Our car accident injury lawyers in St. Louis, Missouri, have the obligation to assist injury victims in getting fairly compensated by insurance companies.  The civil justice system permits our clients to recovery monetary compensation in the form of personal injury settlements and verdicts.  If the insurance company decides to be unfair, even when our injury lawyers get involved in the case, then we take the case to a judge and jury.  We believe our civil justice system works, and jurors generally side with the victim of a car accident, as long as liability and damages are relatively clear.

Car accident injury lawyers are effective in assisting car accident injury victims cope with the medical bills, lost wages, pain & suffering, anxiety, and other harms that follow any serious car accident, tractor-trailer accident, or motorcycle accident.  An injury lawyer is typically retained on a contingency-fee basis, in which the client will not pay any attorneys fees unless the lawyer wins the case.  This means that your lawyer has a financial incentive to do his best in getting compensation for your injuries.  If you think about it, this is more advantageous for the client, because not only does he/she not have to pay a large up front retainer, but the client knows that the lawyer will never get paid unless he/she does a competent job working on the case. 

Injury attorneys do a lot of work, behind the scenes, to assist clients throughout the case.  Now not all lawyers are created equal, and not every lawyer is dedicated to the representation of persons injured in car accidents in St. Louis.  However, if you get your hands on a qualified injury lawyer or injury law firm, chances are good that you can leave the entire case up to your lawyer and just concentrate on healing from the accident. 

When you are injured in an accident, the biggest law firm is not always the best law firm.  There are a few law firms in St. Louis that are known for 'volume', which does not always equal results.  In fact, large volume law firms typically move cases in and out of the firm to accommodate the high workload.  The result can be a dissatisfied client.  You need a law firm that is client focused, not bottom line focused.  Call (314) 448-0934 or (866) 840-3636 for more information. 

Personal injury lawyers typically are hired on a contingency fee agreement.  There are ethical opinions in Missouri that permit personal injury lawyers to front or 'advance' all costs necessary to file a personal injury claim for a client that is injured in a Missouri car accident, Missouri 18-wheeler accident, Missouri motorcycle crash, work-related accident, construction accident, Missouri slip & fall accident, Missouri wrongful death claims, and other injury claims.  Having your lawyer advance case costs is a convenient, effective, and financially sound way of prosecuting your claim for personal injury without tens of thousands of dollars in up-front legal costs or retainers.

Missouri personal injury law firms typically charge 33.3% - 40% in attorneys' fees for all accident claims.  This range is not complete however, some lawyers are known to charge even higher that 40% of the total amount collected for an injury claim, whether it by through settlement of the claim or jury verdict at trial.  Now it is important to understand that the law firm will only collect attorneys' fees IF they obtain money for your claim.  This puts the financial risk of the injury claim solely on the shoulders of the law firm.  As St. Louis-based accident lawyers, we believe this arrangement actually provides further motivation for your lawyer to succeed in winning your case.

So what if I am not happy with my lawyer and wish to discharge him or her?  Well Missouri is clear that a client is permitted to terminate a lawyer at any time for any reason.  If your lawyer is not returning your phone calls or is mismanaging your injury case, you should certainly question whether this law firm is best for your case.  If you decide to fire your lawyer, be advised that the fired lawyer may put an attorneys' lien on your case....however, that lien is no longer for the 33.3%-40% contingency fee arrangement you signed up for.  The terminated law firm is now only entitled to reimbursement for the hours that spent on your case, otherwise known as quantum meruit.  A judge has ultimate approval of what a terminated lawyer or law firm can charge a client.

If you are unhappy with your personal injury lawyer, first do everything you can to get your case back on track.  This can be done by scheduling frequent in-office meetings with your lawyer for status updates and progress reports.  If all else fails, call an experienced and aggressive accident lawyer for a second opinion on your case and seriously consider firing your existing lawyer.  After all, you only get one shot at getting fair compensation for your personal injury claim.

The medical bills will start to rack up quickly after a serious car accident or tractor-trailer accident.  A typical ambulance ride to the hospital is $600.  Diagnostic treatment in the emergency room will likely involve x-ray and CT scan imaging that is necessary for doctors and nurses to root out any life-threatening trauma caused by the accident.  Treatment in the emergency room, even if it is just for diagnostic imaging, will go beyond $10,000 in the blink of an eye.  The ambulance and emergency room treatment are critical though, no matter what the total medical expense will be. 

