Kansas City Car Accident Lawyers

Understanding Car Accidents

Car accidents can change your life. If you are injured or suffer significant damage, you may find yourself in a difficult situation. The best decision in such a situation would be to delegate most of the issues to Kansas City car accident lawyers. They will be able to provide professional legal support and protection of your interests. This will allow you to focus on your recovery from the accident.

Number and Factors of Car Accidents

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP), there were 878 fatal crashes and 31,599 injury crashes in Missouri in 2022. In total, in 2022, 964 people died in accidents and another 45,456 people received injuries of varying degrees of complexity.
From the MSHP report for 2022, the main factors that influenced road accidents can be identified:

Involvement Type	Fatal Crashes	Personal Injury Crashes	Property Damage Only Crashes
ATV	23	194	62
Aggressive Driver	571	20265	53022
Commercial Motor Vehicle	119	2756	12130
Construction/Work Zone	15	756	2529
Distracted Driver	80	4015	10964
Drinking Driver	131	1800	2761
Driver Over 64	201	6085	15606
Driver Under 25	210	10662	29612
Emergency Vehicle	4	236	1508
Motorcycle	145	1740	423
Over 55 Driver	355	11637	30756
School Bus	2	149	683
Speeding Driver	278	5379	11203
Stop Sign	68	3657	8611
Under 21 Driver	118	6230	17329
Vehicle Defect	22	762	2340
Yield Sign	16	670	3214

The Most Common Car Accidents and Dangerous Places

To understand the types of crashes that most often occur in Missouri, look again at the 2022 Missouri State Highway Patrol report:

Direction of Impact	Fatal Crashes	Personal Injury Crashes	Property Damage Only Crashes
Front to Front	107	1770	2242
Front to Rear	68	7710	26587
Sideswipe (Opposite Direction)	11	383	2154
Sideswipe (Same Direction)	15	1285	12216
Angle	162	10155	23000
Unknown	2	30	932
Other	1	59	601
Rear to Rear	0	8	306
Rear to Side	1	58	1384
Falling/Shifting Cargo (Set in motion by motor vehicle)	0	19	488

According to KCPD information for the third quarter of 2022, the most emergency locations in Kansas City were:

Crash Location	Leading Cause
I-70 & I-435	Lane Violations
Front St. & I-435	Lane Violations/Work Zone
39th St. & Broadway Blvd.	Rear end/Inattention
23rd St. & Van Brunt Blvd.	Red Light Violations
I-470 & Blue Ridge Blvd.	Varying Causes
I-70 & Blue Ridge Cut Off.	Rear end/Inattention
Meyer Blvd. & Troost Ave.	Red Light Violations
Front St. & I-35	Rear end/Inattention
55th St. & Bruce Watkins Dr.	Rear end/Inattention
Gregory & Bruce Watkins	Rear end/Inattention

Typical Injuries in Car Accidents

In Missouri, statistics show that nearly a quarter of crashes result in injury to those involved. The most common injuries:

• whiplash
• traumatic brain injuries
• bone fractures
• knee injuries
• internal organ injuries
• loss of limb
• lacerations
• spinal cord injuries
• burns

Features of the Legislation on Car Accidents in Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri has one of the longest deadlines for filing personal injury claims. It is 5 years from the beginning of the incident, except for filing a claim against a government agency.

Missouri law requires you to report a car accident in the following cases:

• there are dead or injured participants as a result of the accident
• property left unattended was damaged
• property damage exceeds $500.

The State of Missouri follows a comparative fault system for motor vehicle accidents. This means that the degree of guilt of each participant is determined and the amount of compensation is reduced by the percentage of guilt.

Missouri law defines a list of third parties that may be legally responsible for an accident:

• state and city governments are responsible for maintaining roads and installing signs and other traffic safety devices
• government contractors who have taken on responsibilities for maintaining roads and highways
• bars and restaurants may be sued for a drunk driver accident if they provided the driver with too much alcohol
• manufacturers of automobiles and auto parts fall under the classification of those at fault if the cause of the accident is proven to be due to defects in the vehicle or its components.

Missouri has minimum insurance limits for:
bodily injuries per person – 25,000
bodily injuries in the event of an accident – 50,000
material damage – 25,000

Benefits of Hiring Kansas City Car Accident Lawyers

To overcome the consequences of a car accident, it is best to seek the help of car accident lawyers. Their knowledge of personal injury laws and experience handling car accident cases will ensure you get the most out of your case. Lawyers help in the following aspects of the case:

Conducting an investigation
An experienced car accident lawyer in Kansas City will professionally investigate your case. Collecting evidence, working with witnesses, and studying the results of various examinations. All this is aimed at identifying the true culprits of the accident and minimizing your degree of guilt.

Professional Resources
Law firms often collaborate with specialists from various fields. Accident reconstruction specialists help you understand the cause of an accident in more detail. Medical professionals provide reports on the nature of the injuries received and their negative impact on the future. This knowledge helps strengthen the position of your case and is aimed at obtaining fair compensation.

