Kansas City Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal Injury Lawyer Kansas City, MO

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A personal injury case is one of the last things that any accident victim wants to deal with, as a personal injury lawyer in Kansas City, MO knows. The entire process can be overwhelming, and you may not be sure how to navigate it. Consulting with a trusted personal injury lawyer like one at the Law Office of Daniel E. Stuart, P.A. can help you understand your legal options. They know that the process is not an easy thing to handle, so with their support and advice you can have peace of mind knowing that you are in good hands. 

Personal Injury Lawyer in Kansas City, MO

After going through a horrible experience like a personal injury accident, victims deserve to get quality legal support and counsel during a time when they need it most. The team at the Law Office of Daniel E. Stuart, P.A. has been assisting clients for many years, and has worked on a variety of cases. Our firm deals with practice areas such as personal injury, handling a diverse range of cases such as car accidents, dog bites, slip and falls, and medical malpractice.  

What to Discuss In Your Consultation

The initial consultation with a Kansas City, Missouri-based personal injury lawyer is an opportunity for you to explain your situation to them and get a feel for what to expect from the claims process. If the lawyer tells you that you have a valid case, you can then move on to discuss elements of your claims such as:

• Case value. The value of your case may be one of the first things on your mind. A lawyer may not be able to give an accurate case value until they have gathered enough facts and information. They need to be able to do calculations so that they know what damages they will be able to list in your claim. You might not know what the value of your claim is until towards the end of the investigation when all the losses have been calculated. 
• Nature of your injuries. The type of injuries you have plays a big role in your case. The more severe your injuries are, the higher your compensation amount will likely be. If you have multiple injuries, your claim may be worth even more. Bring all records that you have regarding your injuries such as photos and medical records.
• Lost income. In addition to the cost of treatment for your injuries, you should also discuss the amount of missed wages that you have. This includes your reduced earnings capacity as well, which is the decrease in income that you suffered as a result of your accident injury impacting your capacity to do certain jobs. 

Common Misconceptions About Personal Injury Cases

If you were recently hurt in an accident caused by someone else, you may want to consult a personal injury lawyer Kansas City, MO residents trust. You may be eligible to receive compensation. However, you might have heard several myths about personal injury cases that are making you reluctant to pursue a case.

Here are a few common misconceptions about personal injury cases that you shouldn’t believe.

• It’s not worth it to file a personal injury claim over minor injuries. Not everyone involved in an accident will walk away with major injuries, like head and spinal cord injuries. Some victims may have seemingly minor injuries. However, just because your injuries may be minor right now, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pursue a personal injury claim. First of all, you may not know the full extent of your injuries right now. They may worsen as time goes on. Also, even minors injuries can result in high medical bills and time off work.

• The at-fault party has to pay out of pocket. One reason why some people are reluctant to file a personal injury claim is because they assume the at-fault party must pay out of pocket. They may not want to cause the person hardship, especially if they are a family member or friend. However, as a Kansas City personal injury lawyer can confirm, in the majority of cases, the at-fault party’s insurance company pays for the costs.

• You can file a personal injury claim when you want. This is one of the most damaging myths about personal injury claims. The truth is that these claims come with a statute of limitations. In Missouri, the statute of limitations to file a personal injury claim is five years. While that might seem like a long time, you shouldn’t procrastinate. It’s wise to consult a lawyer about your case as soon as possible.

• The insurance company will be fair. While this would be nice if this were true, it’s not always the case. It’s important to understand insurance companies care about the bottom line first and may try to get away with paying you as little as possible. That’s why you shouldn’t discuss the details of your case without your lawyer present. You also shouldn’t accept a settlement offer before your lawyer reviews it.

• You will have to spend a lot of time in court. Accident victims worry that they will have to go to court frequently. Between medical appointments and meetings with their lawyer, they may think they don’t have enough time to appear in court. The good news is that the majority of personal injury cases get settled out of court.

• Personal injury lawyers are too expensive. Unfortunately, some accident victims don’t hire a Kansas City personal injury lawyer because they assume they can’t afford one. However, most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, so they take a percentage of your settlement at the end.

 

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT PERSONAL INJURY CASES INFOGRAPHIC

 

Schedule a Consultation 

When you sit down with a lawyer for your consultation, here are some topics that you should discuss at length. If you are considering filing a claim, meet with a personal injury lawyer based in Kansas City, MO to receive legal assistance. 

What Are Common Reasons For a Personal Injury Case?