What about follow up treatment after the emergency room?  What about your bills from the primary care doctor, orthopedic specialist, neurologist, physical therapist, chiropractor, psychologist, and other doctors that you need to properly treat your injuries?  Who is going to reimburse you for all of this treatment?  Even if you have health insurance, there will be co-pays, deductibles, non-covered treatment costs, prescription medication costs, etc.  And if you don't have health insurance, the situation can destroy you financially.  As a St. Louis personal injury lawyer, I hear horror stories from our clients as to how a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, or other serious accident has compromised their financial stability, ruined their credit, and put the brakes on a secure future.

As a accident injury lawyer who deals with this situation every, the first piece of advice you must take seriously is this:  What you do and say from the first moment you are treated by doctors may be determinative on WHO is billed for your treatment and HOW they are billed.  First and foremost, if you have health insurance, you MUST demand that all hospitals and doctors bill your health insurance, NOT someone else's car insurance, or your car insurance.  Make no mistake, if you don't follow this advice, you will reduce the amount of compensation that you ultimately receive for your personal injury claim.

Hospitals, doctors, and chiropractors will play the same games that the negligent driver's car insurance claims adjuster plays:  The "we are going to protect our financial butts regardless of what it does to the actual victim of this whole incident, YOU."  We have filed lawsuits against hospitals for unfair and deceptive billing practices that can arise out of treatment for a car accident.  Call (866) 840-3636 and get the car accident injury checklist from our personal injury lawyers and secure your legal interests from the start.

You are involved in a car accident in the St. Louis area and what happens next is uncharted waters.  What is the car insurance claims process like?  Will the insurance claims adjuster settlement my claim for property damage or claim for personal injury fairly? Chances are you will do your best to work things out with the insurance companies.  Well be warned, you are in for a wild ride that will end up stressing you out to the extreme and resulting in an unfair settlement offer.  However, there may be no way for you to know what is fair or unfair without first consulting with a St. Louis personal injury lawyer.  Yes, it is time for you to get advice from a St. Louis accident injury lawyer. 

The insurance claims process is inherently complicated.  These insurance policies are written so ambiguously that even judges have a difficult time interpreting their actual meaning.  Don't despair.  A lawyer will help you make sure that all steps are taken to be certain that your claim for compensation is properly preserved.  Submitting medical records and medical bills with a demand for money is not the proper way to obtain fair compensation. Theories of negligence and future medical prognosis reports from well-respected doctors are just a part of what makes an effective claim for compensation.

Car accidents in St. Louis Missouri happen on a daily basis.  As such, most insurance claims adjusters are bombarded with new claims from people with and without legal representation.  Who do you think they will take more seriously?  Car accident lawyer know how to obtain results from adjusters, and in a timely manner.  Without a lawyer, you can bank on an extremely long process in which 12-18 months down the line you will ultimately end up hiring a lawyer due to a lowball settlement offer. 

Don't be victimized twice.  Just as the Missouri driving rules of the road are a roadmap for safely driving a car on our streets and highways, a lawyers strategies is the roadmap to a successful outcome in your personal injury claim. 

This is a question that our Missouri personal injury attorneys at law are faced with almost daily by calls through our accident injury helpline.  Persons injured in car accidents, semi-truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and other accidents almost always do their best to first work things out with the insurance company claims adjuster on their own.  They learn the hard way that settlements and insurance claims adjusters are hard to understand and negotiate without a keen knowledge of personal injury law in Missouri.  The Missouri Rules of the Road, Missouri Rules of Evidence, Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure, Missouri Supreme Court Rules, and other statutory and local municipal laws will all play a part in each injury claim for monetary compensation.

So what to unfair insurance claims adjusters know that you don't?  Well, were do we start...First, the law, although a claims adjusters' knowledge of the law is crude and far less than satisfactory.  Second, extensive training in the art of negotiation of personal injury settlement claims.  Third, historical data that proves that car accident injury claimants that do not retain an attorney will accept much less than they would with the assistance of a car accident injury lawyer.  Claims adjusters are offered compensation plans that incentivize them to get you, the injury victim, to accept pennies on the dollar for your injury claim.

It is human nature to hope that others will sympathize with innocent victims of someone else's negligent driving habits.  I suppose this is partially true.  Your family, your friends, and your coworkers may all sympathize with you and offer their support for what you are going through.  After all, you are injured, medical bills are mounting, and you are unsure as to if you will ever completely heal from your injuries.  Think about it though.  All of the aforementioned persons do NOT have a financial incentive to treat you unfairly; they have no stake in your plight for justice.  Well you must understand that the insurance claims adjuster working on your injury claim has a direct financial stake in the outcome of your claim for money.  After all, the adjuster gets a bonus for minimizing your claim payout, he/she makes the boss happy, and the shareholders of the insurance company remain pleased.

