O’Fallon, Missouri Car Accident Attorneys
Missouri’s largest pile-up occurred on April 15, 1998, on I-70 in O’Fallon, Missouri. Incredibly, 98 cars and commercial vehicles smashed into each other due to a rain-slickened interstate and drivers traveling too fast for the road’s condition. Nearly 40 people were transported to area hospitals on that day.
While an accident of that scale has not happened in O’Fallon, Missouri since 1998, crashes on I-70 and other roadways in the city regularly back up traffic and injure or kill drivers and passengers.
Car Accident Attorneys Serving O’Fallon, Missouri and St. Charles County
If you were injured in a car accident in O’Fallon or elsewhere in Missouri, the attorneys at Ryan R. Cox & Associates, LLC, can help you pursue a personal injury claim. We represent clients who have suffered injuries caused by car accidents in O’Fallon, Missouri, as well as throughout St. Charles County and the state of Missouri.
Our team will explain the state’s personal injury laws and the claim process. We’ll then assess the evidence to determine the cause of the crash and whether negligence contributed to the incident. If another driver was at fault, you’re entitled to seek compensation for the harm that the accident caused you.
Car Accidents in Missouri
With more than 6 million motor vehicles registered in the state, plus millions of visitors and cargo-carrying commercial vehicles passing through each year, there are bound to be crashes.
Figure in factors such as fatigued, distracted, and impaired driving along with traffic law violations — among the top contributors to accidents in Missouri — then it’s not at all surprising that about 1,000 people die and tens of thousands are injured each year on the state’s roadways.
Ryan R. Cox & Associates, LLC, can handle a personal injury claim for any type of motor vehicle accident: car, motorcycle, truck, or pedestrian. We can also provide legal services for a wrongful death claim.
Motorists in all states are driving faster and with more distractions than ever before, which leads to more severe accidents and injuries. Common injuries include:
- Broken limbs
- Burns
- Crush injuries
- Heart attack
- Neck and chest injuries
- Paralysis
- Severe lacerations
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
You may have sustained an injury that could evolve into a long-term disability or one that’s treatable with surgery. Regardless of the severity, Ryan R. Cox & Associates, LLC, can provide counsel and representation as you seek a personal injury claim.
Fault and Negligence in Missouri
As an at-fault state, a driver responsible for an accident in Missouri is liable for the victim’s injuries and property damage.
Missouri law requires vehicle operators to purchase liability coverage that includes bodily injury liability insurance, property damage liability insurance, and uninsured motorists insurance. When a driver is at fault in a crash, their liability insurance is required to pay for the harm the victim suffered.
Missouri is also a pure comparative negligence state. In this system, each driver gets assigned a degree of fault, represented as a percentage. The victim can be up to 99% to blame and still seek compensation for the harm. But the victim’s portion of the blame is subtracted from the total that they could have claimed.
When you choose Ryan R. Cox & Associates, LLC, to represent you, we’ll put our top-notch negotiating skills to work on your behalf. While the insurance company may attempt to assign more blame to you or try to pull another tactic to minimize what they pay out, we will not settle for anything less than what is fair and just.
Statute of Limitations
In Missouri, the statute of limitation for a motor vehicle accident personal injury claim is five years from the date of the crash. It is one of the longest personal injury statutes of limitations in the country. However, if an individual dies due to a car accident caused by the negligence of another driver — making it a wrongful death — the lawsuit must be filed within three years.
The Importance of a Car Accident Attorney
A car accident attorney has in-depth knowledge of tort law and case law as they relate to motor vehicle personal injury cases. He or she has an intimate understanding of state laws that apply to traffic crashes.
Using that knowledge, we can help injured victims determine who is responsible for the crash, whether it’s the negligence of another driver or something else.
A car accident attorney prepares and manages an injured victim’s personal injury claim to seek compensation for the damages caused by a negligent driver. These damages include:
- Medical expenses
- Vehicle repair or replacement
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income
- Permanent disability
An attorney builds a claim based on the law and the evidence — the police report, photos and video, and witness statements. The evidence plays a crucial role in a personal injury case, but an attorney can expand on it with a thorough investigation.
One of the most important reasons to work with a car accident attorney is that they negotiate with the insurance provider of the at-fault driver to maximize the amount that’s recovered. If negotiations fail, they represent the victim in court.
If you lost a loved one as a result of a car wreck, an attorney can help you file a wrongful death claim to recover funeral and burial expenses, loss of consortium damages, lost income, and more.
Why Choose Ryan R. Cox & Associates, LLC?
At Ryan R. Cox & Associates, LLC, we are entirely dedicated to injuries caused by the action or inaction of another party. Not only do we devote all of our resources to obtaining justice for injury victims, but we have a strong focus on caring for our clients.
We know all too well the devastating impacts of an accident with injuries. Your pain and suffering affect your family life, job, and everyday routine. The accident itself undoubtedly jolted your sense of safety and security. You’ll be welcomed at our firm by a supportive team of professionals who understand what you’re going through.
We handle every step in the personal injury claim process, such as gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, preparing documents, and communicating with the insurance company and the court. If the case can’t be settled, our attorneys have substantial experience representing injury victims in court.
If you need a few more reasons to hire Ryan R. Cox & Associates, LLC:
- Your initial consultation is free
- We offer a contingency payment arrangement, so you only pay for our legal services if we win your case
- We have a successful track record of fighting and winning personal injury cases
- We’re locally and nationally recognized for our services