizens of the state in which they sit. However, the citizenship of the defendant is the determining factor. Even if all the accident victims are from Arkansas, only Missouri state courts can exercise personal jurisdiction based on citizenship over a Missouri truck driver. An Arkansas court does not have personal jurisdiction over the Missouri truck driver through citizenship.

Personal jurisdiction is additionally determined by state laws called “long arm statutes.” The long arm law in Missouri is determined by Missouri statute §506.500. Statute §506.500 gives Missouri courts jurisdiction over defendants in Missouri truck accident cases because injuring an accident victim in Missouri is committing a “tortious act” within the state. Out-of-state accident victims injured in Missouri should seriously consider filing suit in Missouri instead of their home states.

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