Don't gamble with your one and only shot at compensation for an injury claim for compensation.  Get the insight necessary to recover a settlement that is commensurate with your injuries and harms.  Call the Missouri personal injury lawyers who even the playing field with insurance company claims adjusters.

If I am involved in a car accident, I am concerned about two things.  First, who is going to fix my car and fix it right?  Second, who is going to pay for my medical bills, lost wages, pain & suffering, and other losses that I have incurred as a direct result of the crash?  While the answers to these two questions may be easy for a St. Louis car accident attorney to answer, for the lay person who has never gone through a traumatic ordeal like a car crash, the answers most often come only after being toyed with by an insurance claims adjuster.

First it is important to understand the interplay between all insurance companies that may become involved in the claim following a car accident.  The first two that come to mind are YOUR insurance company and THEIR insurance company.  But often times our St. Louis personal injury lawyers find coverage outside of these first two regulars.  Persons living in your home, the defendant's home, or passengers in the vehicles may also have insurance policies that could theoretically have a financial stake in the property damage claim and/or bodily injury claim.  Do you think that an insurance adjuster is going to advise you on all claims for compensation that you may have? Hardly.  It takes the skill and experience of a dedicated car accident injury lawyer to roll up his or her sleeves and investigate ALL insurance companies that may have a stake in the claim.  Otherwise, if you are seriously injured, you may be forfeiting full compensation for your claims.

It is also important to note that as to the claim for damage to your vehicle, you are allowed to have your OWN insurance company repair your vehicle.  Sometimes this is easier and a more pleasant experience, as the insurance company that represents the negligent driver is always going to be adversarial from the start.  However, if you are dealing with an uninsured motorist car accident, your OWN insurance company may become the adversary.  In either case, it is wise to seek the advice of a lawyer to determine the most efficient and effective means of obtaining a fair settlement for your claims.

Claims for bodily injury are always fought hard by the insurance companies.  This is primarily because a claim for personal injuries is an intangible type of claim, whereas a claim for damage to your vehicle is tangible.  In essence, you can kick the tires of a car, and there is a nationally accepted value estimation system for damage to a vehicle and its worth.  Don't let the insurance industry roll over you.  Call the St. Louis car accident victim information center at (866) 840-3636 or (314) 448-0934.

 

The investigation of a tractor-trailer crash on Highway 5 in Camdenton Missouri is ongoing as authorities attempt to piece together the cause of this serious crash.  A Camdenton School District bus was making a left turn at the intersection of Highway 5 and Highway 7 when unexpectedly a semi-truck being driven by Patrick Wortman rear-ended the school bus.  Wortman, of Rosendale Missouri, will likely have to undertake post-crash drug and alcohol testing as required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.  The school bus and Peterbilt 18-wheeler both sustained serious damage and towed away from the crash scene by Bledsoe Conoco.  All of the students on the school bus sustained personal injuries.  13 year-old Nicole Howel was seriously injured and was airlifted to the St. John's Trauma Unit in Springfield for emergency treatment.

Missouri tractor-trailer accidents are complicated enough when they involve passenger vehicles.  This particular truck crash involved a school bus, which further complicates the case and how a school bus accident injury lawyer would represent the case.  First a lawyer would subpoena the data recorders on both commercial vehicles.  Since this crash involved a 1998 Peterbilt and 2008 International school bus, there will be an electronic control module (ECM) that would have stored critical vehicle data just moments before impact.  It is critical for a lawyer to obtain this data in order to reconstruct what happened just before the vehicles collided.  Witness statements can prove to be effective, but when the stakes are high and children are involved, our lawyers leave little to chance and obtain ALL data that may be useful in proving a personal injury claim down the line.

All incidents of injury involving a minor in the state of Missouri must involve the judicial system.  Minors under the age of 18 who have a personal injury claim must get any settlement or compensation approved by a judge.  This is required by Missouri statute and there are no exceptions.  Children who receive settlements in excess of $10,000 must have their claim protected by a conservatorship.  Call the toll-free Schultz Legal Group school bus injury hotline at (866) 840-3636 for additional information on how to handle this type of commercial motor vehicle claim.   

A pickup truck was involved in a fatal car accident in St. Louis late Friday afternoon.  The crash took place in Town & Country on Interstate 270 near the Highway 64/40 interchange. This car accident turned out to be fatal for a young child.  11 month-old Hasib Demirovic was pronounced dead at the St. John's Medical Trauma Center shortly after the collision.  Three cars were involved and 11 month-old Hasib was riding in the back seat of a small Toyota Carolla that collided with the two other vehicles involved.  Edin Demirovic and Emira Demirovic were seriously injured in the crash and transported to St. John's Medical Center along with the young child.  Authorities believe they are relatives of the child.

