Missouri Auto Accident & Motorcycle Laws

When you’re in a car crash, the pain that you initially feel is only the beginning of your problems. When you make your claim to an insurance company, there’s a couple things that you need to know. One is that you’re entitled to recover your lost wages even if you took sick pay or vacation time at the time you were working. That was money that came out of your sick bank or your vacation bank and it’s money that is gone. The other thing you need to know is that insurance companies don’t automatically write you a check just because their insured hurt you. Just because they owe you money doesn’t mean they’re going to give it to you. You have to document your medical expenses and the treatment that went with them. I tell folks every day not to sign an authorization to let the insurance company get your medical records. You still have a right to privacy, but you want to control how those records are filtered to an insurance company. An attorney that’s experienced in representing injury victims is in a much better position to do this than you are. Call my office at the number on the screen or visit us on the internet. I’m happy to talk with you about your injury case and if I can’t help you, at least point you in the right direction so you can get on the path to recovery on your own.  Call 314-A-LAWYER today for a free consultation.

By: Spencer Farris

I want to talk to you for a moment about recorded statements. You’ve been involved in an injury. So a slip and fall, or a car accident, a truck accident, things of that nature. And the insurance company calls you right away. And they say, “Hi, I’m,” and they state their name. From whatever insurance company, “and I want to ask you about your accident or your injury. I need you to know that this phone call is being recorded for quality assurances.” Really, it’s for quality assurances? that’s why you’re recording me? That’s not true.

So they start off with a lie. They’re recording your conversation, in order to defeat your claim. They don’t want to pay you. You’ve just been involved in something that injured your body. You’ve been in the hospital. You might be on pain medications. And this nice person is calling you, and recording your conversation for quality assurance. They’re lying. That should be a big red flag. I need to call a lawyer. Call me at (314) 542-9999. Don’t give them a recorded statement. And let’s talk about why.

They’re going to ask you– let’s call it car collision. “What roads were you on, and which direction were you going?” Well you got to think. Was I going north, or was it west. I can’t remember. “What color was the traffic signal?” “Well when? When I was stopped at it, and hit from behind? Or before that when it was green?” I mean, they’re asking you questions to defeat your claim. “How hard was the impact?” Why do you want to answer those questions? Why would you? “What is the speed limit on that road?” I don’t know. Is it 35 or 40? Maybe it’s 45. They’re not helping you. You need a lawyer. Get the police report and figure those things out, and think about them. This isn’t a quiz, where you’re required to answer immediately.

They’re calling you to try to get you to mess up. So that later, when I’m preparing you for your deposition, and I show you that the police report says that you were stopped at a red electric signal and the speed limit is 40 miles an hour. You say, “Oh, well I told them earlier I thought the car was going 15 or 20.” Well how do you know that? You saw them in your rear-view mirror. You don’t know that. Don’t commit to that. Think about it. Do you know it, or do you not know it? If you know it, say it. And if you don’t know it, don’t say it. But get counsel. Because the insurance company doesn’t want to pay you.

So there’s lots of reasons not to give a recorded statement. They’re later going to take your deposition, which is your sworn statement under oath. And now they have two statements. Don’t do that. What’s the advantage of that? There is none. That’s why you always see lawyers in these 30 second commercials saying don’t give a recorded statement. They’re right, you shouldn’t. Instead, when they ask you for that, that’s your signal to call a good law firm and a good lawyer. And I don’t care who that is, which state you’re in. But you need representation. If you’re in the mid-west, in Missouri or Illinois, that’s all we do. My name is Mark Cantor. And again, our phone number is (314) 542-9999. And either I or my law partner Gary Burger, will personally represent you in your claim. Thank you.

By: Mark Cantor

A trial is when your case is finally decided by a judge or a jury, and somebody else decides what your case is about and what it’s worth.

By: Spencer Farris

You’ve been injured and you’re thinking of dealing with the insurance company without an attorney. That’s probably a mistake, but here are some things to watch out for if you decide to go down that road.

Injury Law News, brought to you by the S.E. Farris Law Firm.

I’m Spencer Farris and I represent injury victims throughout Saint Louis and the state of Missouri. I’ve helped hundreds of folks handle their case for personal injury, but every now and then I meet someone who thinks that they don’t need an attorney. Let me tell you a few things to look out for if you decide that you don’t want to hire an attorney.

Get pictures. Whether it’s the car you’ve been crashed in or the place that you fell, a picture is worth a thousand words. And if you’re relying on the insurance company to take pictures for you, you’re making a big mistake. If those pictures would have been helpful to you and they disappear, you’ll never be able to recreate that important evidence for your case.

The insurance company will want to take a statement from you and that’s a mistake. Remember that the person asking the questions controls and frames how your answers come out, and the insurance company is not there to help you. You never want to give a statement without someone on your side to help you through that step, and typically that’s where you have an attorney.

Finally, the insurance company’s going to want you to sign medical authorizations. And in Missouri, you don’t give up your right to all privacy just because you’ve had an injury case. You don’t have to sign the authorization that gives the insurance company the right to get all of your medical records from the time that you’re born, but the form that they give you will do just that. Don’t sign that form.

