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Auto Accidents

If you have been seriously injured in a car accident, you may have already been contacted by an insurance company.  They may try to talk you into taking a settlement that won’t come close to covering your needs. You may also be wondering whether you can negotiate this on your own, without getting a lawyer involved.

The answer is: No, you shouldn’t go it alone. Particularly if you have been seriously hurt, the insurance companies’ attorneys will do everything they can to keep your payout as low as possible. Remember, they negotiate claims every day. So it is extremely important that you also have a skilled car accident attorney in your corner to fight for:

  • Payment of past and future medical bills.
  • Lost wages and decreased earning potential.
  • Compensation for your pain and suffering.
  • Damages to your vehicle.
  • Punitive damages meant to punish the at-fault party.

Semi Truck Accidents

Why Semi Truck Accident Cases are Different

Truck accident cases are much more complex because so many parties are responsible for different aspects of a tractor-trailer’s journey on the road. Our seasoned attorneys will thoroughly investigate your accident to determine exactly what caused the crash and who should be held liable. This may include:

  • Hidden Defects or Malfunctions

    Truck owners and trucking companies are responsible for ensuring that the vehicle meets all of the safety regulations for large trucks. Regular maintenance, repair, and equipment checks are essential. When an owner or company fails to keep up with a reasonable safety schedule, a crash can easily result. Also, if a hidden defect exists in any of the truck’s parts or equipment, the item may fail at a crucial moment. This can cause a crash or make a crash worse. In this case, the manufacturer or distributor of the defective part may be held responsible.

  • Trucking Company Negligence

    Trucking companies have a long list of obligations. They include screening and testing drivers, tracking the hours drivers work every day and week to ensure drivers do not work too much, keeping equipment in good working order, and ensuring that loads are properly contained and secured for the trip. On any given truck, these tasks might each be performed by a different company – making it even more complicated to determine who is liable for the harm caused.

  • Negligently Maintained Roadways

    Not all U.S. roads are appropriate for trucks. Off the state and federal highways, truck routes must be carefully marked so that drivers do not become lost or stuck. The weight limits on bridges and the height of overpasses must be clearly labeled, and drivers must be aware of the height and weight of their own trucks in order to prevent an accident. Other hazards ─such as potholes, blind curves, inadequate signs at intersections, or construction site barriers set too narrowly ─ can also cause a truck crash.

  • Negligent Truck Drivers

    Many truck drivers take safety seriously and work hard to drive safely in all conditions. Not all truck drivers are this careful, though. Just a few moments of carelessness, sleepiness, distraction, inexperience, or intoxication can cause a crash.

  • Other Careless Drivers

    Many passenger car drivers don’t receive adequate education on how to drive safely around large tractor-trailers. When the driver of another car on the road does something dangerous, a nearby truck driver may be forced to take defensive maneuvers. Unfortunately, the very actions that are designed to prevent an accident can also cause one.

Whenever a truck accident happens, the natural first reaction is to blame the driver. However, a driver is not the only person responsible for truck safety on the road.

Semi Truck Accident Cases & Injuries

Each truck accident case we handle is unique, and each client has suffered different injuries and requires a personalized estimate for the amount of compensation that is needed. In most truck accident injury claims, we will pursue:

  • Payment for medical bills after a MO truck accident.

    This includes costs such as emergency services, hospital stays, surgery, doctor’s visits, medical devices and medications, X-rays, CT scans, therapy and rehabilitation appointments, and the mileage you accrue while driving to and from these appointments.

  • Lost wages following a truck wreck.

    If you must take time off work to recover, we will fight for compensation for the wages or other pay you would have received if you had been able to work. If you are so severely injured that you cannot work again (or must take a lighter-duty job), you may also be able to pursue compensation for the wages you would have earned in the future.

  • Property damage from a truck accident.

    This includes the costs to repair or replace your vehicle and any other property lost or damaged in the truck accident.

  • Pain and suffering from injuries after a truck accident in St Louis.

    Truck accident injuries can cause considerable pain, and the events of the crash and the time that follows cause both physical and mental anguish. Compensation for “pain and suffering” is meant to address these hardships.

  • Punitive damages following a MO truck accident.

    In severe cases of misconduct, we may pursue these damages, which are meant to punish the at-fault party.

Our experienced truck accident lawyers will take a detailed inventory of the ways your injuries have impacted your life. Understanding this impact is extremely important to determine the full and fair compensation amount that we will fight for in your truck accident claim.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle Accident Attorney

After a serious motorcycle accident, all your efforts should be focused on healing. But sometimes you can’t escape the overwhelming thoughts of who was at fault, how you will deal with insurance coverage, and what you can do to make ends meet while you recover.

Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Let the experienced motorcycle accident attorney at The Law Firm of Lorri Kline take those burdens off of you. We have years of experience representing people who were injured due to someone else’s negligence.

Motorcycle Accident Attorney: We Fight for Maximum Compensation

Compared to other types of vehicle crashes, motorcycle accidents can result in some of the most serious injuries. Insurance companies know this, so they often try to offer a quick settlement before you understand the extent of your injuries.

At The Law Firm of Lorri Kline, We are extremely familiar with these types of cases, and we will thoroughly investigate your case to determine exactly how much compensation you will need. This may include:

  • Past and future medical bills related to your motorcycle accident injury.
  • Lost wages, including projections for future lost earnings.
  • Damage to your motorcycle.
  • Compensation for the pain and suffering you are going through.
  • Punitive damages, meant to punish the at-fault party in extreme cases.

Our skilled motorcycle accident injury attorneys will negotiate aggressively with the insurance companies. But if you are not offered a full and fair settlement, we will not hesitate to take your motorcycle accident lawsuit to court.

Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Most motorcyclists know how important it is to drive defensively and minimize the risk to themselves and others on the road.Unfortunately, the negligence of another driver is often to blame when a motorcyclist is seriously injured in a roadway collision.

Common motorcycle accident injuries suffered in Central Missouri include:

  • Head and neck injuries.

    Although a helmet can reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or death, it cannot eliminate the risk.  Likewise, “whiplash,” spinal cord damage, and other injuries to the neck and head can occur in a serious crash.

  • Back and spinal cord injuries.

    Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are among the most expensive and difficult to treat. Any part of the spinal cord, from the neck to the low back, might be injured in a motorcycle accident, with life-altering results. Even if the spinal cord is undamaged, broken vertebrae, damaged discs, or nerve injuries can cause ongoing problems with pain, mobility, and feeling.

  • Broken bones.

    Many motorcycle accidents result in one or more fractured bones, especially if the driver “wipes out” during the crash. Broken bones may require surgery to repair. They nearly always involve pain, swelling, a long period of recovery, and physical therapy and rehabilitation to restore muscle strength and mobility after the bone has healed.

  • “Road burn.”

    This occurs when the skin is flayed or scraped away by rubbing against a rough surface, such as the surface of the road. Like a burn caused by heat, road burn damages or destroys one or more layers of skin, causing extreme pain and greatly increasing the risk of infection. The risks are increased further when debris from the road becomes embedded in the skin, causing infection or pain.

  • Mental and psychological injuries.

    Trauma is a normal response to an abnormal event – and a motorcycle crash can cause severe trauma. Many people who suffer motorcycle accidents experience anxiety, depression, insomnia, mood swings, or “flashbacks” to the event. These symptoms are just as real as the symptoms of physical injury – and they can be just as disabling if they are not treated by a qualified professional.

Even if you feel OK right after a motorcycle accident, it’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible. There are many motorcycle accident injuries that may go unnoticed initially but cause serious harm if left untreated.

What To Do After You Are Injured in a Motorcycle Accident

If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle crash, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your claim for compensation. Here’s where to start:

  1. Keep all your doctor’s appointments.

See a doctor as soon as possible after the crash. Keep all your appointments, including any visits to specialists or for testing such as X-rays. If you were prescribed medication or medical devices, read the instructions and follow them. Call your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about the instructions. Most importantly, if your symptoms change or get worse, contact your doctor’s office immediately.

  1. Store your paperwork in a safe place.

Choose a single safe place to keep copies of all the paperwork related to your accident. Paperwork such as medical bills and reports, accident reports, information from insurance companies, and repair or replacement bills for your motorcycle and other property should go in this location. This paperwork will help support your case for compensation.

  1. Notify your insurance company about the accident.

Contact your insurance company about your motorcycle crash as soon as possible. If you miss your insurance policy’s deadline for filing your claim, insurance will not cover it. Whenever you talk to your insurance company, stick to the facts: what happened, where and when it happened, and who was involved. Don’t say the accident was your fault.Instead, say that you’re waiting to see what the investigation reveals.

  1. Talk to a Motorcycle attorney.

A lawyer with experience handling motorcycle accident claims can help you negotiate with insurance companies, build a case for the compensation you need, and go to court to demand that the at-fault party be held accountable for the damage you have suffered.

Let Us Take the Burden Off You

At The Law Firm of Lorri Kline, We are committed to providing a superior level of client service to crash victims throughout Missouri. Our legal team will investigate your accident thoroughly, plan for possible obstacles in your case, and think “outside the box” to pursue the compensation you need.