Automobile Injury Attorney Ellisville, MO

Ellisville, MO Personal Injury Lawyers

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

Automobile injury attorney in Ellisville, MO. The consequences of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If a negligent driver in Ellisville, MO injured you, you require an automobile injury attorney who will fight to get you justice. At Halvorsen Klote, we have dedicated our practice to fighting for injury victims when they need it the most. Insurance adjusters may try to deceive you, but with the help of a skilled attorney, you will get the justice and financial recovery you are rightfully entitled to. We provide exceptional legal advocacy to the vulnerable in Ellisville, MO, the Greater St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. You don't pay until you get the compensation you deserve. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Ellisville, MO now at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us through our website for a complimentary consultation.

We've gotten full compensation for our Ellisville, MO clients in numerous types of auto accident claims, including:

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Ellisville, MO Automobile Injury Attorney: Frequently Asked Questions

For most of our clients, this is their first foray into the injury claims process. They understandably have a lot of questions as to the process and what to expect. Some of the most commonly asked questions we get are:

Do I Even Have Autombile Injury Case?

For a claim to be valid, you have to have suffered an injury that led to some form of economic damages, for instance an appointment with your GP or lost wages, 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 you never sought medical treatment, it would be difficult for you to make a personal injury claim. If you were the negligence party, 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 Ellisville, MO automobile injury attorneys are more than happy to discuss your case for free.

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 the other party accepts responsibility and your medical expenses aren't very high — for instance, one appointment with your doctor — include copies of your records and bills in your settlement letter, and ask for a little more on top for inconvenience. 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, if your injuries are more severe, result in several physical therapy or chiropractic appointments 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 pay the full extent of your damages, or is saying your injuries were pre-existing, then you absolutely need a lawyer. Insurance adjusters know how to devalue claims; personal injury lawyers know how to fight back against them.

There are things besides significant injuries that require an attorney, such as if the negligent driver refuses to be held accountable, or if you were in a multi-vehicle accident, also make an automobile injury attorney necessary.

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

The damages you recover after an automobile injury are meant to reimburse you for the economic, physical and emotional toll your injuries cause. With a talented Ellisville, MO automobile injury attorney, you'll be compensated for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages from time spent recovering
• Lost earning capacity if your injuries result in permanent disability
• 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 in your car accident settlement depends largely on the severity of your injuries.

How Much Will I Get for Pain and Suffering?

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.

For example, the negligent driver caused a moderate neck 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 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 = a $45,000 financial recovery

• The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" translates from Latin to "per day." Using this method, your Ellisville, 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 your lawyer assigned $200 a day to your injuries:

$200 × 121 days (four months) = $24,200 in noneconomic damages (in addition to your economic damages)

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

Will I Still Get Reimbursement if My Medical Insurance Covers My Medical Bills?

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 compensation. 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 talented Ellisville, 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 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 a policy with higher limits, there is still no guarantee that there's enough to compensate you for all of your damages. 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 Ellisville, MO?

In most cases, liability is squarely on the driver that caused the crash. However, depending on the specifics of your case, other parties may be liable:

• An car company may may have produced a faulty vehicle component, leading to a product liability claim
• In a truck crash, the trucking company may have failed to repair a truck, or may have forced their driver to drive more hours than regulations allow
• A mechanic may have negligently worked on the car, which contributed to the accident
• A bar or restaurant if someone got drunk at their venue, drove afterwards and caused your injuries
• A government entity responsible for designing and maintaining the safety of roads
• A construction company if a construction site was not properly secured

What if The Insurance Company is Saying the Accident is My Fault?

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

In some car accidents, both drivers really are each partially liable. Both Missouri Law and Illinois Law followed the legal doctrine of "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, 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 as a passenger, you still seek compensation from the liable driver's insurance company, even if that person is a friend or family member in Ellisville, MO. While they may have to pay a moderate amount more for insurance, which is likely substantially less than your medical bills and lost wages. An automobile injury attorney will communicate with other side so you don't have to feel awkward.

Will My Claim Go to Trial?

It's very unlikely that you'll have to go to court 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 personal injury claims, but your automobile injury attorney will prep you for those and do most of the work themselves.

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 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 there's an attorney on the case. 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 considerable investigation and time put in.

Most cases are settled from anywhere between a few months to a year. While while we understand that you'd like to receive your financial recovery as quickly as possible, it's always the best idea to wait to agree to a settlement until it's the best possible compensation you're entitled to. Once you agree to a settlement, you can never go back and ask for more money later.

Is It Expensive to Hire an Automobile Injury Attorney?

Halvorsen Klote's Ellisville, MO automobile injury attorney are paid through a contingency fee. That means we take a percentage of your final compensation as our attorneys' fees, and there are no upfront costs. If we don't win, you don't owe us anything, 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 personal 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 cases we handle in Ellisville, 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

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Speak to an Automobile Injury Attorney in Ellisville, MO Today

We do what we do because we believe that everyone should have access to the same high quality legal representation as the insurance companies that are trying to keep them from the financial recovery they are owed. An injury is shocking and create fear and confusion. 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 Ellisville, 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 Ellisville, MO family can spend your energy on healing. Call a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Ellisville, MO now at 866-382-4167 or contact us online for a complimentary consultation.

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