Car Accident Lawyer St. Louis

Here’s why it’s a good idea to, at the very least, speak with an experienced car accident lawyer after a St. Louis auto accident.

Many accident victims can achieve far better results if they have an attorney working on their side, advocating for them. Knowing when to find an attorney is very important. It may make all of the difference in whether or not you get full and fair compensation.

Accidents are almost always unexpected. Even careful drivers can be involved in auto accidents. Other drivers can be unpredictable. Sometimes, conditions like changing weather, obstructions in the roadways, or malfunctioning vehicles can make the likelihood of an accident occurring much greater. Reckless or negligent drivers may be the biggest cause of vehicle accidents today. If you have been injured in an auto accident, you should consult with an attorney at the very least to discuss your options and to determine how to proceed. You may be entitled to monetary compensation.

Some accident victims contact an auto accident attorney as soon as possible following an accident because dealing with insurance companies can be frustrating and a very complicated process. Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and because of this, they generally do not offer adequate compensation or even have the best interests of the victim in mind. They are more likely to offer a settlement amount that is too low and may not even cover all of the costs associated with your accident. Insurance companies also tend to push for a fast settlement so that you are rushed and do not have time to fully comprehend the full extent of your injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, etc.

Accidents can be very overwhelming. Working with an auto accident attorney can help your chances of achieving a fair settlement and not getting taken advantage of by an insurance company or other party. Legally protecting your rights by hiring an auto accident attorney can be one of the best things accident victims can do for themselves and their families. The last thing you want is to be mistreated or taken advantage of while dealing with the process of recovery and returning to normal life.

If you decide to file a personal injury claim to recover compensation for medical expenses, property repairs, lost wages, emotional trauma, and pain and suffering, you should definitely talk to an attorney about how to proceed. The money you are awarded in a personal injury claim could be subject to state and federal income taxes, so finding an experienced attorney who understands your state’s accident laws is very important.

St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer

Again, it is essential to find an attorney experienced in handling cases similar to your circumstances. It is not unusual for attorneys to give free consultations or case assessments, which can make finding a great attorney even easier.

Legal help can be more affordable than people assume. Many attorneys will work for a portion of the settlement amount that you receive rather than hourly fees. This sort of contingency basis can mean that legal help is more accessible to those that need it.

Having an experienced car accident attorney can help to put your mind at ease, knowing that you are in good hands. Contact The Hoffmann Law Firm today for a free and private consultation.

Finding the right car accident lawyer doesn’t have to be difficult. You simply need to know what to look for when comparing potential attorneys.

The aftermath of a car accident is often complex. In addition to the physical and emotional trauma, you may also have to deal with car damages, insurance companies, other relevant authorities, and so on. The entire legal process on top of the piling medical bills and other expenses can be nightmarish. 

Trying to find a good St. Louis car accident lawyer who will work for your benefit and not focus on benefiting themselves can feel like an added stress that you don’t need right now.

Here’s the thing: finding the right lawyer doesn’t have to be that difficult. You just need to know what to look for. 

Experience in Handling Car Accident Cases

It may sound obvious right now, but when you are in pain and dealing with a lot of stress, you may be tempted to call the first lawyer who pops up during your Google search. However, if you want a chance to get fair compensation for your injury, you need a lawyer who understands the complexity of a car accident and can help you file a claim that is all-encompassing and not just a way to get some money fast. 

Look for a Lawyer Who Keeps the Lines of Communication Open

Communication is key to building a winning car accident case, and that goes for both of you. You need to be honest with your lawyer and give all the accident details, including exactly how it happened. Even if you are partially at fault, keep in mind that Missouri is a comparative fault state, meaning that the blame can be shared between drivers. If you are found to be 20% at fault for the accident, you can still get 80% compensation. 

Your lawyer is responsible for keeping you in the loop about your case and engage in proactive communication. If you have to call them repeatedly to get an update on your case, this may be a bad sign.

Does the Lawyer Have the Resources to Take on My Case?

Car accident cases can get quite expensive, especially if the injuries are complex and involve different medical specialties and expert witnesses. For example, a case against a trucking company may involve accident reconstruction experts, safety experts, and medical professionals. If the lawyer lacks the resources to find and hire the right team of experts or cuts corners to save money, your case might be adversely affected.  

