Chesterfield Car Accident Lawyer

After you have been injured in a car accident, Burger Law is here to ensure you are made whole again by demanding your complete compensation. Speak to a skilled car accident lawyer at no cost to you at (314) 500-HURT or online.

More Information About Chesterfield, MO Car Accident Cases

Continue reading or go directly to a car crash topic of interest below to get more information about your car accident case. If you or someone close to you has been injured in a car accident in Chesterfield, MO, consult an experienced Chesterfield, MO car accident lawyer today. The attorneys of Burger Law offer 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 Chesterfield, MO

After being seriously injured in a Missouri car wreck, 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 cover the losses you have suffered. Unfortunately, insurance companies are often more motivated to look out for their own bottom line than they are your well-being and recovery. Do not leave your life and well-being in their hands.

Your health, future well-being and financial stability all hang in the balance and the insurance company is unlikely to willingly offer you an adequate settlement for your losses. You need someone to fight for you, and Burger Law’s team of personal injury lawyers in Missouri is ready to take on the insurance company in your name. Gary Burger and the Chesterfield, MO car accident lawyers of Burger Law hold insurance companies and negligent individuals accountable for their actions. We stand up for the rights of the injured and demand a full recovery in your Missouri car accident case. Burger Law gets great settlement and trial results. Our team has recovered $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 Chesterfield, 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 timer typically begins the date of the accident. However, there are certain exceptions.

Missouri Revised Statute §516.140 states that there is 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 injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident, slip and fall, product liability claim, or any other case, you have five years from the date the negligence occurred to file an initial complaint in court. If you attempt to file a claim after the five-year deadline, the person you are filing a claim against can enter 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 five years may seem like a plenty of time to put off your claim and file it later, you should file a claim with the insurance company as soon as possible after the incident. If the deadline is approaching or has already past, your ability to negotiate a strong settlement will be greatly diminished, as the other side will not have the threat of an expensive and lengthy trial hanging over their heads.

What are the Exceptions to Missouri’s Five-Year Statute of Limitations in Personal Injury Claims?

There are four significant 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 believe that your claim has surpassed the statute of limitations, contact a car accident lawyer in Chesterfield, MO to find out if you have any other options to pursue compensation.

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

After being through a serious car accident, no one wants to go through months of waiting, negotiating and battling in court just to get the financial recovery they need. 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 Chesterfield, MO.

It is natural to feel unsure about the prospect, but remember that Missouri civil tort law was written to protect you and others like you who have been harmed and suffered damages when someone else acted with negligence. You did not deserve to be injured in a motor vehicle accident, and you should not be stuck having to figure out how to pay for your medical care and make up for the financial expenses and other damages that follow. It would be ludacris and perhaps even impossible for you to foot 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. Nothing can keep you from suffering the trauma or sustaining the injuries of that accident, but receiving a cash settlement in your Chesterfield, MO car accident case can be a way to help make you whole and aide in your recovery after the crash. Receiving a settlement can:

• Ensure you get the medical treatment and care necessary for you to return to full strength and health, such as chronic medical attention to help you manage your condition
• In your daily life, help you budget and meet your ongoing daily life needs, making sure you are compensated for the time you were forced to be away from work
• Make you whole again, the compensation acting as a best-available substitute for your well-being
• Free up time, space and mental effort to heal physically and emotionally
• Offer 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 Chesterfield, MO, a wrongful death case can help alieviate the financial burden of losing a source of financial support so that you and your family can grieve in peace

Whatever the case or your reason for filing a claim, in order to receive a settlement or court judgment for a sum that does your pain and loss justice and makes umakes you adequately whole again, you need to work with a skilled Chesterfield, MO car accident lawyer who will fight day after day to bring you justice.

The insurance company has an entire team of legal experts at their disposal working to avoid or reduce the amount they have to pay car accident victims like you. You should have the same dedicated and tactical support in demanding the full compensation you are allowed under Missouri law. With a talented Chesterfield, MO car accident lawyer, you can protect your rights and demand a great recovery. Our Chesterfield, MO personal injury law firm has been working together to hold the negligent accountable and collect recoveries for the injured for more than two decades and will demand full payment from the at-fault party’s insurance company. Our work is not complete until they pay. Get a free consultation from a successfull Chesterfield, MO car accident lawyer today at (314) 500-HURT.

