When Should I Contact a Lawyer After a Personal Injury Accident in Missouri?

Duckworth Injury Law Is a Fast-Acting Personal Injury Law Firm Ready to Help You File a Claim After an Accident

If you have recently been involved in an injury causing accident such as a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, or boating accident, you’re likely wondering when the right time is to contact an attorney. The truth is, the earlier an accident attorney can get involved in your case, the better and the more efficient outcome your accident lawyer can typically deliver for you. 



However, we also understand that retaining an attorney may not be the first thing on your mind following a serious injury accident – and rightfully so. First and foremost, you need to focus on your physical wellbeing after a crash, including obtaining emergency medical care if necessary. Next, and only if you’re physically able to do so, you should attempt to preserve any physical evidence relating to the accident. This includes photographing the scene of the accident as well as any property damage (e.g., vehicle damage), documenting names of parties and witnesses involved, and obtaining insurance information from the at-fault party.

Contact a personal injury attorney in Missouri as soon as you are able after an accident 

At this point, and certainly prior to giving a statement to any insurance company (including your own), you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney for guidance on how to proceed. A knowledgeable injury attorney will be able to advise you on what information (if any) may be shared with the insurance company(s), how medical bills should be handled moving forward, where you can obtain further medical treatment if needed, and how the property damage claim will proceed, among any other questions and concerns you may have. 

The risks of waiting to hire a personal injury lawyer for several weeks or months following an accident are many

For one, evidence is often more difficult to preserve and/or obtain the more time that passes after an accident. Vehicles are disposed of, witnesses’ memories fade, and electronic data may be destroyed. Your attorney will want to quickly send “preservation letters” to the applicable parties, advising them that they should not delete or alter any relevant photos, videos, documents, or other evidence relating to your accident. Your accident attorney will also want to begin collecting evidence, including things like vehicle “black box” downloads, scene inspections, and witness statements. 

Second, the insurance company for the at-fault party will likely attempt to contact you in the days following a crash and will request a statement regarding how the crash occurred and your resulting injuries. Oftentimes, the insurance company will ask leading questions in an effort to get you to admit to certain things or will frame questions in a confusing or ambiguous manner to see how you respond. These recorded statements are often used against you in your injury claim and/or case. Once you hire an accident lawyer, the insurance company will only be permitted to communicate through your lawyer, ensuring that no inadvertent statements are made by you. 

Third, medical bills are often improperly handled by hospitals and/or health insurance companies after an accident. In an effort to obtain a higher payment on your medical bills, hospitals will often forgo sending your bills to health insurance and will instead attempt to assert a lien on your injury claim. An experienced personal injury attorney will monitor how your bills are being handled and will step in if necessary to ensure your bills are processed correctly.

Fourth, the at-fault party’s insurance company may make you a settlement offer quickly after your accident claim (and prior to you obtaining counsel). Unrepresented parties often attempt to handle the claim on their own and enter into settlement negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurance company prematurely and without knowledge of their claim’s value. Oftentimes, unrepresented parties will make a counteroffer to the insurance company’s initial offer, which is usually far less than the true value of their claim. This can create an “anchor” effect in later settlement demands, making it more difficult for your personal injury attorney to obtain a higher figure than your previously demanded number. 

And finally, your claim will be governed by a statute of limitations, which will require your case to be filed with the appropriate court within a set period of time. If not filed properly within the applicable statute of limitations, your claim may be forever barred. In Missouri, most tort claims (such as negligence in causing a car accident) typically have a 5-year statute of limitations, while wrongful death claims (such as a loved one killed by a negligent boat operator) typically have just a 3-year statute of limitations. However, there are many exceptions to these general timeframes, with certain claims having far shorter or longer filing periods. As such, it’s important that a personal injury attorney reviews the facts particular to your case to determine your applicable statute of limitations. 

When You Are Well Enough to Start Seeking Compensation for Your Personal Injury Causing Accident in Missouri, Duckworth Injury Law Is Ready to Fight

In summary, once your physical injuries have been stabilized, it is usually in your best interest to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident. At Duckworth Injury Law, we prefer to meet with our clients as soon as possible after a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, or boating accident. Not only does it allow Attorney EC Duckworth a chance to answer any questions you may have and hopefully reduce your stress level following an accident, it also allows him the chance to start digging into your case right away (preserving/gathering evidence, establishing liability, etc.). We understand that your injuries may prevent you from traveling to our office in Columbia, Missouri right away after your crash, and as such, Attorney Duckworth is happy to travel to your location to meet in person. 

Whether your accident involves a car crash in Columbia, MO, a trucking accident outside Jefferson City, MO, or a boating collision at the Lake of the Ozarks, MO, or anywhere else across mid-Missouri, EC Duckworth will make it his priority to be there for you in your time of need (whether that means meeting you at your home, the hospital, a local coffee shop, or meeting you at our office). As such, don’t delay in reaching out to our firm following your injury causing accident – contact Duckworth Injury Law today.