Automobile Injury Attorney Bourbon, MO | Personal Injury Lawyers | Car Accident Lawyers | Halvorsen Klote

Bourbon, MO

Automobile Injury Attorney Bourbon, MO

Bourbon, MO Personal Injury Lawyers


Call 866-382-4167 for a Free Consultation | Bourbon, MO Automobile Injury Attorney

Automobile injury attorney in Bourbon, MO. Injuries in auto wrecks happen without warning, and the mental, physical and economic hardships they carry happen suddenly as well. If a thoughtless driver in Bourbon, MO injured you, you require an automobile injury attorney who will fight to bring you justice and a fair financial recovery. At Halvorsen Klote, we fight for those injured by the negligence of another when they need it the most. Insurance adjusters may try to cheat, but with an experienced attorney in your corner, they will not be able to keep you from the best possible financial recovery you are rightfully entitled to. We serve the vulnerable in Bourbon, MO, the Greater St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. You owe us no fees unless we win. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Bourbon, MO today at 866-382-4167 or contact us through our website for a complimentary case evaluation.

We've gotten great financial recoveries for our Bourbon, MO clients in a variety of auto accident claims, including:


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Bourbon, MO Automobile Injury Attorney: Frequently Asked Questions

Most people who call our office have never had to make an injury claim before, and understandably have a lot of questions as to the process and how to proceed going about getting a financial recovery for their injuries. Below are some of the questions we get most frequently:

Do I Even Have a Personal Injury Claim?

In order to have a case, you have to have sustained an injury that led to some form of economic damages, such as an appointment with your GP or time spent off work recovering, and accident had to be caused or contributed to by another party. If you you were sore for a few days after the accident, but your injuries didn't lead to financial loss, it would be difficult for you to make a personal injury claim. If you were the negligence party, your own insurance company can pay for your damages, but your premiums will go up.

Fortunately, you don't have to make that decision alone. Halvorsen Klote's Bourbon, MO automobile injury attorneys offer free case evaluations for people who were injured and aren't sure if they're eligible for compensation.

Is it Worth it to Hire a Lawyer for an Automobile Injury?

There are some injuries where you probably don't need a lawyer. If there's no dispute about who to blame for the accident and you didn't need much medical treatment — say, one emergency room visit — include detailed records in your letter to the insurance adjuster, and see if you can get some extra money for the nuisance. In those types of situations, it's unlikely an automobile injury attorney will be able to get you significantly more money.

However, with more significant injuries that result in months of physical therapy or chiropractic appointments and result in lost wages, the insurance company is not going to willingly pay for all those damages. If the insurance company is not willing to pay the full extent of your damages, or is saying your injuries were pre-existing, then a lawyer is likely the only way you'll get what you are owed. Insurance adjusters have a lot of experience minimizing payouts; personal injury lawyers know how to have just as much experience holding them accountable.

Other complications, such as if the other side denies liability, or if your injuries occurred in a multi-vehicle accident, almost always require the assistance of an automobile injury attorney.

How Much Are My Automobile Injury Worth in Bourbon, MO?

The damages you recover after an automobile injury are meant to provide you with an equitable financial recovery for all the ways an injury affected your life. With a talented Bourbon, MO automobile injury attorney, you can be reimbursed for:

  • Medical expenses
  • Lost wages from time spent recovering
  • Lost earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from making a living as you're used to
  • Out-of-pocket expenses, such as hiring household services for chores you can't do while you're injured
  • Noneconomic damages like pain and suffering, or loss of consortium if your injuries prevent you from helping and giving affection to your spouse

How much money you get in your car accident settlement depends largely on how your injuries have affected your life.

How Much Will I Get for Pain and Suffering?

The dollar amount a plaintiff receives for noneconomic damages is determined through one of two methods:

  • The Multiplier Method — With this approach, we multiply the total of your medical bills, lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses by a number between 1.5 and 5, depending on how severe your injuries were. The more disruptive the injury, the higher the number.
  • Say the negligent driver caused a whiplash injury, leading to $15,000 in economic damages, and which caused you to have neck pain for four months, and further disrupted you because it forced you to wear a neck brace for a week. The pain and suffering might be given a multiplier of three. So:

    $15,000 in economic damages × 3 for the noneconomic damages multiplier = a $45,000 financial recovery
  • The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" means "per day" in Latin. With this approach, your Bourbon, MO automobile injury attorney determines how much money a day of suffering is worth, and multiplies that by the number of days your injuries affected you. So, with the above example, say $200 a day is a fair approximation of your pain and suffering:
  • $200 × 121 days (four months) = $24,200 in pain and suffering damages (in addition to your economic damages)

Your attorney will use the method that applies best to your unique case.

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Will I Still Get Compensation if My Medical Insurance Pays For My Medical Bills?

