Here at Burger Law, we understand that losing a loved one in a car crash is your worst nightmare come true, and can leave emotional and mourning families with expensive funeral costs, income losses, and more. When you allow the fatal car crash lawyers at Burger Law to take on your case, we will stand by your side and provide the highest standard of support and guidance through this trying time. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

Burger Law is a seasoned St. Louis law firm that handles a multitude of car accident cases including fatal car crashes. With our help, we can recover damages for lost companionship, medical expenses, loss of income, and funeral costs. We zealously represent the families of those who needlessly lost a loved one too soon. Speak to a St. Louis wrongful death lawyer today at (314) 500-HURT.

How Common Are Fatal Car Accidents in St. Louis and Missouri?

Nationwide, more than 190,000 people die each year in wrongful death circumstances. According to the National Safety Council, 42,338 people died in motor-vehicle crashes in 2020. According to the Missouri Traffic Safety Compendium, 1,016 people died in car accidents in 2021, the first year with over 1,000 deaths since 2006.

At Burger Law, we know your loved one is not just another statistic. You have to live every day knowing that they should still be here, and still would be were it not for the negligence of others. That is why we fight hard and put all of our tenacity and skill into fatal car crash cases to get justice for grieving families.

Our St. Louis, Missouri Fatal Car Accident Lawyers Will Get Justice For Your Family

Our St. Louis, Missouri Fatal Car Accident Lawyers Will Get Justice For Your Family

Being informed of the passing of someone you love immediately turns your entire world upside down. Besides the grief, funeral planning and the consolation you and your family need to afford each other, there may be immediate financial hardships. An experienced fatal car accident lawyer like those at Burger Law can be your advocate, fight for justice and work to provide you with financial security so you can focus on healing.

When you hire us, we get working on your case right away. As part of our award-winning representation, we will:

• Conduct a full investigation into your claim, identifying the causes of the accident and every liable party that needs to be held accountable
• Develop a legal strategy to prove negligence and secure the financial recovery your family is owed
• Handle all communication, documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can focus on your family
• Consistently keep you informed with the status of your claim
• Offer sound legal counsel based on our experience and knowledge, while leaving the ultimate decisions up to you, as only you can truly know what is best for you and your family
• Demand maximum compensation in negotiations
• Fight for justice in front of a jury if we cannot get a fair recovery in negotiation

Everyone needs time to grieve, but unfortunately we cannot stop the day-to-day grind and concerns that come with life. What we can do is stand by your side and offer you the highest standard of legal advocacy and make your family’s future just a little bit easier.

Burger Law’s St. Louis Fatal Car Crash Results

Burger Law’s St. Louis Fatal Car Crash Results

Any fatal car crash lawyer can say they will fight for you and your family. You need one who has the results to prove it. We have recovered great compensation for families in fatal car crashes and a variety of wrongful death claims:

• $5 Million Settlement for Man Killed by a Reckless Truck Driver
• $3 Million Settlement for Son Murdered by Pam Hupp
• $2.5 Million Settlement for Father’s Fatal Car Accident
• $1 Million Settlement for Wrongful Death Truck Accident
• $1 Million Settlement for Sepsis Infection
• $765,000 Settlement After Fatal Collision
• $765,000 Settlement After Man Hit by Volunteer EMT
• $600,000 Settlement for Man Killed in ATV Accident
• Confidential Settlement For Failure to Diagnose a Heart Condition
• Confidential Settlement After Fatal Crash Involving Two Trucks

• Confidential Settlement For Misdiagnosis of Brain Tumor
• Confidential Settlement Against Large Pharmacy for Drug Liability
• Confidential Settlement for Failure to Diagnose Aneurysm
• Confidential Settlement for Loss of Survival
• Confidential Settlement for Family of Woman Who Suffered Nursing Home Abuse
• Confidential Settlement for Wrongful Death Case due to Fentanyl
• Confidential Settlement Against Drug Manufacturer

How Do Fatal Car Accidents Happen in St. Louis?

Any car accident can cause a fatality, however some types of accidents are deadlier than others. Tragically, we often see fatal auto accident claims involving:

• Bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents and pedestrian accidents — Because of their relative lack of protection, bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians are at increased risk of not only sustaining catastrophic injuries, but of perishing in an auto accident.
• Truck accidents — Because of an 18-wheeler’s size, the force they apply in a crash is higher than in car accidents. A simple rear end accident between cars can be minor, but if a truck crashes into you from behind, the consequences can be devastating.
• Drunk driving — Intoxicated driving kills 32 people a day, or over 10,000 per year.
• Speeding — Speeding was a contributing factor in 29 percent of traffic fatalities in 2020.
• Distracted driving — Drivers who do not pay attention to the road, for example if they are texting and driving, account for nine motor-vehicle deaths every day.
• Multi-vehicle collisions — In a crash involving multiple vehicles, the same car can be hit several times and from several different directions, increasing the risk of injury and death.
• Head-on collisions — Head on collisions make up just two percent of all car accidents, but account for 10 percent of all driving fatalities.

If your loved one was killed in a car accident, you deserve justice, no matter the exact circumstances. Burger Law’s St. Louis fatal car crash attorneys have over 70 years of combined experience investigating claims, litigating cases and getting fair financial recoveries for our clients throughout Missouri and Illinois.

