As a Kansas City car accident victim, you can experience pain and suffering because of someone else’s poor judgment. This should not be taken lightly as car crashes can often be life-altering. The most recent annual report from the Kansas City Police shows 89 fatalities from traffic accidents in 2022 alone. [1]
Many car accident victims are entitled to receive compensation from one or more parties responsible for the accident. However, the path to recover compensation isn’t always easy, and it’s best not navigated on your own.
Read on to find out how the best car accident lawyers can help you protect your rights and improve your chances of receiving fair compensation.
Why You Need an Experienced Attorney After a Car Crash
You need to have an experienced Kansas City car accident lawyer fighting for your rights after a car accident. We know how to best utilize all of the legal options to get you the maximum compensation.
We’re also well aware of all the tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying what they should and if there’s no settlement, your personal injury attorney can take the case to trial to obtain a favorable outcome.
Having a car accident lawyer in your corner also helps with:
- Independent Investigation – A thorough investigation is necessary to determine fault, which will form the basis of your legal claim. Our experienced lawyers also work with auto accident reconstruction experts to conduct an effective investigation.
- Accurate Valuation – Your car accident lawyer will ascertain who all of the liable parties are that you may have a claim against. The claim will be accurately valued so you get the maximum compensation.
- Negotiate Settlements – Backed by evidence, medical records, and a solid legal foundation, your lawyer will then negotiate a favorable settlement with the insurance company. We know how to beat the insurance companies at their own game.
- No Upfront Fees – Our law firm doesn’t charge car accident clients an upfront fee. Everything is handled for you from start to finish, including the trial, without you having to pay anything.
Damages Our Kansas City Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You Recover
Our Kansas City personal injury attorneys can help you claim both economic and non-economic damages from all liable parties following a car accident. We also help the family members of deceased victims with wrongful death claims. The amount claimed as damages depends on several different factors.
- Medical bills – You’ll get compensated for all of your medical bills, including ambulance rides, ER visits, surgeries, hospital stays, long-term care, and assistive medical equipment.
- Lost wages – If you had to miss work due to the injuries suffered in the car accident, you’re entitled to claim lost wages. This also includes the loss of potential future income.
- Property damage – You’ll be compensated for the cost of vehicle repairs or replacement, as well as for any other personal property that may have been damaged in the accident.
- Pain and suffering – You’re also entitled to be compensated for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, emotional trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the loss of enjoyment of life.
- Reduced quality of life – Your quality of life may be permanently reduced as a result of the injuries you’ve suffered. For example, if back and neck injuries prevent you from doing the things you enjoy, you may be entitled to compensation.
- Scarring and disfigurement – These non-economic damages are also often awarded to car accident victims, as compensation for this lifelong trauma.
Financial Compensation We Can Secure for Car Accident Victims
There isn’t a fixed amount that’s paid out as standard compensation to all Kansas City car accident victims. Since the facts differ for every case, so does the amount of compensation. As your personal injury attorneys, our focus is always to build a robust case, getting you the maximum compensation possible.
At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we’ve helped clients win settlements in car accident cases ranging from $7 million for a pedestrian who was struck by a company car working for a national medical supplier to $14.5 million in a wrongful death claim filed by the family of a deceased victim who was hit by a truck.
Factors Affecting Car Accident Settlement Amounts
Car accident settlement amounts can vary significantly based on many different factors, even where in the Kansas City area your accident took place, including:
- Extent of Injuries – The seriousness of injuries directly impacts how much can be claimed in damages.
- Available Evidence – If solid evidence is available to support your claim, you have a higher chance of winning maximum compensation.
- Medical Expenses – Compensation can be claimed for all existing and future medical expenses or treatments required for injuries caused by the accident.
- Pain and Suffering – Non-economic damages for pain and suffering, including emotional trauma, can also be claimed.
- Insurance Policy Limits – Given the no-fault nature of Kansas and the at-fault laws of Missouri, based on where the accident happened, different insurance policy limits may cap how much you’re able to win in damages.
Legal Liability in Motor Vehicle Accidents
You may be entitled to receive compensation from two or more parties, depending on how they contributed to the accident in Kansas City. Their liability for the accident can include:
- Accident and Death – The most common claims made following car accidents include injury claims from the injury victims or a death lawsuit by the victim’s family members.
