Automobile Injury Attorney Shrewsbury, MO

Shrewsbury, MO Personal Injury Lawyers

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

Automobile injury attorney in Shrewsbury, MO. Injuries in auto accidents happen without warning, and the emotional, physical and financial burdens they create happen suddenly as well. If a thoughtless driver in Shrewsbury, MO injured you, you need an automobile injury attorney who will defend your rights. 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 a skilled attorney by your side, you will get the justice and financial recovery you are owed. We provide the highest quality of legal advocacy to the injured in Shrewsbury, 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 Shrewsbury, MO now at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us through our website for a complimentary case evaluation.

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

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Shrewsbury, 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 doubts and uncertainties as to how to proceed going about getting a financial recovery for their injuries. Some of the most commonly asked questions we get are:

Do I Even Have Autombile Injury Case?

For a claim to be valid, your injury needs to create some amount of economic damages, for instance an appointment with your general practitioner 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's unrealistic to expect an insurance company to compensate you. If you were the negligence party, your own insurance company can pay for your damages, but your premiums will go up.

Never assume that you can't make a successful claim without speaking to an attorney first. Halvorsen Klote's Shrewsbury, MO automobile injury attorneys are more than happy to discuss your case for free.

Do I Need to Get a Lawyer for an Automobile Injury?

Usually, yes, but not all the time. If the other party accepts responsibility and you didn't need much medical treatment — for instance, one urgent care appointment — send detailed records to the insurance adjuster, and ask for some extra money for inconvenience. In those types of situations, an automobile injury attorney probably isn't necessary.

However, with more significant injuries that require ongoing medical treatment and result in lost wages, the insurance company is not going to willingly pay for all the ways the injury has affected your life. If the insurance company is not willing to pay the full extent of your damages, or is saying 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 have just as much experience holding them accountable.

Other complications, such as if there is a dispute over liability, or if your injuries occurred in a multi-vehicle accident, also make an automobile injury attorney necessary.

How Much Will I Receive For My Shrewsbury, MO Automobile Injuries?

The damages you are eligible for after an automobile injury are intended to compensate you for the financial, physical and emotional toll your injuries cause. With a talented Shrewsbury, MO automobile injury attorney, you'll get a financial recovery for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages from time spent off work
• Lost earning potential if your injuries prevent you from making a living as you're used to
• 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 spousal relationship is negatively impacted by your injuries

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?

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 significant injuries.

For example, you suffered 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 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 = a $45,000 financial recovery

• The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" means "per day" in Latin. Using this approach, your Shrewsbury, MO automobile injury attorney determines how much money a day of suffering is worth, and multiplies that by the number of days you suffered. So, if we stick with the same example, say $200 a day is a fair approximation of how your injuries affected you:

$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 calculate your noneconomic damages for your specific case.

Will I Still Get Compensation if My Medical Insurance Covers My Medical Expenses?

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.

There are various legal remedies to reduce medical liens. An experience Shrewsbury, 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

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. If that happens, we have a couple options. First, your Shrewsbury, MO automobile injury attorney can make an underinsured motorist claim with your own insurance company, asking them to make up the difference. 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 Shrewsbury, MO?

In most cases, liability is solely on the driver responsible for the accident. However, depending on the specifics of your case, other parties may be liable:

• An car company may may have produced a faulty car component, and you can make a product liability claim
• In a truck crash, the trucking company may have failed to repair a truck, or may have forced their driver to drive more hours than allowed
• A mechanic may have negligently worked on the car, which contributed to the accident
• A bar or restaurant if they served alcohol to a drunk driver that caused your crash
• A government body responsible for designing and maintaining the safety of roads
• A construction company if a construction site was not properly secured

What if I'm Being Blamed For My Accident?

Shifting blame is a common tactic insurance adjusters use to devalue your claim. 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 your injuries, you are not completely barred from compensation. Both Missouri Law and Illinois Law followed the legal doctrine of "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 50 percent 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, that doesn't compare to the medical bills and lost wages you've sustained because of their negligence. 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 to court for a car accident claim. The Bureau of Justice Statistics issued a study in 2005 that found that only four percent of tort claims go to trial.

Depositions and mediations are common formal procedures in personal 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 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 last anywhere from a month to several years before it reaches its conclusion. Many insurance adjusters start cooperating immediately once they know that you hired a lawyer. Other times, a fair settlement is only offered right before trial begins, or the liability and insurance coverage elements are so complex that they require substantial investigation and expert testimony.

Most cases are settled within three to nine months. While we'd obviously like to resolve your claim as quickly as possible, it's always in your best interest to hold out for the full, fair compensation you're entitled to. This is your only chance to receive compensation.

What if I Can't Afford an Automobile Injury Attorney?

Halvorsen Klote's Shrewsbury, MO 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 we only get paid at the conclusion of your claim. If we don't secure any compensation for you, you don't pay, 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 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, have a look at our legal resources page or request a free consultation.

Other injury claims we handle in Shrewsbury, 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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Hire an Automobile Injury Attorney in Shrewsbury, MO Today

We do what we do because we believe that an injury victim deserves the same standard of legal advocacy that large insurance companies have. Injuries are always unexpected and can leave you with a profound sense of uncertainty. 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 Shrewsbury, MO clients the full financial recovery they deserve. We always have open lines of communication with our clients, and handle the entire legal process so you and your Shrewsbury, MO family can focus on healing. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Shrewsbury, MO now at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us online for a free case review.

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