Car Accident Lawyer in Bolivar, Missouri

Car Accident Lawyer in Bolivar, MO, Missouri. After being in injured in a car accident, Burger Law is here to ensure you are made whole again by demanding your complete compensation. Consult a skilled car accident lawyer for free now at (314) 500-HURT or online.

More Information About Bolivar, MO Car Accident Cases

Continue reading or go directly to a car crash topic of interest below to learn more. After being seriously hurt in a car accident in Bolivar, MO, consult an experienced Bolivar, MO car accident lawyer at your first opportunity. Burger Law’s attorneys provide case consultations at no cost to you. Call (314) 500-HURT to speak to a lawyer about your case today.

Hurt in a Car Accident? Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in Bolivar, MO

After you have been injured in a Missouri car accident, you should not be left to worry about things like whether or not you can afford the medical care and treatment you need for your injuries or the time you need away from work to heal.

You should not have to be subject to a difficult, technical and often frustrating fight with the insurance company and their lawyers just to get the compensation needed to make you whole again. Unfortunately, insurance companies are often more motivated to look out for their own bottom line than they are your well-being and recovery. Take your recovery into your own hands.

There is so much at stake when your very well-being is at risk and chances are high that the insurance company will be unwilling to play fair and pay you adequately for your losses. You need an advocate, and our Missouri personal injury legal team is prepared to take on the insurance company in your name. Led by founder and prinicple attorney Gary Burger, the Bolivar, MO car accident lawyers of Burger Law are known for making insurance companies pay. We stand up for your rights and work to deliver a complete recovery for you after your Missouri car accident. Our attorneys get great settlement and trial results. Our team has won $200 million for those who have been harmed in Missouri and will work dilligently to get you the full recovery you deserve. Contact us now.

How Long Do I Have To File a Claim for My Car Accident in Bolivar, Missouri?

The timer on obtaining a recovery usually begins as soon as the car accident takes place. The sooner you begin taking action toward making your claim, the better. You only have a certain amount of time to make a claim, which is established by your state’s statute of limitations. In personal injury claims, the statute of limitations in Missouri is five years. The five-year time limit typically begins on the day the accident occured. However, there are exceptions to this rule in specific circumstances.

Missouri Revised Statute §516.140 establishes a five-year limitation on any actions for any “injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract,” and not otherwise mentioned in the states’ statutes.

So, in order to file a lawsuit for your injuries that resulted from a motor vehicle accident, slip and fall, product liability claim, or any other type of negligence, you must file an initial complaint with the court within five years of the act of negligence. If you attempt to file a claim after the five-year deadline, the defendant can file a “motion to dismiss. In most cases, the judge will grant this motion. Without filing within the statute of limitations, you do not necessarily have a rightful claim to compensation

While the statute of limitations applies to court filings, making a claim with the insurance company quickly after your injury is still vital. It is much more difficult to negotiate a good settlement after the five years has passed, as the other side will not have the threat of an expensive and lengthy trial hanging over their heads.

Exceptions to the Five-Year Statute of Limitations in Missouri Personal Injury Claims

There are four notable exceptions to Missouri’s personal injury statute of limitations:

1. Missouri Revised Statute §516.170 — If you were under the age of 21 or were “mentally incapacitated” at the time the negligence occurred, you have five years from the date of your 21st birthday or the date the disability was removed.
2. Missouri Revised Statute §516.200 — If the person you are making a claim against leaves the state of Missouri after the negligence occurred, their time out of state does not count against the five years.
3. Missouri Revised Statute §537.100 — Wrongful death claims must be brought within three years of your loved one’s death.
4. Claims Against the State Government — Any claim against a government entity in Missouri must be filed within 90 days of the accident with the Missouri Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division.

If you suspect that the statute of limitations for your claim may have passed, consult a car accident lawyer in Bolivar, MO to see if you have any other options to pursue compensation.

Why Should I Pursue Compensation After My Bolivar, MO Car Accident?

Nobody who is injured in a car accident is glad to go through months of waiting, negotiating and battling in court just to receive fair compensation for their damages. In fact, you may even be hesitant to initiate a claim at all or even think about attempting to make a recovery after being injured in a car accident in Bolivar, MO.

