You’ve filed the police report, notified your insurance company, and taken a trip to the doctor. You carefully avoided claiming responsibility at the scene, and you’re ready for either your own or the other party’s insurance company to pay up so you can replace your now-totaled car and pay off those medical bills. And yet, the insurance adjusters just keep calling.
Is there no end to the list of what to do after you get into a car accident? When you’ve suffered an injury in a car wreck, it can seem like an infinite amount of time is passing with no support, financial or otherwise, from someone — anyone — from whom you expect compensation to be provided. Why else have you been paying for insurance? Why did you get all those policy numbers from the other person involved in the accident, particularly if they were at fault? All of this frustration can be difficult to manage, especially when you are trying to heal from particularly serious trauma. Hiring a personal injury attorney with experience in car accident cases can be conducive to recovering the financial strain a car accident injury can inflict on your life. Here are four ways a Missouri car wreck injury attorney can benefit you after an accident.
1. An car accident injury attorney knows the specific laws and procedures pertinent to your situation.
There are a thousand minutiae essential to an effective claim or lawsuit. Unless you happen to be an injury attorney yourself, you certainly aren’t expected to know them. Having someone who does know them, however, can make all the difference in your case.
A good attorney will know the answer to all your questions, like how long after a car accident you can claim injury, and even things that may not seem relevant, like if health insurance will cover car accident injuries. For example, after a car wreck, Missouri law states you have five years from the date of the accident to claim reparations. The Missouri statute of limitations is considerably longer than most states provide (generally two years); not knowing you have five full years to figure out what you should do after a car accident injury could result in some serious regrets.
Furthermore, your lawyer will know exactly what steps to take and the best ways to go about them. Sometimes, the simple presence of a lawyer can be enough to knock insurance companies and other parties into line, but you might have to file a lawsuit. If the other party refuses to settle, your attorney will be prepared to go to trial. She’ll know the best ways to argue or defend your case, what steps to take next, and how to best handle any unforeseen circumstances that arise.
2. A personal injury attorney will take care of the research so you don’t have to.
If you know what to do after you get into a car accident, you know holding on to any documentation or evidence is vital to a strong claim. If you don’t, you may not have kept up with all the police reports and medical documents that followed the accident. Lawyers, however, are great assets for obtaining all of this critical information that can help prove your innocence or provide strong evidence for getting your insurance company to pay up. This might also entail gathering witness statements or documentation of lost wages and other financial encumbrances resulting directly from being injured in the accident.
Along with putting together your case and preparing for trial, your attorney will make sure all the evidence necessary to a strong suit is in the right hands. At a time when you likely will not want to — but may physically unable to — run around doing all the legwork necessary to receiving fair compensation, your car accident lawyer will be there to make sure everything that needs doing gets done.
3. Your personal injury attorney can help you navigate insurance.
When you’re dealing with big companies, like the insurance business, you may not feel like you’re being heard. Getting someone on the phone may seem impossible, and much of what you’re being asked to provide may seem hard to get or do.
When it comes to car wrecks, Missouri is an “at-fault” state. This means the insurance of the individual who is at fault is supposed to cover the cost of damages and medical bills (up to the policy’s limit), unless both parties are considered at fault. In this case, each individual provides the percentage of cost directly corresponding to the percentage of their fault. For example, if two individuals were considered equally at fault, each would be responsible for 50% of the financial damages.
Even just beginning the process of having your car fixed can be problematic. Insurance companies prefer you wait patiently for them to decide who is at fault and then agree to cover mechanical and bodywork costs. Your lawyer can help make sure someone is paying attention to your report and make sure you’re getting the support you need.
Furthermore, dealing with injuries after a car accident can wind up involving multiple insurance companies. While health insurance does cover car accident injuries, your car insurance policy (or that of the other driver) is generally the policy responsible for making sure those bills are covered. Your car accident lawyer will make sure the right insurance coverage is taking care of the appropriate bills, so you don’t get stuck with the bill.
4. A car accident injury lawyer will make sure you receive compensation appropriate to the injury you’ve sustained.
Being a personal injury lawyer is more than just arguing for clients in court; it also entails advocating for them. When you try to handle everything that comes after a car accident by yourself, particularly if you have no knowledge of personal injury law in Missouri, you are more likely to wind up with the short end of the stick than when you hire an attorney.
The average car wreck injury claim encompasses property damage, medical bills, past and future lost wages, pain and suffering, and other financial losses resulting specifically from the car accident injury. However, even injuries common to car accidents can vary greatly, not only in how they present but in how much they may be worth. Spraining a wrist or breaking a rib is painful and may limit daily activities for a few weeks or months, but traumatic brain injury or spinal fractures can become a chronic disability that impacts the rest of your life. Your attorney will fight to help you receive the compensation you deserve — instead of merely the compensation the guilty party or subsequent insurance companies are easily willing to provide.
For More Information
If you’re unsure about what to do after a car accident injury, you need the personal injury lawyers at Missouri Injury Recovery. We’ll help navigate insurance, manage the legwork, and be prepared to take your case to trial. If you need help in the wake of a car wreck, Missouri Injury Recovery has experienced attorneys who deliver dollars for injured clients. To find out what your case might be worth, call today at (866)695-6318 or visit us at www.missouriinjuryrecovery.com.