Studies have shown over and over that folks with attorneys get four to five times more money for their injury case than those without. If you’ve been injured and you have questions – whether you want to hire an attorney or not – please call me at the number on your screen or visit us at our internet website that you see on the screen as well. We’re happy to help, and if we can help you resolve your case without hiring us, great. And if you need an attorney, we’d be proud to represent you.

The S.E. Farris Law Firm is dedicated to the needs of injury victims and their families.

By: Spencer Farris

Insurance companies do a good job of making us feel guilty for hiring a Missouri personal injury lawyer. When you get your statement each month you read about frauds. And whether those stories are true or not in the back of your mind you think, I don’t want to be like that. The first word that most folks say when they call my office is, “I’ve never sued anyone before. Or I’m not the kind of person that sues.” You’ve already figured in the back of your mind that every lawsuit is fake even before you get hurt. And you know your case is real. And you know your injuries are real. You should always know that the insurance company is going to try to underpay those cases and those claims if you don’t have a Missouri personal injury lawyer fighting for you on your side. When you’ve been hurt and the bills are racking up, you don’t have to pay a lawyer out of pocket to represent you in your injury case. Call my office. And if we can help you we won’t charge you anything until the end of your case if we’re successful for you. Call 314-A-LAWYER today for free consultation.

By: Spencer Farris

We count on medications to make us feel better, but it doesn’t always work that way. Some drugs get to market before adequate safety studies are done, and the drug itself winds up causing more harm than good. Other times, a doctor will prescribe a drug without knowing a full history and the other medications that you are taking, and the drugs and your history work together to cause harm. Finally, my office has represented folks where the pharmacy has placed the wrong drug, either the wrong dosage or the wrong pill altogether in the bottle. If you or a loved one has been harmed due to a medication error, call my office at the number on the screen or visit us on the Internet. Not all injuries are caused by drugs, and I’m happy to help you figure out if your family has been harmed due to a dangerous drug.  Call 314-A-LAWYER today for your free consultation.

By: Spencer Farris

They call them man’s best friend, but sometimes dogs cause more harm than good. If you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog, there are a couple things that you need to do immediately to protect your rights. One is to contact the authorities, police department or animal control, and fill out a report. Another thing which is very important is to find out and identify the owner of the dog. It doesn’t do any good to call an attorney, it doesn’t do any good to call the police if you don’t know who owns the dog that bit you. If you or a loved one have been bitten by a dog, contact us, call us on the number on your screen, or visit us through the Internet. I’m happy to answer your questions without any cost or obligation. Call 314-A-LAWYER today for your free consultation.

By: Spencer Farris

You’ve been hurt, and you’re thinking that maybe you can handle your case without a personal injury attorney. Let me tell you some things you should look out for. Injury Law News, brought to you by the S.E. Farris Law Firm. I’m Spencer Farris-a partner at the S.E. Farris Law Firm. Folks call me all the time and wonder if they even need to have a personal injury attorney represent them in their claim. Maybe not. And I tell folks daily how to handle their own cases. But there are some things you need to be aware of. First and most important is the Statute of Limitations. Every case has a time limit, and it must be filed within the time limit or you forever lost your case. The law changes, and the law of medical bills and damages has changed in the last several years. You need to know what that is in order to present your case to a jury. Your health insurance is going to want to be reimbursed for the medical bills that they’ve paid for on your behalf. They may not be entitled to reimbursement. Whether or not they are is a question that you need to find the answer to. The insurance company has professionals looking out to investigate your case and try to find a way to pay you as little money as possible. Some folks are able to deal with the insurance company and able to handle their own cases. Most are not. In fact, studies show that people with an attorney get four to five times more money on their injury case than those without. You may have questions about handling your own personal injury case. Call my office and I’m happy to visit with you without cost or obligation. I tell folks everyday that they don’t need an attorney to handle their case, and point them in the right direction, and I’m happy to do that for you. Thank you for watching. The S.E. Farris Law Firm is dedicated to the needs of injury victims and their families.

By: Spencer Farris

When you’ve been hurt and the bills are piling up, the big question on your mind is: What is my case worth?  Injury Law News brought to you by the S.E. Farris Law Firm. I’m Spencer Farris, a St. Louis injury lawyer at the S.E. Farris Law Firm. The value of your case depends on a lot of factors. Let’s talk about those for a minute.  The facts of your case matter. What happened? Was it a injury that went away after a couple of days, or did you need surgery?   Where did it happen, in a conservative venue, or one where jurors understand that pain and suffering have a value?   How did it happen? There’s a difference to the value of your case if Grandma hit you on the way to bingo versus a corporation in a large truck with a drunk driver. The combination of these factors go into the mix and help determine what your case is worth, what a jury – and therefore a claims adjuster – would assign as the value of your claim.   Choosing the right St. Louis injury attorney matters. The insurance company knows what lawyers have the experience and the credentials necessary to prepare your case to present it to a jury, and that goes into their valuation of your claim.  If you have more questions about the value of your case, please contact my law firm at the phone number or the website address on your screen. We’re happy to talk with you without any cost or obligation about your case.  The S.E. Farris Law Firm is dedicated to the needs of injury victims and their families.

By: Spencer Farris