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Automobile Injury Attorney Macon, MO

Macon, MO Personal Injury Lawyers

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Automobile injury attorney in Macon, MO. The effects of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If a thoughtless driver in Macon, MO injured you, you need an automobile injury attorney who will get you the financial recovery you need to truly recover. At Halvorsen Klote Davis, we have dedicated our practice to fighting for those injured by the negligence of another when they need help the most. Insurance adjusters can seem heartless, but with a skilled attorney in your corner, you will get the justice and financial recovery you are rightfully entitled to. We provide exceptional legal advocacy to the injured in Macon, MO, the Greater St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. You owe us no fees until we win your case. Call a Halvorsen Klote Davis automobile injury attorney in Macon, MO now at (314) 451-1314 or reach out to us online for a complimentary case evaluation.

We have experience with a number of automobile injury claims, including:

Macon, 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 the experience will be like. Some of the most commonly asked questions we get are:

Do I Even Have Auto Accident Case?

For a claim to be valid, you have to have suffered an injury that led to some form of economic damages, such as emergency room 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 the accident was largely your fault, 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 Davis’s Macon, MO automobile injury attorneys offer free case evaluations for people who were injured and aren’t sure if they have a case.

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

Usually, yes, but not all the time. If the other party accepts liability and you didn’t need much medical treatment — for example, one emergency room visit — include detailed records in your settlement letter, and ask for a little more on top for inconvenience. 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, require ongoing medical treatment and result in lost wages, the insurance company is going to do whatever they can to pay you as little as possible. If the insurance company refuses to pay the full extent of your damages, or is trying to convince you that your injuries were pre-existing, then a lawyer is likely the only way you’ll get what you are entitled to. 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 required.

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

The damages you are eligible for after an automobile injury are intended to reimburse you for the financial, physical and emotional toll your injuries cause. With a skilled Macon, MO automobile injury attorney, you’ll be compensated for:

Medical bills
Lost wages from time spent off work
Lost earning potential if you can no longer work
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 spousal relationship is affected by your injuries

How much compensation you receive in your car accident settlement is mostly based on how your injuries have impacted your life.

Injured in Macon, 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, depending on how severe your injuries were. The more disruptive the injury, the higher the number.

For example, you suffered a moderate neck injury, leading to $15,000 in economic damages, and which led to physical discomfort 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 = $45,000 in total compensation

The Per Diem Method — “Per Diem” means “per day” in Latin. Implementing this approach, your Macon, MO automobile injury attorney assigns a dollar amount to a single day of suffering, and multiplies that by the number of days you suffered. So, using the same whiplash injury example, say $200 a day is a fair approximation of your pain and suffering:

$200 × 121 days (four months) = $24,200 in noneconomic damages (on top of your medical bills and lost wages)

Your attorney will use the method that applies best to your specific 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 claim. That allows them to be repaid by the liable party’s insurance, just as you are being compensated.

There are various legal remedies to reduce medical liens. A talented Macon, 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 more coverage, there is still a chance with more severe injuries that your damages will exceed the policy limits. If that happens, we have a couple options. 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 Macon, MO?

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

An car manufacturer may may have produced a defective car component, leading to a product liability claim
If you were injured in a truck crash, there are a variety of regulations the trucking company may have violated
A mechanic may have negligently worked on the car, causing a defect that caused the accident
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 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 devalue your claim. Providing detailed evidence, as well as an experienced automobile injury attorney fighting back against insurance companies, will demonstrate that you aren’t liable.

If it’s true that you were partially to blame for your injuries, you are not completely barred from compensation. Both Missouri Law and Illinois Law allow for what’s called “comparative negligence.” Meaning, each party pays for the percentage of fault they bear for the accident. In Illinois, your right to compensation is barred if it is determined that 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 negligent driver’s insurance company, even if it was the person driving your car. While your friend’s or family member’s insurance premiums might go up a little, which is likely substantially 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 reports 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 prep you for those and handle most of the work.

How Long Will I Have to Wait Until I’m Compensated?

Each injury is different, and the more complicated a case, usually the longer it takes. A personal injury claim can take anywhere from a month to several years before it reaches its conclusion. Many insurance adjusters start cooperating immediately once they know 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 are settled within three to nine months. While while we understand that you’d like to receive your compensation as quickly as possible, it’s always the best idea to wait to agree to a settlement until it’s the best possible financial recovery you deserve. 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 Davis’s Macon, MO automobile injury attorney work on a contingency fee basis. That means we we get a portion of your final payout, and we only get paid at the conclusion of your claim. 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 a barrier for people who just want to be fairly compensated for their injuries.

To learn more about car accident 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 take on in Macon, MO include:

Consult With an Automobile Injury Attorney in Macon, 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 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 Macon, MO clients the full financial recovery they deserve. 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 Macon, MO family. Call a Halvorsen Klote Davis automobile injury attorney in Macon, MO today at (314) 451-1314 or contact us through our website for a complimentary consultation.