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Showing posts with the label accident attorney st louis

What Would Happen If I Was Hurt in a Missouri Auto Accident as a Passenger?

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Being in a car accident as a passenger can be a horrifying experience. One moment everything is fine, and the next you are disoriented, checking to make sure that you have not been harmed. If you have ever had this experience, then you are aware that the last thing on a person’s mind is “what to do for insurance”. However, as many of us have lived through this harrowing experience–and represented others who have as well–we can share some key information to remember in the event that you find yourself in an accident as a car passenger. When you’re the passenger of a car accident, you can do one of three things: File a claim with the other driver’s insurance company File a claim with the driver of the vehicle you were in File a claim with your insurance FILE A CLAIM WITH THE OTHER DRIVER’S COMPANY. This is called a third-party injury claim. Usually in an accident where you are a passenger, filing a claim against the other driver is the first line of defense. Most states require drivers t...

How Are Missouri Car Accident Settlements Determined?

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There is no universal settlement formula. However, insurance companies must determine the value of a claim many times given the   millions of car crashes  that happen each year in the United States. Unfortunately, in many cases, the amount offered by the insurance company is far below the actual value of a claim. For this reason, anyone hurt in a car wreck should contact a St. Louis car accident lawyer as soon as possible. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPECIAL AND GENERAL DAMAGES? Car accidents have two types of damages, special (economic) and general (non-economic). Special damages are financial losses, including medical costs, repair costs to damaged property, and the cost of not working. General damages are often more subjective and include harm that cannot quantifiably be calculated. The calculation takes a qualitative approach. General damages include pain and suffering, lower quality of life, and emotional distress INSURANCE COMPANIES USE A GENERAL SETTLEMENT FORMU...

What Do You Need In Evidence After A Car Accident?

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  There is little doubt that after any kind of car accident in Missouri, people who are seeking financial compensation for their losses are going to need to be able to prove how the crash has affected them. Doing this usually requires various forms of evidence, and many people who have been involved in automobile accidents immediately struggle to think of what kinds of evidence they need to worry about procuring. Evidence can obviously be critical following any St. Louis car accident, but people should know that hiring an experienced  car accident attorney  can usually help victims secure the important forms of evidence in their cases. You should not waste any time in seeking legal representation after a car accident in St. Louis because you only have a limited amount of time to take legal action and waiting too long could lead to a lawyer not having enough time to properly investigate your case. EVIDENCE IN MISSOURI CAR ACCIDENT CASES When it comes to claims for compensa...

Injured in an Uber Accident? Do these 4 Things

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Rideshare services such Uber, Lyft, and many others have only become more common in recent years, but as many people rely on these companies to provide rides during hectic times, there is always the possibility that a rideshare driver is involved in an automobile accident. When a crash occurs involving a rideshare driver, it can be incredibly complicated for the other parties involved to know how they can recover compensation. It is important for all people who suffer injuries or whose loved ones are killed in motor vehicle accidents involving rideshare drivers to quickly contact a  St. Louis accident lawyer . Experienced legal counsel will be able to determine who can be held liable and then work to make sure you recover every single dollar that is available to you. GO TO THE DOCTOR All people need to understand that following any kind of car accident, every single person needs to seek medical attention as soon as possible. This is true even when people do not think they were hurt...

Do You Need to Go to Court after a Car Accident?

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  After any automobile accident that involves significant property damage or possible injury claims, many people have concerns that they are going to have to go to court to resolve their claims. Fortunately for many people, court appearances are not always necessary in these cases. The truth is that most car accident claims are resolved outside of court because the insurance companies responsible for the drivers do not want to pay the steep costs that can be involved in taking a case to trial. When the parties involved are aware that individuals have valid claims, it is often just a matter of coming to an agreement on the amount of financial compensation that will be paid. SETTLING WITH AN INSURANCE COMPANY After a car accident in St. Louis, a person will generally report their crash to their own insurance company. People should also file claims with the insurer for the negligent driver, but you may want to have a St. Louis car accident attorney deal with another insurance company ...

Possible Effects Of Pre-existing Conditions On Car Accident Claims

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  People who are involved in car accidents in Missouri can often suffer serious injuries causing a wide variety of possible problems, and a major concern for these victims can be the pre-existing conditions they had before their accidents. You should know that a pre-existing condition cannot be used to deny you compensation, and you will want to work with a   St. Louis lawyer for accident claim   when you believe an insurance company will deny your claim or underpay you because of a pre-existing condition. Insurance companies frequently jump on pre-existing conditions and will often seek complete medical records of victims to try and use the conditions as reasons to minimize their own liability. Such situations often leave victims uncertain about whether they should even disclose their pre-existing conditions. COMMON KINDS OF PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS It is always possible that a car accident may aggravate or otherwise impact a pre-existing condition. Some of the most commo...

What Kind of Compensation After a Missouri Car Accident Can I Pursue?

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Following any kind of car accident in Missouri, it is not uncommon for victims to worry about whether they can obtain financial compensation for their injuries and how much they will be able to recover. When you need help pursuing damages for a Missouri car accident, you will want to be working with a  St. Louis car accident attorney . The good news in Missouri is that state law very much protects the rights of victims and allows them adequate opportunity to hold a negligent party accountable and recover all of the money they need and deserve. In most cases, it will be the insurance company for a negligent driver that ends up paying all of the bills arising from a car crash, but insurers will always work to minimize the amounts they have to pay. TYPES OF CAR ACCIDENT COMPENSATION IN MISSOURI Compensation for car accident claims in Missouri usually entitles people to recover many different kinds of compensatory damages. The phrase compensatory damages often includes economic damages...

What type of Claim You can Pursue After a Car Accident in Missouri

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  When you are involved in a car crash in Missouri, you could have any one of a number of possible claims to file depending on certain aspects of your accident. You will want to contact a  St. Louis personal injury lawyer  for help determining the right kind of claim to file so you are able to recover as much financial compensation as possible. Missouri Statute § 516.120  gives people five years to file personal injury or property damage claims following a car accident, but a victim may have to file a  Form 1140  Motor Vehicle Accident Report with the Missouri Department of Revenue Driver License Bureau within 12 months when another driver did not have car insurance.  Missouri Statute § 303.040  further stipulates that drivers must report their accidents within 30 days of crashes.   Kinds of Car Accident Claims in Missouri Following a car accident, you will often have three types of claims you can file: First-party claim you file with your ow...

How Can You Prove Your Collision With a Drunk Driver?

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  An automobile accident always has the potential to be a frightening experience, and matters can be further complicated when a victim believes that the other negligent driver who was responsible for a collision was intoxicated. When you suspect a drunk driver was at fault for your crash in St. Louis or a surrounding area of Missouri, do not wait to seek the help of an experienced  St. Louis accident attorney . A  Missouri State Highway Patrol Research and Development Division  report stated that alcohol use contributed to over 90,000 crashes in Missouri during a 10-year period, with fatal crashes constituting about 3,000 of those crashes and an average of 239 people dying each year. The  Missouri Department of Health 2020 Status Report on Missouri’s Substance Use and Mental Health  reports that while traffic crashes involving alcohol have been decreasing, every year in the 21st century has seen at least 120 fatal crashes, 1,800 injury crashes, and 2,800 pr...