Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer

What Does a Personal Injury Attorney Do?

A Missouri personal injury attorney can help you get justice and the compensation you need and deserve. They can investigate your accident and collect evidence that might otherwise vanish, such as surveillance footage and witness statements. Your attorney can also handle all communication and negotiation with insurance adjusters, preventing you from leaving money on the table.

Behind the scenes, your attorney is building your case while you’re recovering. They consult medical experts, reconstruct accidents, and calculate the true impact and cost of your injuries. Most importantly, your attorney levels the playing field with powerful insurance companies who may have teams of lawyers on retainer fighting to minimize your claim.

Your attorney knows when initial offers are insultingly low and when it’s time to move on from negotiations to filing a lawsuit.

What to Look for When Choosing Missouri Personal Injury Attorneys

Don’t go by billboard advertising. Instead of trusting your financial future to the law firm with the biggest marketing budget, find a Missouri personal injury lawyer with a solid track record who has successfully handled cases like yours. Here’s what to look for:

• Experience. Find attorneys with experience and documented success handling personal injury cases. Past settlements and verdicts can be a great indication of what they can achieve for you.
• Local Experience. Missouri courts have their own procedures and personalities; attorneys who regularly practice in your specific county courthouse have a valuable home advantage.
• Resources. High-stakes cases like medical malpractice require significant investment. Make sure you hire an attorney with the financial capacity to hire top-notch expert witnesses and conduct thorough investigations.
• Communication. You deserve regular updates without the complex legalese. Ask potential attorneys about how often they’ll communicate and who will handle your case day-to-day.
• Contingency Fee. The best personal injury attorneys work on contingency, meaning you don’t have to pay any attorney’s fees upfront (no win, no fee). They only get paid when you win and recover compensation.

Common Types of Personal Injury Claims Filed in Missouri

Personal injury lawyers in Missouri handle a variety of claims, ranging from car crashes to medical negligence and even aviation accidents. Here are some of the more common personal injury claims:

Car Accidents

Car accidents are, unfortunately, common. Usually, drivers are responsible for crashes, but in some cases, a government agency or even a vehicle manufacturer may be at fault for your accident and responsible for damages.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

Urban areas like St. Louis and Kansas City have a proportionately higher number of cyclists and pedestrians than more rural areas of Missouri. Since pedestrians and bicyclists are not protected by a steel cage, accidents can result in catastrophic injuries and even fatalities.

Truck Accidents

Commercial vehicle crashes can involve several defendants, such as a trucking company, driver, or a negligent repair shop. This can make such cases tricky to resolve without the help of a seasoned truck accident attorney. That being said, insurance coverage is typically high, meaning settlements could be substantial if successful.

Motorcycle Accidents

Bikers often face unfair bias, with insurance companies attempting to shift blame to motorcyclists even when other drivers are responsible. Having a skilled attorney by your side can help you prove that someone else is responsible and make a world of difference to your claim.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Missouri property owners must keep their premises free of hazards or warn appropriately, alerting visitors to known dangers. If they fail to do so and you get hurt, such as in a fall, you could qualify for compensation.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice is a specialized field within personal injury, requiring attorneys with good medical knowledge and an excellent network of medical experts who can testify as expert witnesses. Strict Missouri filing requirements and damage caps make these cases challenging.

Dog Bites

Even seemingly minor dog bites can have devastating consequences for victims and lead to infections and other medical issues. Missouri imposes strict liability on owners, meaning victims don’t need to prove the dog’s previous aggression.

Workplace Accidents

If you’re injured at work, getting legal advice can be essential. Workplace accidents may involve both workers’ compensation claims and potential third-party lawsuits against non-employer defendants.

Do I have a Personal Injury Case?

You likely have a valid claim if someone else’s carelessness (whether a business or an individual) caused you harm and financial damages. To have a legal case, you will need to prove that the wrongdoer had a duty of care, breached it, directly caused your injuries, and you suffered actual losses.

