Traffic collisions cause more personal injuries in Missouri and throughout the United States than any other type of accident. The injuries that people tend to suffer in car crashes are often long-lasting, expensive to treat, and immensely disruptive to their personal and professional lives. Getting in an automobile wreck can be a life-altering experience, and if you recently went through this kind of experience because of someone else’s negligence, that person should be the one who pays for your ensuing losses.
When you’re in an auto accident, the insurance company of the person responsible has an arsenal of tricks they’ll use in order to pay all you are owed. That’s why it’s important to have a dedicated personal injury attorney at OnderLaw on your side. From start to finish of your legal proceedings, your dedicated Maryland Heights car accident lawyer will ensure you understand all your rights and options, help build a strong lawsuit or settlement demand based on all available evidence, and make sure you get every cent of the compensation you deserve.
Everyone who operates any kind of motor vehicle in Missouri assumes what’s called a “duty of care” requiring them to obey the law, watch out for other drivers, and generally act responsibly behind the wheel to minimize the chances of a crash. But, as an experienced Maryland Heights car accident attorney can further explain, anyone who breaches this duty by acting carelessly or recklessly and directly causes a wreck through their misconduct is legally negligent and can be held liable for any harm they cause to someone else.
Sometimes, establishing negligence when filing suit over a car crash in Maryland Heights can be simple. In other situations, determining whether someone was irresponsible enough to be considered negligent can be an extremely subjective process. For example, if the other driver swerved out of their lane because they were driving drunk, it would certainly count as reckless behavior. But if they swerved to avoid a tree branch that just fell in front of their car, it would arguably be the rational thing to do under those circumstances.
Another complication to filing suit over an auto accident in Missouri is the role “comparative fault” may play in your case. Getting hurt in a car crash does not make you immune from being found partially responsible for causing that crash through your own negligent behavior. If the court believes that you also committed a traffic violation or did something else irresponsible in the buildup to a collision, they may reduce the total compensation you can recover in proportion to your share of total fault.
Fortunately, Missouri civil courts follow a pure comparative fault system, so unlike in some other states, being partially at fault does not disqualify plaintiffs from a monetary award. However, help from our proactive lawyers at OnderLaw can still be key to fighting against allegations along these lines and getting all the compensation you need following a car wreck in Maryland Heights.
Car accidents can be intensely traumatic and physically harmful experiences, even when they happen at relatively low speeds. If someone else’s reckless or careless driving is to blame for your recent collision, you have limited time to build a civil claim against them and seek fair financial recovery for every short-term and long-term loss their actions have caused you.
Insurance companies are not on your side after auto accidents, but a Maryland Heights car accident lawyer will be not only on your side, but by your side every step of the way through your unique claim. Call the capable team of legal professionals at OnderLaw today for a consultation.