Negotiation
Dealing with insurance companies can be challenging. Insurance companies’ interests are often not aligned with yours. Their task is to minimize payments for road accidents. An experienced lawyer, based on the collected case materials, can achieve a decent result through negotiations with the insurance company.

Legal representation in court
An experienced Kansas City car accident lawyer has a strong track record of advocating for his clients. Knowing all local personal injury laws and legal nuances will allow a lawyer to present your case in a favorable light. This will increase the chances of a successful settlement and maximum compensation.

Criteria for Selecting Car Accident Lawyers in Kansas City

Choosing a car accident lawyer should be taken very seriously. A good lawyer must meet many criteria. Here are some of them:

Specialization
Car accident lawyers in Kansas City should specialize in personal injury law. Their keen understanding of local personal injury laws allows them to achieve excellent results for their clients. Often, it is personal injury compensation that forms the bulk of the settlement amount.

Experience
This is one of the important criteria. A lawyer’s experience can be assessed in different ways. For example, find out how many cases the lawyer successfully resolved at the negotiation stage. Or how well the investigations were carried out and indisputable evidence was collected that guaranteed victory in legal battles. And the most revealing thing is what settlement amounts were obtained for the client. All this will indicate the lawyer’s experience.

Communication with the client
Of course, the main reason to hire a lawyer is to obtain maximum compensation for your car accident. At the same time, an important criterion will be the lawyer’s ability to win over the client. A good lawyer will always clearly explain the prospects of the case to the client. Will be able to inform the client about key points in the conduct of the case. This allows the client to feel supported and more easily cope with the emotional consequences of the accident.

Reputation
A lawyer’s reputation is like the cover of a book. The important thing here is to attract the attention and interest of a potential client. Therefore, lawyers take building their reputation very seriously. Reputation is recognition among colleagues for won cases and positive reviews from satisfied clients. A lawyer with a good reputation inspires trust.

Ideas for Finding Kansas City Car Accident Lawyers

First, you should start your search where it is possible to quickly assess the reputation and experience of lawyers.
Talk to your relatives, friends, and colleagues. Surely, some of them turned to car accident lawyers in Kansas City for help. They will be able to provide their reviews and opinions about the lawyers.
Next, consult specialized directories such as Avvo, FindLaw, or Martindale-Hubbell. They can help you find Kansas City car accident lawyers. Read about their experience and evaluate their reputation.

If the previous search did not give the desired results, then expand your search horizons.
Contact your local Kansas City Bar Association. They can provide you with a list of local qualified Kansas City car accident lawyers.
Also, check local legal advertisements. Select firms that specialize in car accidents.
And don’t forget about regular Internet searches. Find local law firm pages and read reviews from previous clients.

Now, having a list of potential candidates, you can conduct a selection and make a final decision. Initial, often free, legal consultations will help with this. Attend these consultations to evaluate the experience and communication style of lawyers.
Next, among all the candidates, choose the one that suits you.

If I Got into a Car Accident in Kansas City

If you get into a car accident, the algorithm for further actions is quite simple:

• check yourself and other participants for injuries
• seek medical help if necessary
• move to a safe place so as not to accidentally create another accident
• report the incident to the police
• collect all possible information on the accident: photos of the affected vehicles, contact information of participants in the accident, and witnesses
• be sure to notify your insurance company
• it is highly advisable to call a car accident lawyer in Kansas City

Don’t Do this After a Car Accident

To successfully settle car accident cases, you should avoid certain things after getting into an accident, namely:
Confessions of guilt. Everything you say can always be used against you in the future. Therefore, try to avoid conversations about admitting guilt. Don’t give any judgment to your actions.
Quick settlement of the case. When agreeing verbally or signing any papers, you must clearly understand what you are doing and what the consequences may be. If you have doubts or are not satisfied with anything in the proposed conditions, do not agree. Contact Kansas City car accident lawyers for help. He will help you deal with your case professionally and get decent compensation.
Ignoring medical care. No matter how simple your injury may seem to you, you should not delay seeking medical help. Injuries may not always appear immediately after an accident. By seeking medical help, you leave a window of opportunity to determine whether your possible injuries are related to the accident. This will allow you to claim compensation for your injuries resulting from the accident.

Car Accident Compensations in Kansas City

Any car accident is accompanied by damage to the participants. You can file a claim for economic and non-economic damages.

Medical bills, car repairs, the cost of damaged property, and lost wages or other income can all be considered economic damages. Economic damage can easily be objectively assessed and calculated. It can be confirmed by various invoices and receipts.

Non-economic damage is more subjective and may include:

• physical pain and suffering
• mental anguish
• loss of quality of life
• depression
• insomnia

You Can Avoid a Car Accident Following Simple Recommendations

Follow the rules of the road: do not exceed the speed limit, do not ignore road signs and traffic lights, use turn signals to indicate your intentions, and keep a safe distance.

Practice responsible driving: direct all your attention to the road situation, do not be distracted by various gadgets and activities, adjust your driving to weather conditions, and do not use an aggressive driving style.

Do not drive under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medications that reduce your reaction.

Keep your car in good condition and fully equipped with everything you need.

Plan your route to avoid traffic jams and, if possible, dangerous intersections.

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