Personal Injury

We Never Leave Injury Victims In The Dark

The costs of an accident are often much higher than merely paying medical bills. Ongoing physical pain and future treatment need to be accounted for, as well as any emotional trauma stemming from the accident. In addition, a serious injury can result in a significant loss of wages, if not your job. That is why it is important to retain experienced personal injury representation following an accident.

The St. Louis law firm of Richard H. Sindel, Inc., has been serving the legal needs of people throughout Missouri, including in St. Louis City and St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Warren counties, since 1937. Our personal injury attorneys are committed to helping accident victims recover the full and fair compensation they need when they have been seriously injured. Contact our office today to arrange a free initial consultation with an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury lawyer.

We Handle A Wide Range Of Accident Claims

Injury accidents can happen in a variety of contexts and circumstances. They may happen at private residences, at local businesses, on government property, in office buildings, at sporting or entertainment venues, at restaurants and bars – in short, anyplace people go or gather can be the site of an injury accident. Our lawyers handle a wide range of personal injury claims, including those involving:

• Auto accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Pedestrian and bicycle accidents
• Slips-and-falls
• Dog bites
• Wrongful death

We will work hard to ensure that all negligent parties are held accountable for their actions so that you recover the compensation you deserve.

Auto accidents

Auto accident claims may appear straightforward at first, but disputes often arise quickly. The other driver may deny fault, an insurer may argue you had a preexisting injury, or the full cost of your treatment may not be clear right away. Some cases also involve complicating factors like multiple vehicles or uninsured motorists. To show what happened and how badly you were hurt, we’ll review your medical records along with any official crash reports and witness statements. In some cases, the attorneys from our firm turn to third-party experts for accident reconstruction and other types of analysis.

Truck accidents

Truck accident cases are often more involved than typical car crash claims because there may be multiple liable parties. Additionally, federal regulations can introduce complexities that require an experienced attorney who knows the laws and can fight back against trucking companies’ attempts to withhold critical evidence. The severity of injuries in many truck collisions means there’s often a lot of money at stake – you need a lawyer who can go head-to-head with powerful corporate law firms and insurers.

Motorcycle accidents

Motorcycle accident claims often require injured riders to push back against unfair assumptions from the start. Insurance companies may try to treat you as careless simply because you were on a bike, even when the evidence shows another driver caused the crash. A fair claim should focus on the actual facts, not stereotypes. Witness statements, scene evidence, traffic footage, and medical records can help show how the collision happened and why you deserve full compensation.

Pedestrian and bicycle accidents

Pedestrian and bicycle accident claims often involve severe injuries because victims have so little to protect them from the force of a vehicle. Broken bones, head injuries, spinal trauma, and other life-changing harm are common. The attorneys at our St. Louis law firm are here to help you fight to hold all responsible parties accountable. While a careless driver may be primarily responsible, other parties, such as an employer, property owner, or government agency responsible for road design, may also share fault depending on the circumstances.

Slips-and-falls

Property owners often challenge slip-and-fall claims on the grounds that the hazard was open and obvious or that the injured person wasn’t paying attention. They may also argue that they weren’t aware of or didn’t have enough time to discover and fix the condition. Success in these cases often depends on showing exactly what caused the fall and how long the danger existed.

Dog bites

Dog bite claims can involve injuries that extend beyond the bite itself. Victims may suffer deep wounds, infections, scarring, nerve damage, and a lasting fear of animals. In some cases, the issue isn’t whether the attack happened, but who had control of the dog at the time. These claims can also be uniquely sensitive because the dog owner may be a neighbor, friend, or relative, which can make injured people hesitant to take legal action.

Wrongful death

Wrongful death cases are different from personal injury claims because of the magnitude of the loss and the fact that surviving family members are left to deal with both emotional loss and financial fallout. A sudden death can create questions about funeral costs, lost income, lost support, and the value of a relationship cut short. These cases also require careful attention to who has the right to bring the claim under Missouri law. We’re here to help your family through this difficult time and give you the space you need to grieve.

Who Is Liable for a St. Louis Injury Accident?

Liability refers to legal responsibility for an accident and the harm that follows. In a personal injury claim, the liable party is the party whose careless, reckless, or wrongful conduct caused the incident. The liable party can be an individual person, a business, or another entity – and in some cases, there could be more than one liable party.

Identifying who’s liable is a key part of a personal injury case because it determines who you seek to hold accountable for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other accident-related losses. Depending on the facts of your case, some of the parties that may be liable for an injury accident include:

• A negligent driver who caused a car, truck, or motorcycle crash
• A property owner who failed to fix unsafe conditions or warn you about them
• A business that allowed dangerous conditions to exist on its premises
• An employer whose worker caused harm while performing their job duties
• A trucking company that hired unsafe drivers or failed to maintain its fleet vehicles
• A company that designed, made, marketed, or sold a defective product
• A government entity responsible for hazardous public property or roadway conditions

We will work hard to ensure that all negligent parties are held accountable for their actions so that you recover the compensation you deserve.

Do Not Speak With An Insurance Representative Before Speaking With Us

You have likely been contacted by an insurance provider following your accident and you may have even been offered a settlement. It is important not to accept anything from an insurance company until you have consulted with an attorney. Insurance companies are businesses like any other business and they are more interested in making a profit than in ensuring your well-being.

We understand how to negotiate with insurance providers, and we understand the full and ongoing costs associated with serious injuries. We will protect your interests every step of the way and will even take your case to trial, if necessary.

Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Speak with a Personal Injury Lawyer

In most circumstances, Missouri law gives you five years from the date of an injury accident to file a lawsuit against the party who harmed you. Five years may seem like a lot of time, and it is – but not necessarily in a way that works to your benefit.

Most of the time, when a person gets hurt, they know it pretty soon after it happens. They may not understand the full extent and scope of their injuries, but they may have symptoms that point to something being wrong. If you were involved in a car accident or slip-and-fall incident, for example, you may be experiencing clear symptoms that require medical attention. But in addition to seeing a doctor, you should also see a St. Louis personal injury attorney from our law firm.

Reaching out to a lawyer as soon as possible after an injury accident benefits you in several key ways. First and foremost, we can start investigating the accident. Evidence in these cases can be extremely volatile. If the accident scene gets cleaned up and evidence gets thrown away before a lawyer has a chance to save it, this can adversely affect your claim. Persuasive personal injury claims rely on strong evidence – and if the evidence gets altered, deteriorates, gets thrown away, or naturally disappears, that can make it more challenging to prove your case.

Additionally, having legal protection as close to the date of the accident as possible protects you from attempts to minimize your claim or even unfairly blame the accident on you. When you turn to the attorneys from the office of Richard H. Sindel, Inc., right away, we’ll start taking steps to prepare your claim and protect your rights. Don’t wait to contact us and secure the legal representation you need.

We Can Advocate For Your Needs And Rights

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident due to the negligence of another, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Compensation can help you pay for your medical expenses, lost income, and other damages related to your injuries. But you shouldn’t have to pursue an injury claim on your own while you’re trying to heal from the accident. Instead, reach out to the law firm of Richard H. Sindel, Inc., for the support of an experienced St. Louis personal injury lawyer.

To schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys, call 314-721-7113 or contact us online. We’re pleased to represent clients throughout the greater St. Louis area, including St. Louis City and St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Warren counties.