Navigating the Personal Injury Claims Process in Missouri

Initial Steps (Part 1 of 4)

For comprehensive information be sure to check out parts 2, 3 & 4 in our “Navigating the Personal Injury Claims Process in Missouri” series. Early after being injured, it is essential to have your symptoms thoroughly evaluated and treated to ensure your well being.  You will want to continue treating until you are released from care and/or your treatment changes from attempts to cure your symptoms to instead be more permanent necessities to maintain your ‘new normal’.

As you, and/or those close to you are able, you will also want to be gathering relevant information that might be useful as evidence related to the cause of the accident and/or the injuries you have suffered.  Some examples of this variety of information might include medical records, police and/or investigative reports, witnesses contact information, surveillance footage, photographs of the scene, photographs of damage to vehicles involved, photographs of visible signs of injury to your body, and any other documentation that supports your claim.

The insurance companies involved, including your own, will often aggressively seek to speak to you and get a recorded statement from you.  These often include insurance companies asking leading questions that intend to box you into answers that frame your case and damages in a light more favorable to the insurance companies.

It is a good idea to speak with an experienced injury attorney before speaking much with your insurance company’s representatives or any other party’s insurers.  Then, an attorney can explain to you if / how they can add value to your case from the early stages all the way through resolution (or, it might be they advise you do not need an attorney in some instances).  Either way, that consultation is free, and if done well, should be extremely informative.

For More Information:

Understanding Personal Injury Accident Cases

What Is My Car Accident Case Worth?