How Much Is My St. Louis Car Accident Case Worth?

Sansone & Lauber | | Car Accidents
How Much Is My St. Louis Car Accident Case Worth

Your St. Louis car accident case could be worth anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars to well over $1,000,000 if you were seriously injured, depending on your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, future care needs, how the crash changed your life, and how strong your evidence is.

If you were seriously hurt in a St. Louis car accident, the value of your case is based on what this crash has already cost you and what it will cost you in the future — physically, financially, and emotionally. There’s no universal “average” settlement that applies to every case, but there are clear factors that drive value up or down in Missouri.

At Sansone & Lauber, our job as St. Louis car accident lawyers is to prove the full impact of your injuries and fight for every dollar the insurance company hopes you’ll leave on the table.

If you’re asking “How much is my St. Louis car accident case worth?” you should talk to a lawyer before you talk to the insurance company. Call 314-863-0500 now for a free, no-obligation case review.

Key Factors That Determine What Your St. Louis Car Accident Case Is Worth

Insurance companies like to pretend your case is just a simple number. It isn’t. In Missouri, the value of a serious car accident claim typically depends on:

1. The severity of your injuries

Generally, the more serious and permanent your injuries, the higher the potential case value. Serious injuries might include:

  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)

  • Spinal cord injuries or herniated discs

  • Multiple fractures or crushed bones

  • Surgeries (back, neck, shoulder, knee, etc.)

  • Permanent disability or inability to work

  • Disfigurement or scarring

These injuries often mean larger medical bills, more time off work, and long-term pain and limitations — all of which increase case value.

2. Your medical bills and future treatment

Missouri law allows you to recover economic damages — the financial losses you can document with bills and records. That includes:

  • Emergency room visits and hospital stays

  • Surgeries and follow-up appointments

  • Physical therapy and chiropractic care

  • Prescription medications and injections

  • Medical equipment (braces, wheelchairs, etc.)

  • Future surgeries or long-term care

If your doctors say you’ll need ongoing treatment, we work with experts to estimate those future medical costs and build them into your demand.

3. Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity

If your injuries kept you from working — or will limit your ability to work in the future — those lost earnings are a major part of your case value:

  • Past lost wages while you were off work

  • Lost bonuses, commissions, overtime, or benefits

  • Reduced hours or forced career change because of your injuries

  • Loss of future earning capacity if you can’t return to your prior job or work full-time

We often use tax returns, pay stubs, HR records, and sometimes vocational and economic experts to prove these losses.

4. Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life

Missouri does not impose a general cap on pain-and-suffering damages in most car accident cases.

That means a jury can award substantial non-economic damages for:

  • Physical pain and limitations

  • Emotional distress, anxiety, PTSD, depression

  • Sleep problems and chronic discomfort

  • Inability to enjoy hobbies, family activities, sports, and daily life

  • Embarrassment or humiliation from scarring or disability

Insurance companies routinely undervalue this category. Our job is to document and present the true story of how the crash changed your day-to-day life.

5. Whether your injuries are permanent

A case involving a permanent injury — such as chronic pain, loss of mobility, nerve damage, or permanent brain damage — is usually worth significantly more than a case where you fully recover in a few months.

We use:

  • Medical records and imaging (MRIs, CT scans, X-rays)

  • Treating physician opinions

  • Expert reports on your long-term prognosis

  • Testimony from you, family, and friends about your before-and-after

to prove permanence and future impact.

6. Missouri’s pure comparative fault rule

Missouri follows a pure comparative negligence system. That means you can still recover compensation even if you were partly at fault — but your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault.

Example:
If a jury finds your case is worth $500,000 but also finds you 20% at fault for the crash, your net recovery would be $400,000.

Insurance companies love to blame the victim to reduce what they pay. Our job is to fight that blame game with evidence, crash reconstruction, and aggressive negotiation.

7. Insurance limits and responsible parties

Your case value is also affected by how much insurance money is available and how many defendants we can pursue:

  • At-fault driver’s auto insurance

  • Your own underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage

  • Commercial or company policies (if the driver was working)

  • Rideshare coverage (Uber/Lyft), delivery services, trucking companies

  • Government entities or road contractors (in limited scenarios)

In serious injury cases, we dig deep to uncover every available policy and pursue all responsible parties so you’re not stuck with unpaid bills.