- Defective Products – The car manufacturer or a supplier of defective parts can be held liable if a faulty product caused the accident. For example, a supplier of brake lines can be sued if it’s established the product was utilized despite having a known fault that prevented safe braking.
- Government Liability – Improperly maintained roads may result in car accidents, making government departments liable. A collision caused by a government vehicle like a police car, for example, also creates liability.
- DRAM Shop Liability – If your accident was caused by a drunk driver, you could sue the establishment that continued to serve them alcohol, with the driver ultimately causing the accident due to their impaired driving.
How Fault Affects Car Accident Cases
Where you make your initial claim for compensation depends on where in Kansas City the accident occurred.
Since Kansas is a no-fault state, if the accident occurred on the Kansas side of the border, you’ll first turn to your own insurance company to get compensation for medical bills and other expenses, regardless of who was at fault for the car accident.
On the other hand, Missouri is an at-fault state. This means that the person who’s found to be at fault for the accident is responsible for the damages, so you’ll file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company.
Both states also follow a comparative negligence system which adds a layer of complexity on how blame for the motor vehicle accident is assigned.
The Basis of Car Accident Claims
Negligence forms the basis of car accident insurance claims. You must establish the at-fault driver owed you a duty of care, and that a breach of that duty caused the accident which resulted in your injuries. All drivers owe a duty of care to other road users that they’ll drive safely and obey the rules of the road to prevent auto accidents.
Missouri’s comparative negligence system enables plaintiffs to claim damages as long as they’re less than 50% at fault for the accident. Their recovery from the at-fault driver could be reduced in proportion to the fault assigned to them.
Kansas has a modified comparative negligence system where if the plaintiff is found to be more at fault for the accident, they may be precluded from obtaining damages.
You Have Limited Time to File a Car Accident Claim
You must move quickly and file your car accident claim within a specified period of time called the statute of limitations. Otherwise, it won’t be allowed. The amount of time you have to file the injury claim depends on where in Kansas City the car accident occurred.
If it happened on the Kansas side of the border, you have two years from the date of the accident to file the claim. If the accident happened in Missouri, you have five years from the date of the crash to start the process.
Working with an experienced lawyer helps ensure the claim is filed within these timeframes and the process for recovering compensation isn’t derailed.
Types of Cases Our Car Accident Attorneys Handle
It’s someone else’s negligence that altered the course of your life. You shouldn’t have to suffer because of it. We fight for you every step of the way to help you regain control of your life. Our attorneys are highly skilled at dealing with the different types of car accidents, including:
- Rear-End Collisions – These accidents happen when a driver either follows the car in front too closely or fails to slow down safely if the car ahead brakes suddenly, thus driving straight into the vehicle from behind. Serious neck injuries can occur.
- Unsafe Driving – Negligent motorists indulging in unsafe behaviors, such as drowsy driving, distracted or drunk driving, merging without checking their blind spot, or disregarding the rules of the road often cause serious accidents. The Kansas City Police annual report shows 1,035 DUI citations were issued in 2022. [2]
- Head-On Collision – Two vehicles crashing straight into each other head-on typically results in severe injuries due to the serious nature of the accident.
- T-Bone Accidents – A vehicle that strikes another at an angle causes a T-Bone accident which may also result in the other vehicle rolling over.
- Faulty Parts – A faulty part or manufacturing defect can play a contributing role in your accident. We can pursue insurance claims against those manufacturers to get you compensation.
- Multi-Vehicle Accidents – Accidents involving multiple vehicles frequently occur on busy roads and highways. They can be challenging injury cases as the at-fault driver may share fault with many other defendants.
The Most Common Causes of Kansas City Car Accidents
Even though the facts of every car accident case tend to be unique, you’ll typically find a common thread in most accidents. These common causes include:
- Drunk Driving – People often exercise poor judgment and drive when they’re drunk. This leaves them incapable of safely operating a vehicle, resulting in serious accidents.
- Distracted, Fatigued and Aggressive Driving – People who drive when they’re in no state to safely drive, or indulge in excessive road rage will often cause car accidents.
- Defective Vehicle or Parts – A defect in the vehicle’s design or one of its components can prevent safe operation, with the accident being caused by a malfunction.
