Automobile Injury Attorney Edwardsville, IL

Edwardsville, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

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Call 866-382-4167 for a Free Consultation | Edwardsville, IL Automobile Injury Attorney

Automobile injury attorney in Edwardsville, IL. The effects of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If a thoughtless driver in Edwardsville, IL injured you, you need 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 those injured by the negligence of another when they need it the most. Insurance adjusters can seem heartless, but with a skilled attorney by your side, you will get the justice and financial recovery you are owed. We serve the injured in Edwardsville, IL, 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 Edwardsville, IL now at 866-382-4167 or contact us online for a free case review.

We've gotten great financial recoveries for our Edwardsville, IL clients in numerous types of auto accident claims, including:

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Edwardsville, IL 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 what to expect. Some of the most commonly asked questions we get are:

How Do I Know if I Have a Case?

For a claim to be valid, you have to have sustained an injury that led to some amount of financial loss, such as an appointment with your doctor 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, you're unlikely to have a successful claim. If you were responsible for your injuries, your own insurance company can pay for your damages, but your premiums will go up.

The good news is you don't have to rely on guesswork to understand if you have a case. Halvorsen Klote's Edwardsville, IL automobile injury attorneys offer free case evaluations for people who were injured and aren't sure if they have a case.

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

Usually, yes, but not all the time. If there's no dispute about who the at-fault driver was and your medical expenses aren't very high — say, one urgent care appointment — include detailed records in your letter to the insurance adjuster, and ask for some extra money for inconvenience. In those types of situations, an automobile injury attorney probably isn't necessary.

However, with more significant injuries that result in several physical therapy or chiropractic appointments and result in lost wages, the insurance company is going to do whatever they can to pay you as little as possible. If the insurance company isn't coming close to giving you a fair offer, 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 have just as much experience holding them accountable.

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, also make an automobile injury attorney necessary.

How Much Are My Automobile Injury Worth in Edwardsville, IL?

The damages you are eligible for after a car accident are meant to provide you with an equitable financial recovery for all the ways an injury affected your life. With an experienced Edwardsville, IL 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 prevent you from making a living as you're used to
• 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 compensation you receive in your car accident settlement is mostly based on how your injuries have impacted 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 method, your economic damages will be multiplied by a number, typically between 1.5 and 5, using higher numbers for more debilitating injuries.

Say the negligent driver caused a moderate neck injury, leading to $15,000 in economic damages, and which led to neck pain 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 economic damages × 3 for a pain and suffering multiplier = $45,000 in total compensation

• The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" means "per day" in Latin. Implementing this method, your Edwardsville, IL 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, using the same whiplash injury example, say your lawyer assigned $200 a day to your injuries:

$200 × 121 days (four months) = $24,200 in noneconomic damages (in addition to your medical bills and lost wages)

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

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

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 compensation. 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. An experience Edwardsville, IL automobile injury attorney will know best how to reduce those liens and make sure as little is taken out of your financial recovery as possible.

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 a chance with more significant injuries that your damages will exceed the policy limits. If that happens, we have a couple options. First, your Edwardsville, IL automobile injury attorney can make an underinsured motorist claim under your own policy, that can provide compensation for the rest of your damages. Secondly, your attorney can find out if there are other liable parties.

What Other Parties Could Be Held Accountable for My Auto Accident Injuries in Edwardsville, IL?

In most cases, the other driver is the only personal responsible for your injuries. However, there are other people and entities that may have contributed to your accident:

• An auto manufacturer may may have produced a faulty vehicle 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, causing a defect that contributed to the crash
• A licensed alcohol vendor if they served alcohol to a drunk driver that caused your crash
• A local, state or federal entity responsible for keeping roads safe
• A construction company if the accident was caused by an unsafe construction site

What if I'm Being Blamed For My Accident?

Shifting blame is a common trick insurance adjusters use to devalue your claim. Providing sound evidence, as well as an automobile injury attorney used to fighting back against that tactic, will demonstrate that you aren't liable.

In some car accidents, both drivers really are each partially responsible for the accident. Both Missouri Revised Statute §537.765 and 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 allow for what's called "comparative negligence." 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 50 percent liable.

What if I Was Injured as a Passenger?

If you were injured as a passenger, you still seek compensation from the liable driver's insurance company, even if it's someone you know. While they may have to pay a moderate amount more for insurance, that doesn't compare to the economic and noneconomic damages you've incurred because of their negligence. An automobile injury attorney can help make the process less personal.

Will I Have to Go to Court?

You probably will not have to go to court for your automobile injuries. 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 make sure you're adequately prepared and will handle most of the work.

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

That depends on your case and, usually, how complex it is. A personal injury claim can last anywhere from six to eight weeks to several years before it reaches its conclusion. Many insurance adjusters start cooperating immediately once they know that there's an attorney on the case. 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 expert testimony.

Most cases reach a conclusion from anywhere between a few months to a year. While while we understand that you'd like to receive your financial recovery earlier than not, it's always in your best interest to hold out for the maximum 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 Edwardsville, IL 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 you don't owe us anything upfront. If we don't win, you don't owe us anything, so there's no reason to see money as an obstacle in hiring one of our lawyers.

We don't believe that money should be a barrier for people who need quality legal representation to make a full financial recovery.

To learn more about personal injury claims, have a look at our other FAQs, go to our legal resources page or call us at 866-382-4167.

Other cases we handle in Edwardsville, IL 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

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Consult With an Automobile Injury Attorney in Edwardsville, IL Today

We do what we do because we believe 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 create fear and confusion. But you don't have to go through the claims process alone. We stand up to insurance companies every day and know how to get our Edwardsville, IL clients the best possible results. We pride ourselves on our client communication, and handle the entire legal process so you and your Edwardsville, IL family can focus on healing. Call a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Edwardsville, IL today at 866-382-4167 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

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