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

When dealing with the already difficult legal process of obtaining a recovery after a car accident, things 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 have 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 the person you care about. By making a claim, you are requesting fair compensation for the damages you have suffered from their insurance company. It may suck to file an insurance claim, but this is the entire purpose of insurance. We pay a set amount every month, six months or year so that, in the event of an accident, the insurance company is there to cover emergency expenses. When you are hurt in a car wreck because someone else made a mistake, regardless of your relationship to that person, you should not be on the hook for your medical bills and other damages.

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 a way to compensated for the expenses and losses incurred as a result of the collision. Missouri is considered an “at-fault” state rather than a “no-fault” state. When you get in an accident in Missouri, the negligent party is legally obligated to pay for your damages, typically through their mandatory insurance coverage. Some states, by contrast, require everyone to carry personal injury protection insurance. In these states, you would make a claim with your own insurance company to cover your damages, regardless of who is responsible for the collision.

The insurance policy you choose comes with certain policy limits. Policy limits are the maximum amount of money your insurance company will pay out for a given claim or accident. The cost of a car accident varies wildly, but states create policy limit minimum requirements to ensure each driver carries enough insurance to cover another person in the event that they cause someone harm. Missouri law requires drivers to carry liability insurance with policy limits of at least:

• $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

If your friend or family member is following the rules, their insurance policy will cover your injuries. If you have suffered more than the policy limits in damages from your car accident, an auto crash lawyer in Chesterfield, MO like those at Burger Law will help you file an underinsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.

No matter the circumstances, it is critical that you consult a car accident lawyer in Chesterfield, MO first. Every case is unique, and our experienced and reputable Chesterfield, 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 Chesterfield, MO online or call (314) 500-HURT now.

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

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

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

The amount of money you receive in y our car accident case depends on a long list of factors including the sum of your damages, or losses. For example, the settlement you receive from the insurance company may be limited by the policy limit, which is the maximum amount an insurance company will pay per accident and per person based on the policy. Comparative fault rules can also affect your recovery. If you shared partial blame for the events leading to your injuries, your recovery will be lessened proportionally. For example, if you hold 10 percent of the liability in your car accident, the payment you receive from the other party’s insurance company will be reduced by the 10 percent for which you were responsible.

One of the most critical variables in your Missouri car accident recovery is if you hire a lawyer and who that lawyer is. Burger Law’s dedicated, compassionate and unrelenting Chesterfield, MO car crash lawyers make sure you get the highest possible settlement to make you whole again. To find out what you can expect from your Missouri car accident injury case, use our free online personal injury calculator.

Average Car Accident Settlement Amounts in Chesterfield, Missouri

Car accidents are costly. Data gathered by the Insurance Information Institute tells us that expenses from deaths, injuries and property damage in traffic accidents amounted to $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 multiple, complex factors that affect the value of your damages and the outcome of your claim.

Calculating an accurate average settlement figure is futile and irrelevant. Many cases (though we do not know how many) are settled confidentially, where all involved parties enter into a binding agreement not to disclose 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. Cases involving more severe injuries requiring significant 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 settle for 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 coverage available and other relevant factors.

How Are Car Accident Settlements Calculated in Missouri?

The settlement you receive in your Chesterfield, MO car accident case is calculated based on a combination of the economic and noneconomic losses you have suffered as a result of the accident. Economic damages refer to all of your financial losses and expenses, for example the ambulance bill, cost of surgery, rehabilitative treatment, medications, lost wages due to your inability to report to work, and property damage to your car. 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 less concrete and can be harder to understand and calculate, but they seek to make you whole for the intangible ways your injuries have affected you. This is commonly referred to as “pain and suffering.” Noneconomic damages cover 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. There are different methods used to figure the value. One of the more common methods is multiplying your economic damages by a factor of anywhere from 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 Chesterfield, 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 Chesterfield, 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 Chesterfield, 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 Burger Law’s Chesterfield, MO Car Accident Lawyers

For nearly thirty years the lawyers of Burger Law have been delivering justice to the injured. We hold the neligent accountable and have the knowledge and resources to make them pay when you are injured in Chesterfield, MO.

You deserve to more forward after being injured in a car accident in Chesterfield, MO. 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!

View More Reviews on Google Maps and Yelp