Automobile Injury Attorney Chesterfield, MO
Chesterfield, MO Personal Injury Lawyers
Call 866-382-4167 for a Free Consultation | Chesterfield, MO Automobile Injury Attorney
Automobile injury attorney in Chesterfield, MO. The consequences of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If you were injured in a Chesterfield, MO auto accident, you require an automobile injury attorney who will get you the financial recovery you need to truly recover. At Halvorsen Klote, we have dedicated our practice to fighting for injury victims when they need it the most. Insurance adjusters may try to cheat, but with the help of a skilled attorney, they will not be able to keep you from the maximum financial recovery you are lawfully entitled to. We serve the injured in Chesterfield, MO, the Greater St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. You owe us no fees until you get the compensation you deserve. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Chesterfield, MO today at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us through our website for a free case review.
We've gotten full compensation for our Chesterfield, MO clients in a variety of auto accident claims, including:
Chesterfield, MO Automobile Injury Attorney: Frequently Asked Questions
For most of our clients, this is the first time they've had to be a part of the injury claims process. They understandably have doubts and uncertainties as to how to proceed going about getting compensation for their damages. Below is a list of FAQs to help you better understand the process:
Do I Even Have a Personal Injury Claim?
In order to have a realistic chance of being compensated, your injury needs to create some form of economic damages, for instance urgent care bills or lost wages, and there has to be another party who is at least partially at fault for the accident. If you you were sore for a few days after the accident, but you were never medically evaluated, you're unlikely to have a successful claim. If you were responsible for your injuries, you cannot file a claim against someone else's insurance.
Never assume that you don't have a case without speaking to an attorney first. Halvorsen Klote's Chesterfield, MO automobile injury attorneys offer free case reviews for people who were injured and aren't sure if they have a case.
Is it Worth it to Hire a Lawyer for an Automobile Injury?
There are some cases where a lawyer won't be able to add much value to your claim. If there's no dispute about who the at-fault driver was and your medical expenses aren't very high — for example, one emergency room visit — send detailed records to the insurance company, and ask for 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.
But, if your injuries are more severe, require ongoing medical treatment and don't allow you to work for a period, the insurance company is going to do whatever they can to pay you as little as possible. If the insurance company is not willing to compensate you fairly, or is saying your injuries were pre-existing, then you absolutely need a lawyer. Insurance adjusters have a lot of experience minimizing payouts; personal injury lawyers know how to get maximum compensation.
There are things besides significant injuries that require an attorney, such as if there is a dispute over liability, or if you were in a multi-vehicle accident, almost always require the assistance of an automobile injury attorney.
How Much Will I Receive For My Chesterfield, MO Automobile Injuries?
The damages you recover after an automobile injury are meant to reimburse you for the financial, physical and emotional toll your injuries cause. With a skilled Chesterfield, MO automobile injury attorney, you can be reimbursed for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages from time spent recovering
- Lost earning potential if your injuries result in permanent disability
- 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 spousal relationship is affected by your injuries
How much compensation you receive in your car accident settlement is mostly based on the severity of your injuries.
How Are Pain and Suffering Calculated?
There are two commonly accepted ways to calculate pain and suffering damages:
- The Multiplier Method — With this approach, your economic damages will be multiplied by a number, typically between 1.5 and 5, using higher numbers for more debilitating injuries.
- The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" means "per day" in Latin. Implementing this approach, your Chesterfield, 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, if we stick with the same example, say $200 a day is a fair approximation of how your injuries affected you:
Say the negligent driver caused a whiplash injury, leading to $15,000 in medical expenses and lost wages, and which led to physical discomfort for four months, and inconvenienced you because you had to wear a neck brace for a short period. The pain and suffering might be given a multiplier of three. So:
$15,000 in medical bills and lost wages × 3 for the noneconomic damages multiplier = $45,000 in final compensation
$200 × 121 days (four months) = $24,200 in noneconomic damages (on top of your economic damages)
Your attorney will know the best way to determine your pain and suffering damages for your specific case.
Will I Still Get Reimbursement if My Medical Insurance Covers My Medical Expenses?
Yes. All of your medical expenses will be included in your settlement or judgment, even if your insurance paid for it. However, insurance companies and medical providers have a right place a medical lien on your claim. That allows them to be repaid by the liable party's insurance, just as you are being compensated.