8. The strength of your evidence

Stronger evidence usually means higher settlement offers and a better chance of a strong verdict at trial. Helpful evidence includes:

  • Police reports and citations

  • Photos and videos from the scene

  • Witness statements

  • Surveillance or dashcam footage

  • Event data recorder (“black box”) downloads

  • Detailed medical records and treatment history

The earlier we’re involved, the easier it is to secure evidence before it disappears.

Types of Compensation You Can Recover After a Serious St. Louis Car Accident

In a Missouri car accident case, you may be entitled to several categories of damages:

Economic damages

These are the out-of-pocket financial losses, such as:

  • Past and future medical bills

  • Rehabilitation and therapy

  • Medications and medical equipment

  • Home modifications or in-home care

  • Past lost wages

  • Future lost earnings and reduced earning capacity

  • Property damage and diminished value of your vehicle

Non-economic damages

These are the intangible, human losses that don’t come with a receipt, such as:

  • Physical pain and suffering

  • Emotional and psychological distress

  • Loss of enjoyment of life

  • Loss of companionship or consortium

  • Scarring or disfigurement

For most Missouri car accident cases, there is no legal cap on non-economic damages.

Punitive damages (in rare cases)

Punitive damages are not meant to compensate you; they are meant to punish the wrongdoer for outrageous or intentional conduct. Missouri law limits punitive damages in most cases to the greater of $500,000 or five times the amount of the judgment.

They may be available in cases involving:

  • Drunk driving

  • Hit-and-run with egregious facts

  • Extreme reckless driving

  • Company policies that knowingly put the public at risk

We evaluate whether punitive damages are realistically on the table and use that leverage in negotiations whenever possible.

How Serious Injuries Increase the Value of Your St. Louis Car Accident Case

Not all “serious” injuries are the same. Some are life-changing, require multiple surgeries or quietly destroy your ability to work or enjoy life even if you “look fine” on the outside.

Examples of injuries that typically drive case value higher:

  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) – memory issues, headaches, mood changes, difficulty concentrating

  • Spinal injuries – herniated discs, spinal cord damage, nerve pain, partial paralysis

  • Multiple fractures – especially those requiring hardware, screws, plates, or rods

  • Joint injuries – torn ligaments in the knee, shoulder, or hip requiring surgery

  • Crush injuries or amputations

  • Serious internal injuries requiring emergency surgery

These cases usually involve:

  • High medical expenses

  • Long treatment timelines

  • Long-term or permanent limitations

  • Substantial non-economic damages

If that sounds like what you’re facing, you cannot rely on the insurance company’s first offer — or even their second or third.

Missouri’s 5-Year Statute of Limitations: Don’t Wait

In most Missouri car accident cases, you generally have five years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit for personal injury.

That might sound like a long time, but waiting is dangerous because:

  • Evidence can be lost or destroyed

  • Witnesses can move, forget, or become hard to find

  • Insurance companies drag things out, hoping you’ll give up

The sooner you call Sansone & Lauber, the sooner we can:

  • Preserve evidence

  • Deal with the insurance companies

  • Coordinate your medical documentation

  • Start building the strongest case possible

📞 Call 314-863-0500 now for a free case evaluation. There’s no fee unless and until we win money for you.

How Insurance Companies Try to Pay You Less (And How We Fight Back)

Insurance adjusters are trained to limit payouts, not to treat you fairly. Common tactics include:

  • Quick lowball offers before you know how badly you’re hurt

  • Saying your pain is just “soft tissue” and not worth much

  • Blaming “pre-existing conditions” or prior injuries

  • Arguing that gaps in treatment mean you weren’t really hurt

  • Claiming you were partly or mostly at fault

  • Pressuring you to give a recorded statement they can twist against you

At Sansone & Lauber, we handle these tactics by:

  • Taking over all communication with insurers

  • Carefully documenting every aspect of your injuries and losses

  • Using experts (medical, economic, vocational, reconstruction) when needed

  • Preparing each case as if it will go to trial — which often leads to better settlements

You focus on healing. We focus on maximizing your recovery.

