Automobile Injury Attorney Hermann, MO

Hermann, MO Personal Injury Lawyers

Call (314) 451-1314 for a Free Consultation Hermann, MO Automobile Injury Attorney

Automobile injury attorney in Hermann, MO. The consequences of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If a negligent driver in Hermann, MO injured you, you require an automobile injury attorney who will fight to get you justice. At Halvorsen Klote Davis, we fight for those injured by the negligence of another when they need help 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 lawfully entitled to. We provide the highest quality of legal advocacy to the vulnerable in Hermann, 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 Davis automobile injury attorney in Hermann, MO now at (314) 451-1314 or reach out to us through our website for a free consultation.

We have experience with many different automobile injury claims, including:

Hermann, MO Automobile Injury Attorney: Frequently Asked Questions

For most of our clients, this is their first experience with the injury claims process. They understandably have a lot of questions as to the process and what to expect. Below are some of the questions we get most frequently:

Do I Even Have Autombile Injury Case?

In order to have a realistic chance of being compensated, your injury needs to create some amount of economic damages, for instance 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 suffered some bumps and bruises, but you were never medically evaluated, it’s unrealistic to expect an insurance company to compensate you. If you were responsible for your injuries, your own insurance company can pay for your damages, but your premiums will go up.

Fortunately, you don’t have to rely on guesswork to understand if you have a case. Halvorsen Klote Davis’s Hermann, MO automobile injury attorneys are more than happy to discuss the validity of your claim 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 there’s no dispute about who to blame for the accident and you didn’t need much medical treatment — say, one urgent care appointment — include detailed records in your letter to the insurance adjuster, and see if you can get a little more on top for the nuisance. In those types of situations, 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 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 refuses to give you a fair offer, or is trying to convince you that your injuries weren’t caused by the accident, then you absolutely need a lawyer. Insurance adjusters have a lot of experience minimizing payouts; personal injury lawyers know how to fight back against them.

Other complications, such as if the other side denies liability, or if you were in a multi-vehicle accident, almost always require the assistance of an automobile injury attorney.

How Much Are My Automobile Injury Worth in Hermann, MO?

The damages you recover after a car accident are intended to compensate you for the financial, physical and emotional consequences of your injuries. With a knowledgeable Hermann, MO automobile injury attorney, you’ll get a financial recovery for:

Medical bills
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 transportation to and from medical appointments
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 is mostly based on the severity of your injuries.

Injured in Hermann, MO ? Call Us.

There are two commonly accepted ways to calculate noneconomic damages:

The Multiplier Method — With this approach, 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.

Say you suffered a moderate neck injury, leading to $15,000 in economic damages, and which caused you to have neck pain for four months, and inconvenienced you because you had 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 the noneconomic damages multiplier = a $45,000 financial recovery

The Per Diem Method — “Per Diem” translates from Latin to “per day.” With this approach, your Hermann, 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 $200 a day is a fair approximation of your pain and suffering:

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

Your attorney will know the best way to calculate your noneconomic damages for your specific 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 they were partially or fully covered by insurance. 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 skilled Hermann, 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 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
While the negligent driver may have more coverage, 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 Hermann, MO?
In most cases, liability is solely on the driver responsible for the crash. However, there are other people and entities that may have contributed to your accident:
- An car manufacturer may may have produced a faulty car component, and you can make a product liability claim
- 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 regulations allow
- A mechanic may have improperly repaired an automobile, which caused the wreck
- A bar or restaurant if someone got drunk at their venue, drove afterwards and caused your injuries
- A local, state or federal authority responsible for keeping roads safe
- A construction company if the accident was caused by an unsafe construction site
What if The Insurance Company is Saying the Accident is My Fault?
An insurance adjuster may try to blame you for your accident in order to devalue your claim. Providing strong evidence, in addition to having an automobile injury attorney used to fighting back against that tactic, will demonstrate that you aren’t liable.
If, as in some cases, you really were partially responsible for the accident, you can still make a recovery. Both Missouri Law and Illinois Law 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 to blame.
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 Hermann, MO. While they may have to pay a moderate amount more for insurance, which is likely far 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 I Have to Go to Court?
It’s very unlikely that you’ll have to go attend hearings or a trial for your automobile injuries. The Bureau of Justice Statistics issued a study in 2005 that found that 96 percent of 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 do most of the work themselves.
How Long Will My Claim Take?
That depends on your case and, usually, how complex it is. A personal injury claim can last 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, a fair settlement is only offered right before trial begins, or there are complexities to the case that require considerable investigation and time put in.
Most cases reach a conclusion from anywhere between a few months to a year. While we’d obviously like to resolve your claim earlier than not, it’s always the best idea to wait to agree to a settlement until it’s the maximum compensation you’re owed. You only have chance to receive compensation.
What if I Can’t Afford an Automobile Injury Attorney?
Halvorsen Klote Davis’s Hermann, 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 you don’t owe us anything upfront. If we don’t win, you don’t pay, 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.
To learn more about personal injury claims, check out the frequently asked questions area of our website, go to our legal resources page or call us at (314) 451-1314.
Other cases we handle in Hermann, MO include:

Hire an Automobile Injury Attorney in Hermann, MO Today

We founded our practice on the idea that an injury victim should have access to the same standard of legal advocacy that large insurance companies have. Injuries are always unexpected and create fear and confusion. But you don’t have to go through the claims process alone. We fight back against insurance companies every day and know how to get our Hermann, MO clients the best possible results. We always have open lines of communication with our clients, and handle the entire legal process so you and your Hermann, MO family can focus on healing. Call a Halvorsen Klote Davis automobile injury attorney in Hermann, MO now at (314) 451-1314 or reach out to us online for a complimentary case review.