Missouri car accidents are traumatic incidents that typically result in both emotional and physical damages.  Following a serious car accident in Missouri, a personal injury victim has up to five (5) years to file a personal injury claim.  Claims for compensation are filed with the responsible party's insurance company.  A Missouri car accident lawyer or Missouri personal injury attorney will typically file a settlement demand with the defendant's insurance company in an effort to resolve the case without the need for litigation.  If the claim cannot be settled, a lawsuit will be filed in the jurisdiction where the crash took place due to Missouri's venue laws. 

If a lawsuit is filed, a plaintiff still has the opportunity to settle his or her case prior to trial.  There are many opportunities to settle a personal injury claim and statistically, over 95% of all injury lawsuits are resolved prior to a trial.  As a Missouri car accident lawyer, we are only able to settle a case with the express authority of the client.  One of our jobs as a lawyer is to advocate for fair compensation for all personal injury claims.  A settlement is fair if it accounts for both economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, prescription costs, etc) and non-economic damages (pain & suffering, emotional pain).  There is no magic formula to determine what constitutes a fair personal injury settlement.  Claims must always be valued on an individual case by case basis.

When determining what is fair compensation for your car accident personal injury claim, factors such as venue, property damage, comparative fault, crash scene dynamics, and other aspects must be carefully weighed.  The amount of your medical bills is never a determining factor of the amount of compensation that should be demanded from an insurance company claims adjuster.  Many attorneys overlook subtle aspects of a case that can actually play a heavy factor on what a jury would really award if the case were to go to trial.  It is important to discuss ALL aspects of your case with a qualified Missouri personal injury lawyer who has experience in court and mediation.  Our lawyers are recognized as a Top 100 trial lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association and are members of the elite Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.  Because we are respected by defense attorneys and insurance companies, our St. Louis personal injury lawyers are able to obtain substantial compensation for our client's personal injury claims.