Your attorney must also understand Missouri’s specific injury laws, so it’s important to hire someone with experience in the state who understands those statutes and how they impact cases. Our experienced Missouri personal injury lawyers can help you navigate claims, collect vital evidence, and build a solid case for fair damages.
Contact Brown & Crouppen today for top-rated legal advice today by calling us at 800-536-4357 or completing our online contact form.
Do You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Before determining how to find a personal injury attorney, it is essential to understand when you need a lawyer. While some claims are straightforward, others quickly become complicated by evidentiary or liability issues. A skilled attorney knows the evidence you need and how to protect you against insurers’ claims that you caused your own injuries.
Hiring an injury lawyer with significant experience in calculating damages may improve your chances of recovering fair compensation if you have severe injuries. In a serious accident, you may face months or years of medical bills, lost wages, and emotional pain, and your settlement must reflect that.
A good personal injury attorney can also recognize when the insurance company offers a low settlement. If you accept without understanding the full scope of your damages, you cannot go back and ask for more compensation.
Finances do not have to be a barrier to finding an accomplished lawyer for personal injuries. Most work on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t pay unless they win your case.
How To Find a Good Personal Injury Lawyer
Several qualities are important when choosing legal representation. Be prepared with questions to ask when you meet with an injury lawyer to determine if they are a good fit. Expect them to ask questions of you as well.
Proven Experience in Personal Injury Law
Personal injury covers several types of claims, such as slip and falls, car accidents, and wrongful death. Your attorney must have experience in your specific case type and several others. This gives them a breadth of knowledge in evidence collection, determining liability, and calculating damages.
Experience in several types of cases also gives an attorney a more in-depth understanding of Missouri’s personal injury laws and how they impact your claim. For example, the Missouri personal injury statute of limitations gives you five years from your accident date to file a claim.
Missouri’s comparative negligence law states that your percentage of liability in an accident reduces the potential damages you can collect. An accomplished personal injury attorney knows the evidence you need to prove liability and fight claims that blame you for your injuries.
Knowledge of these laws and experience in several case types can significantly impact your compensation. Don’t settle for an attorney who talks a good game. Choose one who can back it up.
Reputation and Client Testimonials
Listen to what others have to say about their experiences with attorneys. Look for client testimonials and reviews in cases similar to yours. Identify the things that are important to you, such as regular case updates and access to your attorney, and verify that previous clients had good experiences in these areas.
It is essential to be comfortable with and trust your attorney. Reviews that say lawyers pressured clients into quick settlements or made unrealistic promises are a red flag that they put their interests before those of their clients. Consider other options if an attorney can’t produce reviews from previous clients that back up their claims.
Clear Communication and Personalized Attention
Ask lawyers questions about your case to verify they can clearly explain the legal process and case strategy. If a lawyer isn’t willing to or can’t break down the process for you, it may be a sign that they don’t consider clients an important part of the process.
Ask them if you will receive personalized attention and whether your legal team will take the time to understand your specific needs. Be wary of attorneys who only ask you basic questions. Discussing your accident and injuries can be uncomfortable but critical.
Your attorney must be willing to get to know you and the circumstances of your claim to successfully tell your story.
Confirm the Firm's Resources
Some accident cases are complex, and you need a law firm with enough resources to handle your claim. One of the keys to choosing a personal injury lawyer is determining if they have the resources to take your claim through trial if necessary. They must also have a network of skilled experts, such as accident reconstructionists and medical experts, to call on.
A well-resourced firm can strengthen a case by gathering stronger evidence and negotiating more effectively with insurance companies. Some insurers will drag out claims, hoping you or your attorney will give up. Find a law firm that doesn’t consider that an option. Ask about a record of success in contested claims.
When Should You Meet With a Lawyer?
Schedule an initial consultation soon after your accident to avoid legal pitfalls and allow your attorney to start working on your claim quickly because evidence disappears and witness memories can fade. Additionally, if you delay and miss your state’s deadline to sue, you cannot collect damages.
A prompt claim notice from an experienced, successful attorney can make insurance adjusters think twice before denying or minimizing your claim. Multiple rounds of negotiations and a potential trial are not always in an insurance company’s best interests. With an attorney on your side, they might offer you a fairer settlement that addresses all of your damages sooner.
Discuss Your Case With the Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers at Brown & Crouppen Today
At Brown & Crouppen, we’ve been representing people hurt through little or no fault of their own since 1979. We have an extensive network of attorneys nationwide with the skills and resources necessary to level the playing field against big insurance companies.
Our award-winning attorneys provide personalized attention to every client. We don’t focus on big or small cases. We focus on doing the best job possible for each client and their case. Our legal skills and commitment to justice for the injured have led to more than $1 billion in recoveries for our deserving clients.
Everyone deserves access to the best legal representation possible, so we take our personal injury cases on a contingency basis. We use our resources to investigate your claim and guide you through the insurance claims and legal process. You only pay us if we recover compensation.
Don’t wait to protect your rights in a personal injury claim. Call us at 800-536-4357 or complete our online contact form for a free evaluation.
What Our Clients Have To Say About Our Lawyers
It is important to know how previous clients view their experience with a law firm—see what ours say about us.