St. Louis Accident Lawyer Helpline

Finding the right St. Louis car accident attorney can be a challenging task. However, if you ask the right questions and look at these factors to decide if a lawyer can truly fight for your right and represent your best interests, it is possible to find the right attorney for your case.

Hiring a lawyer seems like an expensive and complicated business. A lot of people are worried that they can’t afford a lawyer’s fee while others are simply wondering if they actually need a lawyer. 

When it comes to car accident victims, in most cases the injured person has to deal with their own insurance company, with the other driver’s insurance company or with a different plan, like health insurance or workers’ compensation. Some individuals trust that insurance companies are well-intentioned enough to cover all the needed expenses of a car crash victim.

Well, it’s good to know what real-life cases teach us when it comes to car accident claims. 

Insurance Companies Use Tactics to Reduce a Settlement

It might sound cynical to some, but insurance companies are for-profit companies and their interest is to spend as little as possible on insurance claims. They hire insurance adjusters and teams of lawyers who aim for the same goal: minimizing the company’s costs. They are directly motivated to do so through incentives and commissions.

On the other hand, some car accident victims look for quick money and they try to exaggerate their injuries. You might have even heard of people who have succeeded in such a scheme. Remember, insurance fraud is a crime in all states. Do not exaggerate your injuries.

You Might Not Be Aware of the Extent of Your Damage

Experienced St. Louis car accident lawyers have seen enough cases to know that one should be aware of possible future expenses. This is why you should only sign a release paper if your doctor doesn’t foresee any future complications or further treatment. 

Your attorney is aware of legal limitations, possible medical expenses, and other factors that can influence your settlement. Relying on their expertise instead of trying to navigate through a complicated legal system while you are still recovering from car accident injuries is not very effective. 

Why It’s Usually Best to Work with a Lawyer 

In conclusion, speaking a car accident attorney is never a bad idea. Most experienced car accident attorneys offer a free consultation and can help you understand what you may be entitled to. That way, you can focus on your recovery while they negotiate with the insurance company and make sure you get the compensation you need to recover and move forward.

Hiring a car accident lawyer can help you get a better settlement, most of the time.

There are many ways in which a St. Louis auto accident lawyer will help during negotiations with insurance companies or during the trial. However, hiring the wrong car accident lawyer can actually harm your case.

A lot of people deal with an insurance claim or hire a lawyer for the first time in their life when they are involved in a car accident. It’s very likely that they don’t personally know a lawyer, and may not be sure where to look for them. Searching online for a car accident lawyer is one of the easiest ways to find someone, but you don’t always have the guarantee that the lawyer you find has the necessary experience to handle your case.

Here is why you need to check and double-check that the lawyer you hire is, indeed, reputable. Inexperienced or inefficient lawyers can harm your case in many ways.

Poor Communication Can Increase Stress

It’s normal to have “silent” periods in a car accident case, especially in the discovery period, when evidence is gathered and organized. But normal pauses in the communication with your lawyer are different from poor communication. If you don’t know what your lawyer is up to, if they don’t respond to your messages or haven’t provided a date for the next meeting, it can add a lot of stress on you and harm your case.

Lack of Engagement Will Likely Get You a Lower Settlement

For a lawyer to win you a high settlement, they really have to make an effort of gathering evidence, hiring expert witnesses, being in touch with your doctors, etc. If they are disengaged, you’ll likely get a smaller amount.

You May End Up Having to Pay Their Fee Even If You Don’t Win Anything

Most car accident lawyers work with a contingency fee, which means you will pay only if they get you a settlement. Inexperienced lawyers sometimes charge a fixed fee, which can leave you with no settlement and a bill for lawyer’s fee to pay out of your own pocket.

They Are Overwhelmed by the Amount of Work on Your Case

Sometimes, young lawyers or those who don’t get many clients try to reduce expenses by not hiring enough people and handling the extra work themselves. Unfortunately, this “solution” is not good, since it often makes them under-equipped for the cases they take.

As you can see, a case depends a lot on your lawyer’s experience, skills, and engagement. If you hire someone who does not provide a quality service, you might not get the settlement you deserve or even a settlement at all.

