Automobile Injury Attorney Eureka, MO
Eureka, MO Personal Injury Lawyers
Call 866-382-4167 for a Free Consultation | Eureka, MO Automobile Injury Attorney
Automobile injury attorney in Eureka, MO. Injuries in auto crashes happen in a flash, and the mental, physical and economic hardships they create happen suddenly as well. If a thoughtless driver in Eureka, MO injured you, you need an automobile injury attorney who will get you the financial recovery you need to truly recover. At Halvorsen Klote, we stand by those injured by the negligence of another when the whole world seems to have turned against them. 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 owed. We serve the vulnerable in Eureka, MO, the Greater St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. You owe us no fees unless we win. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Eureka, MO today at 866-382-4167 or contact us through our website for a free case evaluation.
We have experience with many different automobile injury claims, including:
Eureka, MO Automobile Injury Attorney: Frequently Asked Questions
Most injury victims 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 injuries. 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 case, you have to have suffered an injury that led to some amount of financial loss, such as 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 you were sore for a few days after the accident, but you never sought medical treatment, you're unlikely to have a successful claim. If you were the negligence party, your own insurance company can pay for your damages, but your premiums will go up.
Never assume that you don't have a case without speaking to an attorney first. Halvorsen Klote's Eureka, MO automobile injury attorneys are more than happy to discuss the validity of your claim for free.
Do I Need to Get 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 bills are minimal — for example, one urgent care appointment — send copies of your records and bills to the insurance company, and ask for some extra money for the nuisance. In those types of situations, an automobile injury attorney won't be able to add much value to your claim.
However, with more significant injuries that result in several physical therapy or chiropractic appointments and cause you to lose time off work, the insurance company is not going to willingly pay for all the ways the injury has affected your life. If the insurance company refuses 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 have just as much experience holding them accountable.
Other complications, such as if the negligent driver refuses to admit fault, or if your injuries occurred in a multi-vehicle accident, also make an automobile injury attorney necessary.
What Compensation Can I Recover For My Eureka, MO Automobile Injuries?
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 a talented Eureka, MO automobile injury attorney, you'll be compensated for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages from time spent off work
- Lost earning capacity if you can no longer work
- 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 affected by your injuries
How much money you get in your car accident settlement is mostly based on how your injuries have affected your life.
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 method, we multiply the total of your medical bills, lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses by a number between 1.5 and 5, using higher numbers for more debilitating injuries.
- The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" means "per day" in Latin. Using this approach, your Eureka, MO automobile injury attorney determines how much money a day of suffering is worth, and multiplies that by the number of days you suffered. So, if we stick with the same example, say your lawyer assigned $200 a day to your injuries:
Say the negligent driver caused a moderate neck injury, leading to $15,000 in medical expenses and lost wages, and which caused you to have physical discomfort for four months, and further disrupted you because it forced you to wear a neck brace for a few days. Your noneconomic damages might be assigned 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
$200 × 121 days (four months) = $24,200 in pain and suffering damages (on top of your medical bills and lost wages)
Your attorney will know the best way to determine your pain and suffering damages for your unique case.
Will I Still Get Compensation 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, insurance companies and healthcare providers have a right place a medical lien on your claim. That allows them to collect the money that paid for your injuries from your compensation.
There are various legal remedies to reduce medical liens. A skilled Eureka, 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
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, you can use your own policy's underinsured motorist coverage. 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 Eureka, MO?
In most cases, liability is solely on the driver that caused the accident. However, there are other people and entities that may have contributed to your accident:
- An car company may have negligently designed, manufactured, or tested a car component, leading to a product liability claim
- If you were injured in a truck accident, there are a variety of regulations the trucking company may have violated
- A mechanic may have improperly repaired an automobile, causing a defect that contributed to the crash
- A licensed alcohol vendor if someone got drunk at their venue, drove afterwards and caused your injuries
- A government body responsible for designing and maintaining the safety of roads
- A construction company if the accident was caused by an unsafe construction site
What if I'm Being Blamed For My Accident?
An insurance adjuster may try to convince you that you were the at-fault driver in order to avoid paying you. Having detailed evidence, as well as an automobile injury attorney used to fighting back against that tactic, will demonstrate that you aren't liable.
If it's true that you were partially at fault for the accident, you are not completely barred from compensation. Both Missouri Law and 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 followed the legal doctrine of "comparative fault." 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 liable.
What if I Was Injured as a Passenger?
If you were injured as a passenger, you would still file a claim against the at-fault driver, even if it's someone you know. While their insurance premiums might go up a little, 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 I Have to Go to Court?
It's very unlikely that you'll be required 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.
You'll likely have to take a deposition and may have to attend a mediation, but your automobile injury attorney will prep you for those and handle most of the work.
How Long Will I Have to Wait Until I'm Compensated?
Each claim is different, and the more complicated a case, usually the longer it takes. A personal injury claim can take anywhere from a month to three or four years before it's resolved. Many insurance adjusters immediately agree to a settlement demand letter once they know 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 there are complexities to the case that require considerable 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 as quickly as possible, it's always in your best interest to hold out for the maximum compensation you deserve. You only have chance to receive compensation.
What if I Can't Afford an Automobile Injury Attorney?
Halvorsen Klote's Eureka, 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 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 don't believe that money should be a barrier for people who need quality legal representation to make a full financial recovery.
If you have any other questions about car accident claims, check out our other FAQs, have a look at our legal resources page or request a free consultation.
Other injury claims we handle in Eureka, 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
Hire an Automobile Injury Attorney in Eureka, MO Today
We do what we do because we believe that everyone should have access to the same high quality legal representation that large insurance companies have. 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 negotiate with insurance companies every day and know how to get our Eureka, MO clients the full financial recovery they deserve. We pride ourselves on our client communication, and do everything we can to make the claims process easy and seamless for you and your Eureka, MO family. Call a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Eureka, MO now at 866-382-4167 or contact us through our website for a complimentary case review.
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.
