St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer

Types of Personal Injury Cases

Since there is a wide range of harm that individuals can cause, there are several different types of injury cases. Most fall into a handful of categories, depending on how and where the injury occurred.

Accidental Injury

This is the most common type of personal injury claim and typically involves accident victims who suffered injuries during vehicle collisions like:

• Car accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Truck accidents
• Bicycle accidents

Accident victims usually seek financial compensation from the at-fault driver’s auto insurance company.

Intentional Injury

When someone causes harm with intention, whether it’s bodily injury to another person or intentional damage to property, it’s often called an “intentional tort.”

Some common instances of intentional injury cases include:

• Assault and battery
• Domestic violence
• Vandalism
• Inflicting emotional distress intentionally

There are sometimes criminal charges brought against the party responsible for intentional injuries, but civil claims can also be filed so that personal injury victims can attempt to recover damages.

Workplace Injury

An accidental injury that occurs in the workplace usually results in a workers’ compensation claim. However, if an employee can prove that the injury or harm occurred as a result of the employer’s negligence, a personal injury claim can often be filed to recover damages.

Employer negligence can include:

• Unsafe working conditions
• Improper maintenance of equipment
• Lack of proper training

In a workplace personal injury claim in Missouri, the plaintiff can often receive compensation for non-economic damages like pain and suffering or reduced quality of life. In workers’ comp claims, however, only medical expenses and lost wages can be recovered.

Product Liability

A person who incurs harm due to a product malfunction can seek financial compensation in the form of a product liability claim. These injury cases are often prompted by product recalls on items like vehicles, home improvement equipment, or even medical devices.

Premise Liability

When someone is injured while on someone else’s property, they may be able to seek compensation from the owner of the property. The plaintiff will have to prove, however, that the property owner’s negligence caused the injury.

One of the most common examples of premise liability claims is a slip and fall accident that occurs due to unsafe walking conditions.

Medical Malpractice

An injury or illness that happens as a result of a medical professional’s negligence can have dire consequences. Patients must be able to prove that the medical professional acted with inappropriate or unlawful actions during treatment.

Defamation

Not all injuries are physical, and defamation claims are proof of that. These civil lawsuits typically happen after the defendant made slanderous or libelous statements about the plaintiff that caused irreparable harm to the plaintiff’s reputation.

Personal Injury Statutes in Missouri

Personal injury claims in the Show-Me State are subject to certain guidelines according to Missouri Law.

What is “Comparative Fault”?

Missouri is an “at-fault” state when it comes to personal injury claims, which means the insurance company of the responsible party is required to pay damages associated with the incident.

However, the state uses a Comparative Fault system, which determines what percentage of fault is assigned to each party. In the case of a car accident, for example, it could be determined that the at-fault driver shares only 70% of the fault for the accident, which means they’ll only have to pay 70% of the awarded settlement.

How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Missouri?

The deadline for when legal action can be initiated is called a Statute of Limitations. According to Missouri personal injury law, injured victims have five years from the date of the injury to file a claim.

What Happens When a Government Entity is Negligent?

If someone is injured due to the negligence of the state of Missouri or a state employee, a personal injury lawsuit may be filed, but the statute of limitations is much shorter. Injured parties have only 90 days from the date of the injury to file a claim or complaint.

Lawsuits brought against the state or its employees have complicated restrictions, so it’s crucial to speak with experienced St. Louis personal injury attorneys to be sure you’re fairly compensated by the state government so you can receive maximum compensation.

Let a Personal Injury Attorney Help

If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, having legal representation on your side has some vital benefits:

• You’ll have legal knowledge on your side throughout the process.
• You’ll have access to an attorney’s network of connections, including medical and economic experts.
• You can focus on getting better instead of the stress of all the legal legwork.

Make sure you get the compensation you deserve for serious injuries by speaking with a St. Louis personal injury lawyer as soon as possible about your case. At Jett Accident & Injury Lawyers, we operate on a “contingency fee basis,” meaning we don’t get paid unless you get a settlement.