As a St. Louis car accident lawyer, I and our firm represent those who have been injured, and the family members of those who have been killed, in and around St. Louis. We also represent car accident victims in Illinois.
Why It’s Important to Hire a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer
Like other professions, many attorneys choose to concentrate their practice in certain areas, such as criminal law, corporate matters, or estate planning. At our St. Louis law office, we practice personal injury law, and a large part of our practical concerns representing those injured in car and truck accidents, and pedestrians that have been hit by vehicles. It’s important to hire a car accident lawyer so that you get the experience that comes with working extensively in representing those injured in auto accidents.
Proving Your Case
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, we will need to prove who is responsible for your injuries. To prove fault, we thoroughly investigate accident scenes, we interview witnesses, and we often hire accident investigators and accident re-constructionists. Through this process, we seek information concerning the final resting position of the vehicles, tire marks, gouge marks, and the location of accident debris, as all of these aspects may be important in proving who is responsible for the accident. The condition of your vehicle may also be critical in proving fault.
The second aspect of proving your case concerns damages. If you are able to prove that another driver caused injury to you or your loved ones, your recovery will be based upon the damages that you can prove that you or your loved ones sustained. You are not automatically entitled to a monetary judgment, even if it is clear that another driver is at fault for causing injury.
Types of Damages
There are many types of damages that are recoverable from a car or truck accident. Some types of damages include those for medical costs, pain and suffering, loss of companionship, mental suffering, and economic damages related to employment (such as if a person is injured and can no longer work). If a person is killed in a wrongful death accident, the loved one left behind may be entitled to economic damages from the wrongful death, as well as damages for emotional loss and other non-economic damages.
In some cases, an injured victim may be entitled to what is called “punitive” damages. Punitive damages are damages that may be assessed in some limited circumstances against a company responsible for causing an accident. Punitive damages are not provided based upon the actual damages that are incurred but are special damages designed to punish a wrongdoer so that the wrongdoer will have an incentive not to engage in whatever activity that may have caused an accident.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, or a loved one has been killed in an accident, please call me so we can arrange to meet with you at your convenience. There is no fee for this consultation, and upon learning about the facts and circumstances of the accident, I can advise you as to the remedies that may be available for recovery for you.