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

Eldon, MO

Automobile Injury Attorney Eldon, MO

Eldon, MO Personal Injury Lawyers


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

Automobile injury attorney in Eldon, MO. The effects of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If you were injured in a Eldon, MO auto accident, you require an automobile injury attorney who will get you the financial recovery you need to be made whole again. At Halvorsen Klote, we stand by injury victims when the whole world seems stacked against them. Insurance adjusters may try to devalue your claim, but with a skilled attorney by your side, you will get the justice and financial recovery you are lawfully entitled to. We serve the vulnerable in Eldon, MO, the Greater St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. You owe us no fees until we win your case. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Eldon, MO now at 866-382-4167 or contact us through our website for a free case review.

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


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Autombile Injury Attorney Eldon, MO | Personal Injury Lawyers | Injury Claim Lawyers | Auto Accident Law Firm Near Eldon

Eldon, 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 doubts and uncertainties as to what the experience will be like. Some of the most commonly asked questions we get are:

How Do I Know if I Have a Valid Claim?

For a claim to be valid, your injury needs to create some amount of financial loss, such as an appointment with your doctor or lost wages, 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 you were never medically evaluated, it's unrealistic to expect an insurance company to compensate you. If the accident was largely your fault, you may not have a case either.

Never assume that you don't have a case without speaking to an attorney first. Halvorsen Klote's Eldon, MO automobile injury attorneys offer free consultations for people who were injured and aren't sure of the validity of their claim.

Do I Need to Hire a Lawyer for an Automobile Injury?

Usually, yes, but not all the time. If there's no dispute about who to blame for the accident and your medical expenses aren't very high — for instance, one emergency room visit — send copies of your records and bills to the insurance company, and see if you can get a little more on top for the nuisance. In those types of situations, an automobile injury attorney won't be able to add much value to your claim.

However, if your injuries are more severe, result in months of 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 get maximum compensation.

Other complications, such as if the negligent driver refuses to admit fault, or if you were in a multi-vehicle accident, almost always require the assistance of an automobile injury attorney.

What Compensation Can I Recover For My Eldon, MO Automobile Injuries?

The damages you recover after an automobile injury are intended to provide you with an equitable financial recovery for all the ways an injury affected your life. With a skilled Eldon, MO automobile injury attorney, you'll get a financial recovery 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 a nanny or take care to look after your kids
  • 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 for your automobile injuries depends largely on the severity of your injuries.

How Are Noneconomic Damages Calculated?

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 significant injuries.
  • Say you suffered a moderate neck 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 week. The pain and suffering might be given a multiplier of three. So:

    $15,000 in medical bills and lost wages × 3 for a pain and suffering multiplier = $45,000 in total compensation
  • The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" means "per day" in Latin. Using this approach, your Eldon, MO automobile injury attorney assigns a dollar amount to a single day of suffering, 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 pain and suffering damages (in addition to your medical bills and lost wages)

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

Autombile Injury Attorney Eldon, MO | Personal Injury Lawyers | Injury Claim Lawyers | Auto Accident Law Firm Near Eldon

Will I Still Get Compensation if My Medical Insurance Pays For 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, your medical insurance company will place a medical lien on your settlement. That allows them to collect the money that paid for your injuries from your compensation.

The law allows a variety of avenues to reduce medical liens. A skilled Eldon, MO automobile injury attorney will be able to work with your insurance company and healthcare providers to reduce those liens and make sure as little is taken out of your compensation as possible.

What If the Insurance Coverage is Limited?

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 severe 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 uncover other liable parties who you can also make a claim against.

Who Else Could Be Liable for My Auto Accident Injuries in Eldon, MO?

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

  • An auto manufacturer may may have produced a defective car component, and you can make a product liability claim
  • If you were injured in a truck accident, the trucking company may have failed to maintain a truck, or may have forced their driver to drive more hours than allowed
  • A mechanic may have negligently worked on the car, which had a hand in the accident
  • A licensed alcohol vendor if someone got drunk at their venue, drove afterwards and caused a crash
  • A government 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 avoid paying you. Providing strong evidence, in addition to having an automobile injury attorney experienced in fighting back against that tactic, will demonstrate that you aren't liable.

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, you cannot make any recovery 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 that person is a friend or family member in Eldon, MO. While they may have to pay a moderate amount more for insurance, that doesn't compare to the medical bills and lost wages you've incurred because of their negligence. 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 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.

You'll likely have to take a deposition and may have to attend a mediation, but your automobile injury attorney will make sure you're adequately prepared and will handle most of the work.

How Long Will My Claim Take?

That depends on a lot of things, such as the severity of your injuries, how clear negligence is and even the insurance company or adjuster we're negotiating with. A personal injury claim can take anywhere from six to eight weeks to three or four years before it's resolved. Many insurance adjusters start cooperating immediately once they've learned that you hired a lawyer. In other cases, 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 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 soon, it's always in your best interest to wait to agree to a settlement until it's the full, fair compensation you're entitled to. You only have chance to receive compensation.

Is It Expensive to Hire an Automobile Injury Attorney?

Halvorsen Klote's Eldon, 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 you don't owe us anything upfront. If we don't win, you don't pay, so there's no reason to see money as a barrier to hiring one of our lawyers.

We don't believe that money should be a barrier 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, go to our legal resources page or call us at 866-382-4167.

Other injury claims we take on in Eldon, MO include:

Autombile Injury Attorney Eldon, MO | Personal Injury Attorney | Car Crash Lawyers | Auto Accident Attorneys Near Eldon

Hire an Automobile Injury Attorney in Eldon, MO Today

We do what we do because we believe that everyone should have access to the same standard of legal advocacy as the insurance companies that are trying to keep them from the financial recovery they are owed. An injury is shocking and can leave you with a profound sense of uncertainty. But we will be by your side every step of the way. We stand up to insurance companies every day and know how to get our Eldon, MO clients the best possible results. 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 Eldon, MO family. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Eldon, MO now at 866-382-4167 or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation.


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.