Personal Injury Lawyer, St. Charles, MO

A sudden personal injury can cause numerous personal and financial losses. Medical treatment and procedures can be expensive, and while you are recovering, you may be losing significant income. Depending on the type of accident, you may have costly repairs to a vehicle or other personal property. There are also significant mental and emotional damages from an accident. When the injury was the result of another party’s negligence, these losses could be compensated.

A skilled personal injury lawyer in St. Charles, MO, can help injured individuals and their families recover much-needed financial support after an accident. You should not have to shoulder these costs when they are someone else’s fault. The right attorney can protect your rights and is likely to secure you the most beneficial result in a claim.

Wendt Law Firm P.C.: Personal Injury Lawyer in St. Charles, MO

A personal injury is a vulnerable and stressful time of your life, and it is important that you entrust your case to a lawyer you feel confident in. Wendt Law Firm P.C. has more than 50 combined years of experience in personal injury cases like yours. Our team has managed many types of personal injury claims, including complex cases, and resolved them in litigation and out-of-court settlements.

Our attorneys can review the facts of your accident to determine if you have a valid personal injury claim. If you do, we can list the options you have to recover compensation and negotiate a claim that fairly and completely covers your damages. We provide compassionate legal care and fight for your financial interests. You can recover from your injury, assured that our team is advocating for the most beneficial outcome to cover your losses.

When Do You Have a Valid Personal Injury Claim?

Not all injuries or accidents result in a personal injury claim. In order to file a civil claim against another party to recover your damages, they must be found legally liable. Liability is most often based on negligence, meaning that the party failed to take an appropriate level of care for your safety, and others in the same situation would have acted more reasonably to prevent injury. Liability can also be based on intentional or malicious acts, but this is less common.

For a valid personal injury claim, there must be evidence to prove the following elements:

1. Duty of care, meaning the other party owed you a duty of reasonable care. For example, drivers have a duty of care to others on the road, and medical providers have a professional duty of care they must meet for their patients.
2. Breach of duty, meaning the party breached their duty of care. This may include criminal acts, negligent action or inaction, or another type of breach.
3. Causation, meaning there was a direct link between the breach of duty of care and the accident and your injuries. Simply being negligent is insufficient for a claim, as that negligence must have actually caused the accident.
4. Damages, meaning you suffered economic and non-economic damages as a result of the accident and your injury. This may include physical pain, medical bills, lost income, and emotional trauma.

There are also certain types of personal injury claims that do not require these exact elements because the party is held liable under strict liability. This could include the manufacturer of a defective product or the owner of an attacking dog.

Discussing your injury and accident with an attorney is important if you think you have a claim or if you are not sure if your injury qualifies. An experienced attorney can review your situation and determine if you have the grounds for a civil claim.

Personal Injury Claims We Manage at Wendt Law Firm

As you review personal injury attorneys to help with your case, there are several factors to consider, including their years of experience, their reputation with their clients and other firms, and their past successes.

You also importantly want to look at the areas of personal injury law they have worked in. It can benefit your claim when your lawyer has worked on cases of a similar complexity, of the same type of incident, or resulted in similar injuries. This experience can be invaluable in your own claim. At Wendt Law Firm P.C., we have worked on many types of personal injury cases, including:

Motor Vehicle Collisions

Car accidents and other motor vehicle crashes are one of the most common reasons that personal injuries occur. These collisions can involve commercial trucks, passenger vehicles, private and public buses, motorcycles, and other vehicles.

Although crashes occur often, they are not often easy to navigate. Most car accidents are dealt with through car insurance claims, and these insurance companies work to limit their own liability in a collision. Working with an attorney means that a third party will investigate the accident to determine fault and liability, and you do not have to negotiate directly with an insurance adjuster. Your attorney can also determine if your situation warrants a civil claim.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

Collisions between motor vehicles and bicyclists or pedestrians can cause serious damage to the latter. Bicyclists and pedestrians can suffer injuries like traumatic brain injuries, broken and fractured bones, neck and back injuries, and spinal cord damage. Bicycles and pedestrians can also suffer harm from hazards on the road or sidewalks if they are improperly maintained or near a construction site if safety precautions are not followed.

An attorney can help an injured individual determine if they have grounds for a claim against a negligent driver, property owner, or agency.

