O’Fallon Car Accident Lawyer

If you’ve suffered serious injuries in a car accident, or your loved one was hurt in a traffic accident and someone else’s negligence behind the wheel was to blame, you shouldn’t be left with the undue financial burden on top of your pain and suffering.

At Miller & Hine, we have deep compassion for car accident victims and their families. We can help you achieve justice as well as compensation by investigating the car accident and proving liability so you can maximize the amount of compensation you receive.

All too often, insurance companies resist making large payouts, even on valid claims. An O’Fallon car accident attorney from Miller & Hine is ready to become a powerful voice behind your claim.

Call the O’Fallon personal injury attorneys at Miller & Hine today for prompt attention to your case.

Why Choose Miller & Hine for Your O’Fallon Car Accident Attorneys?

Car accident injuries often result in financial hardship for the entire family as well as pain, suffering, and potential disability for the injury victim during recovery and going forward. Your case will have the following advantages by choosing a car accident attorney from Miller & Hine:

• A free case consultation and no fees until after we secure your compensation
• Over 50 years of combined experience in Missouri car accident claims for a powerful collaborative effort behind your case
• A compassionate accident attorney who will devote individualized attention to your case
• A resolution-based approach by a strong negotiator to seek a prompt, out-of-court settlement for your case so you never have to see a courtroom
• A team of experienced litigators ready to argue your case in front of a judge in the unlikely event an insurance company fails to offer an acceptable settlement
• Open and honest communication and availability throughout the process so you’re never left wondering about the progress of your case

When the dust settles after a car accident, you should be able to focus your energy on healing while we focus our attention on the legal aspects of your car accident claim in O’Fallon.

What to Do After a Missouri Car Accident When Someone Else Was at Fault

The immediate aftermath of a car accident is chaotic and you may be dealing with painful or frightening injuries. If your injuries are severe, wait in place for help to arrive. However, if you’re able to use your cell phone safely—or hand it to an uninjured person to use for you—taking the following actions can protect your physical and financial future:

• Call 911 to report the accident
• Take photos of the accident scene, including the damaged vehicles, skid marks, road signs and signals, and anything relevant to the accident
• Take photos of any visible injuries
• Add the contact information of eyewitnesses to the accident as well as of the other driver(s)
• Record a brief statement about what you remember from the accident since trauma can fade your memory later
• Don’t say anything that anyone at the scene may interpret as admitting fault

Be sure to accept paramedic transportation to a hospital and request a complete evaluation and a detailed medical report.

Call the car accident attorneys in O’Fallon at Miller & Hine before you speak to insurance companies and then direct all communication to your car accident attorney.

Proving Liability in a Car Accident in O’Fallon

Missouri’s fault-based insurance laws require the injury victim to prove liability on the part of the negligent party. “Damages” in a car accident claim refers to the economic and non-economic consequences of the accident, including property damage, injury-related expenses, and non-economic consequences like pain and suffering. But before you can make a case for compensation, your side must prove the other party’s negligence through documented evidence of the following:

• The at-fault party owed you and others on the roadway a duty of care to take reasonable actions to prevent injury
• They breached this duty through negligence, recklessness, or wrongdoing (such as drunk driving)
• Their breach of duty directly caused your injury
• You’ve suffered damages due to the injury

Even if the investigation shows that you were partly at fault for the accident, Missouri’s pure comparative negligence laws allow you to recover a portion of your damages. Your compensation amount will be minus your percentage of fault. For example, in a $100,000 claim for damages, if you’re found as $20% at fault, you’ll recover $80,000.

The comparative negligence law sometimes incentivizes insurance companies to assign injury victims an unjust percentage of fault to minimize the amount they have to pay out on the victim’s claim. A skilled attorney from Miller & Hine knows how to counteract these tactics.

Common Injuries in Car Accident Claims in Missouri

Injuries in O’Fallon accidents range from mild to severe depending on the type of accident and the speeds of the cars involved at the time of the crash. Common injuries claimed in car accidents include the following:

• Back injuries
• Neck injuries
• Broken bones
• Traumatic head injuries
• Burns
• Spinal cord damage
• Internal injuries
• Soft tissue injuries like torn ligaments and strains

Any of the above injuries cause financial stress as well as pain and suffering. Catastrophic injuries like some brain and spinal cord injuries cause life-altering financial circumstances. When your attorney from Miller & Hine documents evidence of liability, it strengthens the case for compensation so you’re more likely to avoid a courtroom by settling out of court directly with the insurance company.

What Damages Are Available in a Car Accident Claim in O’Fallon?

Car accident injuries quickly add up in costs, often far more than the expense of property damage to a vehicle. Typical damages in common Missouri car accident claims include the following:

• Property damage
• Past and future medical expenses related to the car accident injury
• Reimbursement for lost income
• Diminished earning capacity if the accident caused disability
• Pain and suffering compensation
• Compensation for other non-economic damages that apply like loss of consortium (a full relationship with a loved one), disfigurement, or loss of enjoyment of life

Financial compensation for economic damages can open doors to the best medical care. Monetary compensation for intangible damages like pain and suffering can’t erase pain, but it helps achieve a sense of justice and relieve financial stressors during recovery.

Call Miller & Hine Today for a Consultation on Your Car Accident Case in O’Fallon

When you’ve been hurt in a car accident, you shouldn’t have to wait in the dark for the challenging insurance process to play out without representation. Call the O’Fallon office of Miller & Hine for your consultation so we can begin formulating a winning strategy with the attention your case deserves.