St. Louis Fatal Car Accident Lawyer
The Midwest's Most Effective Injury Law Firm
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Terry Crouppen who has more than 40 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney. Our last modified date shows when this page was last reviewed.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Terry Crouppen who has more than 40 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney. Our last modified date shows when this page was last reviewed.
- Last Modified:
- January 17, 2025
You have the right to take action against the negligence that stole a loved one from you in a fatal car accident. You can reach out to Brown & Crouppen in the aftermath of a fatal car accident to discuss the process of filing a wrongful death lawsuit.
Our lawyers offer a free case evaluation to help you better understand your legal options. Get started with your case by calling (314) 501-9510 or get a free case evaluation online. Our attorneys can help you build a strong claim to recover financial compensation.
- Brown & Crouppen Can Help Your Family After a Fatal Car Accident
- How long do you have to file a fatal car accident claim in Missouri?
- What causes a fatal car accident in St. Louis, MO?
- What damages can you request in a wrongful death claim?
- Who can file a wrongful death claim in Missouri?
- How much does a wrongful death lawyer cost?
- Call Brown & Crouppen’s Wrongful Death Lawyers Today
Use our legal checklist to learn what to do after an accident and understand key legal considerations for recovering financial compensation.
Brown & Crouppen Can Help Your Family After a Fatal Car Accident
It’s impossible to imagine the grief that comes with the unexpected passing of a loved one until it happens to you. In the days, weeks, and months following that loss, you have to take steps to rebuild your life. For some people, pursuing legal action while contending with that loss feels impossible.
That’s okay.
Instead of tackling the legalities of a wrongful death claim alone, you can tell a St. Louis fatal car accident lawyer about your losses. Brown & Crouppen can help you investigate the accident details, and determine if you can make a claim. From there, we will build your complaint, and ensure you fully enact your right to legal action even as you focus on recovering.
Missouri law states that the victim’s family members can secure compensation for their loss. You can then use that support to cover your loved one’s funeral expenses, postmortem bills, and your own loss of income. However, this is contingent on those family members proving that another party’s negligence contributed to their loved one’s death.
Why Should You Hire a Fatal Car Accident Lawyer with Brown & Crouppen?
Hiring a fatal car accident lawyer with Brown & Crouppen allows you to stay on top of the deadline to take legal action without compromising your right to grieve. Our attorneys specifically help you by taking the following steps:
- Investigating the fatal car accident
- Using evidence to establish liability for a loved one’s death
- Calculating the sum of your loved one’s losses
- Presenting a complete wrongful death claim to St. Louis civil judges
- Representing your best interests in settlement negotiations, and fatal car accident trials
Brown & Crouppen hosts one of the largest teams of attorneys in Missouri, and Kansas. Our team can get back to you within 24 hours of you reaching out.
How Long Do You Have to File a Fatal Car Accident Claim in Missouri?
You have a limited amount of time in which you may file a fatal car accident claim. Missouri Revised Statute Stat 537.100, Missouri’s wrongful death statute of limitations, states that you have three years from the date of your loved one’s death to bring your claim to a civil judge. You do not have the right to file a fatal car accident claim after that deadline passes.
What Causes a Fatal Car Accident in St. Louis, MO?
Fatal car accidents tend to stem from distracted driving. These distractions can result in fatal sideswipes, head-on collisions, and rear-end collisions. However, other contributing factors can include poor weather or a driver’s deliberate recklessness.
If you can prove that a driver’s behavior was criminal, the state of Missouri may take up a criminal case against the offending party. For example, a person accused of causing a fatal hit-and-run car accident may face criminal charges for roadway misconduct, and accusations of negligence in civil court.
If you cause a fatal car accident in Missouri that results in a loved one’s death, Missouri offers a generous perspective on a legal concept known as “contributory negligence.” If a defendant successfully argues that you contributed to the death of your loved one, a judge can reduce the compensation you receive, provided you win your case, by the percentage of fault you allegedly contributed.
You can find more information about Missouri’s interpretation of contributory negligence in Missouri Revised Statute Stat 537.060.
What Damages Can You Request in a Wrongful Death Claim?
The damages you can request in a wrongful death claim include the following:
- A loved one’s medical expenses
- Coverage for the cost of repairing or replacing damaged property
- Compensation for lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of companionship and familial support
- Mental anguish
- Funeral expenses
Our St. Louis fatal car accident attorneys estimate the sum of your possible damages before you bring your claim to the attention of a judge. You can discuss which damages you think you deserve during our initial case consultations.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Missouri?
Normally, parties injured in a car accident have the right to bring their own personal injury claims before a civil judge. When a car accident turns fatal, though, responsibility for the deceased’s personal injury claim falls to other parties. Missouri’s Wrongful Death Law, or Missouri Revised Statutes Stat 537.080, specifically allows two classes of people to bring the deceased’s case forward.
At first, responsibility for the deceased’s personal injury claim falls to that party’s spouse, children, or parents. If none of these parties are living or able to bring a claim forward, then responsibility for the deceased’s claim falls to the deceased’s siblings.
If you do not fall into one of these groups, you may not take action on behalf of the deceased. You may, however, have the right to bring your own claim forward. You can discuss that right with a personal injury attorney in St. Louis.
Get started with a free consultation with one of our skilled Personal Injury Lawyers today.
How Much Does a Wrongful Death Lawyer Cost?
Many people find themselves reluctant to pursue legal action against the party responsible for a loved one’s death because they are concerned about legal fees. Brown & Crouppen will not complicate your financial situation. We operate on contingency. We do not get paid for our services unless we win your case.
If we win your case, we get paid based on predetermined contingency fees. You never receive an invoice from our office. If you have questions about how contingency works or how we calculate contingency fees, you can sit down for a consultation with our fatal car accident attorneys in St. Louis.
Call Brown & Crouppen's Wrongful Death Lawyers Today
There’s nothing so devastating as the unexpected loss of a loved one. You have the right to seek out justice in the face of these losses, though. Missouri allows a deceased person’s family members to take legal action on their behalf if negligence contributed to the deceased person’s death.
You, in turn, can work alongside our St. Louis fatal car accident lawyers to compile your complaint, and bring it before a civil judge. Brown & Crouppen’s team of experienced attorneys can help you stay on top of your filing deadlines while also giving you the space you need to address your grief. Reach out to Brown & Crouppen today for free consultation to discuss your right to a fatal car accident lawsuit.
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