Automobile Injury Attorney Glen Carbon, IL
Glen Carbon, IL Personal Injury Lawyers
Call 866-382-4167 for a Free Consultation | Glen Carbon, IL Automobile Injury Attorney
Automobile injury attorney in Glen Carbon, IL. The consequences of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If a negligent driver in Glen Carbon, IL injured you, you require an automobile injury attorney who will get you the financial recovery you need to be made whole again. At Halvorsen Klote, we fight for those injured by the negligence of another when they need it the most. Insurance adjusters may try to devalue your claim, but with the help of a skilled attorney, they will not be able to keep you from the maximum compensation you are lawfully entitled to. We provide outstanding legal representation to the injured in Glen Carbon, 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 Glen Carbon, IL now at 866-382-4167 or contact us online for a complimentary consultation.
We have experience with a number of automobile injury claims, including:
Glen Carbon, IL Automobile Injury Attorney: Frequently Asked Questions
For most of our clients, this is the first time they've had to be a part of the injury claims process. They understandably have a lot of questions as to the process and how to proceed going about getting a financial recovery 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 a Personal Injury Claim?
For a claim to be valid, you have to have suffered an injury that led to some amount of financial loss, for instance emergency room bills or lost wages, and there has to be another party who is at least partially at fault for the accident. If you your back hurt 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 responsible for your injuries, you cannot file a claim against someone else's insurance.
Never assume that you don't have a case without speaking to an attorney first. Halvorsen Klote's Glen Carbon, IL automobile injury attorneys are more than happy to discuss your case for free.
Do I Need 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 — say, one appointment with your doctor — include detailed records in your settlement letter, and ask for some extra money for the hassle. With milder injuries where fault is clearly established, it's unlikely an automobile injury attorney will be able to get you significantly more money.
But, if your injuries are more severe, result in several physical therapy or chiropractic appointments and cause you to lose time off work, 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 know how to devalue claims; personal injury lawyers know how to get maximum compensation.
There are things besides significant injuries that require an attorney, such as if the negligent driver refuses to admit fault, or if you were in a multi-vehicle accident, also make an automobile injury attorney required.
How Much Will I Receive For My Glen Carbon, IL 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 skilled Glen Carbon, IL automobile injury attorney, you'll get a financial recovery for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages from time spent recovering
- Lost earning capacity if you can no longer work
- Other related expenses, such as hiring household services for chores you can't do while you're injured
- 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 how your injuries have impacted your life.
How Are Noneconomic Damages Calculated?
There are two commonly accepted ways to calculate noneconomic 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 significant injuries.
- The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" means "per day" in Latin. Implementing this method, your Glen Carbon, IL automobile injury attorney determines how much money a day of suffering is worth, and multiplies that by the number of days you suffered. So, with the above example, say your lawyer assigned $200 a day to your injuries:
For example, the negligent driver caused a whiplash 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 week. The pain and suffering might be given a multiplier of three. So:
$15,000 in economic damages × 3 for the noneconomic damages multiplier = $45,000 in final 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 specific case.
Will I Still Get Compensation if My Medical Insurance Covers 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 compensated by the liable party's insurance, just as you are being compensated.
The law allows a variety of avenues to reduce medical liens. A knowledgeable Glen Carbon, IL automobile injury attorney will know best how 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 almost identical 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, your Glen Carbon, IL automobile injury attorney can file an underinsured motorist claim under your own policy, that can provide compensation for the rest of your damages. Secondly, in their investigation your attorney might uncover other liable parties who you can also make a claim against.
What Other Parties Could Be Held Accountable for My Auto Accident Injuries in Glen Carbon, IL?
In most cases, liability is solely on the driver that caused 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 crash, there are a variety of regulations the trucking company may have violated
- A mechanic may have improperly repaired an automobile, which contributed to the wreck
- A bar or restaurant if they served alcohol to a drunk driver that caused your crash
- A local, state or federal authority responsible for keeping roads safe
- 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 tactic insurance companies use to devalue your claim. Providing sound evidence, as well as an experienced automobile injury attorney 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 Revised Statute §537.765 and 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 allow for what's called "comparative fault." 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 liable.
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 liable driver's insurance company, even if that person is a friend or family member in Glen Carbon, IL. While their insurance premiums might go up a little, which is likely far less than your economic damages. An automobile injury attorney can help make the process less personal.
Will My Claim Go to Trial?
It's very unlikely that you'll have 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 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 last anywhere from six to eight weeks to several years before it results in fair compensation. Many insurance adjusters start cooperating immediately once they've learned 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 reach a conclusion from anywhere between a few months to a year. While we'd obviously like to resolve your claim soon, it's always in your best interest to hold out for the maximum financial recovery you deserve. You only have chance to receive compensation.
What if I Can't Afford an Automobile Injury Attorney?
Halvorsen Klote's Glen Carbon, 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 there are no upfront costs. If we don't secure any compensation for you, 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 an obstacle for people who just want to be fairly compensated for their injuries.
If you have any other questions about the claims process, check out our other FAQs, have a look at our legal resources page or call us at 866-382-4167.
Other cases we handle in Glen Carbon, 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
Speak to an Automobile Injury Attorney in Glen Carbon, 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 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 fight back against insurance companies every day and know how to get our Glen Carbon, IL 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 Glen Carbon, IL family. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Glen Carbon, IL now at 866-382-4167 or contact us online for a free consultation.
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.