It is normal to feel unsure about the prospect, but remember that Missouri civil tort law is intended to protect you and others like you who have been harmed and suffered damages at the hands of a negligent actor. You did not deserve to be injured in a car accident, and it should not fall on you to cover the financial costs and losses that follow. It would be ludacris and may not even be possible to expect you to cover the bill when you have already suffered and have not done anything wrong.

Or perhaps because your injuries were so catastrophic or your experience so emotionally taxing, it may seem unfair or even dirty to accept a settlement for your experiences. After all, there is no amount of money in the world that can save you from the suffering and anguish you have had to endure. Though it will not undo the trauma or reverse the crash from happening, being compensated in your Bolivar, MO car accident case can help make your life much easier after the accident. Receiving fair compensation can:

• Ensure you get the medical treatment and care you need to recover fully, including long-term care to help you manage your condition
• In your daily life, help you make ends meet or allow you to stay on budget as planned, making sure you are compensated for the time you were forced to be away from work
• Restore you to wholeness, the compensation acting as a best-available substitute for your well-being
• Ease the stress of wading through the legal claim process, allowing you more energy to heal
• Provide validation of your experiences and suffering
• Renew your sense of justice and the law
• If you lost a family member in a fatal car accident in Bolivar, MO, a wrongful death case can help alieviate the burdens of planning a funeral, losing a source of income and other financial concerns so that you and your family can grieve in peace

Whatever the case or your reason for filing a claim, to receive compensation for a sum that truly respects your suffering and losses and makes umakes you adequately whole again, you must speak with a skilled Bolivar, MO car accident lawyer who will fight for you every step of the way.

For their side, the insurance company has a team dedicated to minimizing their financial responsibility and they often fight hard to avoid paying a fair settlement for your Bolivar, MO car accident. You should have the same dedicated and tactical support in demanding the full compensation you are allowed under Missouri law. You need an experienced Bolivar, MO car accident lawyer to protect your rights and maximize your recovery. Burger Law’s Bolivar, MO personal injury law firm has been working together to hold the negligent accountable and collect recoveries for the injured for over two decades and will demand full payment from the negligent driver’s insurance company. We do not rest until you are paid. Call (314) 500-HURT for a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our winning Bolivar, MO car accident attorneys.
Should I File a Car Accident Claim if My Friend or Family Member Was At Fault?

Should I File a Car Accident Claim in Bolivar, MO if My Friend or Family Member Was At Fault?

Navigating your injury claim after a car accident is difficult enough, and this can be made even more difficult when the party responsible for your injuries is someone you know. Still, the benefits are much more rewarding than the risks are hindering, and when you are dealing with injuries and other damages, in most cases filing a claim against your at-fault friend or loved one is the best option.

Note that simply filing a claim after the accident does not mean you are filing a lawsuit or suing your friend or loved one. A claim is just a document requesting fair compensation for the damages you have suffered from their insurance company. We all pay for insurance for this very reason. We pay premiums every year in exchange for coverage from the insurance company in case of an emergency. When you are hurt in a car wreck because someone else made a mistake, regardless of your relationship to that person, the insurance company of the liable party should cover your medical costs and other damages.
Understanding Missouri Car Accident Insurance Rules

Understanding Missouri Car Accident Insurance Rules

Missouri state law requires vehicle owners to have car insurance so that, if a crash does occur, those who are injured have the means to collect a recovery for the expenses and losses incurred due to the auto accident. Missouri falls under the category of an “at-fault” state rather than a “no-fault” state, which means that state law requires drivers to carry liability coverage and, when you get in an accident, it is the at-fault party’s responsibility to pay for your damages. Some states, by contrast, require all drivers to maintain personal injury protection insurance. In these states, you would make a claim with your own insurance company.

When you select an insurance policy, your policy will have certain policy limits. Policy limits refer to the maximum amount of money your insurance company will pay out for an auto accident. To make sure that the at-fault driver has an insurance policy that will adequately cover your Bolivar, MO car accident damages, Missouri law requires drivers to carry liability insurance with policy limits of no less than:

• $25,000 minimum coverage for bodily injury per person
• $50,000 minimum coverage for bodily injury per accident
• $25,000 (Missouri)/$20,000 (Illinois) minimum coverage for property damage

Assuming your friend or family member is following the rules, they will have enough coverage to compensate you for your damages. If your damages exceed their policy limits, a Burger Law auto accident lawyer in Bolivar, MO will help you file an underinsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.

