Automobile Injury Attorney Oakland, MO

Oakland, MO Personal Injury Lawyers

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

Automobile injury attorney in Oakland, MO. The consequences of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If you were injured in a Oakland, MO auto accident, 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 stacked against them. Insurance adjusters may try to devalue your claim, but with the help of a skilled attorney, they will not be able to prevent you from collecting the full financial recovery you are lawfully entitled to. We provide the highest quality of legal representation to the injured in Oakland, MO, the Greater St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. You owe us no fees until we win your case. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Oakland, MO today at 866-382-4167 or contact us online for a free consultation.

We've gotten great financial recoveries for our Oakland, MO clients in a variety of auto accident claims, including:

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Oakland, MO Automobile Injury Attorney: Frequently Asked Questions

For most of our clients, this is their first foray into the injury claims process. They understandably have doubts and uncertainties as to what to expect. Below is a list of FAQs to help you better understand the process:

Do I Even Have a Personal Injury Case?

For a claim to be valid, your injury needs to create some form 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 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.

Fortunately, you don't have to make that decision alone. Halvorsen Klote's Oakland, MO automobile injury attorneys offer free consultations 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 there's no dispute about who the at-fault driver was and your medical expenses aren't very high — for example, one appointment with your doctor — include detailed records in your settlement letter, and see if you can get some extra money for inconvenience. In those types of situations, it's unlikely an automobile injury attorney will be able to get you significantly more money.

However, 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 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 get maximum compensation.

There are things besides significant injuries that require an attorney, such as if the other side denies liability, or if you were in a multi-vehicle accident, also make an automobile injury attorney required.

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

The damages you recover after a car accident are intended to provide you with an equitable financial recovery for all the ways an injury affected your life. With a knowledgeable Oakland, MO automobile injury attorney, you can be reimbursed for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages from time spent off work
• Lost earning potential if you can no longer work
• Out-of-pocket 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 in your car accident settlement depends largely on the severity of your injuries.

How Much Will I Get for Noneconomic Damages?

There are two commonly accepted ways to calculate noneconomic 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, depending on how severe your injuries were. The more disruptive the injury, the higher the number.

For example, the negligent driver caused a moderate neck injury, leading to $15,000 in medical expenses and lost wages, and which led to physical discomfort for four months, and inconvenienced you because you had 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 a pain and suffering multiplier = a $45,000 financial recovery

• The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" means "per day" in Latin. Implementing this approach, your Oakland, 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, with the above example, say $200 a day is a fair approximation of how your injuries affected you:

$200 × 121 days (four months) = $24,200 in noneconomic damages (in addition to your economic damages)

Your attorney will use the method that applies best to your unique 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 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 knowledgeable Oakland, MO automobile injury attorney will know best how 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 almost 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 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 might determine that there are other liable parties who you can also make a claim against.

What Other Parties Could Be Held Accountable for My Auto Accident Injuries in Oakland, MO?

In most cases, liability is squarely on the driver responsible for the crash. 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
• 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 contributed to the accident
• A bar or restaurant if they served alcohol to a drunk driver that caused your crash
• A local, state or federal body 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 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 followed the legal doctrine of "comparative fault." Meaning, each party pays for the percentage of fault they bear for the accident. 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 as a passenger, you would still file a claim against the at-fault driver, even if it was the person driving your car. While they may have to pay a moderate amount more for insurance, which is likely substantially 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 be required to go attend hearings or a trial for your automobile injuries. 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.

Depositions and mediations are common formal procedures in automobile injury claims, 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?

Each case is different, and the more complicated a case, usually the longer it takes. A personal injury claim can last anywhere from a month to several years before it reaches its conclusion. Many insurance adjusters immediately agree to a settlement demand letter once they've learned that the plaintiff 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 substantial investigation and expert testimony.

Most cases reach a conclusion within three to nine months. While while we understand that you'd like to receive your financial recovery earlier than not, it's always in your best interest to wait to agree to a settlement until it's the best possible compensation you deserve. You only have chance to receive compensation.

Is It Expensive to Hire an Automobile Injury Attorney?

Halvorsen Klote's Oakland, 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 we only get paid at the conclusion of your claim. If we don't secure any compensation for you, 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 an obstacle for people who just want to be fairly compensated for their injuries.

If you have any other questions about the claims process, have a look at the frequently asked questions area of our website, have a look at our legal resources page or request a free consultation.

Other cases we take on in Oakland, 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

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Consult With an Automobile Injury Attorney in Oakland, MO Today

We do what we do because we believe that everyone should have access to the same standard of legal advocacy that large insurance companies have. An injury is shocking and create fear and confusion. But you don't have to go through the claims process alone. We negotiate with insurance companies every day and know how to get our Oakland, 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 Oakland, MO family. Call a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Oakland, MO today at 866-382-4167 or contact us online for a free case review.

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