Few people are prepared for the terrifying reality of a car accident, especially when it causes serious or catastrophic injuries with impacts on all aspects of life, including the ability to work and accomplish basic tasks. Unfortunately, the distress often continues when a car accident victim in St. Peters encounters the legal process of recovering compensation for their losses under Missouri’s fault-based insurance laws. Missouri car accident claims require injury victims to prove the responsible party’s liability and show compelling evidence of their past and future accident-related damages.
Instead of taking on a challenging legal endeavor when you need time to heal and focus on your family, call the experienced St. Peters personal injury law firm of Meyerkord & Kurth to navigate your compensation claim to the best possible outcome. Contact our car accident lawyers in St. Peters and schedule your free consultation today.
Why Choose the St. Peters Car Accident Lawyers At Meyerkord & Kurth?
The compassionate legal team of Meyerkord & Kurth has over 100 years of combined experience advocating for injury victims in Missouri, including car accident victims. With our legal representation, your case has the following advantages:
- An car accident attorney in St. Peters dedicated to crafting an individualized strategy to make the most compelling claim for your full and fair compensation
- The full resources of an entire legal team on your side
- The innovative techniques of a large-city law firm and the compassionate, client-oriented approach of a small-town attorney’s office
- A history of notable results for car accident victims and other injured clients that has resulted in over $250,000,000 recovered for our clients
- Our exceptional reputation and listing as a preeminent law firm by Martindale-Hubbell puts a powerful voice on your side
We never charge upfront fees to injury victims. Instead, you can expect a free case consultation and no fee for our legal service until after you have your compensation in hand.
What are the Common Causes of Car Accidents in St. Peters?
St. Peters residents lead active lives, leading to busy streets, a bustling town center, and rural routes filled with commercial trucks. Unfortunately, car accidents are not uncommon. The most frequent causes of car accidents in St. Peters and throughout Missouri include the following:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Tailgating
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Unsafe lane changes
- Improper merging
- Improper passing
- Intentionally running red lights and stop signs
- Traffic infractions
- Reversing accidents
- Aggressive driving
- Impaired driving
- Drowsy driving
Most car accidents are caused by driver error, including carelessness, recklessness, and intentional traffic infractions. Less commonly, our investigations uncover other causes and additional liable parties, such as the manufacturer of a defective car, tire, or auto part, or a negligent road maintenance agency. Under the state’s pure comparative negligence laws, multiple parties could share a portion of liability for an accident victim’s damages.
What to Do After a Car Accident in St. Peters
Sometimes, an accident victim with severe, life-threatening injuries is incapacitated after an accident and can do little to protect themselves except wait for help. However, if you or an uninjured companion at the scene can safely use a cell phone, it’s possible to take purposeful action to improve the physical and financial outcome of a car accident. After the accident, a smartphone becomes an important tool to do the following:
- First, call 911 to report the accident, and then apply any necessary first aid when possible
- Use the phone’s camera to take photos of the damaged vehicles
- Photograph the accident scene before emergency services move the vehicles out of their resting positions
- Take photos of anything relevant to the accident, like a traffic sign or signal light
- Take photos of visible injuries
- Add the name and contact information of the involved drivers to your contact list
- Add the contact information of any eyewitnesses to the accident
Eyewitnesses are often the key to a successful claim against a negligent driver, especially when accidents occur in places without traffic cameras.
Always go directly to a hospital after a car accident, either in an ambulance or by arranging transportation from the scene as soon as you are cleared to leave. Then, ask for a full medical evaluation to diagnose injuries with delayed symptoms, as well as treatment for your emergency injuries. Follow the doctor’s instructions carefully and keep a copy of your medical report and all medical bills and receipts as evidence of your damages.
What Damages Can I Recover in a Car Accident Claim In St. Peters?
Car accidents are expensive, as well as painful and potentially life-altering. Common damages recovered in successful claims include the following:
- Property damage to a vehicle
- Medical expenses
- Future medical expenses related to injury recovery
- Lost wages
- Future lost earnings
- Diminished earning ability due to disability
- Compensation for pain and suffering
When a car accident causes catastrophic injuries, additional damages may be available, such as compensation for disfigurement, loss of vision, loss of hearing, limb loss, the loss of an organ, or diminished quality of life. Wrongful death benefits may be available to a close family member after a car accident fatality.
What If I Was Partly at Fault for a Car Accident in St. Peters?
Under Missouri’s pure comparative negligence car accident laws, an injury victim may still recover compensation even if they were partly at fault for the accident. The insurance company deducts the injury victim’s percentage of fault from the total amount of their claim. For example, if you were hit by a driver who ran a red light, but you were speeding at the time the accident occurred, the other driver’s insurance company could assign you 25% of the responsibility for the accident. If your claim is for $100,000, the insurance company still has to pay you $75,000.
While the pure comparative negligence system is beneficial for those who share fault, it may also incentivize an insurance company to unfairly shift liability to you in order to protect their profits at your expense. An attorney on your side assertively protects against this tactic by investigating all aspects of the accident and making the most compelling case possible for the other driver’s liability.
Call the St. Peters Car Accident Attorneys at Meyerkord & Kurth
A car accident claim is complex, especially when there are questions of fault and liability. Instead of taking on a challenging legal procedure when your time and effort should be spent maximizing your physical healing, call Meyerkord & Kurth for prompt action and experienced representation throughout the process.