Were you in a minor fender bender at the intersection of 152 and Shoal Creek Parkway? Or, a serious collision on one of the area’s most dangerous roadways, like Independence Avenue, Highway 24, or Highway 29? If so, you might have been hurt by someone else’s negligence.
After a car accident, you have the right to claim compensation for your losses, like replacing your vehicle and pain and suffering. However, waiting for the other driver’s insurance company to do the right thing can often leave you high and dry, especially if the other driver turns it around and tells their insurance company that you caused the wreck!
Don’t let this happen to you. Work with our experienced Independence car accident lawyers, who have over thirty years of experience and a long track record of success.
Langdon & Emison is your trusted car accident law firm
Our firm is nationally recognized for providing exceptional legal services to injured people. We have received recognition in Super Lawyers, the nation’s most well-known attorney ranking directory, and multiple partners have been named to the Top Lawyer’s List, Best Missouri Attorneys, and Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury Litigation.
Our legal team has more than a century of collective experience, and with over 30 years as a victim’s attorney law firm, we’ve seen plenty of unusual, complex car accident claims.
We’re your local Independence friends and neighbors and are very comfortable in the civil courtrooms of Jackson County and the 16th Judicial Circuit Court. If you’ve been hurt in a car crash, choose the best. Choose Langdon & Emison.
Your rights as an injured driver in Independence, MO
You have more rights than you know under Missouri personal injury laws. These include:
- The right to hire your own Independence car accident lawyer to represent you
- The right to be treated fairly by the insurance company
- The right to high-quality medical care for all your injuries
- The right to expect full compensation for all your losses
Your economic damages include all related medical care, lost wages from time missed at work, and property damage (repairing or replacing your car). Some car accident victims may be disabled to the point where they cannot continue in their current jobs and must take a lower-paying job that accommodates their accident-related disability.
In these cases, we may also demand compensation for your lost earning potential (capacity).
You may also claim non-economic damages, per Missouri law. These include the pain and suffering from your injuries, plus emotional trauma. Many people develop anxiety, depression, PTSD, or panic attacks after a nasty car wreck. Your settlement can cover the counseling and mental health treatment you need to recover emotionally.
Get the help you need after a car accident with the attorneys from Langdon & Emison
In the 30+ years that our firm has been in practice, we have recovered over $750 million for our clients and been at the forefront of critical cases. Some of our most recent car accident victories include:
- $59 million Kumar v. Toyota – Defective Vehicles
- $43.1 million Heco v. Midstate Dodge LLC et al. – Defective Vehicles
- $26.4 million Wasilik v. Ford – Defective Vehicles
We also have impressive results proving liability against reckless or negligent drivers, too:
- $2 million Travis v. Stone – Fatal Auto Accident
- $1 million Lemen v. Brett Frischer and Jokers Pizza
See what our clients have to say about our car accident representation.
Our firm offers comprehensive legal representation for victims like you. When you work with our Independence car accident attorneys, you receive these services and more:
Advice and communication
As your legal representative, we are the primary point of contact for the other party. Insurance companies will seek any reason to deny or minimize your valid claim. They may ask for a statement about the wreck. What they’re really after is proof that you contributed more of the fault to the crash than you did.
We encourage you to refer all communications from the insurance company, the other driver, and their lawyers to us. We will respond on your behalf so you can focus on your recovery.
We’ll also handle all the legal matters associated with your claim, including:
- Filing the initial lawsuit
- Sending a demand letter to the other party
- Responding to legal motions filed by the other party
We advise you at each stage of your case, answer your questions, and prepare you for what comes next.
Thoroughly investigate your claim
You have a much better chance of a positive outcome if your case against the other driver is built on solid evidence. Our firm uses private investigators to collect evidence, including:
- Witness accounts
- Digital data from their phones
- Physical evidence from the wreck
- Logs from their vehicle’s Event Data Recorder (a “black box” standard in many newer vehicles)
We also use expert accident reconstructionists to explain to a jury how the accident happened. Plus, medical expert witnesses can testify about your injuries, how the wreck caused them, and the necessary medical treatments.
Settlement negotiations
Most car accident claims are settled out of court. Our lawyers are trained negotiators and can usually achieve a better outcome than you could on your own.
