A car accident can turn your life upside down in an instant, causing serious injuries and long-lasting financial challenges. Recovering from a car accident can prove difficult and frustrating, especially if you were not responsible for the crash. If you have been the victim of an auto accident that was caused by someone else, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. That compensation could cover your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and more.
With more than 50 years of combined legal experience, the St. Louis car accident lawyers of Sumner Law Group, LLC, have earned a reputation for recovering millions of dollars in compensation for injured crash victims. We help our clients demand justice after any type of car crash, taking cases to trial when a fair settlement is not offered. Our attorneys are fully committed to our client’s recovery ─ physically, emotionally, and financially.
Contact our firm today for a free case review with a trusted St. Louis car accident lawyer. You do not pay us anything to start work on your case. In fact, we do not charge a fee unless we recover money for you.
Sadly, some of the common catastrophic injuries we see from car accidents include:
These types of personal injury cases require experienced legal teams to protect accident victims. Sumner Law Group, LLC, has successfully recovered maximum compensation in a multitude of catastrophic personal injury cases. Our firm has won multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts for our deserving clients.
Of course, car accidents can also be caused by non-driver-related factors. Those factors include defective cars or car parts and poor road conditions, including potholes or debris in the roadway.
If you have been seriously injured in a car accident, you may have a long road of physical recovery ahead of you. You likely do not have the time, energy, or resources to pursue a claim for compensation against the insurance companies and the parties at fault for your crash. Let a car crash lawyer in St. Louis help you during this stressful process by:
With Sumner Law Group, LLC, you can always expect to have direct communication with the attorney handling your case. Our attorneys can arrange to meet with you anywhere, at any time convenient for you. We understand the financial burdens that an accident can place on you and your family. That is why you will never owe us any fees unless we win compensation for you in settlement or at trial.
When you have been hurt in a serious car accident, you may incur significant damages. If someone else caused your crash, you deserve compensation from those at fault for the collision. Damages you can be compensated for include:
Even if you think you may have been partially responsible for your car crash, you can still file a claim for compensation for your injuries and damages. In Missouri, personal injury cases such as car accident claims follow what is known as the comparative negligence rule. This rule states that an injured plaintiff is not barred from recovering compensation simply because the plaintiff bears a portion of the fault for the accident and injuries. However, an injured plaintiff who bears some of the fault will have the total recovery reduced in proportion to the share of his or her fault.
For example, if you are found to have incurred $100,000 in damages from a car accident and were found to be 30 percent at fault in the accident, your recovery would be reduced by $30,000 to reflect your share of fault.
Unlike many other states that use comparative negligence, Missouri allows you to recover compensation as long as you were not 100 percent at fault for the accident. In the above example, even if you were found to have been 90 percent responsible for your accident, you could still recover $10,000 in damages from the other party.
Soon after your car accident, you may be contacted by adjusters from the insurance company of the other motorist. You may also be contacted by adjusters from your own insurer. The adjusters may seem as though they want to quickly process your claim and get you money for your medical bills and other expenses. However, remember that the insurance companies – even your own insurer – are not looking out for your interests.
Insurance companies are businesses. Just like other businesses, they are seeking to maximize their profits. Insurance companies do this by paying out as little money as possible on insurance claims. As a result, insurance companies often focus on getting you to accept as little money as possible for your car accident claim.
Insurance companies may try various tactics to get you to accept less money than you deserve. For example, the insurer may try to get you to quickly accept a check before you have a chance to understand the full extent of your injuries. The insurer may be trying to settle before you talk to an attorney about any future damages from your accident. Once you accept a settlement check from the insurance company, you cannot ask for more money in the future, even if you incur additional expenses.
The insurance company may ask you to provide an official statement about the accident in order to process your insurance claim. However, the insurance company may use anything you say against you by citing it as proof that you were partially or entirely responsible for the accident.
Never give a statement, sign paperwork, or accept compensation from the insurance company without first speaking with a car accident attorney. An attorney can help you understand your options and the compensation you may be entitled to receive.
In Missouri, the statute of limitations typically requires you to file your car accident injury lawsuit within five years of the date of your crash. Minor children who are injured in a car accident have five years from their 21st birthday to bring a lawsuit. If you are involved in a car accident with a local or state government employee and wish to pursue your car accident lawsuit against the government, you have a much shorter time limit to bring your claim.
If you fail to meet these deadlines, your case will almost certainly be dismissed. That means you will lose your right to pursue compensation in court for your injuries and damages.
