An unexpected injury in Independence, Missouri, caused by another person’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional actions can alter your life drastically.
Hospital stays, ongoing doctor visits, physical therapy, and other forms of medical and personal care can keep you out of work for weeks or even months, creating uncertainty about how to manage your expenses and recovery at the same time.
Our experienced Independence personal injury lawyers will work to get you fair monetary compensation for what you’ve lost, and help you start putting your life back together while you focus on getting better.
Have you been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault in Independence, Missouri? Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers will fight for you. Call (816) 382-6915 to speak with our knowledgeable legal team today.
What Our Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys in Independence, Missouri, Will Do for You
At Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers, our firm has been standing up for people hurt in motor vehicle accidents for over 35 years, and we understand that most clients come to us feeling overwhelmed, unsure, and under a lot of medical and financial stress.
From the moment you call, our role is to guide you through the process and fight for the compensation you deserve:
Explaining Your Rights and the Law
Our firm walks you through Missouri’s personal injury laws in plain language, so you understand how deadlines, fault rules, and damage limits may affect your claim.
Giving Straightforward Legal Advice
We answer questions, help you understand legal and insurance jargon in simple terms, and help you weigh settlement offers against the possibility of going to trial—always with your best interests in mind.
Handling Insurance Companies
You won’t have to face adjusters alone. We take over every conversation with the other side so your words can’t be twisted and you’re not cornered into a low offer. That means we handle the demand letters, push back with counteroffers when needed, and keep the pressure on until the settlement truly covers the losses you’ve faced.
Investigating and Building Your Case
We look at every angle of what happened, from reading through police reports to talking with witnesses and collecting your medical records. When it helps your case, we bring in outside experts to clearly explain how the other party’s actions led to your injuries.
Valuing Your Claim Accurately
Our team factors in more than just the bills you have today. We consider what your medical care might cost down the road, how your injuries affect your ability to earn a living, and the toll it’s taken on your life, so you’re not pressured into taking less than you deserve.
Leveling the Playing Field
Insurance companies have teams of lawyers. With our experienced Independence personal injury lawyers on your side, you have a team that knows their tactics and won’t stop until you get a fair result.
What To Do Immediately Following a Personal Injury
After a personal injury accident in Missouri, the actions you take right away can make a major difference in your health and in the outcome of any future claim. While every situation is different, there are a few steps that can help protect both your well-being and your legal rights:
Get Medical Care Without Delay: Your health comes first, so get checked out as soon as possible. This may mean calling an ambulance, going to the ER, or visiting an urgent care clinic.
Quick treatment not only supports recovery but also creates clear medical records linking your injuries to the incident, whether it was a collision, fall, or other harmful event.
Preserve Evidence at the Scene: If you can do so safely, gather proof before it disappears. This includes taking photos or videos, noting hazard locations, and getting witness names. Even a few images from your phone can help document conditions that may change within hours.
Consult a Lawyer Early: Talking to a lawyer soon after an accident gives you a clearer picture of what you can do and how long you have.
Types of Injuries
Our firm handles many kinds of injury cases, and each one calls for its own approach. We don’t treat them as a checklist. We look at what happened, how it changed your life, and what will be needed going forward:
- Fractures and Broken Bones: A crash or a bad fall can leave someone with broken bones that take months to heal. Sometimes surgery is needed. Sometimes it’s more about the long road of rehab.Â
- Head and Traumatic Brain Injuries: A head injury can affect memory, mood, balance—sometimes permanently. These cases often mean securing therapy, medical follow-ups, and other support long after the hospital stay ends. We push to make sure that’s accounted for.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Damage to the spinal cord can change everything, from mobility to daily independence. The legal work here includes looking at lifetime care, home changes, and medical needs that won’t go away.
- Catastrophic Injuries: When the injury is permanent, the case is about more than bills. It’s about future stability. We build these cases with an eye toward medical needs, lost earning ability, and what it takes to live with that change.
Personal Injury Claims We Help Clients With
Since 1990, our experienced Independence personal injury attorneys have focused solely on motor vehicle accidents. We represent clients in cases involving:
- Auto accidents
- Commercial vehicle, 18-wheeler, and semi-truck accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bike accidents
- Accidents involving Uber & Lyft
- Public transit and bus accidents
- Fatal motor vehicle accidents
- Drunk driver accidents
- Distracted driver accidents
- Uninsured motorist accidents
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Scooter and e-bike accidents
Compensation Available in a Personal Injury Claim
Injury claims in Missouri usually involve more than one type of compensation. Some cover the bills you’ve already faced, while others address the personal toll or hold the other party accountable.
Economic Damages
These are the straightforward money losses tied to your injury. They usually involve:
- Medical bills you’ve already paid, such as hospital stays, doctor visits, or rehab sessions.
- Care you’re expected to need later, including follow-up treatment or surgery.
- Pay you missed while you were out of work, and any drop in income going forward.
- Out-of-pocket costs like prescriptions, medical gear, or travel to appointments.
Economic damages focus on the actual dollars you’ve spent—or will lose—because of the accident.
Non-Economic Damages
These address the harm that can’t be neatly added up on a calculator:
- Physical pain or lingering discomfort.
- Emotional effects such as anxiety, fear, or ongoing stress.
- Losing the ability to enjoy hobbies, sports, or parts of daily life.
- Strain on personal or family relationships caused by the injury.
They recognize that not every loss is financial, but still changes your life.
Punitive Damages
These are less common and meant to hold someone responsible for extreme misconduct:
- They’re used when the harm came from reckless or intentional behavior.
- The aim is to penalize that conduct and discourage others from doing it.
These aren’t meant to compensate you, but they make clear that reckless conduct won’t go unchecked.
Missouri Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims
In Missouri, the clock for filing a personal injury lawsuit typically runs five years from the date of the accident. The law also follows what’s called the Discovery Rule, meaning the five-year clock starts when you find out about the injury—or when you reasonably should have—so it protects people whose injuries don’t show up right away.
It’s important to understand that recovery time does not extend this limit. Even if someone is hospitalized, in rehabilitation, or adjusting to a long-term disability, the statute generally continues ticking.
Exceptions exist, however. If the injured person is under 21 or is mentally incapacitated, the five-year period may start when they reach adulthood or are declared competent.
Also, if the person responsible for the injury leaves Missouri before a claim is filed, the statute of limitations is put on hold until they return.
Contact Our Award-Winning Personal Injury Law Firm in Independence, Missouri
Personal injury cases can be simple or they can get complicated fast, depending on what happened. Sometimes the facts show more than one person or business played a part in causing the harm.
At Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers, we start right away figuring out who could be at fault—whether it’s a driver, a business, an insurance company, or anyone else who played a role in causing the crash.
Our firm takes charge of talking with insurance companies, medical providers, and anyone else involved in your case, making sure your rights are protected and that you aren’t pushed into a settlement that doesn’t cover what you’ve lost.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a motor vehicle accident in Independence, Missouri, Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers will carefully review your situation, advocate for your interests, and work to secure fair compensation.
Since 1990, our attorneys have helped injured victims in cities including Jefferson City, St. Louis, O’Fallon, Florissant, Springfield, Joplin, Kansas City, Cape Girardeau, Kirksville, and more.
Contact our office today to discuss your case and start protecting your legal rights.