What To Do If An Accident Was Not Your Fault
The aftermath of a car crash, slip and fall, or other serious personal injury accident could be life-changing. You might find yourself struggling to overcome intense physical pain and emotional suffering, unable to work yet facing mounting medical debt. Even if your doctors believe you will recover, your injuries could deprive you of the same income you need to afford the proper treatment, pay your bills, and keep a roof over your head.
If the accident was not your fault, you should not have to pay your way out of debt. However, getting adequate compensation after an accident is not always easy. Foster Wallace, LLC, has seen first-hand how defense attorneys and insurance adjusters play games with accident victims’ lives, prioritizing corporate profits over human problems.
How Our Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help You in Independence, MO
Foster Wallace, LLC, is committed to providing our clients across the Kansas City metropolitan area with unparalleled personal injury service. Our founders, Brian Wallace and Michael Foster, started their careers in “Big Law,” representing high-profile clients from insurance companies to national-level football clubs. While we now exclusively advocate for the injured, our experience lets us think outside the box, anticipating and countering the excuses adjusters use to leave accident victims empty-handed.
If you, or a loved one, have been injured in an Independence-area accident that was not your fault, you do not have to sit and wait for the insurance company to offer a fair settlement. You can start taking action by:
Exploring Your Legal Rights.
Foster Wallace, LLC, maintains an extensive library of personal injury articles, covering everything from motorcycle accidents caused by defective parts to legal glossaries that define and explain the legal jargon courts and adjusters use to assess car crash claims. Our online FAQ also answers some of our clients’ most frequently asked questions, which let you understand your legal options for relief before ever contacting an attorney.
Learning How to Protect Yourself After an Accident.
Our Independence, MO personal injury attorneys are dedicated to advocating and ensuring victims’ rights. Foster Wallace, LLC, hosts an open-access database of self-help e-books and reports written by our legal team and available in both English and Spanish. All our publications are free of cost and open to anyone who needs help navigating a Kansas or Missouri personal injury claim.
Scheduling a Free Consultation.
When we say we believe that nobody should have to pay the price for another person’s negligence, we mean it. Foster Wallace, LLC, does not charge for consultations, and we never ask our clients to pay for our services upfront. Instead, we operate on a contingency fee basis. This means we bear the litigation costs on your behalf and do not charge for our services until we secure the compensation you need. If we cannot win your case, we do not get paid.
Unlike other law firms, Foster Wallace, LLC, does not “screen” telephone calls or refuse requests for information. We are available around the clock to answer your questions and provide honest assessments of your legal options after an accident. Scheduling your free, no-obligation consultation is as simple as filling out our contact form or calling us at (816) 249-2101.
Personal Injury Cases Foster Wallace, LLC, Accepts
Our Independence, Missouri personal injury attorneys never back down from a challenge. We can offer guidance on a variety of cases, including:
Premises Liability Accidents
Premises liability and slip-and-fall accidents occur when property owners fail to ensure safe conditions for employees, visitors, and the general public. Many of these accidents are caused by a property owner’s failure to remedy apparent hazards, such as broken stairs, wet floors, or accumulated snow and ice.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car accidents are a leading cause of injury and accidental death among every age group and demographic in Missouri and Kansas. Foster Wallace, LLC could help with your Independence motor vehicle accident claim if you were struck while operating a vehicle or riding as a passenger.
Truck Accidents
Semi-truck accidents often have catastrophic consequences. However, semi-truck collisions are different from ordinary car crashes. Commercial tractor-trailers are regulated at the state and federal levels. You may need to take legal action against the driver, the trucking company, or even the manufacturer of a defective vehicle or automotive part.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle riders are disproportionately likely to suffer severe and even fatal accident injuries. Roughly half of all motorcycle-related collisions are caused by another party’s inattention or negligence.
Pedestrian & Bicycle Accidents
State law serves to protect the rights of pedestrians and bicyclists. If you were hurt while walking, biking, or riding a scooter in or around Kansas City, you could file a personal injury claim against a motorist who refused to acknowledge your right-of-way.
Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home neglect occurs when a physician, aide, or other professional fails to provide residents with an appropriate standard of care, such as improper medical decisions or abusing the elders entrusted to their care.
Sports Injuries
A competition organizer, an individual athlete, or a bystander could be liable for injuries if they acted unreasonably and without regard for a victim’s physical well-being. Even if an athlete signs an injury waiver, they could still file a legal claim if they have been hurt in a competition or sporting event.
Dog Bites
Owners, handlers, and keepers must still take common-sense measures to protect the public from potentially dangerous or aggressive animals. If a dog owner knows their pet has a history of acting aggressively toward strangers but fails to restrain it, you could hold them accountable for any subsequent injuries.
Wrongful Death
Missouri law allows family members of an accident victim to file a wrongful death claim if an individual, business, or other entity’s negligence ends in death. You might have a wrongful death action if your loved one died in a car crash, semi-truck accident, or due to any other reckless actions or misconduct.
Foster Wallace Personal Injury Team Helps Clients Overcome a Variety of Different Injuries
Our Kansas City attorneys regularly assist clients who have suffered injuries such as:
- Amputations
- Back injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
- Bruises and contusions
- Burns
- Cuts and lacerations
- Head injuries
- Paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash
- Wrongful death
Your Potential Damages After an Independence, MO Accident
Even seemingly minor injuries could impair a victim’s ability to live an ordinary, independent life. Foster Wallace, LLC, helps our clients assess the severity of accident-related injuries, determining whether their settlement should include compensation for paid medical expenses or long-term care.
Depending on the circumstances, we could help you pursue damages for:
- Past, present, and anticipated medical bills
- Physical rehabilitation
- Prescription medication co-pays
- Lost income from work
- Lost vacation days or paid time off (PTO)
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Diminished earning potential
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment
- Loss of consortium
Since Missouri does not currently cap the damages available for personal injury victims, our attorneys could help you get as much compensation as you need to recover after an unexpected and tragic accident.
However, Missouri law does have a statute of limitations. If you wait too long to take action, the court could automatically dismiss your claim before you have the chance to share your version of events.
What to Do After an Accident in Independence, MO
If you have been injured in an Independence accident, you could safeguard your legal recovery by:
Calling 9-1-1
Missouri law requires that anyone involved in accidents involving significant property damage, serious injury, or death contact law enforcement. Our attorneys always advise victims to call the police after sustaining an accident-related injury, even if they do not believe it is severe. While the investigating officer may not be able to determine fault or causation, their report could still be used as evidence in insurance negotiations or court.
Seeking immediate medical care
You should always seek immediate medical treatment after an automobile accident, slip-and-fall, or dog bite, even if you have yet to experience pain or other symptoms. Seeing a doctor shows the insurance company that you have serious concerns about your physical well-being and are not simply trying to profit off a personal injury claim.
Collecting evidence
If you do not require urgent care, you could begin collecting evidence at the accident site. You could take pictures of the scene, photograph your injuries, and record an audio note documenting your recollection of the events leading up to the incident.
Speaking to eyewitnesses
If you believe that a bystander may have witnessed your accident, ask them for their full name, phone number, and other contact information—their testimony could prove critical in court.
Contacting an attorney
Personal injury victims who hire an attorney are more likely to win their cases and secure more compensation than accident victims without competent legal representation.
Of course, thinking straight after an accident can be extraordinarily difficult, especially if you suffer serious injuries. If you could not collect evidence or speak to eyewitnesses after an accident, Foster Wallace’s skilled investigators could help you begin compiling a case immediately. If you have been involved in an accident, please send us a message online or call us at (816) 249-2101 to speak to a professional.