What You Can Do Right Now to Protect the Value of Your Case

If you want to protect and increase the potential value of your St. Louis car accident claim, here are smart steps to take:

  1. Get medical care immediately
    Even if you “feel okay,” pain can worsen over days or weeks. Seeing a doctor right away protects your health and creates a crucial medical record.

  2. Follow your doctor’s treatment plan
    Don’t skip appointments or stop treatment early. Insurance companies will use any gaps in care against you.

  3. Document everything

    • Keep copies of all bills, letters, and receipts.

    • Save photos of your injuries, your vehicle, and the scene.

    • Consider keeping a pain journal describing your daily struggles.

  4. Avoid posting about your accident on social media
    Adjusters and defense lawyers can twist even innocent posts to argue you’re “not that hurt.”

  5. Do NOT sign anything or give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer
    Talk to us first so you don’t accidentally damage your own case.

  6. Call an experienced St. Louis car accident lawyer
    The earlier we get involved, the more we can usually do to help.

👉 Ready to find out what your case may really be worth?
Call Sansone & Lauber at 314-863-0500 or contact us online for a free, no-pressure consultation.

Realistic Settlement Ranges for Serious St. Louis Car Accident Cases

No ethical lawyer can promise you a specific number, and there is no official “average settlement.” But to give you a very general idea, serious injury cases in Missouri often resolve in ranges like:

  • Moderate injuries (no surgery, but months of treatment):
    Tens of thousands to low six figures+

  • Serious injuries with surgery or significant time off work:
    Often multiple six figures, depending on long-term impact

  • Catastrophic injuries or permanent disability:
    Can reach high six figures or well into seven figures

Your case might fall below, within, or above those ranges depending on your unique facts: your injuries, your medical proof, your lost wages, your future limitations, and how strong your liability and damages evidence is.

The only way to get a meaningful estimate tailored to your case is to talk directly with an attorney.

📞 Call Sansone & Lauber at 314-863-0500 now to discuss what your case may realistically be worth.

Frequently Asked Questions About St. Louis Car Accident Case Value

1. What is the average car accident settlement in Missouri?

There is no true “average” settlement that applies to everyone. Case value depends on your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, how much insurance coverage is available, and whether you were partially at fault. Two people with similar crashes can have very different case values based on their medical needs and long-term impact.

2. Will I get more money if I hire a St. Louis car accident lawyer?

In many cases, yes. Insurance companies know that unrepresented people are easier to lowball. When you have a lawyer:

  • The insurer knows you can file a lawsuit if they’re unfair

  • Your damages are documented and presented correctly

  • It’s harder for them to twist your words or blame you

While no result is guaranteed, people with experienced counsel often recover substantially more than people who try to handle serious cases alone.

3. What if I was partly at fault for the crash?

Because Missouri follows pure comparative negligence, you can still recover compensation even if you were partly — or even mostly — at fault. Your damages are simply reduced by your percentage of fault.

If the insurance company is blaming you, that’s even more reason to talk to a lawyer quickly.

4. How long will it take to get a settlement?

It depends. Some cases settle in a few months; others take a year or more, especially if your injuries are severe and we need to know your long-term prognosis. Settling too fast can be a mistake if you accept a low number before you know the full impact of your injuries.

We move as quickly as your medical situation allows — but we won’t recommend you accept a quick, cheap offer that leaves you with unpaid bills later.

5. How much does it cost to hire Sansone & Lauber?

We handle serious car accident cases on a contingency fee. That means:

  • No upfront fees

  • No hourly bills

  • We only get paid if we recover money for you

If we don’t win, you owe us no attorney’s fee.

Find Out What Your St. Louis Car Accident Case Is Really WorthHow Much Is My St. Louis Car Accident Case Worth

If you were seriously injured in a St. Louis or Missouri car accident, you cannot trust the insurance company to tell you what your case is worth. Their job is to protect their profits — not your future.

Our job at Sansone & Lauber is simple:

  • Listen to your story

  • Investigate your crash

  • Document every loss

  • Fight for the maximum compensation the law allows

You don’t have to guess what your case is worth, argue with adjusters or do this alone.

📞 Call Sansone & Lauber today at 314-863-0500 for a free, no-obligation consultation

Serious injuries deserve serious representation. Let us help you understand your options and fight back.