Motor Vehicle Accident

According to the NHTSA, more than 23,000 individuals are killed, and approximately 2.8 million people are injured in motor vehicle accidents every year. As a society that relies on driving vehicles daily, it is no surprise that car collisions occur. What may be a simple rear-end can cause significant bodily damage. Each time you make contact with another moving force, you are causing parts of your body to suffer from an unnecessary force which can cause ligament damage, broken bones, and brain trauma. Most of the time, accidents are caused by someone’s negligence by running a red light, texting and driving, speeding, or otherwise driving carelessly.

What is negligence? As the authors of How to Hire Lawyers wrote:

“In Missouri, the legal definition of negligence is a breach of the duty of care that causes injury. To prove negligence, a plaintiff (the injured person who filed the lawsuit) must prove four things:

The existence of a duty of care;
A breach of the duty of care;
An injury, and;
Causation between the breach of the injury.

To fully comprehend the definition of negligence, it is important to understand the role of each element within the context of a personal injury case.”

You can read more about this chapter in How to Hire Lawyers on Amazon.

Common Causes of Car Accidents

Most motor vehicle accidents are easily avoidable. Car accidents are a common occurrence, and the simplest negligence can be life-threatening, including:

Texting and driving
Careless driving
Driving under the influence
Driving too fast for conditions (rain, snow, ice, fog, etc.)
Failing to keep a proper lookout (i.e., running a red light or stop sign)
Following too closely

Medical Treatment after an Auto Accident

It is essential that after a motor vehicle accident, you receive all the necessary medical treatment that you require. Remember to tell your doctor all the symptoms, pains, and aches you have so that they can be documented.

If you are suffering from sprains and strains, you must see the right doctor help you recover from your injuries.

Making Your Auto Accident Personal Injury Case

The attorney you hire to help settle your motor vehicle accident claim will collect all of your medical records, bills, lost wages, and out-of-pocket expenses related to your medical treatment. They will also obtain the police report and create a demand package for you. This demand package gets sent to the insurance adjuster outlining the insurance company's liability in the matter, the damages that their insured caused to you, your total amount of medical expenses and lost wages if any, and the first settlement offer.

You and the attorney will discuss your case before sending this demand to receive your approval on the matter and will be able to give you a rough period of how things will progress as well as where your case may end up settling.