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

High Ridge, MO

Automobile Injury Attorney High Ridge, MO

High Ridge, MO Personal Injury Lawyers


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

Automobile injury attorney in High Ridge, MO. The consequences of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If a negligent driver in High Ridge, MO injured you, you need 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 can seem heartless, but with an experienced attorney in your corner, they will not be able to keep you from the full compensation you are owed. We provide the highest quality of legal representation to the vulnerable in High Ridge, 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 High Ridge, MO now at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us online for a free consultation.

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


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High Ridge, MO 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 compensation for their injuries. Some of the most commonly asked questions we get are:

How Do I Know if I Have a Valid Claim?

In order to have a case, your injury needs to create some form of economic damages, such as an appointment with your GP 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 never sought medical treatment, it would be difficult for you to make a personal injury claim. If you were responsible for your injuries, you may not have a case either.

The good news is you don't have to make that decision alone. Halvorsen Klote's High Ridge, MO automobile injury attorneys offer free consultations for people who were injured and aren't sure of the validity of their claim.

Is it Worth it to Get a Lawyer for an Automobile Injury?

There are some injuries where you probably don't need a lawyer. If there's no dispute about who the at-fault driver was and your medical expenses aren't very high — for instance, one emergency room visit — include copies of your records and bills in your settlement letter, and see if you can get 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, if your injuries are more severe, require ongoing medical treatment and result in lost wages, the insurance company is not going to willingly pay for all those damages. If the insurance company isn't coming close to giving 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 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 there is a dispute over liability, or if your injuries occurred in a multi-vehicle accident, almost always require the assistance of an automobile injury attorney.

How Much Are My Automobile Injury Worth in High Ridge, MO?

The damages you are eligible for after an automobile injury are intended to provide you with an equitable financial recovery for all the ways an injury affected your life. With an experienced High Ridge, MO automobile injury attorney, you can be reimbursed for:

  • Medical expenses
  • Lost wages from time spent off work
  • Lost earning capacity if your injuries result in permanent disability
  • Other related 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 compensation you receive for your automobile injuries depends largely on the severity of your injuries.

How Much Will I Get for Pain and Suffering?

The dollar amount a plaintiff receives for pain and suffering damages is determined through one of two methods:

  • 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, depending on how severe your injuries were. The more disruptive the injury, the higher the number.
  • Say you suffered a moderate neck injury, leading to $15,000 in economic damages, 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 short period. 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 = $45,000 in total compensation
  • The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" translates from Latin to "per day." Implementing this method, your High Ridge, 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 economic damages)

Your attorney will know the best way to determine your pain and suffering damages for your individual case.

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Will I Still Get Reimbursement 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 collect the money that paid for your injuries from your compensation.

The law allows a variety of avenues to reduce medical liens. A knowledgeable High Ridge, MO automobile injury attorney will know best how to reduce those liens and make sure as little is taken out of your financial recovery 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 no guarantee that there's enough to cover 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 High Ridge, MO?

In most cases, the other driver is the only personal we can hold accountable for your injuries. However, there are other people and entities that may have contributed to your accident:

  • An car company may may have produced a faulty car component, leading to 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, causing a defect that contributed to the wreck
  • A bar or restaurant if someone got drunk at their venue, drove afterwards and caused a crash
  • 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 trick insurance adjusters use to avoid paying you. Providing detailed evidence, in addition to having an automobile injury attorney used to fighting back against insurance companies, will demonstrate that you aren't liable.

If, as in some cases, you really were partially at fault for your injuries, you are not completely barred from compensation. Both Missouri Revised Statute §537.765 and Illinois Law followed the legal principle 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 it is determined that you were more than 50 percent 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 liable driver's insurance company, even if it was the person driving your car. While their insurance premiums might go up a little, that doesn't compare to the medical bills and lost wages you've sustained as a result. An automobile injury attorney can help make the process less personal.

Will My Claim Go to Trial?

You probably will not be required to go attend hearings or a trial for your automobile injuries. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that only four percent of tort claims go to 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 I Have to Wait Until I'm Compensated?

That depends on your case and, usually, how complex it is. 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 received notice 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 are settled 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 maximum financial recovery you're owed. This is your only chance to receive compensation.

Is It Expensive to Hire an Automobile Injury Attorney?

Halvorsen Klote's High Ridge, 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 there are no upfront costs. If we don't win, you don't owe us anything, so there's no reason to see money as an obstacle in hiring one of our lawyers.

We see no reason that money should be a barrier for people who just want to be fairly compensated for their injuries.

To learn more about automobile injury claims, have a look at the frequently asked questions area of our website, go to our legal resources page or request a free consultation.

Other injury claims we handle in High Ridge, MO include:

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Hire an Automobile Injury Attorney in High Ridge, MO Today

We do what we do because we believe that an injury victim should have access to the same high quality legal representation that large insurance companies have. Injuries are always unexpected and create fear and confusion. 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 High Ridge, 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 High Ridge, MO family. Call a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in High Ridge, MO now at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us online for a complimentary consultation.


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.