At Popham Law in Kansas City, our car accident attorneys want to make sure you have the best experience possible when going through this difficult time. And with so much at stake in your case, we understand that your choice of an attorney may be the most important you'll make. You want to make sure your attorney gives your case the attention it deserves, putting your interests at the front of the litigation strategy and ensuring a settlement that suits all of your needs.
To schedule a free consultation with our car accident attorneys, contact Popham Law online or call (816) 221-2288 today. Although we're located right in Kansas City, we serve both Missouri and Kansas.
The Basics of a Car Accident Case in Missouri
Following a severe car accident that involved serious injury or death, you may need an experienced car accident attorney who can help you fight for the right settlement to cover any financial damages related to the injuries, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional damages, and more.In order to better understand what happens (legally) after your car accident, it can be helpful to become acquainted with the following:
- Proving fault - The fault in your case, or the percentage of fault regarding who caused the accident, is a strong indicator determining how much your settlement may be worth. Also, the more you contribute to the accident, the less the insurance company will pay for your injuries. This is known as Missouri's comparative fault system.
- Insurance companies profit by paying less - Always remember that if the car accident claim process seems way too easy, then the insurance company may not be giving you the full benefit that you're entitled to.
- Your claim can be valuable - Personal injury law in Missouri is designed to make sure that victims are given full and fair compensation for injuries sustained due to the negligence or fault of another person. The insurance company may set a low claim value, but remember that the law entitles you to compensation to cover financial damages, both for now and the future.
What You Can Expect From a Popham Car Accident Attorney
The simple fact is that insurance companies and adjusters may approach a quick settlement for basic medical expenses with the hopes that you and your car accident attorney won't negotiate for more, whether at the negotiating table or in a Missouri court. One of the main goals of your car accident attorney is to ensure that this doesn't happen; at Popham Law, we use the full extent of Missouri personal injury laws to fight for a compensation that covers all injury-related expenses, including:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future lost wages
- Emotional damages (if they exist)
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life expenses
- Loss of consortium
When wrongful death is involved, the compensation can extend to include funeral expenses, emotional distress, loss of financial contribution, and more.
What Your Attorney Owes You
By working with a car accident injury attorney here in Kansas City, you can also expect certain duties from your attorney. These duties can include:
- Duty to avoid a conflict of interest - At Popham Law, we will only represent you and not other drivers involved in the accident.
- Duty of confidentiality - Anything you discuss with your attorney must be kept secret.
- Duty of competent representation - Your attorney should have the expertise to comprehensively represent your case and confront any challenges along the way.
- Duty to diligently represent you - Your attorney should put your interests first while vigorously representing your point of view.
What to Expect During the Settlement Negotiations and Litigation
Soon after the accident, but within 5 years according to Missouri's statute of limitations, you'll need to file your personal injury lawsuit. Before that, however, you and your attorney can document the details of the accident, collect information from witnesses, gather medical records or evidence, and then actually file the personal injury claim with your attorney.The vast majority of personal injury claims in Kansas City result in a settlement prior to filing suit. Minimum insurance laws and other factors ensure some compensation for injuries sustained in a car accident. Because minimum insurance laws might not cover all of your damages, Popham Law's car accident and injury attorneys put your needs and interests at the forefront of our strategy, which includes zealously litigating for a settlement suitable for you.After thoroughly investigating the details of the case, recovering medical records, crunching some numbers and working with you to develop a just and fair settlement, and waiting for your injuries to recover (always a good idea in these cases), it's possible to discuss the case with an insurance claims adjuster. Once the insurance company has the liability and the medical damage information, the company may be willing to resolve the case and negotiate a settlement.If settlement negotiations fail, or for other purposes, you can file a petition for personal injury damages that:
- Establishes the jurisdiction of the court
- Establishes venue in that court
- Sets out basic facts of the accident
- States of the allegations of negligence against the Defendant
- States the damages approximately caused by that negligence
Call Popham Law for KC's Top Car Accident Lawyers
Injured in an accident here in Kansas City or throughout Missouri and Kansas? If so, the personal injury attorneys at Popham Law have your back. With years of successful cases and experience in personal injury lawsuits, we'll vigorously fight for a full and fair compensation to cover all injury-related expenses, both for now and the future.For a free, no-obligation consultation with our Kansas City law firm, call Popham Law today at (844) 243-2288.