The third vehicle involved, a Chevy Suburban, sustained minor damage and the driver of that SUV was not hurt.  St. Louis personal injury lawyer Stephen Schultz was actually caught in traffic caused by this car accident and witnessed the police and Town & Country ambulance that arrived on the scene shortly after the collision.  "There was broken glass everywhere and several people standing in the highway around the mangled Corolla" says Schultz, "The Corolla looked like it was crushed in the front and back, with all airbags deployed."

St. Louis County car accident lawyers typically investigate car accidents by using a licensed private investigator.  The investigator is hired by the law firm to obtain recorded statements of witnesses and police officers, as well as obtain pictures of the accident scene and vehicles involved in the crash.  This is critical in proving liability in a car crash injury claim for compensation down the line.  Call (314) 448-0934 for more information.

Our nationwide DePuy Hip Recall Law Firm has been receiving calls everyday from patients who have this defective hip implant system in their body.  Patients want to know whether they have a DePuy ASR hip implant recall claim.  Our lawyers have been retained by victims of this defective implant system from all over the country.  We take these claims seriously, and immediately request medical records on your behalf from the surgeon and hospital where your hip replacement surgery was performed.  These records quickly provide us with the evidence necessary to properly evaluate the value of your claim and offer you an idea of what types of compensation you are entitled to by filing a DePuy hip implant recall lawsuit.  It is important to note that DePuy does NOT keep a list of patients that received the DePuy ASR hip implant AFTER 2003.  However, as previously discussed, our lawyers will obtain your medical records to address this issue.

Do I need a DePuy ASR hip implant revision surgery?  The answer to this question is on the minds of thousands of hip replacement patients.  Unfortunately, chances are high that you will require a revision surgery to replace the defective DePuy ASR hip because statistics released indicate an unreasonably high failure rate of almost 15%.  Hip implant defect rates of above 3% are simply unacceptable for any manufacturer.  The fact is that there are over 93,000 defective DePuy defective hip implant victims out there, in need of a painful and expensive revision surgery to remove the failed device.  Contact our nationwide DePuy ASR hip implant recall lawyers if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Loosening of the hip implant
  
• Unexplained acute pain in the implant area
• Need for revision surgery
• Extreme stiffness
• Been contacted by DePuy regarding your hip implant

Johnson & Johnson is the parent company of DePuy and is responsible for making this situation right for tens of thousands of angry consumers.  It is our job to make them pay maximum compensation for each DePuy ASR hip implant lawsuit for each client across the country.  Call our DePuy patient hotline at (866) 840-3636 and speak with a lawyer immediately.  We will aggressively investigate your potential claim, free of charge, and provide an aggressive offense if we determine that you have a defective DePuy hip implant system. 

Don't take chances with your future health and livelihood.  Contact our DePuy ASR hip recall lawyers and get the piece of mind that if you do have a claim, we will obtain maximum compensation for past and future medical expenses, past and future pain & suffering, past and future lost wages, and other forms of compensation.  Our nationwide injury lawyers are standing by at (866) 840-3636.

There was a string of school bus accidents in St. Louis today, including three that resulted in injuries.  The first bus accident tool place when a young boy and his mother were attempted to cross the street when a school bus ran into the pair.  The young boy took the brunt of the impact, including contact with the bus wheel and a facial injury.  He was taken to the emergency room for treatment and has been listed in "fair" condition.  Authorities are not sure why the bus driver did not stop in time to avoid this pedestrian accident, however the investigation is ongoing and a final police report should be available within 5-7 days.  Within the police report's "contributing circumstances" section, the reporting officer will make a determination what or who caused this school bus accident.

Another bus crash involved an SUV that crashed into the back of a school bus on Lindbergh.  The incident resulted in injuries to the driver of the passenger vehicle, but as of the time of this entry, none of the students on the school bus were injured.  Insurance companies that insure both the school bus and the SUV will likely head to arbitration to determine who pays what regarding the property damage.  Insurance companies often times head to arbitration hearings when a car accident or bus accident is a "he-said, she-said" incident.

Bus accident injury claims are complicated, and involve areas of law not typically triggered in passenger car accidents.  And since these school bus collisions involve employees that must be investigated by a St. Louis personal injury lawyer to make sure they were properly trained to safety operate a 25,000+ pound bus.  Serving subpoena's to the driver's employer is one way an injury lawyer can obtain copies of the driver qualification file, which must include a satisfactory road test and other documentation.

The school bus accident lawyers at Schultz Legal Group investigate serious injury and death claims each day.  They are passionate about providing aggressive and compassionate legal representation to each injured client.  Speak with an injury lawyer by calling (314) 448-0934 or toll-free at (866) 840-3636.