There are some instances when hiring a St. Louis car accident attorney is not only a smart move, but a critical one.
When you are in a car accident in Missouri, you might decide to “go it alone” and try to handle it without the help of a St. Louis car accident attorney. However, you may be making a very costly mistake. Ideally, you could work with the insurance company to reach a fair settlement and get the matter resolved. The problem is, insurance companies do not have your best interests in mind. Since you have to calculate what your injury is worth in order to know if you are receiving a fair settlement, any car accident where there are injuries and damages are best handled by an attorney. There are some instances when hiring a St. Louis car accident attorney is not only a smart move, but a critical one.
You Are Hit by an Uninsured Motorist
Although carrying a mandatory minimum liability insurance policy is required by Missouri law, unfortunately, not everyone follows that law. It is also not mandatory for a driver to take out additional uninsured motorist coverage. So if you don’t, then you might be left on the hook for your damages. If you are hit by someone who wasn’t carrying insurance, it is critical that you hire a St. Louis car accident lawyer to help you figure out how to get your damages and injuries covered.
If There Is a Question About Who Is at Fault
Missouri law dictates that when you are in a car accident, someone is deemed at fault and liable to pay for resulting injuries and damages. If there is a question about whether you or the other driver was at fault, then it is always a good idea to hire a St. Louis car accident attorney. If you are found at fault, it can severely impact your auto insurance rates and it could limit your ability to have your damages covered.
The Insurance Company Is Offering You a Settlement
The ideal situation in a car accident is to settle for your damages and injuries out of court. But if you aren’t entirely sure what you are entitled to, it is going to be difficult to know whether you are getting a fair settlement offer or not. The best way to understand whether or not you are being offered a settlement that covers both your economic and non-economic damages is to have a St. Louis car accident attorney look it over. The minute that you sign on the dotted line to accept a settlement, you absolve the insurance company from any further financial obligation. Make sure that you have taken all things into consideration for both the here and now and the future by having a lawyer look it over.
Although most drivers want to handle their car accident without an attorney, it is rarely a good idea. If any of the above situations describe your car accident, then it is imperative that you hire a St. Louis car accident attorney to protect your best interests. In fact, the best way to ensure that your legal rights are protected is to contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible following an auto accident. You can be sure that right from the start, the insurance company will be working to minimize your claim. Having an experienced attorney on your side can make all the difference in receiving the full amount of compensation you are entitled to.