We start by accurately valuing your claim, including consideration for your non-material losses. Our firm has access to many resources, including vocational and economic experts who can value your lost wages and loss of earning potential. Medical experts can testify about the long-term care you may require if the car accident disables you.
We also carefully consider how the car accident has impacted your quality of life. Langdon & Emison makes sure to assign a proper value to your pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and diminished quality of life.
Trial
If we cannot achieve a fair settlement in out-of-court negotiations, your case will proceed to trial. We represent you in civil litigation and carefully build a strong claim based on Missouri personal injury law and the evidence and testimony we collected.
Sometimes, we advise going to trial instead of trying to settle. We advise taking the case before a jury in cases where punitive or exemplary damages are in order.
Punitive damages are intended to assess punishment for egregiously negligent defendants and are only awarded by a jury. Examples include a drunk driver or a car manufacturer who failed to oversee the manufacturing process properly.
We’re committed to getting the results you deserve, either in mediation or negotiations or at trial.
Our Independence car accident lawyers handle even the most complex, devastating car accident claims
Our attorneys handle all types of car accident claims, from fender benders to fatal collisions. We’re familiar with what kind of evidence is necessary to prove liability in some of the most common types of traffic collisions, like:
- Accidents caused by speeding and other forms of reckless driving
- Accidents involving drugs or alcohol, which may also carry criminal penalties for the intoxicated driver
- Semi-truck and other commercial vehicle crashes
- Texting and driving accidents, which are illegal per Missouri’s Siddens-Benning Hands-Free Law
- Rideshare vehicle accidents, including those caused by Uber or Lyft drivers
- Distracted driving accidents
Our firm has been pursuing car crash claims for more than 30 years. We’ve seen many changes in Missouri laws and vehicles on the roads. One thing remains the same – our commitment to proving that the driver who hit you was negligent and demanding the highest possible settlement in your claim.
Missouri car accident laws that can affect the outcome of your claim
Several aspects of Missouri personal injury laws can change the outcome of your car accident claim. While your Independence car accident attorney handles the legal matters about your claim, you need to understand the law so that you can make informed decisions about your case.
To secure compensation after a car accident, you must prove that the other driver caused it and that you suffered damages due to the accident. Missouri follows a pure comparative fault system for awarding damages in car collisions. This means that even if you caused more than 50% of the fault for the wreck, you can still recover damages from the other party.
However, your settlement will be reduced by the percentage of fault that you contributed. For example, if you contributed 25% of the blame for the accident, and your total damages are $100,000, then you’ll receive $75,000.
You have five years from the accident date to file your claim for car accident damages. However, the longer you wait to file your case, the greater the chances that valuable evidence will be lost, memories will fade, and physical evidence will disappear.
Furthermore, if you miss the statute of limitations to file your case, the court will almost certainly dismiss it.
Passengers are never at fault in a car accident because they were not driving. So, if you were a passenger injured in a car crash, you could collect damages, even if the driver of the vehicle you were in was at fault.
Hurt in a crash that wasn’t your fault? Call us for assistance.
Our skilled car accident lawyers are here to assist you at every step in your case. Please contact us at (866) 931-2115 or fill out our online contact form for a free consultation today.
Frequently asked questions about car accidents in Independence, MO
Who determines who is at fault in an Independence car accident?
Ultimately, a judge or jury determines who is at fault in a car accident claim. However, in many cases, the evidence clearly indicates who caused the wreck. In these cases, the parties involved create a legally binding settlement that states which driver is at fault.
Do I need a lawyer for a car accident claim?
You don’t have to have an attorney to file a claim with your insurance company or even the other driver’s insurance company, but you stand a much better chance of a good settlement if you work with an Independence car accident attorney.
Do I need to see a doctor after a car wreck?
Even if you don’t feel hurt right away, you should still get checked out. Your accident medical report links your injuries to the car crash. If you don’t go to the doctor, it’s easier for the other party’s insurance company to claim that your injuries were caused by something else or were a pre-existing condition.
Local resources for injured drivers in Independence, MO
Resources for reporting the crash
- Online Traffic Crash Reports – Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP)
- Official Crash Investigation Reports – MSHP
- Accident Information – Missouri Department of Revenue
