St. Clair, MO Accident Lawyer
If you or your family member has been injured in an accident, learn how Halvorsen Klote can help with a Case Review and Consultation.
St. Clair, MO Accident Lawyer. Were you or a loved one recently harmed in an accident caused by another party’s faulty actions? If the accident resulted in injury, you need the services of a hard-working, compassionate, skillful accident lawyer to take on your case. Halvorsen Klote is a law firm you can rely on and trust. We understand your situation and are prepared to fight for accident victims like you in St. Clair, MO.
Are you ready to move your personal injury or car accident case in the right direction? Halvorsen Klote is ready to take on your case. Take the first step toward getting complete and fair compensation for the damages from your accident by discussing your case with us today. Just contact us now.
What should I do after an accident?
- Make sure you are safe. The very first thing you should do after an accident is to ensure the safety of everyone involved. If your car is in an unsafe position, such as in the middle of traffic, and it is still able to move, get it to a safer location such as the shoulder of the road. If you are unable to move your vehicle safely, make yourself as visible as possible with the use of road flares and/or your vehicle's emergency lights.
- Call 911. Call emergency assistance to the St. Clair accident right away. Above all else, the goal is to save the lives of anyone in the accident and to reduce the severity of other injuries. In addition to medical first responders, make sure that police are called to the accident so they are able to file a police report.
- Gather information. It will serve you well later on when you are filing your case to gather as much information as you can. Your St. Clair, MO accident lawyer will use all the information you can get to prove your case. The more information you can provide them, the better off you will be. You should try to get information on:
- The other driver - Make sure that the other party is okay, but take care that you do not admit fault or apologize to them for the accident. You need to record their contact information, their insurance information, and vehicle information.
- Any witnesses - Record witness statements and their personal and contact information yourself if possible. By doing this, you guarantee that valuable witness information does not get left out of your case.
- The accident itself - Make note of and take pictures and video of anything that could be important to your case, such as weather conditions, infrastructure and road conditions, and damage to your vehicle and the road.
- Receive medical attention. Of course, if the injuries from your accident are severe, medical care is the first and only priority until you are safe and able to recover. By the same token, if you don't believe you have been injured or feel that your injuries are too minor to warrant treatment, you should have a medical professional examine you. Your St. Clair, MO accident lawyer can use medical records and documents to support your case.
- Speak to an accident lawyer. The most important thing after tending to your medical needs is to contact an accident lawyer in St. Clair, MO. You should talk to an experienced St. Clair, MO accident lawyer about your case as soon as you can. Halvorsen Klote is available to discuss your case for free at (314) 451-1314 or online. We provide a complimentary case review to help you make the critical decision of hiring a lawyer. Meeting together will allow you to understand our qualifications, experience, and the skills we would bring to your case.
Types and Causes of Accidents
Accidents of all kinds can leave a person injured. Your accident might be a two-vehicle car accident, a semi-truck accident, a pedestrian or bicycle accident, or motorcyle accident. Whatever type of accident it was, you need and deserve the help of a qualified St. Clair, MO accident lawyer.
Just as there are many possible types of vehicles that can be in an accident, there are many additional factors that complicate your accident case and make each case unique, such as the number of vehicles involved, whether the vehicle was owned or driven commercially, how extreme the damage and injuries were, and many other characteristics.
Once we have learned to drive, driving becomes a primarily subconscious task. Of course we realize that we must be alert and aware while driving, but few of us contemplate the physical act of pressing down x pounds per square inch of pressure with our right foot while dropping our left arm two inches and lifting our right arm two inches in order to drive on a curved road. The driver errors that most are most often culprits of accidents are:
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence
- Running stop signs and stop lights
- Reckless driving
- Aggressive driving
- Fatigue
While driver error is the largest contributor to auto accidents, accounting for 94% of all auto accidents, there are other causes to consider as well. Weather conditions, road conditions, and vehicle defects can cause accidents that are just as devastating or even more destructive than some of the accidents caused by human error. Your St. Clair, MO accident lawyer will evaluate the facts of your accident and the parties involved to advise you on what type of case you have and which party or parties are responsible.
How an Accident Lawyer Can Affect My Case
Before you are able to make the important decision of hiring the right St. Clair, MO accident lawyer for you, you must decide if you would benefit from having an accident lawyer on your case. For some minor accidents that do not result in any injuries or serious damage, you may be able to settle your case yourself, without the assistance of an accident attorney. However, if your accident left you with any injuries, caused significant damage to your vehicle, or involved multiple parties, you should always obtain the services of an accident lawyer. You should also always hire an accident lawyer if there is disagreement about who is at fault for the accident, the insurance company is not being cooperative or acts in bad faith, or if you have any questions about your case or the value of your damages.
Having the right St. Clair, MO accident lawyer in charge of your case is a huge weight off your shoulders. They will not only take care of many of the undertakings involved in bringing your case, but will also provide advice and support and advocate for you. Whether your accident case is settled privately or goes through the courts, your accident lawyer will help you achieve the best possible outcome.
Your St. Clair, MO accident lawyer has the ability to:
- Deal with the insurance company. Insurance companies are challenging to take on. In many cases, they use tricks and strategies to try to get you to agree to a lower settlement and work to pay out as little as they possibly can. Accident victims who do not use an accident lawyer consistently get less money from the insurance company than those who have lawyers.
- Determine and prove liability. Your lawyer is experienced in all manners of auto accident cases. They know how to look at the case and what evidence to use to express who is responsible for the accident and the damage it caused you.
- Calculate the true value of your case. An attorney is much better equipped to calculate the true value of your case than you are. Especially with complicated factors like unquantifiable damages and long-term injuries or effects of injuries, it is /difficult for a layperson to calculate what your case is worth.
- Negotiate a favorable result for your case. Insurance companies will lowball injury victims, especially if they are self-represented and do not have the help of an accident lawyer. If the other party is refusing to accept responsibility for the accident, your lawyer will present your evidence and negotiate for you.
- Stay on top of the legal aspects of your case. These civil cases require a lot of work and leave a lot of room for mistakes, like not filing documents correctly or not filing your case by the statutory deadline. Your lawyer will stay on top of the proceedings and make sure you don’t lose your case due to avoidable errors.
Talk to Your Accident Lawyer | Halverson Klote
The Halvorsen Klote law firm is equipped and willing to fight for you. We understand how difficult this time is for you and how much you are relying on your accident lawyer to help you win your case. After you’ve been in any type of auto accident, it's crucial to contact your local accident lawyer with the Halvorsen Klote law firm right away. You have nothing to lose, because we don't get paid until we win your case. Our St. Clair, MO accident lawyers and legal team are here to win cases for accident victims in Missouri and Illinois.
Joel Halvorsen
Attorney at Law
Joel Halvorsen and his partner Greg Klote founded the Halvorsen Klote law firm on the principle that injured people and their families should have access to the same quality legal representation as large insurance companies.
Greg Klote
Attorney at Law
Greg Klote is a partner and founder of Halvorsen Klote.
Greg has successfully fought for people who were injured through no fault of their own. He became a lawyer to help make a difference in the lives of those who have been wronged and treated unfairly.
Samantha Orlowski
Attorney at Law
Samantha Orlowski is a practicing attorney Halvorsen Klote.
Samantha joined Halvorsen Klote in 2018 as a law clerk and has since become a practicing attorney. Sam's number one priority is to provide individualized experiences for each client to achieve the best results.