Automobile Injury Attorney Washington, MO
Washington, MO Personal Injury Lawyers
Call 866-382-4167 for a Free Consultation | Washington, MO Automobile Injury Attorney
Automobile injury attorney in Washington, MO. The effects of an auto accident injury are immediate and severe. If you were injured in a Washington, MO auto accident, you require an automobile injury attorney who will fight to bring you justice and a fair financial recovery. At Halvorsen Klote, we have dedicated our practice to fighting for injury victims when they need help the most. Insurance adjusters may try to deceive you, but with an experienced attorney by your side, you will get the justice and financial recovery you are owed. We provide outstanding legal advocacy to the vulnerable in Washington, MO, the Greater St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. You owe us no fees unless we win. Call a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Washington, 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:
Washington, 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 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:
How Do I Know if I Have a Case?
In order to have a case, you have to have suffered an injury that led to some form of economic damages, such as emergency room bills or lost wages, and accident had to be caused or contributed to by another party. 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.
The good news is you don't have to make that decision alone. Halvorsen Klote's Washington, 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 Hire a Lawyer for an Automobile Injury?
There are some cases where you probably don't need a lawyer. If there's no dispute about who the at-fault driver was and you didn't need much medical treatment — for example, one appointment with your doctor — send detailed records to the insurance company, and see if you can get some extra money for inconvenience. In those types of situations, an automobile injury attorney probably isn't necessary.
But, if your injuries are more severe, 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 give you a fair offer, or is saying your injuries weren't caused by the accident, then a lawyer is likely the only way you'll get what you deserve. 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 your injuries occurred in a multi-vehicle accident, almost always require the assistance of an automobile injury attorney.
What Compensation Can I Recover For My Washington, MO Automobile Injuries?
The damages you are eligible for after a car accident are meant to provide you with an equitable financial recovery for all the ways an injury affected your life. With an experienced Washington, MO automobile injury attorney, you'll get a financial recovery for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages from time spent off work
- Lost earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from making a living as you're used to
- Out-of-pocket 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 affected by your injuries
How much compensation you receive in your car accident settlement is mostly based 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 debilitating injuries.
- The Per Diem Method — "Per Diem" translates from Latin to "per day." With this method, your Washington, MO automobile injury attorney assigns a dollar amount to a single day of suffering, 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 how your injuries affected you:
Say you suffered a moderate neck injury, leading to $15,000 in medical expenses and lost wages, and which led to neck pain for four months, and inconvenienced you because you had to wear a neck brace for a week. 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 final compensation
$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 pain and suffering damages for your individual 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 be compensated by the liable party's insurance, just as you are being compensated.
The law allows a variety of avenues to reduce medical liens. A skilled Washington, MO automobile injury attorney will know best how to reduce those liens and make sure as little is taken out of your compensation as possible.
What If My Damages Exceed the Policy Limits?
Missouri and Illinois have almost 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. If that happens, we have a couple options. First, your Washington, MO automobile injury attorney can file an underinsured motorist claim under your own policy, asking them to make up the difference. Secondly, your attorney can find out if there are other liable parties.
Who Else Could Be Liable for My Auto Accident Injuries in Washington, MO?
In most cases, liability is solely on the driver that caused the accident. However, depending on the specifics of your case, other parties may be liable:
- An auto manufacturer may may have produced a defective vehicle component, and you can make 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, which contributed to the crash
- A licensed alcohol vendor if they served alcohol to a drunk driver that caused your crash
- A government authority responsible for keeping roads safe
- A construction company if the accident was caused by an unsafe construction site
What if I'm Being Blamed For My Accident?
Shifting blame is a common tactic insurance adjusters use to avoid paying you. Providing sound evidence, as well as an experienced automobile injury attorney fighting back against that tactic, will help prove you're not at-fault.
If, as in some cases, you really were partially at fault for your injuries, you can still make a recovery. 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 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 they may have to pay a moderate amount more for insurance, that doesn't compare to the economic and noneconomic damages you've incurred because of their negligence. An automobile injury attorney can help make the process less personal.
Will I Have to Go to Court?
It's very unlikely that you'll have to go to court for a car accident claim. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that more than nine out of 10 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 make sure you're adequately prepared and will do most of the work themselves.
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 take anywhere from a month to three or four 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 time put in.
Most cases are settled within three to nine months. While while we understand that you'd like to receive your financial recovery as quickly as possible, it's always the best idea to hold out for the full, fair financial recovery you're entitled to. Once you agree to a settlement, you can never go back and ask for more money later.
What if I Can't Afford an Automobile Injury Attorney?
Halvorsen Klote's Washington, 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 pay, so there's no reason to see money as a barrier to hiring one of our lawyers.
We see no reason that money should be a barrier for people who need quality legal representation to make a full financial recovery.
To learn more about automobile injury claims, check out our other FAQs, have a look at our legal resources page or call us at 866-382-4167.
Other cases we handle in Washington, 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
Speak to an Automobile Injury Attorney in Washington, MO Today
We founded our practice on the idea that an injury victim should have access to the same standard of legal advocacy that large insurance companies have. An injury is shocking and can leave you with a profound sense of uncertainty. But we will be by your side every step of the way. We stand up to insurance companies every day and know how to get our Washington, MO clients the best possible results. We pride ourselves on our client communication, and do everything we can to make the claims process easy and seamless for you and your Washington, MO family. Speak to a Halvorsen Klote automobile injury attorney in Washington, MO now at 866-382-4167 or reach out to us online for a complimentary case review.
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.
