St. Louis Auto Accident Attorney

Goldson Hoekel, LLC represents individuals and families who have been injured in a St. Louis car crash due to the negligence of another party.  From our office in St. Louis, we are well-positioned to assist clients throughout eastern Missouri, including the counties of Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Genevieve, and St. Francois.  In addition, if you are injured and can’t come to us, we will come to you.

St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer

If you have been involved in a St. Louis car crash, you need an experienced St. Louis personal injury attorney who understands the many complex issues involved in your unique case.  Car accidents may involve negligence from multiple parties, including multiple negligent drivers or car manufacturers who are guilty of releasing defective car parts into use in the marketplace.  They may involve injuries to drivers, passengers, and/or pedestrians.  When a negligent driver or injured party is on-the-job during the accident, your case may even involve issues of St. Louis workers’ compensation.  Finally, car accidents almost always necessitate dealing with insurance companies, whether you or the other party is fully-insured, St. Louis underinsured, or completely uninsured.

As attorneys with prior experience in defending against personal injury claims, we understand the tactics that insurance companies use to minimize payments to injury victims, and we use this insight to our client’s advantage in obtaining the best settlement or verdict for our client.  Not only are we experienced in personal injury cases generally, we have significant expertise in all the specialized issues that may arise in car accidents, including products liability, insurance, and worker’s compensation.  With us, you can rest easy knowing you are in good hands.

Driver Negligence

According to the Missouri State High Patrol, there were 38,885 motor vehicle crashes in 2008 which caused 55,149 personal injuries and 960 deaths.  Of these crashes, many were caused by negligent driving, including 29,257 crashes involving speeding.  Other common examples of driver negligence may include failing to obey traffic rules or signs, texting or using cell phones, and driving too fast for weather or road conditions.  When a crash is caused by driver negligence or recklessness, negligent drivers may be held liable for any injuries or property damage caused.

What to do after a St. Louis Auto Accident

If you or a loved one has been involved in a St. Louis auto accident, you need to quickly retain a reputable St. Louis auto accident law firm, and obtain prompt medical attention.  If serious injuries are sustained, you might require immediate emergency care and need to be transported from the scene of the accident to the nearest hospital.  If the injuries are not life-threatening, you will want to be seen by your doctor or a physician at an urgent care clinic as soon as possible.  Many times the injuries are not apparent right away due to the trauma your body has sustained.  However, regardless of whether or not you believe you have received injuries you should always be examined by a medical care professional to make certain that you have no injuries, or to ensure that you receive the proper medical care for your injuries.

With the amount of auto collisions these days, many times the police will not arrive on the scene unless the injuries are serious enough to require ambulance transportation or a vehicle is too damaged to drive.  If the police do not arrive on the scene, it is important that you file a police report.  You should call the local Police Department, give them the location of the accident and request to file a police report.  This will document the facts of the accident, and you will have a record of the accident.  You will want to obtain all the information from the other involved parties; names, address, phone numbers, drivers license number, vehicle description, license plate number, name and policy number for the insurance company.

Drunk Driving

Another type of driver negligence includes drunk driving.  In 2008, there were 7,373 motor vehicle accidents involving alcohol.  Although drunk driving, or driving while intoxicated (DWI), is often a prosecutable crime, any injured parties can also sue the drunk driver or driver’s insurer in civil court for damages, including economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages, and non-economic damages such as pain, suffering, and emotional distress.

Defective Products

In addition to driver negligence, car crashes can be caused by St. Louis defective products, such as tires, brakes, or headlights, or by negligent road maintenance or design.  When a defective car part causes an accident, the manufacturer of that part may be held strictly liable for all injuries and property damage arising out of the accident.  In these cases, the injured party does not need to prove the manufacturer was negligent in the design or manufacture of the product, but only that the product caused the accident and injuries.  However, it is often difficult to determine whether a product was the cause of an accident, and it takes careful investigation and persuasive oral arguments to convince a judge or jury that a manufacturer is liable.

St. Louis Personal Injury Representation

For over 15 years, our attorneys have represented clients in all types of complex St. Louis personal injury cases involving car accidents.  For experience you can trust, contact Goldson Hoekel, LLC today.