According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT), about 4.4 million people are injured in road crashes in the U.S. every year. Of these, over 46,000 lose their lives to the injuries sustained in these road accidents.
A car accident can quickly upend your life. It’s not fair that someone’s negligence has the capacity to affect you so badly. While money can’t take the place of your pain or the loss of a loved one, you have the legal right to hold the negligent party responsible for your damages.
With the help of an experienced Chesterfield car accident attorney at Morelli Law Firm, you can be compensated for your injuries and other losses.
Determining the Cause of the Accident and Liability
The Missouri Highway State Patrol (MHSP) reports that, on average, there are over 37,000 vehicle crashes and over 100,000 instances of property damage related to accidents in the state every year. That’s a lot of car accidents happening in the great state of Missouri annually.
Unfortunately, most of these auto wrecks are preventable. Some of the common causes of vehicle crashes include:
- Distracted driving (particularly texting while driving, which is considered worse than drunk driving)
- Increased number of inexperienced drivers on the roadways
- Bad and reckless driving habits such as tailgating, sudden lane changes, overtaking in corners or bends, running red lights, and excessive speeding
- Poor road conditions (examples include icy roads, which are responsible for over 2,000 fatalities every year)
- Poor weather conditions
- Poorly maintained vehicles (which can lead to failed vehicle parts)
- Poor maintenance of roads
- Driving while under the influence of illicit substances
- Driver fatigue
- Animals crossing the roads
As you can see, with the exception of icy roads and poor weather, the others are largely a result of negligence or recklessness. This means that if only more people are careful while driving, there won’t be as many car accidents in Chesterfield, Missouri.
Proving Fault in a Chesterfield Car Accident Claim
When you come to us, we’ll try to determine the cause of the accident by investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident and identifying who is responsible. To do this, we’ll have to check for the four elements of negligence:
- Duty of care: All drivers and road users have a duty to act in a reasonably safe manner and avoid putting other road users at risk.
- Breach of duty: If a driver or road user acts in a manner that inherently puts other road users in danger, this means they’ve breached that duty and failed in their obligation.
- Causation: This applies if their failure to adhere to common safe roadway practices leads to accidents, injuries, property damage, or loss of lives.
- Damages: If the accident and injuries resulted in high expenses or losses suffered, it means the negligent party is responsible for the damages.
This is why most experienced Chesterfield car accident lawyers work hard to ensure that the at-fault party pays for their carelessness. At Morelli Law Firm, our personal injury lawyers believe that you shouldn’t have to suffer just because someone refused to be careful on the road. You should make them pay for your discomfort.
Chesterfield Car Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
What Kind of Damages Can I Recover From a Chesterfield Car Accident Claim?
In Missouri, all drivers are required to have auto liability insurance coverage. The minimum coverage required includes:
- $25,000 for bodily injury per person
- $50,000 for bodily injury per accident
- $25,000 property per accident
A driver should also carry liability covered for underinsured or uninsured drivers to the tune of $25,000 and $50,000 for bodily injury per person and for bodily injury per accident, respectively.
This means that if you’re involved in a car accident in Chesterfield, MO, that money can go towards the recovery of damages like:
- Medical bills
- Loss of income
- Property damage
- Reduced earning capacity
- Additional out-of-pocket costs
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Reduced quality of life
Now, you may not be able to access them all at once. Your car crash attorney will identify the damages that you qualify for, and file the claims on your behalf.
How Much Money Can I Get From a Car Crash Injury Claim in Chesterfield, MO?
There’s no specific amount of money that we can tell you. This is because every case is unique. Many things influence how much you’ll get as compensation for your injuries. These include:
- How bad your injuries are
- Medical treatment costs
- The possibility of future rehabilitative treatment
- How much property damage you’ve incurred
- Whether you’ll have to repair or replace the vehicle
- If someone died in the accident
- If the injuries temporarily or permanently interfere with your ability to work and by how much
- Additional home running costs
- Whether you were partly responsible for the collision
- When you filed the claim (Missouri has a five-year deadline for personal injury claims under RSMo § 516.120)
There are a ton of factors at play. However, because our personal injury lawyers in Chesterfield are experienced and skilled, you can be sure that we will for the highest possible settlement. Our lawyers will evaluate your case and determine how much you can sue for.
How to Deal With the Insurance Provider
Part of the insurance claims process involves dealing with the defendant’s insurance carrier and/or yours. Depending on how bad the car crash was, the defendant’s insurance company may reach out to your first. When they do, they’ll act as though they have your best interests at heart.
They may even make you an offer that may seem good at first. Don’t take that offer until you’ve spoken to one of our experienced car accident lawyers in Chesterfield, MO. This is because you can often get a far better offer if you have a seasoned attorney representing your interests.
The state has already provided an avenue to ensure that you get a settlement that will take care of your needs. Also, having good legal representation can prevent you from making mistakes that could cost you your settlement. These mistakes include:
- Admitting fault (even if you’re partially responsible, don’t admit it!)
- Giving more information than is necessary
- Allowing a recorded statement without an attorney present
- Signing documents or verbally agreeing to accept compensation
Our Chesterfield Car Accident Lawyer Can Help
If you want to get the most satisfactory settlement from your injury claim, the best way to do that is to hire our experienced Chesterfield car accident lawyers at Morelli Law Firm. We have helped many car accident victims like you recover sizable compensation for injuries sustained in auto wrecks in Missouri.
We will investigate the crash, ascertain who was at fault, put together a fair settlement amount that you’ll be happy with, provide legal counsel and support, and ensure that you’re satisfied with the outcome.
If you were involved in a car crash in Chesterfield, MO, and want to see if you have a case, get in touch with us today for a free case evaluation.