Personal injuries can come from a variety of different circumstances with many different sources. Accidents happen on a daily basis across a multitude of different industries and in many different situations. Accidents, like car accidents, and other vehicle accidents, are a leading cause of injuries and personal injury cases. When accidents happen with minor to severe injuries the guilty party should be held responsible for their heinous actions. Injuries can even be severe enough to cause death in some cases which brings about their own legal cases, like wrongful death. The Law Office of Daniel E. Stuart, P.A. is ready to sit down with you and go through your personal injury case. A Kansas City, MO personal injury lawyer from our firm can offer experience and knowledge for your case.

How Accidents Occur

Accidents occur for a variety of different reasons. One of the leading causes is due to negligence by other individuals. Individuals across numerous industries may lack the knowledge or skill to establish safety protocols for the company and its workers. They also may lack the skill of implementation and compliance to ensure that their workers fully understand safety or follow the set protocol. Negligence happens on roads each day too with drivers not paying attention to other drivers on the road. When drivers are too focused on other things than driving severe accidents can occur. A Kansas City personal injury lawyer from the Law Office of Daniel E. Stuart, P.A is ready to help you understand more about personal injuries and how they can be compensated.

Compensation in a Personal Injury Case

Compensation is available for many different injuries in a personal injury case. Things like pain and suffering are calculated depending on the details of the injury case and could see victims of the accident not only seeing hospital bills and doctor visits covered but also therapy sessions and other items. Other things like lost wages from work are common compensatory items and so are property damage reimbursement and more. A Kansas City, MO personal injury lawyer from our firm can help ensure that you receive compensation for different things from your injury case. It’s important to receive compensation for injury cases so that the victim is not left with paying all of the bills for an accident that wasn’t even their fault. Contact our firm today for assistance.

Reach Out to Our Firm 

Our firm has helped many clients with their personal injury cases. Many people don’t know what to do when they become injured and many times lack the knowledge or experience in dealing with insurance companies or other legal teams when it comes to financial compensation negotiation. Our firm has the necessary skill and knowledge to bring a fair or even generous compensation package to you for your trouble and injuries. Contact us today to get your case started and to better understand the process and to get your life going once again.

Is there a difference between a personal injury claim and a personal injury lawsuit?

The definition of a personal injury case can be a confusing. As a Kansas City, MO personal injury lawyer can explain, in most accident case, it is the at-fault’s insurance company that will ultimately pay any damages to the victim, such as in a car accident or premises liability incident. These cases usually begin with negotiations between the two parties to come up with an agreed-upon settlement amount. Should the two sides not be able to come to an agreement, the personal injury lawyer will file a personal injury lawsuit with the proper court. At this point, a jury will decide if the alleged at-fault party was negligent and how much the victim deserves in damages.

What are those damages that a victim can be awarded?

There are a number of losses that a victim can suffer after they have been injured and each one of these losses may be recoverable. Economic damages that a victim can receive include medical expenses for treatment of their injuries and lost wages if they were unable to work while recovering. If the victim is left permanently disabled, they may even receive compensation for loss of future earning capacity.

Nonecomonic damages that may be recoverable include pain and suffering, emotional anguish, disfigurement, scarring, permanent disability, loss of life enjoyment, and more.

In some cases, the victim be also be awarded punitive damages. These damages are meant to punish the at-fault party and send a message to society that this type of behavior is unacceptable. For example, punitive damages are often awarded in drunk driving crashes.

The at-fault party’s insurance company is calling me. Should I speak to them?

No victim should ever speak with anyone from the insurance company without speaking to a Kansas City personal injury lawyer first. Insurance companies are for-profit companies and any settlement amounts they have to pay out to victims cut into their profit.

Despite all the catchy jingles and taglines, the insurance company is not your friend and is not looking out for your best interest. They are looking for any thing they can use to minimize or even deny your claim completely.

But how can I afford to speak to an attorney? I don’t have the money to pay them.

Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means that the client does not have to pay upfront attorney fees. In fact, it means that the lawyer only gets paid if they win your case. Then, their fee is an agreed-upon percentage of any settlement or jury award they obtain for their client.

When should I call a lawyer?

It is recommended that victims contact a Kansas City personal injury lawyer as soon as they are physically able. They can also have a family member call for them, as well. The sooner that call is made, the sooner your lawyer can begin working on your case. Call the Law Office of Daniel E. Stuart, P.A. today to schedule a free and confidential consultation.