St. Louis Car Accident Attorney | Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP

Motor vehicle accidents are among the leading causes of injury in St. Louis. If you were in a car or truck accident, knowing your rights and the steps to take afterward can strengthen your case and help maximize your financial recovery.

Contact Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP, for a free consultation with a motor vehicle accident lawyer about your case. We’ll walk you through the process of seeking compensation, answer your questions, and help you determine your next steps.

You may have unexpected medical bills, and paying for your care is likely a challenge if you can’t work because of your injuries. Depending on their severity, they may even prevent you from enjoying life to its fullest. These burdens should not be yours to bear if someone else is to blame for the truck or car crash.

Our car accident attorneys at Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP, want to help you during this challenging time by pursuing the money you need to start rebuilding your life. Contact our law firm today to speak with a car accident attorney in Belleville, IL. Initial consultations are free, and we only charge a fee when we win the case.

Injuries Caused by Motor Vehicle Accidents

Car, truck, bus, and motorcycle crashes are traumatic events that can result in catastrophic injuries and permanent disabilities. Some of the most serious and common injuries experienced by car accident victims include:

Broken bones
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
Spinal cord injuries
Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries
Burns and lacerations
Internal organ damage
Psychological injuries

It’s always important to seek medical treatment for your injuries following an car accident. Even if you initially feel fine, getting checked by a medical professional is one of the best things you can do, just in case you have underlying injuries that your adrenaline masks in the immediate aftermath. Unfortunately, fatal accidents can occur, and in this case, you may be entitled to a wrongful death claim.

Common Causes of Motor Vehicle Accidents in St. Louis

Understanding the common causes of car accidents in St. Louis can help with identifying the party or parties liable for your serious injuries:

Intoxicated Driving – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that someone dies in a collision caused by a drunk driver every 42 minutes. In drunk driving crashes, not only could the drunk driver be liable, but also those who served them alcohol if they were already visibly intoxicated.
Distracted Driving – Cell phone use, eating, and talking to passengers in the back seat of a vehicle can all take a driver’s attention off the road and their hands off the wheel. The NHTSA found that 3,275 fatalities resulted from distracted driving in a recent year.
Speeding – Speeding and other forms of aggressive driving, such as weaving between lanes and tailgating, increase the likelihood that a driver will lose control of their vehicle and reduce their ability to react to hazards, leading to accidents.
Drowsy Driving – Not only can driving drowsy cause a motorist to fall asleep behind the wheel, but it can also slow their reaction time, making it harder for them to avoid accidents.
Mechanical Failure – Some accidents result from brake or other types of mechanical failures that the driver has no way of preventing. These accidents could leave vehicle manufacturers or maintenance providers liable.
Poor Road Conditions – Government entities are responsible for maintaining public roads. When poor road conditions, like large potholes or malfunctioning traffic signals, cause accidents, the government may be liable for the resulting harm.

Seeking Compensation After a St. Louis Motor Vehicle Accident

Since Missouri is an at-fault state for auto insurance claims, your first option for seeking compensation after an accident in St. Louis is to file a car accident injury claim with the at-fault party’s insurance provider. The state requires that all drivers have the following liability coverage minimums:

$25,000 per person for bodily injury
$50,000 per accident for bodily injury
$25,000 per accident for property damage

If the at-fault driver’s insurance policy limits prevent you from recovering the full compensation you need, you may be able to seek additional compensation via other means. This could include filing an underinsured motorist claim with your insurer, identifying other at-fault parties to file claims against, or filing a personal injury lawsuit against the driver directly.

What if the at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance?

If the at-fault driver doesn’t have the legally required liability insurance or fled the scene and cannot be identified, you can file an uninsured motorist claim with your insurance provider. The minimum uninsured motorist coverage required in St. Louis is:

$25,000 per person for bodily injury
$50,000 per accident for bodily injury

What if you are partly at fault for the accident?

Sometimes, the at-fault party’s insurance provider will claim that you are partly at fault for the accident that caused your injuries. When they do this, they’re attempting to reduce their liability under Missouri’s modified comparative negligence law.

Comparative negligence reduces a plaintiff’s awarded compensation by their percentage of fault for an accident. Missouri’s version of comparative negligence allows you to recover compensation as long as you are not 100% at fault for the accident.

Although comparative negligence applies to compensation awarded through lawsuits, insurance companies still use it during settlement negotiations.

Steps to Take After a St. Louis Vehicle Accident

After getting in a St. Louis car accident, taking the right steps can improve your chances of recovering the maximum compensation. Some of the most critical steps to take are:

Continuing to seek medical treatment until you fully recover or are discharged by your doctor
Keeping track of medical and vehicle repair bills for your lawyer to use when calculating the value of your case
Writing down everything you remember about the accident and keeping a journal detailing your daily pain levels and how your injuries affect your routine activities
Not providing a recorded statement to the at-fault party’s insurance company, as it will use your words against you to harm your case
Speaking to a highly qualified St. Louis car accident lawyer and having them handle your case from start to finish

Compensation Available for Car Accident Victims

The compensation available to you after a St. Louis car accident may cover various losses, which are the adverse consequences of the accident you experienced, including:

Medical Costs – This compensation covers your past and future medical treatments, surgeries, medical devices, and physical therapy related to the injuries you sustained in the accident.
Lost Income – This compensation makes up for the wages you lost while recovering from your injuries and the wages you will lose because your injuries prevent you from working at all or in the same capacity as before the accident.
Property Damage – This compensation is for repairing or replacing your personal property that was damaged or lost in the accident, including your vehicle.
Pain and Suffering – While it can be challenging to put a price on the physical pain you experience because of your car accident injuries, this compensation can significantly increase the total value of your case.
Emotional Distress – If you suffered emotional injuries, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), because of the accident, you can seek compensation for that in addition to your physical injuries.

Statute of Limitations for Motor Vehicle Accident Lawsuits

In Missouri, you generally have five years to bring a lawsuit against the party who caused your injuries in a motor vehicle accident. Our St. Louis car accident lawyer can file your lawsuit on your behalf to make sure you don’t miss this deadline and lose out on your right to seek compensation for your injuries.

Contact Our Car Accident Attorney Serving St. Louis

If you were in a St. Louis motor vehicle accident, contact Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP, for a free consultation with an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney. Our firm has decades of experience and has recovered millions for our deserving clients. We also never charge a fee unless we secure compensation for you because we believe in our ability to get the job done.

we are here to help you recover the compensation you need and deserve.

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