Even if you know how common car accidents in O’Fallon, Missouri, are — and even if you’ve been in one before — it can still be shocking when you are in a serious collision. In an instant, your life could be turned upside down by an injury that leaves you unable to work, with weeks or months of recuperation ahead. This is where an experienced O’Fallon car accident lawyer can help.
Need help with your car accident claim? Our legal team is here to help. Contact Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers at (636) 238-5934 for a free case evaluation now!
No one can turn back the clock and undo the damage that has been done. However, the capable and compassionate team at Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers is committed to helping you on the road to recovery, offering targeted legal services and working toward a favorable outcome when you file a claim for compensation.
Maybe you were going about your day, simply exiting the parking lot of Precision Dent Removal, when an impaired teen driver rear-ended you. Perhaps you were turning onto Main Street after an event at the Mid America Veterans Museum, and a reckless driver racing to beat the red light broadsided you. Accidents like these happen every day, and they can put you in dire straits.
After a car accident, you may be overwhelmed by physical, emotional, and financial changes. With a hard road to recovery, plagued by a growing pile of medical bills and an inability to work, you might be tempted to take the first lowball offer from an insurance company. Unfortunately, this offer could leave you without enough to cover all of your expenses.
Our qualified car accident attorneys in O’Fallon, Missouri, are committed to helping you get a fair settlement. We go above and beyond, connecting you with access to a network of doctors, support services to reduce your medical costs, or even loan services to cover your living expenses.
Contact us today and let us handle the stressful burden of fighting insurance companies so you can focus on the important work of recovery after an accident.
Why Hire Beck & Beck as Your Car Accident Attorneys in O’Fallon, MO?
When an accident occurs, you need legal guidance and support from a skilled legal representative who has experience with cases like yours, a proven track record of success, and a reputation for reliable service and exceptional client care.
Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers is not your typical, buttoned-down law firm. With a background in farming and ranching, a strong work ethic, and a drive to help clients take on corporate insurance companies that use their power to bully claimants, we believe in the core values of family and fairness.
We’re so confident in the services we provide that we proudly offer a 100% client satisfaction guarantee. If you are ever unsatisfied with how we’re handling your case, you can seek representation elsewhere with no case expenses owed. But we don’t think you will.
What benefits will you gain by choosing our law firm?
Extensive Experience With Cases Like Yours
For over 25 years, Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers has fought for clients injured in traffic accidents. We remain the only firm in Missouri with a sole focus on auto injury cases, including:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Uber and Lyft accidents
- Bus accidents
Because of this singular focus, we’ve gained unmatched experience and deep knowledge of how Missouri courts and insurers deal with claims like yours. Our proven record of recovering compensation for drivers, passengers, and others involved in auto collisions speaks for itself.
Personalized Strategies From Attorneys Who Care
A car accident is a traumatic experience. It can feel like the worst day of your life — until the days ahead, when you’re struggling to recover, unable to pay your bills, and facing an uphill battle against insurance companies.
You need a qualified lawyer who understands what you’re going through and puts your best interests first. At Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers, we know every tactic insurance companies use to delay, deny, and minimize claims. That’s why we’re prepared to come up with creative and targeted strategies based on the unique circumstances of your case.
With exhaustive research, careful planning, and an aggressive approach to fighting for your rights, we do what it takes to negotiate a fair settlement while making sure that you feel heard and cared for throughout the process.
Reliable Legal Services
When you are injured in an accident, fighting for fair compensation can become a big part of your life and consume your daily thoughts. We want to take that burden away by connecting you with a legal partner you can trust to handle the details on your behalf.
At Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers, we pride ourselves on open and honest communication. We gladly address your questions and concerns and offer sound guidance to help you make informed decisions.
Every case is important, which is why each one is handled by a partner, never passed off to a paralegal. We always keep you apprised of progress in your case with frequent updates and promptly respond to calls.
We Go the Extra Mile
As you recover, you may require more than legal services, and we can help. If you need a doctor but don’t have health insurance, we can connect you with compassionate medical professionals willing to treat uninsured patients. We also proudly assist clients who are seeking reductions in hospital bills.
Additionally, we can help you with loan matching services. With no money coming in and bills piling up, you might need a loan to tide you over during settlement negotiations. This pre-settlement funding can allow you to keep up with living expenses with no repayment required unless you win your case.
Talk to a Lawyer First
If you are injured in a car accident and you plan to make a claim against another person’s insurance provider, that company will likely try to contact you to get your statement. Then, a representative may pressure you to accept an immediate settlement or sign legal documents.
This is for the benefit of the insurer, not for you, and it can impact your ability to negotiate for a fair settlement later. For this reason, you should refuse to speak with the other party’s insurance company until you have a chance to consult with an attorney.
An experienced O’Fallon car accident lawyer will help you understand what to expect and how to proceed to protect your interests.