The law allows a variety of avenues to reduce medical liens. A knowledgeable Chesterfield, 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 My Damages Exceed the Policy Limits?
Missouri and Illinois have nearly 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 more coverage, there is still no guarantee that there's enough to cover all of your damages. If that happens, we have a couple options. First, your Chesterfield, MO automobile injury attorney can make an underinsured motorist claim with your own insurance company, that can provide compensation for the rest of your damages. Secondly, in their investigation your attorney might might determine that there are other liable parties who you can also make a claim against.
Who Else Could Be Liable for My Auto Accident Injuries in Chesterfield, MO?
In most cases, liability is solely on the driver responsible for the accident. However, depending on the specifics of your case, other parties may be liable:
- An car manufacturer may have negligently designed, manufactured, or tested a vehicle component, and you can make a product liability claim
- If you were injured in a truck crash, there are a variety of regulations the trucking company may have violated
- A mechanic may have negligently worked on the car, causing a defect that caused the accident
- A licensed alcohol vendor if someone got drunk at their venue, drove afterwards and caused a crash
- A local, state or federal entity responsible for designing and maintaining the safety of roads
- A construction company if the accident was caused by an unsafe construction site
What if The Insurance Company is Saying the Accident is My Fault?
Shifting blame is a common tactic insurance companies use to devalue your claim. Having sound evidence, in addition to having an automobile injury attorney experienced in fighting back against insurance companies, will help prove you're not at-fault.
If, as in some cases, you really were partially responsible for the accident, you are not completely barred from compensation. Both Missouri Revised Statute §537.765 and 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 followed the legal doctrine of "comparative negligence." Meaning, each party pays for the percentage of fault they bear for the accident. In Illinois, you cannot make any recovery if you were more than 50 percent 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 Chesterfield, 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 I Have to Go to Court?
It's very unlikely that you'll have to go to court for a car accident claim. The Bureau of Justice Statistics issued a study in 2005 that found that more than nine out of 10 tort claims are settled before trial.
Depositions and mediations are common formal procedures in automobile injury claims, but your automobile injury attorney will make sure you're adequately prepared and will do most of the work themselves.
How Long Will I Have to Wait Until I'm Compensated?
Each case is different, and the more complicated a case, usually the longer it takes. A personal injury claim can last anywhere from six to eight weeks to three or four years before it results in fair compensation. Many insurance adjusters immediately agree to a settlement demand letter once they know that you hired a lawyer. Other times, they'll wait until the eve of trial to finally agree to what is fair, or the liability and insurance coverage elements are so complex that they require considerable investigation and time put in.
Most cases reach a conclusion from anywhere between a few months to a year. While we'd obviously like to resolve your claim earlier than not, it's always the best idea to wait to agree to a settlement until it's the full, fair compensation you're entitled to. This is your only chance to receive compensation.
What if I Can't Afford an Automobile Injury Attorney?
Halvorsen Klote's Chesterfield, MO automobile injury attorney work on a contingency fee basis. That means we take a percentage of your final compensation as our attorneys' fees, and we only get paid at the conclusion of your claim. If we don't secure any compensation for you, you don't pay, so there's no financial risk involved in hiring our services.
We see no reason that money should be a barrier for people who need quality legal representation to make a full financial recovery.
To learn more about car accident claims, check out the frequently asked questions area of our website, go to our legal resources page or contact us online.
Other injury claims we take on in Chesterfield, MO include:
- Fatal Car Accident Lawyer
- Auto Accident Attorney
- Bike Wreck Lawyer
- What to Do After a Car Accident
- Premises Liability Attorneys
- Motorcycle Accidents Attorney
- Lawyer for Bicycle Accident
- Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
- Injury Claim Lawyer
Consult With an Automobile Injury Attorney in Chesterfield, MO Today
We do what we do because we believe that everyone deserves the same high quality legal representation as the insurance companies that are trying to keep them from the financial recovery they are owed. Injuries are always unexpected and can leave you with a profound sense of uncertainty. But we will be by your side every step of the way. We fight back against insurance companies every day and know how to get our Chesterfield, MO clients the full financial recovery they deserve. We always have open lines of communication with our clients, and do everything we can to make the claims process easy and seamless for you and your Chesterfield, MO family. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Chesterfield, MO today at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us online for a free consultation.
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.