Aviation and Aircraft Accidents

These collisions and incidents can happen on commercial and corporate planes, private flights, helicopters, and other aircraft. There are many ways that another party may be liable for an injury you sustained in an aviation accident. The crew, those responsible for training the crew, a manufacturer, or other parties may be liable. An experienced attorney can review the situation, investigate the cause, and determine if you have a viable personal injury claim.

Boat Accidents

There are many potential causes of injuries while on boats, and boats can also cause damage and injuries like any vehicle on land. Boat operators can be negligent in many ways, causing them to collide with objects, other boats, and even people. These collisions can also hurt those on the boat.

A boat operator may be under the influence or not paying attention. Hazards on a boat also include complex equipment. If there is a manufacturing defect or the equipment has not been properly maintained, it can hurt someone on the boat.

Depending on the cause of an injury from a boat accident, there may be several liable parties. An attorney can investigate the situation and determine if you have a valid claim.

Dog and Animal Attacks

Dog bites and other injuries caused by pets are the strict liability of the owner of the animal. There are only small exceptions, such as if the individual provoked the dog or they were attacked while they were illegally on premises. In most cases, the owner is liable. Dog attacks can cause puncture wounds, crushing injuries, infection, and other serious long-term damage.

Premises Liability

The most common type of premises liability claim is a slip-and-fall claim. Premises liability claims are filed when a property owner or manager fails to address hazards on their premises in a reasonable period of time. Property hazards could include spills, uneven walkways, low lighting, tripping hazards, broken stairs, broken safety railings, and other dangers.

Asbestos Exposure

Long-term exposure to asbestos particles can cause permanent lung damage and increase the risk of respiratory illnesses and cancers like mesothelioma. Those with a higher likelihood of exposure have a higher risk of these diseases, such as demolition employees, construction workers, and miners who work near asbestos deposits. These claims can be complicated, and an attorney can provide significant benefits.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice and negligence occur when healthcare providers fail to uphold their professional standard of care to the patients they have agreed to treat. This may include nurses, surgeons, pharmacists, and other medical professionals. Medical negligence can cause serious harm to patients and may lead to death. Medical providers must be held liable for their failures.

Nursing Home Negligence and Abuse

Elderly loved ones who need frequent care often become residents of nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. These facilities are responsible for providing medical and personal care to their residents.

When negligence or abuse by staff or other individuals causes serious injury or death to the residents in their care, they should be held liable for their unacceptable behavior. Comprehensive investigations are important to determine negligent parties and protect the well-being of all the residents.

Sexual Assault

The physical, emotional, and psychological damages of sexual assault or abuse are serious. Victims of these crimes may not initially think of filing a civil claim against their abuser, but it is possible to file both a criminal case and a civil claim.

Recovering damages can be a way to hold the at-fault party accountable for their despicable actions and benefit the injured individual during their recovery. An attorney who understands how these claims work can be very beneficial throughout the entire process.

Wrongful Death

A wrongful death claim is a type of personal injury claim that is filed by surviving family members. If the deceased should have been eligible for a personal injury claim had they survived, then their family likely has grounds for a wrongful death claim.

This claim can recover damages like loss of financial support, medical treatment bills, and funeral costs. A wrongful death claim will never replace the immense loss of a loved one, but it can provide a sense of closure and financial stability.

How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer in St. Charles, MO, Help Me?

Many personal injury claims deal with insurance companies, often those hired by very large corporations. Fighting against these companies while you are in a vulnerable recovery state is incredibly difficult. An insurance adjuster only has the goal of limiting their liability, and this may include undermining a good faith claim. The insurance company may claim that you are partially liable or even fully at fault for your injuries.

An experienced personal injury attorney knows these tactics and how to combat them. Often, insurance adjusters do not even try these tactics when discussing your accident with an attorney. Your attorney can enter negotiations with a complete understanding of your injuries, other losses, and what those damages are worth. If they cannot secure a fair settlement that covers those losses, they can take the case to court and secure damages that way.

In each step of the process, your attorney can represent you and handle complicated legal issues on your behalf. With legal support, your personal injury claim is more likely to be successful and get maximum compensation.

Finding a Skilled Personal Injury Lawyer in St. Charles, MO

Wendt Law Firm P.C. is proud to support our communities throughout Missouri. If you or a loved one was injured or killed because another party was reckless or careless, you can hold them accountable for their actions. Contact Wendt Law Firm P.C. today and learn how we can help you file a personal injury claim.