- Ignoring Traffic Laws – Drivers who don’t follow the rules of the road, disregard the speed limit, and ignore traffic laws seriously put others at risk. The 1,897 signal violation citations issued by the Kansas City Police in 2022 show it’s a major risk many drivers don’t take seriously. [3]
- Bad Weather – Bad weather conditions, such as heavy rain or fog, severely limit visibility and make it difficult to safely operate a vehicle on the road.
The Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections in and Around Kansas City
A list revealed by the Kansas City Policy, last updated in late 2022, highlights some of the city’s most dangerous intersections where many car accidents have happened. [4] These include:
- Gregory and U.S. 71 Highway – 40 crashes were recorded here with frequent red light runners.
- 55th and U.S. 71 Highway – This intersection saw 38 crashes, mostly involving rear-end collisions.
- 75th and Ward Pkwy – There were 27 crashes at this intersection, mostly caused by drivers failing to yield.
- Independence and Van Brunt – Of the 20 crashes at this intersection, improper lane use was cited as a common cause.
Car Accident Injuries Sustained by Crash Victims
Car accidents can cause serious injuries that may even cause lifelong disability. Some of the most common severe injuries victims sustain include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries – These car accident injuries usually happen when there’s blunt force trauma to the head and/or when the victim’s head whips back and forth with considerable force.
- Broken Bones – Fractures are a common injury in car crashes. Bones may break in the arms, wrists, legs, shoulders, and other parts of the body due to the collision impact.
- Spinal Cord Injuries – If the spinal cord is damaged due to trauma, the accident victim may become paralyzed and be unable to move their arms or legs.
- Deep Cuts – The flying metal and glass debris can leave deep cuts in the face and other parts of the body. They may never heal entirely and force the victim to live with lifelong disfigurement.
The Time It Takes to Settle a Car Crash Personal Injury Lawsuit
You should expect a settlement for your Kansas City injury lawsuit to come in 4 – 6 months. It may come sooner if the case isn’t as complex and the insurance company pays out in full. It could take longer if there are multiple defendants, the at-fault driver’s insurance company stonewalls, or if the case has to go to trial.
We understand the emotional distress of having to wait for compensation. That’s why it’s recommended to quickly hire a Kansas City personal injury lawyer so the process begins sooner and can be wrapped up without much delay.
The Cost of Hiring a Kansas City Car Accident Attorney
Our mission is to ensure access to justice for injury victims. We have experienced Kansas City car accident lawyers standing by 24/7 to evaluate your case for free. They’ll advise you on the legal process to be utilized and provide an estimate of how much you could potentially win.
You won’t have to pay a single cent while we conduct the investigation, prepare your case, negotiate with the insurance companies, or even take the case to trial. We work on a contingency fee basis.
This means you don’t pay anything throughout the entire process. Our personal injury law firm only gets paid once you receive a settlement. Our fee will be a percentage of that settlement. If your legal team doesn’t win, you don’t pay anything.
Filing a Car Accident Claim With Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers
Our Kansas City car accident attorneys follow a results-oriented process to secure maximum compensation for your claim. Here’s how the process works:
- Free Case Evaluation – Your case will be evaluated for free. You’ll be advised on all legal options available to you, what parties you may have a claim against, and how much you could potentially win in damages.
- Case Investigation – Our law firm will conduct a thorough investigation of your case, secure evidence, and obtain eyewitness testimonies to create an effective legal foundation. We’ll also work with leading experts in relevant fields to further solidify your claim.
- Assertive Negotiations – We assert the seriousness of your claim in negotiations with insurance companies and rely on the strong evidence we’ve collected to get you the payout you deserve.
- Going to Trial – If negotiations fall through, your skilled car accident attorney won’t hesitate to move forward to trial.
Contact a Kansas City Car Accident Lawyer Today!
Our attorneys will leave no stone unturned in getting you the highest damage award possible. All you have to do is reach out for a free consultation and speak to one of our Kansas City car accident lawyers.
Your car accident case will be thoroughly evaluated and a robust personal injury lawsuit will be prepared based on the evidence. We’ll negotiate with the insurance companies from a position of strength to win big.
Give our legal team a call at (888) 424-5757. We’re standing by to take your call and are committed to getting you justice.