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St. Louis Personal Injury Attorney
Injury Attorneys Serving Missouri and Illinois
Most people have heard the term “personal injury” many times, yet many may not understand what a personal injury is in the legal sense. Personal injury is a legal term for an injury to a person, rather than to property. This may be a physical or emotional injury to the victim, most often caused as a result of negligence. However, personal injury claims may also be filed for malpractice and even intentional wrongdoing.
The St. Louis personal injury attorneys at The Cagle Law Firm are dedicated to helping victims of personal injuries to obtain the maximum compensation they deserve as a result of their injuries.
If you have been the victim of a personal injury accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. The same is true if you have lost a loved one as a result of a personal injury accident. We are dedicated to assisting personal injury victims and their families from St. Louis, Columbia and throughout Missouri and Southern Illinois.
Contact the St. Louis and Columbia personal injury attorneys at The Cagle Law Firm today by calling 800.635.3302, or use our online contact form to schedule a free initial consultation.
About Personal Injury Lawsuits
The area of the law that encompasses personal injuries is known as torts. There are three main types of torts — intentional, strict liability and negligent. The vast majority of personal injury cases involve negligence.
After someone has sustained a personal injury, he or she has the right to file a lawsuit against the responsible party in civil court. This person, the plaintiff, will allege that the defendant (the person who caused the accident) acted in some way to cause injury to the plaintiff. The burden of proof will be on the plaintiff to prove that it is more than likely true that the defendant failed to provide a reasonable level of care and that this failure was the proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injury. The plaintiff may also need to prove the monetary value of his or her case, based on medical care, emotional trauma, any lost wages and possibly more. Each case and plaintiff is unique and the type of damages can vary from individual to individual. Not all personal injury cases require all of the factors of proof such as medical care, emotional trauma and/or lost wages, but those are starting points for the claim.
Missouri Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Lawsuits
While the law applicable to St. Louis and Columbia personal injuries allows a victim to pursue compensation, the law also limits the time a victim has to bring a lawsuit. Known as a “statute of limitations,” these laws dictate how long you have to file your lawsuit if you are the victim of a personal injury. The statute of limitations is determined by what type of injury you suffered. As a general rule, the following statutes of limitations apply in Missouri:
- Negligence/general personal injury – 5 years
- Product liability – 5 years
- Medical malpractice – 3 years
- Wrongful death – 5 years
In Illinois, most personal injury lawsuits, including wrongful death and medical malpractice cases, carry a two-year statute of limitations. The Illinois statute of repose for product liability cases ranges from 10 to 12 years, depending on certain circumstances.
When a government entity is a defendant, there are additional considerations relating to the time frames. In order to preserve a claim against a government entity, agency or employee for personal injuries, a victim must put the entity or agency on notice of the injuries. This must be done within a much shorter window than the statute of limitations allows for filing a formal lawsuit.
Compensation in a St. Louis Personal Injury Lawsuit
Compensation in a St. Louis or Columbia personal injury case depends on the type of personal injury suffered, the unique facts and circumstances of the case and who the victim is. In a wrongful death case, for example, a family member may be entitled to compensation based on the lost future earnings or lost companionship of the deceased. Someone who was injured in a car accident may be entitled to compensation for the actual out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident, as well as for the emotional trauma suffered as a result of the accident.
The best way to know what type of compensation you may be entitled to is to consult with an experienced St. Louis or Columbia personal injury attorney.
Contact a St. Louis or Columbia Personal Injury Lawyer at The Cagle Law Firm Today!
If you are uncertain whether your situation qualifies as a personal injury case, you should consult with a St. Louis or Columbia personal injury attorney at The Cagle Law Firm. The law protects victims of personal injuries, but you only have a limited time within which to assert your rights to compensation.
Contact the St. Louis/Columbia personal injury attorneys at The Cagle Law Firm today by calling toll free at 800.635.3302, locally 314.276.1681 or use our online contact form to schedule your free initial consultation. Your case is safe with us.