Whatever the circumstances, it is critical that you speak with a car accident lawyer in Bolivar, MO first. Every case is distinct, and our experienced and savvy Bolivar, Missouri car accident lawyers know how to maximize your financial recovery by pursuing all available forms of compensation and using the law to your benefit. Contact a car accident lawyer in Bolivar, MO online or call (314) 500-HURT now.

Our Bolivar, MO attorneys fight for the injured in many kinds of Missouri injury claims. Learn more about our areas of expertise below.

• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

How Much Can I Recover for my Missouri Car Accident Case?

How Much Can I Recover for my Missouri Car Accident Case?

The dollar amount of your settlement depends on the value of your damages and a whole host of other factors. For example, the settlement you receive from the insurance company may be limited by the policy limit, which is the highest total amount an insurance company will pay per accident and per person based on the policy. The amount you receive will also be affected by comparative fault. If you shared some blame for the accident, the settlement you receive will be diminished by the percent for which you were at fault for the car accident.

One of the most critical factors in your Missouri car accident recovery is whether or not you hire a lawyer. An experienced and diligent Bolivar, MO car accident lawyer will help you maximize your recovery and get the compensation you truly deserve. To discover what you can expect from your Missouri car accident injury case, check out our free online personal injury calculator.
Average Car Accident Settlement Amounts in Bolivar, MO

Average Car Accident Settlement Amounts in Bolivar, Missouri

Auto crashes are expensive. According to the Insurance Information Institute, expenses from deaths, injuries and property damage in auto accidents cost $474 billion in 2020. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, auto accidents cost society an estimated $7,300 per second in loss of productivity.

It will not do you a lot of good to think about your case or frame your expectations in terms of the average car accident settlement. There are so many variables involved and there are many complex variables that play into the value of your damages and the outcome of your claim.

Calculating a useful average settlement figure is futile and irrelevant. A significant number of cases are resolved confidentially, where all involved parties enter into a legally binding nondiclosure agreement barring them from discussing the terms of the settlement. This may be a condition of the settlement itself.

However, we do know that many car accidents that involve an injury settle in the $15,000 to $20,000 range. More serious injuries that require extensive medical care often reach a settlement range of $25,000 to $100,000, while injuries resulting in permanent disability or, in the worst cases, wrongful death, can result in damages of around $150,000 to millions of dollars. Because there is no Missouri law that puts a cap on damages in car accidents and other personal injury claims, these settlements are not limited by law, but rather by the amount of insurance coverage available, how extensively your injuries have disrupted your life and caused you pain and other important factors.
How Are Car Accident Settlements Calculated in Bolivar and Missouri?

How Are Car Accident Settlements Calculated in Missouri?

Bolivar, MO car accident settlements are generally a combination of the economic and noneconomic losses you have been subject to as a result of the accident. Economic damages are the sum total of all the money you have lost or spent because of your injuries, for example the ambulance bill, cost of surgery, physical therapy, medications, lost wages due to your inability to report to work, and repair or replacement of your vehicle. This includes future expenses as well, so if your injuries require a knee replacement, you should also be compensated for how much it will cost to have that replaced in 15 to 20 years.

Noneconomic damages are harder to define, but they seek to make you whole for the intangible ways the accident affects you. This is commonly referred to as “pain and suffering.” Noneconomic damages compensate you for anything from physical pain in the weeks, months or years after your accident, to any permanent disfigurement, to mental anguish and loss of your ability to enjoy life. It is typically calculated by using the value of your economic damages and multiplying it by a number between 1.5 and 5, depending on the severity of your injuries.

For example, if your economic damages were $5,000 and you agree on a multiplier of three, your total damages would be $15,000. However, say you love playing the piano, and now have limited use of your right hand because of nerve damage from the accident. That has a profound effect on how you can enjoy your life and live the life you want to live. In that case, if your economic damages were $200,000, you would receive up to $1 million in damages based on a multiplier of five.

