Injured In A Car Accident In St. Louis?

Sansone & Lauber | | Car Accidents
Injured In A Car Accident In Dallas

If you were injured in a car accident in St. Louis, the most important thing you can do right now is get medical care and call a St. Louis car accident lawyer immediately—because the minutes and days after a crash are when evidence disappears, insurance companies start building their defense, and your case value can rise or collapse fast.

This guide is written by Sansone & Lauber, a Missouri personal injury firm that fights every day for people hurt in serious crashes across St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and all of Missouri.

If you’re hurt, don’t wait. Call Sansone & Lauber now at 314-863-0500. Waiting hurts your case. The sooner you call us, the sooner we protect you.

Why Car Accidents In St. Louis Are So Dangerous Right Now

St. Louis has seen a surge in severe crashes tied to speeding, distracted driving, and reckless behavior on major arteries like I-64/Highway 40, I-70, I-44, Kings highway, Gravois, and Natural Bridge. Local safety organizations and state data show persistent and rising crash harm in the metro, including deadly pedestrian and roadway trends.

Here’s the blunt truth:
You are not just dealing with a “fender bender culture.” You’re dealing with a high-risk driving environment where insurers try to downplay injuries and shift blame the second they get the chance.

That’s why you need a St. Louis car accident attorney who moves immediately.

Call 314-863-0500 right now. One call puts a wall between you and the insurance company.

What To Do Immediately After A Car Accident In St. Louis (Do This In Order)

1. Get to Safety and Call 911

If anyone is injured, traffic is blocked, or the other driver may be impaired, call police. Besides being the right move for safety, Missouri law requires reporting crashes with injury, death, uninsured drivers, or $500+ property damage.

2. Accept Medical Help — Even If You “Feel Fine”

Adrenaline masks injuries. Many serious conditions show up hours or days later:

  • Concussions / TBIs

  • Neck and back disc injuries

  • Internal bleeding

  • Soft-tissue tears

  • Nerve damage

If you delay treatment, the insurer will claim you weren’t really hurt.

Get checked out. Then call us: 314-863-0500.

3. Take Photos and Video Before Cars Move (If You Can)

Capture:

  • Vehicle positions

  • Damage close-ups

  • Skid marks / debris

  • Traffic lights / signs

  • Road conditions

  • Visible injuries

4. Get Witness Names and Numbers

Witnesses vanish fast. Their statements can be the difference between “he said/she said” and a slam-dunk liability case.

5. Don’t Admit Fault — Not Even Politely

“Sorry” gets twisted. Let the investigation do its job.
You can be kind without handing the insurer a weapon.

6. File the Missouri Crash Report if Required

If you meet reporting thresholds and police do not file one, Missouri requires a written report to the Department of Revenue (Form 1140) within 30 days in qualifying situations.

7. Call Sansone & Lauber Before the Insurance Company

Because once you talk to them alone, they start steering the narrative.

Call 314-863-0500 now. Don’t wait.

Common Causes Of Car Accidents In St. Louis (And How We Prove Them)

We build cases around real, provable crash causes — not guesses:

  • Speeding / aggressive driving

  • Distracted driving (texting, GPS, social media)

  • Drunk or drug-impaired driving

  • Failure to yield / unsafe lane changes

  • Running red lights / stop signs

  • Tailgating

  • Wrong-way driving

  • Commercial vehicle negligence (delivery vans, rideshare, trucks)

  • Dangerous road design or maintenance issues

Proof can include:

  • Police reports

  • Traffic / surveillance footage

  • Black box data

  • Cell-phone records

  • Witness testimony

  • Crash reconstruction

  • Vehicle inspections

This is why speed matters. Evidence is time-sensitive.

Call 314-863-0500 today. We start working immediately.

The Most Common Car Accident Injuries We See In St. Louis

St. Louis crashes routinely cause serious injuries requiring long-term care:

  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) / concussion

  • Whiplash and cervical spine damage

  • Herniated discs

  • Back injuries and sciatica

  • Broken bones

  • Shoulder / knee ligament tears

  • Internal injuries

  • Deep lacerations / scarring

  • Permanent disability

  • Wrongful death

Even a “minor” crash can cause life-altering harm. The insurer knows that. They just don’t want to pay for it.

How Missouri Car Accident Claims Work

Missouri is an at-fault state.
That means the driver who caused the crash (and their insurance) pays for your damages.

Your claim generally goes through:

  1. Investigation + Evidence Collection

  2. Medical documentation + future treatment forecasting

  3. Demand package to insurer

  4. Negotiation

  5. Lawsuit if needed

  6. Trial if they still refuse to be fair

We prepare every case like trial — because that’s how you get real value.

What Is My St. Louis Car Accident Case Worth?

Your case is worth the total of your economic and non-economic damages, and sometimes punitive damages.

Economic damages include:

  • ER and hospital bills

  • Surgery, rehab, PT/OT

  • Future medical care

  • Medications and devices

  • Lost wages

  • Loss of earning capacity

  • Travel and out-of-pocket expenses

Non-economic damages include:

  • Pain and suffering

  • Emotional distress

  • PTSD and anxiety

  • Loss of enjoyment of life

  • Scarring / disfigurement

  • Loss of consortium (impact on marriage/family)

Good news for victims: Missouri generally does not cap pain and suffering in standard car accident cases. (Caps mainly apply in med-mal and government-entity cases.)