If you have been injured in a car accident in St. Louis, get a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney from Sumner Law Group, LLC. Contact us today to discuss the details of your car accident case. You will learn how having our firm on your side can help you pursue the maximum compensation you deserve.
When it comes to car accident injury FAQs, this is perhaps the most common question. However, every car accident case is unique, influenced by various factors such as the nature of injuries, the degree of fault, the number of liable parties, the amount of available insurance coverage, and other factors. Some of the more common potential categories of compensation include:
The specific value of any case depends on its unique details. Our lawyers are ready to review your situation and give you a better idea of the types of damages you might be entitled to recover.
Determining fault for a car accident involves analyzing each driver’s actions leading up to the incident. In some cases, fault may be straightforward, such as when a driver violates a traffic law. Other situations may be more complex, involving factors like distractions, speeding, or failing to yield. Our experienced personal injury attorneys can thoroughly investigate the accident to collect evidence that establishes fault.
In scenarios where the at-fault driver lacks insurance, you may be able to make a claim using your auto policy’s uninsured motorist (UM) coverage if your policy includes it. UM coverage protects you when an uninsured or hit-and-run motorist injures you. It is critical to have qualified legal representation when pursuing a UM claim because the insurance company will still aim to minimize what it pays out.
A hit-and-run accident is a serious offense. If the at-fault driver leaves the scene, you should still report the accident to the police and your insurance company. They can conduct an investigation and, if they find the driver, hold them responsible. Your UM coverage may help cover your losses if the driver remains unidentified or lacks coverage to pay your claim.
Yes. Calling the police after an accident ensures an official report of the incident, which is vital for your insurance claim and any potential lawsuit. It serves as a critical source of evidence detailing the facts of the accident and sometimes includes the responding officer’s assessment of fault.
Due to Missouri’s pure comparative negligence law, you can still recover compensation even if you’re partly at fault. Your compensation may be reduced by your percentage of fault, but it doesn’t prevent you from seeking damages.
If your loved one lost their life in a car accident due to another party’s negligence, you might be able to file a wrongful death claim. This legal action seeks compensation for losses such as funeral and burial expenses, lost future earnings, loss of companionship, and more. Each case is unique, and our experienced attorneys can guide you through the process.
First, report the accident so law enforcement can investigate and first responders can provide emergency medical treatment. If you suffered injuries, contact our Missouri car accident attorneys as soon as possible. Sumner Law Group, LLC, can immediately initiate our own investigation of the accident so we can advise you of your legal options.
You don’t have to forego legal help over concerns about the cost. Let us help you at no upfront cost to you. At Sumner Law Group, LLC, we handle car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you do not pay attorneys’ fees unless and until we win in court or secure a favorable settlement for you.
The timeline of the car accident insurance claim process varies based on several factors, including the severity of the crash, whether liability is in dispute, the number of parties involved, and the extent of the injuries and financial losses, among other factors. Although the length of time it takes to resolve a claim is different for each case, having an experienced car accident attorney is crucial to moving the case forward to a full and fair settlement as quickly as possible.
If you suffered injuries, you need an attorney who knows how to determine fault in a car accident. Your attorney can gather evidence like photographs, videos, witness statements, and medical records and use them to show that another party was at fault for causing the accident. The police report for the accident can also provide helpful information for this task. In some cases, attorneys call on expert witnesses like accident reconstructionists to analyze who was to blame for the crash.
Even if you think you may be partially responsible for the accident, you can still pursue a claim for your injuries and related losses. Under Missouri’s comparative negligence rule, whatever money you recover through your case will be reduced in proportion to the fault attributed to you.
In these cases, you could file a claim with your own insurer if you carry uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. Assuming you have this coverage in your policy – which you likely do unless you rejected it in writing – you can still recover the money you need if the other driver fled the scene. Our attorneys help hit-and-run victims pursue maximum compensation from all sources, including UM coverage.
Car accident injury compensation depends on many factors but primarily on the severity of your injuries and the extent of your financial losses. Your attorney will advise you concerning the type of compensation you can pursue, which could include money for:
A Missouri car accident attorney with Sumner Law Group, LLC, can assist with all aspects of your case while you focus on recovering from your injuries. We are ready to investigate the facts and circumstances of the accident, speak with witnesses, obtain the police report, collect medical records, and handle all communications with the insurance companies. If the insurance company refuses to settle for the full and fair amount you deserve, we will not hesitate to take your case to court.
St. Louis, MO
