Our St. Louis Injury Lawyers Will Defend Your Right To Fair Compensation
Accidents can happen anytime and anywhere, leaving you with physical injuries, financial loss, and emotional distress. Not only are you left struggling to cope with the aftermath of the accident, but navigating the claims process with insurance companies can add to already overwhelming stress.
Don’t try to handle your personal injury case on your own—talk to a skilled personal injury attorney today to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation you are entitled to.
For more than 40 years, personal injury attorney David M. Duree has provided legal counsel to clients across the nation. Prior to forming his own firm, David spent three decades representing the interests of insurance companies in personal injury cases. Since 1999, he has put the knowledge he gained counseling insurance companies at the service of his personal injury clients.
Representing Clients In A Wide Variety Of Personal Injury Claims
Attorney David M. Duree defends clients who have been injured as a result of:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Car accidents
- Medical malpractice and negligence
- Burn injuries
- Birth injuries
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Brain and spinal cord injuries
- Workplace accidents
- Dog bites/animal attacks
- Product liability
- Wrongful death claims
David M. Duree and Associates, P.C. will not back down until you have been granted the maximum compensation you are entitled to. David maintains a vibrant national practice, focusing in particular on serving clients in his home-base states of Missouri and Illinois. Since beginning his own firm, David has represented plaintiffs in personal injury cases.
Types of monetary compensation for personal injury cases
There are plenty of ways personal injury can occur other than just a car accident. Whenever someone is injured, it is considered a personal injury case, especially if it happens at work, school, at a store, in an elevator, on someone else’s property and any other type of incident. If you’ve been injured in an accident of any kind, you likely want to know what type of monetary compensation you can claim.
No matter how you were injured, you are entitled to recover any and all monetary damages you have incurred as a result of the accident or incident that caused your injury. The following list is just a sampling of the types of injuries that allow you to recover monetary damages from:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment
- Mental anguish
- Mental disability
- Disfigurement
- Damage to your property
- Scars that are permanent
- Loss of affection and love
- Emotional trauma
- Physical disability
Aside from the types of accidents or injuries suffered, the victim in a personal injury case will be able to request monetary compensation for a host of different things that have cost them money since they were injured.
These items include their lost wages, future lost wages, lost overtime wages, surgery bills, doctor bills, hospital bills, ambulatory bills, prescription medicine costs, in-home nursing care costs and more.
You might also be able to recover any out-of-pocket expenses, such as having the need to hire someone to cut your grass, clean your house, shop for your groceries and anything else you can no longer do on your own because of the injury.
Personal injury cases are important for those who have suffered the injury. You don’t want to have to use your own finances to pay for surgery, rehab or any special medical equipment you might need while recovering.
How do the courts calculate a personal injury settlement?
How is something as subjective as pain and suffering ascribed a monetary value in the courts? It depends on a wide variety of factors, and perhaps most importantly, your defense. Here is an overview of the factors that go into a settlement calculation.
There are two categories of damages:
- Economic damages. These types of damages, often also referred to as “special” damages, are financial losses caused by your accident such as: medical bills, time away from work or any out of pocket expenses.
- Non-economic damages. Often referred to as “general” damages. This is where the subjective calculations of pain and suffering factor in.
Examples of factors used to calculate a settlement amount:
- The nature of the injuries
- Physical or mental pain
- Disfigurement
- Impairment of ability to perform usual activities
- Aggravation to any preexisting conditions
Please be aware that you must have official documentation of any factors used as evidence.
The multiplier method
Pain and suffering is often ascribed an estimated dollar amount using the multiplier method. In short, economic damages are added together and multiplied by a number, usually between one and five. The resulting number can be used to argue on your behalf.
Be aware that in Illinois, there is a two-year statute of limitations based on personal injury. While Missouri allows for five years before a personal injury claim becomes time-barred, it’s important that you get a legal evaluation upon suspicion of injury. How much is at stake might surprise you.
How Much Is My St. Louis Personal Injury Case Worth?
According to the Missouri Jury Verdict Reporter, The average personal injury settlement in Missouri in 2022 was $52,900.
It’s important to keep in mind that case payouts can vary according to several factors, including the severity of your injuries, defendant’s total liability, and the specific facts of their case. It’s important to speak to a qualified personal injury attorney, as their legal team is experienced in determining the facts of the case and what can be done to get you the compensation that you deserve.
Contact A St. Louis, Missouri, Personal Injury Lawyer
For experienced legal advice concerning your personal injury, call the law firm of David M. Duree and Associates, P.C., at 618-628-0186. You can also schedule a completely confidential and entirely discreet initial consultation with David by contacting him online.