Who is Liable for My Loved One’s Fatal Car Crash in St. Louis, MO?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver error is the “critical reason” for 94 percent of auto accidents. So you will likely be making a claim against a negligent driver and their insurance company. However, the administration also points out that driver error is “the last failure in a chain of casual events,” and that calling driver error the “critical reason” does not mean that it should “be interpreted as the cause of the crash.” The truth is, there are a lot of people and organizations responsible for keeping our roads safe. People who are liable for your loved one’s passing besides the driver may include:

• A manufacturer — Wheel, tire, brake and steering related issues are the most common vehicle malfunctions. A manufacturer, distributor or vendor is strictly liable for any defect that causes an injury, meaning you only have to prove the defect existed and caused your loved one’s death, not that they were negligent. If a fault component contributed to the accident, you can make a product liability claim.
• A mechanic — If a mechanic negligently worked on the vehicle that caused the crash, you can make a claim against them.
• A construction company — If a construction site was not properly marked and cordoned off, and that negligence contributed to your loved one’s death, or if they did not appropriately repair a road hazard they were hired to, you can file a lawsuit against the construction company in a road construction accident claim.
• A governmental entity — We rely on local, state and federal agencies to ensure the safety of our roadways. A government agency can be held liable for a poorly designed road, for example if they placed a sign in a location where it blocked visibility, or a turn was unreasonably sharp. They may also be responsible if they did not repair a road hazard that they were warned of or should have reasonably noticed.
• A bar or restaurant — With Missouri’s drunk driving laws, you can sue a bar for a drunk driving accident if they knowingly overserved a drunk driver who caused the accident. This is known as a “dram shop law.”

In many cases, different parties share liability. For instance, a driver may react poorly after a problem with their steering system starts. We use our network of St. Louis crash experts to investigate everything that could have contributed to your loved one’s accident, so we know everyone that needs to be held accountable.

What Can My Family Recover After a Fatal Car Accident in St. Louis, MO?

What Can My Family Recover After a Fatal Car Accident in St. Louis, MO?

With the help of passionate and dedicated fatal car crash lawyers, you can receive compensation for the financial losses your loved one sustained and their pain and suffering before their death, as well as your financial losses due to their death, your grief and the loss of their presence in your life:

• Your loved one’s economic damages — In any personal injury claim, you can get compensation for your financial losses related to the injury. That can include lost wages, lost earning potential, medical expenses and out-of-pocket expenses. You can recover the economic damages they sustained between their accident and their death.
• Your loved one’s non-economic damages — Injury claims also compensate you for the less tangible ways your injury affected you, commonly referred to as “pain and suffering.” Your loved one’s non-economic damages may have included:
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Inconvenience
  • Physical impairment
  • Disfigurement
  • Loss of ability to enjoy life
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of society

  Like economic damages, the compensation for your loved one’s pain and suffering damages will be passed on to you.

• Your economic damages — The loss of family member can cause financial difficulties for a family. In a wrongful death claim, you can receive compensation for:
  • Funeral and burial expenses
  • The lost wages and financial support you are no longer receiving from your loved one
  • Any work-related benefits they had

  If your loved one did not work full time and was at least 50 percent responsible for taking care of a minor, disabled family member or person over 65, the monetary value of their care is 110 percent of the state average weekly wage, as computed under Missouri Revised Statute §287.250

• Your non-economic damages — While the pain of losing a loved one cannot be quantified monetarily, Missouri law does allow for you to make a financial recovery for the hole they left behind. Under Missouri Revised Statute §537.090, a wrongful death settlement or verdict will include compensation for:
  • Loss of services
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of companionship
  • Loss of comfort
  • Loss of instruction
  • Loss of guidance and counsel
  • Loss of training
• Punitive damages — In some cases, we can also pursue punitive damages, meant to punish a rulebreaker, if their conduct was especially egregious, reckless or they had intent to cause harm.

Insurance companies and negligent people and corporations often try to deny liability or devalue claims, even in wrongful death suits. You will need an experienced and award-winning St. Louis wrongful death lawyer like those at Burger Law to get you the full compensation you deserve.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Suit in Missouri?

Missouri Revised Statute §537.080 stipulates who is eligible to file a wrongful death claim:

• A spouse, children or surviving descendants of deceased children or a parent
• If there is no one in the above category to bring a claim, then siblings and siblings’ descendants
• If there is no one in either category above, then any other person who may be eligible to recover compensation may request that the court appoint a plaintiff ad litem

If you have any doubts about your eligibility to make a claim, speak to a St. Louis fatal car crash lawyer at Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT.

How Long Do I Have to File a Wrongful Death Claim for a Fatal Car Crash in Missouri?

How Long Do I Have to File a Wrongful Death Claim for a Fatal Car Crash in Missouri?

Under Missouri Revised Statute § 537.100, the Missouri statute of limitations for wrongful death claims is three years from the date of your loved one’s death.

If the person you are making a claim against leaves the state of Missouri for a period, their time out of state does not count against the three years.

CALL BURGER LAW

Speak to a St. Louis Fatal Car Crash Lawyer Today

When you allow Burger Law to handle your case, we will be by your side every step of the way. We stand firmly behind our belief that the family of a lost loved one should not have to pay to receive fair compensation. Our fatal car crash attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not pay until we win your case. To get started on your free case evaluation and finally receive justice, contact Burger Law today by calling (314) 500-HURT or completing our online contact form.

• Pedestrian Accidents
• Bicycle Accidents
• Hit and Run
• Drunk Driving
• Distracted Driving
• Texting and Driving
• Speeding Accidents
• Fatal Car Crash
• Head-On Collisions
• Rear-Ended
• Multi-Vehicle Accidents
• Intersection Accidents
• Road Construction Accidents
• Carpool Accidents
• Backup Accident
• Whiplash Injury
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Brain Injuries
• Underinsured Motorist Claims
• Uninsured Motorist Claims
• Phantom Motorist Claims