Automobile Injury Attorney Dardenne Prairie, MO
Dardenne Prairie, MO Personal Injury Lawyers
Call 866-382-4167 for a Free Consultation | Dardenne Prairie, MO Automobile Injury Attorney
Automobile injury attorney in Dardenne Prairie, MO. Injuries in auto accidents happen in a flash, and the mental, physical and economic hardships they create happen suddenly as well. If a careless driver in Dardenne Prairie, MO injured you, you need an automobile injury attorney who will fight to get you justice. At Halvorsen Klote, we stand by injury victims when they need it the most. Insurance adjusters can seem heartless, but with the help of a skilled attorney, they will not be able to keep you from the maximum financial recovery you are owed. We serve the vulnerable in Dardenne Prairie, 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 Dardenne Prairie, MO now at 866-382-4167 or contact us through our website for a free consultation.
We've gotten full compensation for our Dardenne Prairie, MO clients in a variety of auto accident claims, including:
Dardenne Prairie, MO Automobile Injury Attorney: Frequently Asked Questions
Most of our clients 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 compensation for their damages. Below is a list of FAQs to give you a little bit clearer picture of what to expect:
Do I Even Have Autombile Injury Case?
For a claim to be valid, your injury needs to lead to some amount of economic damages, for instance urgent care bills or time spent off work recovering, and there has to be another party who is at least partially at fault for the accident. If you suffered some bumps and bruises, but your injuries didn't lead to financial loss, it's unrealistic to expect an insurance company to compensate you. If the accident was largely your fault, you cannot file a claim against someone else's insurance.
Fortunately, you don't have to rely on guesswork to understand if you have a case. Halvorsen Klote's Dardenne Prairie, 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 the other party accepts liability and your medical bills are minimal — say, one urgent care appointment — send copies of your records and bills to the insurance adjuster, and see if you can get a little more on top for the hassle. With milder injuries where fault is not in dispute, an automobile injury attorney won't be able to add much value to your claim.
However, with more significant injuries that require ongoing medical treatment and don't allow you to work for a period, the insurance company is not going to willingly pay for all those damages. If the insurance company refuses to give you a fair offer, or is trying to convince you that your injuries weren't caused by the accident, then you absolutely need a lawyer. 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 you were in a multi-vehicle accident, also make an automobile injury attorney necessary.
How Much Are My Automobile Injury Worth in Dardenne Prairie, 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 an experienced Dardenne Prairie, MO automobile injury attorney, you'll get a financial recovery for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages from time spent off work
- Lost earning potential if your injuries result in permanent disability
- Miscellaneous expenses, such as hiring a nanny or take care to look after your kids
- Noneconomic damages like pain and suffering, or loss of consortium if your spousal relationship is negatively impacted by your injuries
How much money you get for your automobile injuries depends largely on the severity of your injuries.
How Are Pain and Suffering Calculated?
There are two commonly accepted ways to calculate noneconomic damages:
- The Multiplier Method — With this method, your economic damages will be multiplied by a number, typically between 1.5 and 5, using higher numbers for more significant injuries.
- The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" translates from Latin to "per day." With this method, your Dardenne Prairie, MO automobile injury attorney assigns a dollar amount to a single day of suffering, and multiplies that by the number of days you suffered. So, using the same whiplash injury example, say $200 a day is a fair approximation of your pain and suffering:
Say you suffered a whiplash injury, leading to $15,000 in medical expenses and lost wages, and which led to physical discomfort for four months, and further disrupted you because it forced you to wear a neck brace for a week. Your noneconomic damages might be assigned a multiplier of three. So:
$15,000 in medical bills and lost wages × 3 for the noneconomic damages multiplier = a $45,000 financial recovery
$200 × 121 days (four months) = $24,200 in pain and suffering damages (in addition to your medical bills and lost wages)
Your attorney will know the best way to calculate your pain and suffering damages for your specific case.
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 repaid by the liable party's insurance, just as you are being compensated.
There are various legal remedies to reduce medical liens. A talented Dardenne Prairie, 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 very similar laws regarding minimum auto coverage:
- $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
The other driver could have those, or other policy limits, but 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, your Dardenne Prairie, MO automobile injury attorney can file an underinsured motorist claim under your own policy, asking them to make up the difference. Secondly, your attorney can find out if there are other liable parties.
Who Else Could Be Liable for My Auto Accident Injuries in Dardenne Prairie, MO?
In most cases, liability is solely on the driver responsible for the crash. However, there are other people and entities that may have contributed to your accident:
- An car manufacturer may have negligently designed, manufactured, or tested a car component, leading to a product liability claim
- In a truck accident, 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 improperly repaired an automobile, which caused the accident
- A bar or restaurant if they served alcohol to a drunk driver that caused your crash
- A local, state or federal body responsible for designing and maintaining the safety of roads
- A construction company if a construction site was not properly cordoned off
What if The Insurance Company is Saying the Accident is My Fault?
Shifting blame is a common trick insurance adjusters use to devalue your claim. Providing strong evidence, in addition to having an automobile injury attorney used to fighting back against insurance companies, will help prove you're not to blame.
In some car accidents, both drivers really are each partially at fault. Both Missouri Law and 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 allow for what's called "comparative negligence." Meaning, each party pays for the percentage of fault they bear for the accident. In Illinois, your right to compensation is barred if you were more than half at fault.
What if I Was Injured as a Passenger?
If you were injured in a car that somebody else was driving, you still seek compensation from the negligent driver's insurance company, even if it's someone you know. While they may have to pay a moderate amount more for insurance, which is likely much less than your economic damages. An automobile injury attorney will communicate with other side so you don't have to feel awkward.
Will My Claim Go to Trial?
You probably will not be required to go attend hearings or a trial for your automobile injuries. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that more than nine out of 10 tort claims are settled before trial.
Depositions and mediations are common formal procedures in personal injury claims, but your automobile injury attorney will prep you for those and handle most of the work.
How Long Will My Claim Take?
That depends on your case and, usually, how complex it is. A personal injury claim can last anywhere from a month to several years before it reaches its conclusion. Many insurance adjusters immediately agree to a settlement demand letter once they've received notice that there's an attorney on the case. Other times, they'll wait until the eve of trial to finally agree to what is fair, or there are complexities to the case that require substantial investigation and expert testimony.
Most cases are settled from anywhere between a few months to a year. While we'd obviously like to resolve your claim as quickly as possible, it's always in your best interest to hold out for the full, fair financial recovery you're entitled to. Once you agree to a settlement, you can never go back and ask for more money later.
What if I Can't Afford an Automobile Injury Attorney?
Halvorsen Klote's Dardenne Prairie, MO automobile injury attorney receive our fees through a contingency fee. 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 an obstacle for people who just want to be fairly compensated for their injuries.
If you have any other questions about the claims process, have a look at our other FAQs, have a look at our legal resources page or request a free consultation.
Other cases we take on in Dardenne Prairie, 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 Dardenne Prairie, MO Today
We founded our practice on the idea that an injury victim deserves the same high quality legal representation that large insurance companies have. Injuries are always unexpected and create fear and confusion. 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 Dardenne Prairie, MO clients the full financial recovery they deserve. We always have open lines of communication with our clients, and handle the entire legal process so you and your Dardenne Prairie, MO family can spend your energy on healing. Call a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Dardenne Prairie, MO today at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us online for a complimentary case evaluation.
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.
