Stephen Schultz | April 3, 2023 | Car Accidents
Every year, more than 14,000 people get hurt in car crashes across St. Louis County. If you’ve been involved in one of these crashes, one of the first things you may have heard is that you need to hire a St. Louis car accident lawyer. But do you really need to call an attorney after a minor accident?
There are several situations in which you may need to hire a car accident lawyer. Read on to learn about some of the circumstances an attorney can help you navigate after a crash.
Someone Was Hurt
The most common reason you may need to hire a car accident lawyer in St. Louis is if someone got hurt in the crash. Accident injuries can be devastating, leaving you with a mountain of medical bills and weeks or months out of work. And too often, these injuries may be more severe than they first seemed.
If you’ve been hurt in a car crash, you could be entitled to compensation. A car accident lawyer can help you tally up how much money you’re owed and negotiate for a fair settlement.
If the other driver got hurt, you could wind up on the hook for their injuries, even if the accident was their fault. A car accident lawyer can protect you from blame for the crash.
It’s always important to get examined by a doctor after a car accident. Even if you don’t think you’re hurt, you could have hidden injuries lurking beneath the surface. Getting checked out as soon as possible can help you get the best outcome, both with your health and in your personal injury case.
Fault Is In Question
Some car wrecks are very clearly one driver’s fault – they sped through an intersection where they didn’t have the right of way, they were driving drunk, etc. But other car crashes are more complex, and it can be difficult to tell who’s at fault.
Missouri is an “at-fault” or “tort” state, meaning that drivers who cause accidents are liable for the damage that results. If fault is in question in your wreck, the other driver’s insurance company may try to shift blame to you to avoid paying a fair settlement. A St. Louis personal injury lawyer can help defend you from undue blame and make sure you get fair compensation for your injuries.
You or the Other Driver Don’t Have Insurance
Of course, car accidents become infinitely more complicated when one or both drivers are uninsured. If an uninsured driver caused your car accident, you could have a difficult time getting a fair settlement. A St. Louis car accident lawyer can help you navigate the complexities of filing either a claim with your insurance company or a lawsuit against the other driver.
If you don’t have insurance, it’s critical that you avoid taking any undue blame for your accident. Just as you can sue an at-fault driver for damages, they can sue you. A car accident lawyer can protect you from costly lawsuits and false accusations of blame that can ruin your financial well-being.
You Received a Settlement Offer
It may sound odd to think that you should hire a car accident lawyer if you receive a settlement offer from a car insurance company. After all, why do you need them? The insurance company has already made you an offer, so you don’t need to file a claim, right?
The important thing to remember here is that insurance companies are not your friend, and they’ll pull all manner of shady tricks to con you out of a fair settlement. One of these is to send a lowball offer in the hopes that you’ll accept it without ever realizing your case is worth much, much more. A car accident lawyer can help you evaluate this offer and decide if you need to fight for more money or not.
Get the Representation You Deserve
Car accidents can be complicated, and deciding who’s entitled to what afterward can be overwhelming. If you’ve been involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, one where someone was hurt, or one where fault is in question, you need a car accident lawyer on your side. It’s also a good idea to talk to an attorney before accepting any settlement offers from an insurance company.
If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, the lawyers at Schultz and Myers want to help. Schedule a free consultation with us today to start getting the representation you deserve.
Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm in St. Louis, MO
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, please contact Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today:
St. Louis, MO Law Office
1430 Washington Ave Ste 225, St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 444-4444
Ladue, MO Law Office
9807 S 40 Dr, St. Louis, MO 63124
Columbia, MO Law Office
28 N 8th St # 502, Columbia, MO 65201
Creve Coeur, MO Law Office
999 Executive Pkwy Dr #205, Creve Coeur, MO 63141
