Plattsmouth, Nebraska

Help for Cass County families after a fatal crash

Fatal personal injury hotline

About Demerath Law Office

I am Larry Demerath, a Nebraska native, a veteran and a Nebraska farmer. For over 50 years I have represented families in motor vehicle cases, and fatal car accident cases are where my experience counts most.

I have recovered more than $50 million for clients in Nebraska courtrooms, including $1,062,500 in a wrongful death case, $1,025,000 for a passenger killed in a crash and $670,000 after an I-80 crash that killed two children.

I earned my law degree at the University of Nebraska College of Law and I am admitted to the Nebraska State Bar, the federal district court, the 8th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. I handle your case myself, by phone, with no travel and no waiting room. You pay nothing unless I win.

How I help families who lost someone

When a crash takes someone you love, you should not have to fight an insurance company alone. I guide your family through the legal process, protect your rights and pursue the compensation Nebraska law allows.

Investigate the crash, gather evidence and identify key witnesses
Uncover every insurance policy that may apply
Deal with the insurance companies so your family does not have to
File a Nebraska wrongful death claim on your family's behalf
Explain the deadlines that apply to your claim
Seek compensation for funeral and medical expenses, lost income and lost support
Take your case to trial if the insurance company will not pay a fair amount
Answer your questions by phone in plain language
Handle everything on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing unless I win

Tell Larry what happened

Send a message and Larry will contact you. There is no cost to ask.

Expert help in Plattsmouth, Nebraska for fatal crash injuries

Plattsmouth is close to Omaha, yet a fatal crash can still make a family feel completely alone. One moment your loved one is on the way home, and the next you are making calls you never wanted to make. If this has happened to you, I am sorry. My name is Larry Demerath. I have handled Nebraska fatal crash and wrongful death claims for more than 50 years. I will take your call by phone, explain where you stand in plain words, and carry the legal burden while you take care of your family. The first talk is free.

Plattsmouth, Nebraska

Plattsmouth is the county seat of Cass County, Nebraska. It sits about 20 miles south of Omaha on U.S. Route 75, at the spot where the Platte River flows into the Missouri River. The city takes its name from that meeting of waters. About 6,808 people live here.

The place has a long river story. The Otoe people lived in this area before European explorers came, and French explorers Pierre and Paul Mallet reached the meeting of the rivers in 1739. A trading post called the Barracks stood here in 1854. Lewis and Clark passed the mouth of the Platte in 1804. A ferry carried Mormon emigrants across the Missouri starting in 1848, and steamboats docked near what is now Third and Main Streets in the 1850s. The city was incorporated in March 1855. When the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad arrived in 1869, Plattsmouth became a major rail hub. From 1890 to 1940, the Burlington shops employed as many as 800 workers.

The river and the rails still shape daily travel. The Plattsmouth Bridge, built in 1929 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a toll crossing into Iowa. A rail bridge built in 1880 still carries BNSF freight over the Missouri. Downtown, the Cass County Courthouse, finished in 1891, anchors a Main Street historic district of 45 mostly two-story Italianate commercial buildings, one of the oldest commercial streets in Nebraska.

Plattsmouth blends small-town life with big-city commuting. Many residents drive to Omaha on Highway 75 for work, while others stay close to home. Rhylander Park, built on the old roundhouse site, keeps the railroad past alive. For a family here, local roads and bridges are part of everyday life, and a single bad crash can change a whole neighborhood for a long time.

AI illustration: The Romanesque Cass County Courthouse with its tall clock tower in Plattsmouth, Nebraska under a bright blue sky

Events in Plattsmouth

These four Plattsmouth area events bring neighbors and visitors together. They also add cars, walkers, and parked vehicles to streets that are already busy.

Plattsmouth Harvest Festival

The Plattsmouth Harvest Festival is called the oldest continuous festival in Nebraska. It began during the Great Depression and now includes a children's parade, a large evening parade with marching bands and floats, carnival rides, food trucks, live music, and contests such as chicken chariot races.

AI illustration: Historic downtown Plattsmouth street glowing with Christmas lights as a trolley and costumed characters pass

Victorian Christmas on Main

Victorian Christmas on Main fills the historic downtown with a tree lighting and caroling at the Cass County Museum. Guests meet Father Christmas, ride Ollie the Trolley or a hay rack, and sip cocoa and cider while costumed characters stroll past and local shops stay open.