When hiring a St. Louis car accident lawyer, check their referrals and feel free to ask questions during the first consultation.

An experienced car accident attorney can help you understand what you are entitled to and fight to protect your right to compensation.

The law is quite clear in Missouri: if you’ve been injured in a car crash, then the responsible party is responsible for paying for your medical treatment, lost wages, and other damages. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about a fender bender that only caused you a minor strain or a severe crash that incapacitated you. You should always reach out to a St. Louis car accident attorney to learn more about what you are entitled to and ensure your rights are protected. They will help you build your case and ensure that you receive the right compensation for your damage.

If you’ve recently been involved in a car accident, then you may already know that you and your lawyer need as much evidence as possible to support your claims. That means collecting witness contacts, testimonies, medical documents, etc. That is not an easygoing, quick process, and your attorney might have told you how much time you should expect to wait until the settlement is agreed on by the court.

You may understand all of this, but what if the accident has happened a while ago and your attorney hasn’t contacted you in a while? You are still suffering from the consequences of the incident, still treating your injuries and you feel like you are not being helped.

It is normal to feel insecurity, doubt, and impatience in moments like these. You deserve to receive just compensation that will help you pull through. However, your attorney needs to solve a lot of tasks before being able to say that your case is closed.

What Is Your Attorney Doing?

If you are wondering what exactly is keeping your attorney from contacting you and planning the next steps in your case, here are some examples of the tasks he needs to perform while working on your case. Keep in mind that these tasks won’t always necesarrily require your presence.

• Collecting police reports, insurance policy information and getting in touch with all the parties involved in the suit;

• Collecting evidence directly linked to the incident leading to your injuries, such as contacting witnesses, recording testimonies, gathering medical records that will help you back your claim, collecting pictures and videos of the incident, including from third parties like stores that had surveillance cameras in the area;

• Putting together the legal documentation to support your case. In Missouri, filing a claim for a car accident settlement is done in a certain, regulated way. Your attorney needs to make sure that he is up to date with the laws that could be applied to your case and that his documentation is done properly and will be recognized by the court.

These are just a few examples of the things that may require a lot of time to obtain or that are left pending, forcing your attorney to wait before moving on to the next step. They might avoid bothering you with all the details of the case, which is why you may go through these silent periods.

If you are still in doubt and consider that too much time has passed since you were last in touch with your attorney, don’t hesitate to contact them, require a meeting or a response. A trustworthy attorney will get in touch with you in a timely manner and provide you with updates on your case.

Here are 4 important things car accident lawyers have to offer.

Between car crashes, severe injuries, and trips to court, you might think that a St. Louis car accident lawyer must emotionally detach from their job. This is generally not true. In fact, car accident lawyers frequently go above and beyond their official duties to give clients everything they need. Here are 4 important things car accident lawyers have to offer.

Emotional Support

As you might imagine, an accident that ends in a severe injury or the loss of a loved one is devastating. Though your lawyer will be committed to staying professional throughout your case, they can help you in moments where you become emotionally overwhelmed. An experienced attorney who can offer you the support you need could make all the difference.

Understanding Your Life Situation

While the conditions surrounding your accident are crucial, understanding who you are is essential too. The best lawyers out there will start your case by getting to know you and your life situation. This will inform them in helping you make decisions regarding your case. An example would be if a client that is the sole earner for her family is forced to take time off work due to injury. An attorney who understands the stress of struggling to provide will handle this case much better than one who doesn’t.

Advising You Based on Your Best Interest

From understanding who you are and your current situation, a lawyer can give you an informed opinion on how you should proceed with your case. If you are somebody who does not want to go to court, they may target a quick settlement over a long negotiation. On the other hand, if you’re aggressive in seeking compensation, they can match that attitude and help you fight forever dollar possible.

Enjoying Your Time Together

While the most crucial function your lawyer will carry out is getting you a great deal, there is a social aspect to every case. This is because you will have frequent meetings and phone calls with that lawyer, and when you do, it’s best to actually like that person. If they are friendly, polite, and personable, your time together will be much more enjoyable, and your case has a higher likelihood of success.