Question 1

WHAT SHOULD I DO AFTER I’M IN AN ACCIDENT IN KANSAS CITY?

Accepted Answer

Believe it or not, the decisions you make shortly after an accident can seriously affect your ability to recover compensation. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you sustain injuries in a Kansas City-area accident:

REPORT THE ACCIDENT
Call 911 to report a traffic accident, notify your employer if you get hurt on the job, or notify a property owner if you get hurt on someone else’s property.

DOCUMENT THE SCENE
Take pictures of the location of the accident, your physical injuries, damage to nearby property, and anything else that might be useful to your attorney down the line.

DON’T APOLOGIZE
Saying you’re sorry can be interpreted as an admission of guilt, and you want to avoid that at all costs. Sharing responsibility for an accident can seriously jeopardize your ability to recover damages in a Missouri personal injury case.

SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY
Getting to the closest hospital in Kansas City right away will help ensure that all of your injuries including broken bones, brain injury, and trauma are identified and treated. Your visit will also help to create a time-stamped record of your injury, which can be critical in proving that it was caused by your accident.

CALL A PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY IN KANSAS CITY FOR HELP
Don’t speak to the insurance company, consider a settlement offer, or take any other steps before you’ve had the time to speak with a personal injury lawyer near you in Kansas City. 

Hiring a lawyer levels the playing field and helps ensure that your legal rights are respected. It also puts you in the best position to win your case and maximize your financial recovery.

Question 2

WHEN SHOULD I HIRE A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER?

Accepted Answer

Under Missouri state law, you’ll typically have just five years to file a personal injury lawsuit, so it’s important to hire a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident.

If you haven’t filed a claim by the fifth anniversary of your accident, you’ll forfeit the right to demand compensation for your injuries and suffering.

Of course, there are times when a different statute of limitations will apply to your case. For instance, wrongful death actions must be filed within three years of a victim’s death. 

In addition to preserving your right to seek compensation, hiring an attorney right away can increase the odds of a meaningful financial recovery. Your attorney can begin to investigate your case, gather evidence, and build a claim on your behalf immediately. This can be critical to success, as evidence can get lost or forgotten, and witness memories tend to change over time.

Question 3

HOW DO I PROVE A PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the basis of your claim. In Missouri, most personal injury lawsuits involve negligence.

Negligence essentially means that you’ve sustained injuries (and damages) because of someone else’s careless or unreasonable actions. 

In a negligence action, you’ll have to prove four things:

Duty of care: The defendant in your case owed you a duty of care.
Breach of duty: The defendant breached this duty of care in some way.
Causation: The defendant’s actions or inaction caused you to get hurt.
Damages: You have experienced damages.
For example, let’s say you were involved in a motor vehicle accident in Kansas City. You were rear-ended at an intersection and the driver who hit you was texting at the time of the crash. You suffered whiplash and broken bones in the collision.

You’d have to prove the other driver owed you a duty of care (all motorists assume a duty on the road), they breached it (because they were texting and driving), their conduct caused an accident (you wouldn’t have been rear-ended and injured if they were paying attention), and you’ve suffered damages as a result.

In Missouri, you’ll have to prove your personal injury claim by a preponderance of the evidence. In other words, your case—as supported by facts and evidence—has to be more likely true than not for you to win.

Question 4

WHAT KIND OF COMPENSATION CAN I GET IF I’VE BEEN HURT IN A KANSAS CITY ACCIDENT?

Accepted Answer

Compensation generally falls into two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are awarded to put you back in the financial situation you were in before your accident. Examples include:

Medical bills
Lost wages
Disability
Rehabilitation
Therapy
Nursing assistance
Property damage
Out-of-pocket costs
Economic damages can be paid to compensate for present costs and expenses that you’re likely to experience in the future. However, they must be backed by invoices, bills, receipts, pay stubs, and other documentation.

Non-economic damages are awarded to compensate for the trauma and suffering that your injuries might cause. Examples include:

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Loss of consortium
Disfigurement
Lost quality of life
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Insurance companies will want to undervalue your claim, especially your non-economic award. Our personal injury attorneys in Kansas City will work closely with experts and specialists as we navigate your case to make sure that doesn’t happen. Expert insight can help us fully understand how your accident and injuries affect your life, today and in the future. This knowledge will allow us to leverage a financial award that accurately reflects what your Kansas City personal injury case is worth.

Question 5

CAN I STILL RECOVER COMPENSATION IF I’M PARTLY TO BLAME FOR AN ACCIDENT IN MISSOURI?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can receive compensation as long as you’re not entirely at fault for the accident. However, sharing responsibility for your accident will affect how much money you can receive when your case is resolved.

Missouri is a pure comparative negligence state, which means that damages are reduced in direct proportion to your degree of fault.

Let’s say you’re involved in a slip and fall accident in Kansas City and suffer damages of $100,000. You’re assigned 15 percent fault for the accident. Once comparative fault is taken into account, you’ll be entitled to up to $85,000 in damages.

Insurance companies love to blame the victim. Negligent parties will be quick to point fingers instead of accepting responsibility. So, it’s important to prepare yourself for these tactics, which can seriously hurt your ability to recover the compensation you deserve.

Our Kansas City personal injury attorneys will anticipate these types of claims and be ready to defend you at every turn, working tirelessly to ensure that you receive a fair and appropriate financial award.

Question 6

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO HIRE A KANSAS CITY PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY?

Accepted Answer

We don’t want you to miss the legal help you need after an accident just because money is tight. When you choose Brown & Crouppen, you don’t pay anything unless and until our award-winning Kansas City personal injury attorneys win your case.

We work on contingency, which means there’s no upfront cost to you. Our law firm assumes all of the risks of litigation. We only recover a percentage of your financial award when we win your case.

It’s simple, and it allows you to get the help you need without added financial stress.

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