Automobile Injury Attorney St. Louis, MO
St. Louis, MO Personal Injury Lawyers
Call 866-382-4167 for a Free Consultation | St. Louis, MO Automobile Injury Attorney
Automobile injury attorney in St. Louis, MO. The effects of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If you were injured in a St. Louis, MO auto accident, you need an automobile injury attorney who will get you the financial recovery you need to be made whole again. At Halvorsen Klote, we fight for those injured by the negligence of another when they need help the most. Insurance adjusters may try to cheat, but with the help of a skilled attorney, they will not be able to prevent you from collecting the maximum compensation you are owed. We serve the vulnerable in St. Louis, MO, the Greater St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. You don't pay unless we win. Call a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in St. Louis, MO now at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us online for a complimentary consultation.
We have experience with a number of automobile injury claims, including:
St. Louis, MO Automobile Injury Attorney: Frequently Asked Questions
Most injury victims have never had to make an injury claim before, and understandably have doubts and uncertainties as to what to expect. Some of the most commonly asked questions we get are:
Do I Even Have a Personal Injury Case?
In order to have a realistic chance of winning, you have to have suffered an injury that led to some form of economic damages, for instance urgent care bills or lost wages, and accident had to be caused or contributed to by another party. If you your back hurt for a few days after the accident, but your injuries didn't lead to financial loss, it would be difficult for you to make a personal injury claim. If the accident was largely your fault, 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 St. Louis, MO automobile injury attorneys offer free case evaluations for people who were injured and aren't sure if they're eligible for compensation.
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 your medical expenses aren't very high — say, one urgent care appointment — include copies of your records and bills in your letter to the insurance adjuster, and ask for a little more on top for the nuisance. With milder injuries where fault is clearly established, it's unlikely an automobile injury attorney will be able to get you significantly more money.
But, with more significant injuries that require ongoing medical treatment and cause you to lose time off work, the insurance company is not going to willingly pay for all the ways the injury has affected your life. If the insurance company refuses to pay the full extent of your damages, or is saying your injuries weren't caused by the accident, then a lawyer is likely the only way you'll get what you are entitled to. Insurance adjusters have a lot of experience minimizing payouts; personal injury lawyers know how to get maximum compensation.
Other complications, such as if the negligent driver refuses to admit fault, or if your injuries occurred in a multi-vehicle accident, also make an automobile injury attorney necessary.
What Compensation Can I Recover For My St. Louis, MO Automobile Injuries?
The damages you are eligible for after an automobile injury are meant to provide you with an equitable financial recovery for all the ways an injury affected your life. With a knowledgeable St. Louis, MO automobile injury attorney, you'll be compensated for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages from time spent off work
- Lost earning capacity if you can no longer work
- Miscellaneous 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 is mostly based on how your injuries have affected your life.
How Much Will I Get for Noneconomic Damages?
There are two commonly accepted ways to calculate pain and suffering 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, using higher numbers for more significant injuries.
- The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" translates from Latin to "per day." Implementing this approach, your St. Louis, 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, using the same whiplash injury example, say your lawyer assigned $200 a day to your injuries:
Say the negligent driver caused a moderate neck injury, leading to $15,000 in medical expenses and lost wages, and which caused you to have neck pain for four months, and further disrupted you because it forced you to wear a neck brace for a week. Your noneconomic damages might be assigned a multiplier of three. So:
$15,000 in economic damages × 3 for the noneconomic damages multiplier = a $45,000 financial recovery
$200 × 121 days (four months) = $24,200 in pain and suffering damages (in addition to your economic damages)
Your attorney will use the method that applies best to your individual case.
Will I Still Get Reimbursement if My Medical Insurance Pays For 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, insurance companies and healthcare providers have a right 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 skilled St. Louis, 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 nearly identical 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
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. 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, your attorney can find out if there are other liable parties.
Who Else Could Be Liable for My Auto Accident Injuries in St. Louis, MO?
In most cases, the other driver is the only personal responsible for your injuries. However, depending on the specifics of your case, other parties may be liable:
- An car manufacturer may may have produced a faulty vehicle component, and you can make 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 required their driver to drive more hours than allowed
- A mechanic may have improperly repaired an automobile, causing a defect that caused the crash
- A licensed alcohol vendor 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 cordoned off
What if I'm Being Blamed For My Accident?
Shifting blame is a common trick insurance companies use to devalue your claim. Providing sound evidence, as well as an automobile injury attorney experienced in fighting back against insurance companies, will help prove you're not to blame.
If, as in some cases, you really were partially at fault for your injuries, you can still make a recovery. Both Missouri Law and 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 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 would still file a claim against the at-fault driver, even if that person is a friend or family member in St. Louis, MO. While their insurance premiums might go up a little, that doesn't compare to the medical bills and lost wages you've suffered as a result. An automobile injury attorney will communicate with other side so you don't have to feel awkward.
Will My Claim Go to Trial?
You probably will not have to go attend hearings or a trial for your automobile injuries. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that more than nine out of 10 tort claims are settled before 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 handle most of the work.
How Long Will My Claim Take?
That depends on a lot of things, such as the severity of your injuries, how clear negligence is and even the insurance company or adjuster we're negotiating with. A personal injury claim can last anywhere from six to eight weeks to three or four years before it reaches its conclusion. Many insurance adjusters immediately agree to a settlement demand letter once they've learned that there's an attorney on the case. 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 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 deserve. You only have chance to receive compensation.
Is It Expensive to Hire an Automobile Injury Attorney?
Halvorsen Klote's St. Louis, 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 you don't owe us anything upfront. 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 see no reason that money should be a barrier 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, go to our legal resources page or call us at 866-382-4167.
Other injury claims we handle in St. Louis, 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
Consult With an Automobile Injury Attorney in St. Louis, MO Today
We founded our practice on the idea that everyone deserves the same high quality legal representation 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 fight back against insurance companies every day and know how to get our St. Louis, MO clients the best possible results. We pride ourselves on our client communication, and handle the entire legal process so you and your St. Louis, MO family can focus on healing. Call a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in St. Louis, MO today at 866-382-4167 or contact us online for a free consultation.
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
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.
