After a car accident, it’s likely to experience significant losses. Your vehicle may need repairs, you may have several substantial medical bills to pay, and you may not be able to work. As a result, it’s natural to have difficulty making ends meet.
The silver lining is that if someone else’s negligent actions caused your accident, you can pursue injury compensation. But the problem is that insurance companies can complicate the process, burying you in confusing paperwork.
With that in mind, knowing when to get a lawyer for a car accident in St. Louis, Missouri, can go a long way toward preserving your right to a fair settlement or court award. The team at Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers can help. Contact us online or call one of our St. Louis car accident lawyers at (314) 444-4444 today for a free consultation.
How Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Car Accident in St. Louis, MO
For over a decade, Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers has represented injured people in St. Louis, Missouri, in their fight for fair injury compensation. Our attorneys have over a century of combined legal experience, which they’ve used to recover over $100 million in resources for our clients in our fifteen-year history.
In the event that you suffer an injury in an avoidable accident, we can help you pursue compensation from the at-fault party in the following ways:
- Reviewing your case and explaining your legal options
- Investigating the incident to recover evidence that supports your allegations
- Preparing an insurance claim and negotiating with the at-fault party’s insurer
- Filing a lawsuit against the at-fault party if their insurer denies your claim
Handling a car accident claim alone diverts your energy, time, and focus away from your well-being. Contact Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation with a St. Louis personal injury attorney. We’ll show you how we will work to pursue accident compensation on your behalf so you can move forward with your recovery and life.
The Role of Car Accident Lawyers
During an initial consultation, a car accident lawyer will provide legal advice so you understand your rights. They will objectively analyze your legal situation, explain the strength and value of your claim, and lay out your options for proceeding.
Once you move forward from the consultation and hire the lawyer, they will begin to gather evidence. It is a lengthy process that often requires contacting multiple medical providers to get crash reports, bills, test results, and other information describing your accident, your injuries, and the expenses you incurred.
The lawyer will then use all of that evidence to pursue compensation from the appropriate insurer. If the company’s claims adjuster denies payment, the lawyer can respond with strong legal arguments or additional evidence. If the adjuster accepts, the attorney will negotiate for a fair payout based on your injuries and the losses you incurred and may face in the future.
When adjusters stand on a claim denial, a lawyer can take your case to court. During litigation, they will enter what is known as the discovery phase, requesting the other side’s evidence and disclosing your evidence in return.
Most personal injury lawsuits settle before reaching trial, but if yours does not, your lawyer will be able to present your case to a jury and advocate for compensation.
Reasons to Hire a Car Accident Attorney
While some car accident claims proceed smoothly, others run into issues that require a lawyer’s knowledge and experience to overcome.
Some key reasons to consider hiring a lawyer include the following:
The Other Driver Blames You For The Accident
Missouri uses pure comparative negligence to allocate liability after an accident, which means anyone whose actions contribute to an accident receives a share of the fault.
For example, if the other driver successfully shifts 30% of the blame to you, they are only responsible for paying for 70% of your losses. Hiring a lawyer means they can gather the evidence to keep the blame where it belongs.
The Other Driver Is Uninsured
If the other driver is uninsured, your only option for holding them responsible for your injuries is a lawsuit. A lawyer can prepare your case and represent you in court against the at-fault driver.
The Crash Caused a Fatality
Missouri law allows wrongful death claims after someone’s actions cause a fatality. The damages you can claim after losing a loved one may be difficult to evaluate, but a lawyer will have the experience and knowledge to apply the state’s wrongful death statutes and case law to push for all of the compensation the law entitles you to.
Contact Our St. Louis Car Accident Attorneys for a Free Consultation
If you’ve been injured in a car accident in St. Louis, Missouri, Contact Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation to discuss your injuries and the strategies we use to fight for compensation. Our St. Louis car accident attorneys are ready to stand up to at-fault drivers and their insurers on your behalf.