Under Missouri’s pure comparative fault rules, you can recover compensation even if partially responsible, though your compensation decreases by your fault percentage. To determine whether you have a legal case, it is best to speak to a Missouri personal injury lawyer who can clarify your legal options.

When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Law Firm?

The sooner you get legal advice, the sooner you can receive compensation. If you were severely injured, it’s best to contact an attorney immediately after seeking medical care and ideally within days of your accident. Early legal representation prevents costly mistakes like giving damaging recorded statements to insurers or accepting lowball settlements.

Having a Missouri personal injury lawyer in your corner also ensures critical evidence is preserved before it disappears. When considerable time has passed, surveillance footage is likely deleted, and witnesses may have moved away. Also, insurance companies begin building their defense immediately, so you should protect yourself early too. Since consultations are free and payment is contingent on winning, there’s no reason to delay speaking to an attorney.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Missouri?

Missouri’s statute of limitations (§516.120) gives you five years from the date of injury to file most personal injury lawsuits. This is one of the longest timeframes in the nation. However, medical malpractice claims must be filed within two years, and claims against government entities require notice within just 90 days.

There are some rare exceptions to this deadline. For example, the deadline may be extended in cases involving minors and where injuries weren’t immediately discovered. Despite this generous timeframe, waiting too long to pursue your claim almost always damages its value and potential for success.

Common Damages in Personal Injury Cases

Missouri law allows you to recover various types of compensation. However, what you’ll receive will be tailored to your specific circumstances, such as the extent of your injuries and financial damages:

Medical Bills

You could be entitled to receive coverage for all injury-related treatment (past, current, and future), including surgeries, therapy, medications, and adaptive equipment.

Property Damage

Property damages usually include replacement or repair costs for your vehicle and personal belongings damaged in the accident.

Lost Income

If you can’t work after an accident, you may be entitled to compensation for missed wages, bonuses, and benefits.

Lost Earning Capacity

Lost earning capacity includes payment for your reduced ability to earn income in the future due to permanent injuries. Vocational experts may be required to calculate the difference between your pre-accident career prospects and your post-injury earning potential.

Disfigurement

Victims typically receive additional compensation for permanent scarring, amputation, or visible physical changes. Missouri courts recognize that visible injuries carry psychological and social burdens in addition to physical limitations.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering damages are the monetary recognition of temporary discomfort, chronic pain, and limitations caused by your injuries. These non-economic damages can make up a large portion of your injury settlement.

Emotional Trauma

Emotional distress damages can include awards for anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Mental health professionals’ testimony may be required to strengthen these claims and show that emotional wounds can be as debilitating as physical injuries.

Loss of Consortium

Loss of consortium compensates the spouse and family members of a victim for negative effects on relationships, such as the loss of companionship, intimacy, and affection.

Serving Personal Injury Clients Across Missouri

ConsumerShield connects injured clients with Missouri personal injury lawyers throughout the state. Whether you live in a metropolitan area or a rural community, we can find a personal injury lawyer familiar with your local courts and insurance companies. We help victims in:

• St. Louis
• Kansas City
• Springfield
• Columbia
• Independence
• Lee’s Summit
• O’Fallon
• St. Joseph
• St. Charles
• Joplin

Don’t see your city? No problem. Our attorneys regularly handle cases throughout Missouri’s 114 counties, ensuring you receive local expertise no matter where your accident occurred.

Connect with Experienced Missouri Personal Injury Lawyers

You shouldn’t have to struggle with medical bills and an uncertain financial future after an accident. And you don’t have to spend your valuable time searching for a suitable attorney. ConsumerShield’s attorney-matching service eliminates spending time researching law firms and guessing which attorney is a good match.

The process is simple: answer a few questions about your accident, and we’ll match you to attorneys in your location who offer free, no-obligation consultations to discuss your situation and how to move forward. For your peace of mind, your matched attorney can immediately begin protecting your interests while you focus on what matters most: your health and your loved ones. Get started with getting justice now, and contact us to determine your next best steps.