Cass County Fair

The Cass County Fair is held at the fairgrounds in Weeping Water, between U.S. Highway 75 and Nebraska Highway 50. It offers 4-H shows, a carnival, truck and tractor pulls, bull riding, a parade, and a watermelon feed. Families from Plattsmouth and the whole county drive out.

AI illustration: Vendors and shoppers at colorful market tables of produce and handmade goods on a summer Saturday in Plattsmouth

Plattsmouth Community Market

The Plattsmouth Community Market runs on Saturdays from June through mid-October at 2400 8th Avenue. It describes its vendors as local growers, makers, and producers. Shoppers come by car and on foot, so the streets and lot around the market stay busy through the morning.

Event information: WOWT, Visit Cass County, Cass County Fair, Union Community Newsletter. Dates change each year, so check the organizer before you go. The pictures on this page are AI-generated illustrations, not photographs of the events.

How Demerath Law Office can help you in Plattsmouth, Nebraska

Following a loss in a crash in or near Plattsmouth, I can help you understand what comes next. I have worked on Nebraska motor vehicle and wrongful death cases for more than 50 years. I will handle the legal work, so you do not have to learn it during the hardest weeks of your life.

I work by phone. You will not need to drive to my Omaha office or wait in a lobby. I collect the crash report, talk with the insurers, and study the records to see what really happened. That could be a collision on Highway 75, a crash near the Missouri River crossing, or a wreck on a country road in Cass County. I will ask who caused it and who else may be responsible. That might be a driver, an employer, or the owner of a vehicle. Each one can affect what your family may recover. I will explain every step as it happens, in words you can follow, and I will return your calls.

I charge a contingency fee for my work. You pay nothing unless I win your case, and your first consultation is free. I will give you an honest view of your claim, whether the news is good or hard, and you can take your time before you decide anything. Call with your questions, and bring your family into the conversation if that helps.

The clock matters. Generally, a Nebraska family must file a wrongful death claim within two years of the date of death. Records are lost and memories fade, so it helps to call sooner. Please do not sign any papers or give a recorded statement to an insurance company until you and I have spoken. I am a Nebraska native, a veteran, and a farmer, and I know how much rural and river-town families depend on their roads. Please call me at 402-677-5656. I will listen and explain your options for your Plattsmouth family.

AI illustration: Historic brick storefronts along Main Street in downtown Plattsmouth, Nebraska on a sunny day with colorful flowers

Fatal car accidents I handle in Plattsmouth

A fatal crash can happen in many ways. Here are eight kinds I handle, with points that matter to Plattsmouth families.

Truck crash

U.S. 75 carries commuters and traffic between Plattsmouth and Omaha, and trucks share it with every other driver. A truck can take far longer to stop than a car. Logs and company records can disappear, so call early.

Motorcycle crash

Country roads in Cass County draw riders on sunny days. A rider is hard to see at a turn or an entrance, and a driver who pulls out can cause a fatal crash. I look closely at what the other driver did.

Drunk driver crash

Festival weekends and holiday parties bring evenings out, and some people drive when they should not. If a drunk driver took your loved one, you may have claims beyond the criminal case. Keep every police document and the names of witnesses.

Head-on collision

On two-lane roads outside town, one driver drifting across the center line can mean a head-on crash. Distraction, fatigue, and unsafe passing are common causes. Photographs of the scene and the damaged vehicles help show what really happened.

Intersection crash

Highway 75 meets city streets and county roads around Plattsmouth, and drivers must pick gaps in fast traffic. Running a light or missing a stop sign is often fatal. Nearby cameras may have recorded the crash, so tell me about every business close by.

Rear-end collision

Traffic slows downtown and on festival evenings, and a driver who looks at a phone can strike a stopped car. At highway speed these crashes are deadly. Please save your medical records, funeral bills, and notes about lost income.

Pedestrian or bicycle strike

Visitors walk Main Street for the parade, the market, and the Christmas lights, often after dark. Drivers turning corners may not see them. If a loved one was struck on foot or on a bike, I will check the facts before any insurer blames them.

Single-vehicle or rollover crash

Gravel roads, soft shoulders, and bad weather in Cass County can send a vehicle off the road. A rollover may point to a road defect or a vehicle fault, even when no one else was involved. Please do not let the car be sold or scrapped.