Yes. The settlement or judgment is based on all of your medical expenses, regardless of whether it was paid for by insurance or out of pocket. However, your medical insurance company will place a medical lien on your settlement. That allows them to be compensated by the liable party's insurance, just as you are being compensated.

There are various legal remedies to reduce medical liens. A knowledgeable Bourbon, MO automobile injury attorney will be able to work with your insurance company and healthcare providers to reduce those liens and put as much money as possible in your pocket.

What If the Insurance Coverage is Limited?

Missouri and Illinois have almost the same minimum auto insurance requirements:

  • $25,000 minimum coverage for bodily injury per person
  • $50,000 minimum coverage for bodily injury per accident
  • $25,000 (Missouri)/$20,000 (Illinois) minimum coverage for property damage

While the at-fault driver may have a policy with higher limits, there is still a chance with more significant injuries that your damages will exceed the policy limits. That doesn't mean we can't get more compensation than the limits. First, you can use your own policy's underinsured motorist coverage. Secondly, in their investigation your attorney might might determine that there are other liable parties who you can also make a claim against.

What Other Parties Could Be Held Accountable for My Auto Accident Injuries in Bourbon, MO?

In most cases, the other driver is the only personal liable for your injuries. However, depending on the specifics of your case, other parties may be liable:

  • An car manufacturer may may have produced a defective car component, and you can make a product liability claim
  • In a truck crash, the trucking company may have failed to repair a truck, or may have required their driver to drive more hours than allowed
  • A mechanic may have negligently worked on the car, causing a defect that had a hand in the accident
  • A bar or restaurant if they served alcohol to a drunk driver that caused your crash
  • A government body responsible for designing and maintaining the safety of roads
  • A construction company if the accident was caused by an unsafe construction site

What if I'm Being Blamed For My Accident?

An insurance adjuster may try to convince you that you were the at-fault driver in order to devalue your claim. Having sound evidence, in addition to having an automobile injury attorney experienced in fighting back against insurance companies, will demonstrate that you aren't liable.

In some car accidents, both drivers really are each partially liable. Both Missouri Law and 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 followed the legal doctrine of "comparative fault." Meaning, if you were 30 percent at fault for the accident, you can recover 70 percent of your damages from the other party. In Illinois, you cannot make any recovery if you were more than half to blame.

What if I Was Injured as a Passenger?

If you were injured in a car that somebody else was driving, you would still file a claim against the at-fault driver, even if that person is a friend or family member in Bourbon, MO. While their insurance premiums might go up a little, that doesn't compare to the economic and noneconomic damages you've sustained as a result. An automobile injury attorney can help make the process less personal.

Will My Claim Go to Trial?

It's very unlikely that you'll have to go attend hearings or a trial for a car accident claim. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that 96 percent of tort claims are settled before trial.

Depositions and mediations are common formal procedures in automobile injury claims, but your automobile injury attorney will prep you for those and handle most of the work.

How Long Will I Have to Wait Until I'm Compensated?

Each injury is different, and the more complicated a case, usually the longer it takes. A personal injury claim can take anywhere from six to eight weeks to three or four years before it reaches its conclusion. Many insurance adjusters start cooperating immediately once they've received notice that the plaintiff hired a lawyer. In other cases, a fair settlement is only offered right before trial begins, or there are complexities to the case that require substantial investigation and time put in.

Most cases reach a conclusion within three to nine months. While we'd obviously like to resolve your claim earlier than not, it's always in your best interest to wait to agree to a settlement until it's the best possible compensation you're owed. Once you agree to a settlement, your right to get additional compensation is barred.

What if I Can't Afford an Automobile Injury Attorney?

Halvorsen Klote's Bourbon, MO automobile injury attorney work on a contingency fee basis. That means we we get a portion of your final payout, and you don't owe us anything upfront. If we don't win, you don't pay, so there's no financial risk involved in hiring our services.

We don't believe that money should be an obstacle for people who just want to be fairly compensated for their injuries.

If you have any other questions about automobile injury claims, check out the frequently asked questions area of our website, have a look at our legal resources page or call us at 866-382-4167.

Other cases we handle in Bourbon, MO include:

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Consult With an Automobile Injury Attorney in Bourbon, MO Today

We founded our practice on the idea that an injury victim should have access to the same standard of legal advocacy as the insurance companies that are trying to keep them from the compensation they are owed. Injuries are always unexpected and can leave you with a profound sense of uncertainty. But you don't have to go through the claims process alone. We negotiate with insurance companies every day and know how to get our Bourbon, MO clients the full financial recovery they deserve. We pride ourselves on our client communication, and handle the entire legal process so you and your Bourbon, MO family can focus on healing. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Bourbon, MO now at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us online for a complimentary case review.


Joel Halvorsen

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

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.