The Northland is Particularly Vulnerable to Injuries.

Injuries Likely to Occur in The Northland

Edelman & Thompson’s personal injury lawyers serve residents throughout Kansas City’s Northland. The area’s fast growth, coupled with having major traffic arteries that most residents in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area use, are the two leading factors in why we see so many injured clients from north of the river.

Our Northland office (by appointment only) on North Oak Trafficway at Barry Road is where we meet many injured Northlanders. Call 816-561-3400 to speak with a lawyer about your case and to schedule an in-person meeting.

Car accidents are, of course, one of the most common contributors to injuries that personal injury lawyers see. Traffic congestion, construction, and out-of-area visitors who are unsure of their surroundings can lead to car accidents. So many of the Northland’s traffic arteries are traveled by non-residents, getting to the airport or to major attractions, or merely traveling through the area, it’s no wonder that there are many traffic accidents.

Work injuries can happen in any kind of job. The Northland has lots of manufacturing and logistics jobs. Many employers provide parts for The Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant, while other businesses have located in the Northland to be near the airport for efficient transportation of products throughout the world. The Northland has a wide diversity of employers, including healthcare, warehousing, manufacturing, education and many more. It’s easy to get injured while working. It’s hard to get all the benefits that one may be entitled to through Missouri’s workers’ compensation system.

Dog bites that cause injuries to people are a common occurrence at parks, where owners sometimes let their pets off the leash. The Northland has lots of parks, and, statistically, nearly 50% of U.S. households own at least one dog. That’s a log of dogs! Dog bite injuries can, of course, happen anywhere that people and dogs are present.

Slip and fall injuries can become injury cases if negligence was involved. Surprisingly, as much as people walk, run and otherwise move around, falls are relatively uncommon. Often there is some outside force or neglect involved to make someone slip or fall. The Northland’s high growth rate could cause developers to cut corners to enhance profits or speed construction. Those choices often put people in harm’s way.

Truck accidents often produce the worst traffic injuries that our lawyers see. With so many traffic corridors in the Northland that support heavy truck traffic, collisions are bound to occur. It’s imperative that you speak with an experienced truck accident lawyer as soon as possible, because there is key evidence that must be preserved.

Bicycle accidents in the Northland are an all-too-common occurrence because of the active and growing community there. Bicyclists do their best to be wary of other roadway traffic, but collisions can still occur, especially due to the area’s rapid development.

Motorcycle accidents primarily occur during the warmer riding season in Kansas City – approximately March through October. Unseasonably warm days in February and November are also prime days for motorcycle accidents. In the Northland, motorcycle riders may be at heightened risk due to the area’s fast growth, heavy traffic, and prominence of  construction zones.

Pedestrian accidents are increasingly common in the Northland due to the high volumes of residents and non-residents using cars, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles – all competing with people on foot using or crossing roadways.

Major Traffic Arteries North of the River

Residents across Kansas City’s Northland depend on major routes like Interstate 35, Interstate 29, 169 Highway, Highway 152, 291 Highway and Route 1 for access to jobs, the area’s parks, shopping, and entertainment venues.

Once known primarily for Worlds of Fun, Smithville Lake, the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant and the Kanas City International Airport, the Northland has evolved into an area known for excellent education, rising home values, and economic vitality.

The area’s prosperity comes with road, housing, and business construction, and traffic congestion that can lead to car accidents, while the emphasis on warehousing and manufacturing jobs makes the area primed for work injuries.

North of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, the I-35 corridor connects Northland communities like North Kansas City, Avondale, Claycomo, Pleasant Valley, Glenaire, Canterbury, Holt, Liberty and Excelsior Springs.

Route 1 is a popular north and south transit way, connecting Avondale (where North Kansas City Hospital is), with Sherwood Estates, Antioch Acres, Meadowbrook Estates, Meadowbrook Manor North, Gladstone Commons, Maple Woods, Gladstone Acres, Gragg Acres and Glenmore (where Metropolitan Community College and Maple Woods Community College are), terminating at 152 Highway.

Like I-35, Interstate 29 is another major roadway north of downtown Kansas City, snaking through North Kansas City and numerous residential communities, northward to the Zona Rosa shopping district, near 152 Highway, and continuing on to the airport, Platte City, and beyond. The Northland’s more notable lake communities in Parkville (Where Park University is) are served by I-29, including Weatherby Lake, Lake Waukomis, and Riss Lake

In the middle of the Northland is 169 Highway which runs north from North Kansas City, by Riverside (where Briarcliff Village is), west of Gladstone, and onward to Smithville after passing 152 highway and I-435.

Running east and west, Highway 152 is an important route between Liberty and the northwest part of Interstate 435 which encircles the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. South of the airport, Highway 152 crosses I-29, making it a major thoroughfare for those traveling to and from the airport.

Interstate 435 is arguably the most significant roadway in the Northland because it, more or less, defines the eastern, northern and western boundaries of what most consider to the be the Northland. In the east, it crosses the Missouri River, runs north through Randolph and Claycomo (crossing I-35 there), crosses 152 and then makes a 90-degree left turn to head toward the Kansas City International Airport (MCI). There it turns south, just south of Platte City and runs on the western edge of Parkville before crossing the Missouri River, yet again. It’s worth mentioning that I-435’s southern loop contributes mightily to the traffic experienced in its northern loop. Residents south of Kansas City, use this roadway to avoid more congested interior roadways, when traveling to the Legends, in Wyandotte County, to the Airport, or getting to Zona Rosa efficiently. Similarly, on the east side of the I-435 loop, residents in the south of Kansas City use it to get to the airport or connect with I-35 for other northbound destinations.

Lastly, though not a highway or interstate, Barry Road, running east and west in the northern part of the Northland, has been and continues to be a significant contributor to transit efficiency.  It runs south and parallel to 152 Highway. It connects numerous neighborhoods, parks and shopping centers.

Although not a roadway, the Missouri River, winding through the southern border of the Northland, was a major commercial waterway that helped define the Northland as a manufacturing hub.