Car accidents are frightening experiences, even in relatively minor instances. However, when serious injuries are involved, they can have long-term or permanent effects on all aspects of life, from the ability to earn a living to permanent physical and emotional scars.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a St. Charles car accident, MeyerKord & Kurth is ready to help.
Our personal injury attorneys in St. Charles will listen to your story and help you hold the responsible parties accountable and recover the compensation that you need and deserve. We offer a free and confidential case evaluation and never charge a fee unless we win.
Why Choose MeyerKord & Kurth as Your Car Accident Lawyers in St. Charles?
At Meyerkord & Kurth, our attorneys have dedicated their careers to advocating for injury victims, often against insurance companies that prioritize profits over fair payouts on claims. With our legal representation, our clients receive the following substantial benefits:
- A free case evaluation and prompt action with no payment required until after we recover your compensation
- Over 100 years of combined legal experience with the knowledge, resources, and assertive investigation and negotiation skills your case needs for the best possible resolution
- Access to the best accident reconstruction specialists and medical experts to strengthen your case
- An individualized strategy from a results-oriented lawyer who will assertively argue for your best interests throughout the process
We have a history of favorable results for our clients, with over $450,000,000 recovered. Our rating by Martindale Hubbell as a preeminent law firm puts a powerful voice behind your case.
What Types of Car Accidents are Common In St. Charles?
St. Charles residents lead active lives. This means many roadways have high traffic volumes and busy intersections. The common types of car accidents seen in St. Charles car accident injury claims include the following:
- T-bone accidents (side-impact or broadside collisions)
- Rear-end collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Sideswipes
- Rollovers
- Roadway departures
- Collisions with obstacles
- Car vs. large truck accidents
Most car accidents in St. Charles and throughout Missouri are caused by human error. Negligence behind the wheel leaves a driver liable for the damages to others.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
Most car accident cases require an investigation into the accident to determine the cause, identify the negligence that led to the crash, pinpoint the liable party, and file a claim against the appropriate insurance policy to recover compensation. Common causes of car accidents include the following:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Unsafe lane changes
- Improper merging
- Improper passing
- Traffic infractions
- Intoxicated driving
- Drowsy driving
In some cases, no driver is at fault or 100% at fault for a car accident in St. Charles. An investigation could reveal a negligent road maintenance agency at fault or partly at fault. For instance, if they failed to repair a pothole, uneven road surface, dangerous road shoulders, or an obstructed sign. Less commonly, the manufacturer of a defective car or car part could be liable for damages if a faulty brake system or other part caused an accident.
What Types of Injuries Occur in St. Charles Car Accidents
The crash force of an accident is far more powerful than most people realize. In an accident at only 40 miles per hour, a 130-pound person becomes a 5,200-pound force as they are propelled forward and then snapped back against the seat—all while the car’s structure collapses inward at the collision point, causing blunt force trauma.
Common injuries in St. Charles car accident claims include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries, ranging from mild concussions to diffuse axonal injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- External head and facial injuries
- Fractures
- Soft-tissue injuries such as sprains and torn ligaments
- Internal organ injuries
- Burns
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic amputations
Injuries have significant consequences for the victim’s life, either temporarily or permanently, depending on the severity of the injury. The repercussions of a serious car accident become the damages in a St. Charles car accident compensation claim.
What Damages Can I Recover After a St. Charles, MO Car Accident?
Some car accidents cause far more significant damage than a dented vehicle, but have long-lasting impacts on all aspects of the accident survivor’s life. Although nothing can erase the injury, a car accident claim brings the injury victim relief from the financial impacts of the injury. Common damages recovered in car accident claims in St. Charles include the following:
- Property damage costs for repairing or replacing a vehicle
- Medical expenses
- Future medical costs
- Lost earnings
- Future income loss or diminished future earning ability
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for other damages that apply in individual cases, like loss of limb, disfigurement, loss of vision, hearing loss, or diminished quality of life
If a car accident in St. Charles causes the death of a loved one, the closest surviving family member may recover compensation through a Missouri wrongful death claim.
How Does Missouri’s Pure Comparative Negligence System Affect My Car Accident Case?
Missouri’s fault-based car accident laws require an injury victim to file a claim against the responsible party’s insurance or a lawsuit in court if the insurance company fails to offer an acceptable settlement or wrongfully denies the claim. Under the state’s pure comparative negligence system, an insurance company can reduce the payout on an accident claim by the injury victim’s percentage of fault. In other words, if the insurance adjuster assigned to the case investigates and determines that you were 25% at fault for the accident, they can reduce a $100,000 claim to $75,000. While this system benefits a car accident injury victim who contributed to the cause or severity of the accident, it also incentivizes the insurance company to assign an undue percentage of fault to injury victims to protect their profits.
Our experienced car accident attorneys in St. Charles protects against these and other insurance company tactics and builds the strongest possible case for the at-fault party’s liability. They also carefully calculate the damages and argue for the maximum compensation available.
Contact Our St. Charles Car Accident Attorneys at Meyerkord & Kurth
A challenging legal process can seem overwhelming when you are also recovering from the trauma of a car accident. Insurance companies often take advantage of this vulnerability. Instead of leaving your case in the hands of an insurance adjuster, contact our St. Charles car accident lawyers at Meyerkord & Kurth today for a free consultation. We take prompt action on behalf of our clients so they can focus on healing while we focus on their full financial recovery.