Reasons for Car Crashes in O’Fallon
Not every car crash is predictable or preventable. For example, bad weather or poor road conditions may lead to an accident even when all drivers involved are behaving appropriately and following the rules of the road. Or a deer or other animal may wander into the road, causing a crash.
Even so, many accidents are related to driver error or negligent behavior. Some such causes of preventable vehicle collisions include:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Speeding
- Failure to yield
- Following too close
- Distracted or inattentive driving
- Driver fatigue
- Improper lane usage or lane changes
- Failure to account for road conditions
According to Missouri State Highway Patrol statistics on traffic crashes, a typical year might include nearly 300 fatalities and over 4,000 injuries in crashes involving alcohol or drugs. Instances of speeding are involved in around 200 fatalities and nearly 3,000 injuries.
When a speeding, impaired, or reckless Missouri driver has upended your life, a qualified O’Fallon car accident attorney from from our law firm will help you craft a solid strategy to negotiate for a full settlement.
How Do Missouri At-Fault Insurance Laws Work?
Missouri is among the 38 states that observe at-fault car insurance laws. This means the party or parties found to be at fault for causing an accident are held liable for associated costs like property damage and medical bills.
In Missouri, drivers are required to maintain a liability vehicle insurance policy that covers $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage. Drivers must also carry uninsured motorist coverage that includes $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury.
Determining Liability and Proving Fault
Drivers on public roadways have a duty to obey the rules of the road. They must behave safely and responsibly so as not to cause damage to property or injury to people. When they breach this duty and cause property damage or physical injuries, they could be held liable for the victim’s associated expenses.
How is liability determined? As your experienced O’Fallon personal injury lawyer will tell you, liability is based on evidence like police reports, witness statements, photos, videos, and in some cases, vehicle event data recorders (EDRs) that capture data before, during, and after a crash.
Any evidence you can collect at the scene of the accident might also serve as an important component in negotiating a settlement.
The Comparative Negligence Rule
What if you are partly to blame for an accident? Do you still have a claim for compensation? In Missouri, the answer is yes, thanks to the state’s pure comparative negligence laws.
Comparative negligence, sometimes referred to as comparative fault, means that you can still pursue a claim for compensation even if you were partially at fault in an accident.
Pure comparative negligence means that you can seek compensation even if you are determined to be mostly at fault. However, any damages you are awarded will be reduced based on the percentage of fault assigned to you.
Missouri Statutes You Should Be Aware Of
Missouri once observed contributory negligence rules. This means that if you were even slightly at fault for an accident, you were ineligible to claim compensation.
Under RSMo Section 537.765, contributory fault was abolished and comparative fault was introduced. This statute allows Missourians to seek compensation for an injury as long as they are not 100% at fault.
RSMo Section 537.067 pertains to joint and several liability. This law states that multiple parties in an accident may be assigned fault and thus bear liability.
More importantly, any party found to be 51% or more at fault may be held liable for the entire amount of recovery in a claim, but they may still seek recovery from other at-fault parties. Those found to be less than 51% at fault are responsible only for their own percentage of liability.
When Should I File My O’Fallon Car Accident Claim?
Ideally, you should consult with an O’Fallon car accident attorney and file a claim as soon as possible following an accident, as it can take some time to negotiate for a fair settlement.
These negotiations can take even longer based on factors like the severity of your injuries, your predicted recovery timeline, and the amount of associated losses. However, the Missouri statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit is up to five years from the date of the incident.
Mistakes to Avoid Which Could Ruin Your Case
The days and weeks following an accident can be filled with confusion and stress, especially if you’re in the hospital or fighting through pain. Without the assistance of a qualified attorney, you could make mistakes that jeopardize your ability to negotiate for compensation.
For example, you might accidentally give up rights and protections by signing a document from the insurance company without reading the fine print. Guessing at what may have happened or posting details of the accident to social media can be used against you as leverage to weaken your case.
Throwing away or losing evidence can harm your chances of recovery, as can submitting to questioning or a medical exam requested by an insurance company without your lawyer present. When in doubt, call your attorney.
Skilled O’Fallon Auto Accident Injury Law Firm
Even minor car accidents can leave you shaken and unsure how to proceed. The knowledgeable and experienced attorneys at Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers provide the advice and support you need to make clear, level-headed decisions that protect your best interests.
With a proven track record of success, clear and reliable communication, and compassion for the challenges you face, our team can help you fight for the compensation you need to recover and move forward.
Have you been injured in a car accident in O’Fallon, Missouri? Contact us now to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation and discuss your case.
Locations near O’Fallon, Missouri, which our attorneys also serve include St. Louis, Florissant, Cape Girardeau, Doniphan, Independence, Kansas City, Springfield, Kirksville, Columbia, and more.