Factors That Determine Your Car Accident Settlement in Bolivar, MO

As the purpose of a car accident settlement is to fairly compensate you for your injuries, the severity of those injuries the the driving factor in how much your settlement might be. Other factors include how your injuries have impacted your life, the insurance policy in question, if you bear any responsibility for your accident and the abilities of your Bolivar, MO car accident lawyer:

• The severity of your injuries — As more severe injuries lead to higher medical expenses and more time lost from work, they lead to higher settlements, especially when factoring in the pain and suffering multiplier.
• How your injuries have impacted your life — The greater the effect on your mental, emotional and physical well-being, the higher the noneconomic damages will be.
• The insurance policy — both Missouri and Illinois have minimum insurance requirements for bodily injury, and while a skilled car accident lawyer may be able to get you more, there are times where you will be limited by the negligent driver’s and/or your insurance policy limits.
• If you are partially to blame — You can still receive a financial recovery if you were partially to blame, however the amount will be less. For example, if you are awarded $100,000 in damages but it is found that you are 30% to blame for your accident, you would receive $70,000. While in Missouri you can still receive compensation if you were 99% at fault, Illinois does not allow recoveries for people who are over 50% to blame.
• Your car accident lawyer — Insurance companies use a lot of tricks to try and devalue claims, and you need a skilled and aggressive attorney to combat those claims and make sure you get the money you deserve. Your car accident lawyer will also need to investigate your accident, prove liability on the part of the other driver and have a network of Bolivar, MO medical and economic experts to precisely value your claim. If the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement in negotiation, you will need an experienced trial lawyer that will stand by your side and argue your case in front of a jury.

Contact Our Bolivar, MO Car Accident Lawyers

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Contact Burger Law’s Bolivar, MO Car Accident Lawyers

At Burger Law, we have been standing up for the injured for over 30 years and know how to get results for our clients. We know how to fight back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and get our Bolivar and Missouri clients the financial settlement they are owed.

You deserve to be made whole after a Missouri car accident harms you and disrupts your way of life. Our team of experienced car accident lawyers will stop at nothing to bring you justice. Best of all, there is no upfront cost to you. We finance your case and get to work right away. You only pay when we win your case and secure maximum compensation. There is nothing to lose except the chance to recover fully. Contact us now.

Client Reviews

What our clients are saying about us

Juanita Matthews

Year of 2023

This law firm is absolutely amazing. They took on my case, when nobody else would! They fought hard for me when it seemed there was no hope. They kept me informed and always asked for my input before making decisions on my case. Gary puts himself into every case unlike most law firm owners. Gary and his team really care about every one of their clients, and fights hard to get you a fair settlement. They actually won my case out of court, and then reduced my fees to make sure I could get my car fixed and be able to get back to some normality. I would recommend Burger Law over and above any other firm! If you go somewhere else you aren’t getting the best!

Shaunda S.

7 months ago

I am very happy with the staff at Burger Law. I mostly worked with Michael Sheldon, and he did an amazing job. I trusted him completely with my case, and he did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this team if your ever in need of good attorneys.

Emelia M.

3 months ago

Burger Law Firm is fantastic. Laura and Genevieve were so amazing and helpful throughout the entire process. They helped me with my personal injury case every step of the way and succeeded at getting me the results I desired.

Helen L.

a year ago

We had a great experience with Burger Law for representing us after a serious car accident. Truly impressed by how professional and supportive the entire team is. And, many thanks to Genavieve and Laura – you are amazing!

Judy M.

a year ago

They did an amazing job on my case! Communication with them was great!!! Kept me informed and in the loop with everything that was going on!!! Will definitely be the 1st ones I’ll call if ever I’m in another accident!!! Thank you very much!!!

Chelsea C.

5 months ago

Let me tell you something about Burger Law.. they are so attentive and kind. Jennifer is my savior!! I love the whole team!!! They are truly a miracle team!! I appreciate their business and would recommend it to others.

David D.

2 months ago

Absolutely the best law firm in the St. Louis area. No matter the size of your case you are treated as if you are the only client on the roster. Will explain anything thoroughly and they work around your availability. Very impressed and appreciative of the service.

Lisa B.

11 months ago

Gary and Casey took great care of me for 2.5 years as my lawsuit was finally settled. I feel he helped me achieve justice for me and my 4 children after their father died from medical malpractice and neglect. Thanks to Gary, my kids now have a great start to their college and adult lives. Thank you Gary and Casey, for fighting for us so hard at our most trying and difficult time in our lives thus far. Love and God bless from my family to yours!

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