Punitive damages may apply when:

  • The driver was drunk/high

  • The behavior was reckless or intentional

  • A company knowingly violated safety rules

Missouri punitive rules are complex and case-specific, but they can significantly increase value where misconduct is extreme.

Missouri’s Pure Comparative Fault Rule (Why Insurance Tries to Blame You)

Missouri uses pure comparative fault.
You can recover compensation even if you share some blame — your award just gets reduced by your percentage of fault.

Example:
If your damages are $500,000 and they claim you’re 20% at fault, they’ll try to cut your claim to $400,000.

That’s why insurers push blame early:

  • “You were speeding.”

  • “You didn’t see them.”

  • “You changed lanes too fast.”

We shut that down with evidence.

Call 314-863-0500 before they write your story for you.

The Insurance Company Is NOT On Your Side (Here’s What They Do)

Insurance adjusters are trained to save their company money. Period.

Expect tactics like:

  • Quick lowball offers before you know your full injury

  • Recorded statements to trap you into contradictions

  • “Delay and deny” hoping you give up

  • Blaming pre-existing conditions

  • Downplaying pain and future care

  • Using gaps in treatment against you

One mistake can cost you tens of thousands — or more.

Don’t sign anything. Don’t give a recorded statement. Call Sansone & Lauber at 314-863-0500.

How Long Do I Have To File A Car Accident Lawsuit In Missouri?

Most St. Louis car accident injury claims have a 5-year statute of limitations.

But you should never wait that long. Here’s why:

  • Witnesses forget

  • Video footage gets deleted

  • Vehicles get repaired or junked

  • The insurer builds a defense first

Important exceptions:

  • Wrongful death cases: generally 3 years from the date of death.

  • Medical malpractice related to crash care: usually 2 years.

Waiting hurts your case. Call 314-863-0500 now.

Missouri Minimum Insurance Requirements (And Why They’re Often Not Enough)

Minimum auto liability coverage is commonly referred to as 25/50/25:

  • $25,000 bodily injury per person

  • $50,000 bodily injury per accident

  • $25,000 property damage

Missouri also requires uninsured motorist coverage (at least $25k/$50k).

Reality check: Serious injuries can blow past these limits fast.
That’s why we look for:

  • Employer liability

  • Commercial policies

  • Umbrella/excess coverage

  • Product or roadway defect claims

  • Your UM/UIM coverage

This is how high-value claims get built.

Car Accidents With Special Liability In St. Louis

Some crash types are worth far more because liability and damages are bigger.

1. Truck Accidents

Commercial carriers have higher insurance limits — and stricter safety rules. When they violate them, we hold them accountable.

2. Rideshare Crashes (Uber/Lyft)

Coverage changes depending on whether the driver was “on app,” en route, or carrying a passenger. We identify the right policy immediately.

3. Drunk Driving Crashes

Jurors hate this. And so do we. These cases often support punitive damages.

4. Hit-and-Run

We use every available tool — cameras, witnesses, police reports — and your UM coverage if needed.

5. Crashes Involving Government Vehicles or Road Hazards

Claims may have special caps and deadlines if a public entity is involved.
That makes speed even more critical.

What If I Didn’t Go To The Doctor Right Away?

Then go now.

Insurers love delayed treatment because it lets them say:

  • “You weren’t hurt.”

  • “Something else caused it.”

  • “It can’t be that bad.”

You can still win your case, but you need a lawyer who knows how to rebuild the timeline.

Call 314-863-0500 and let us handle that fight.

What If The Other Driver Has No Insurance?

You still have options:

  • Uninsured motorist (UM) claim on your policy (required in Missouri)

  • Underinsured motorist (UIM) claim if their limits are too low

  • Third-party claims if someone else contributed to the crash

  • Dram shop claims in some alcohol-related cases

We find the money. That’s our job.

How Sansone & Lauber Builds High-Value Car Accident Cases

We don’t “process files.”
We build cases that force insurers to pay real value.

Our approach:

  1. Immediate investigation

  2. Evidence preservation letters to stop destruction

  3. Full medical review + future care pathway

  4. Documenting lost income and career impact

  5. Negotiation from a position of strength

  6. Lawsuit and trial when needed

And because we’re prepared to go the distance, insurers know we’re not bluffing.

Call 314-863-0500 now. We’re ready.

Questions St. Louis Crash Victims Ask Every Day

“Should I talk to the other driver’s insurance?”

Not without legal protection. Their goals conflict with yours.

“What if I was partly at fault?”

You can still recover under Missouri’s pure comparative fault rule.

“How long does a car accident case take?”

Simple cases can resolve in months. Serious injuries take longer because value depends on full medical recovery forecasting. We move fast — but we don’t settle cheap.

“Will I have to go to court?”

Many cases settle. But we prepare every case like trial. That’s how you get paid.

This Is Your Moment To Protect Your Future

A car wreck can erase your health, your paycheck, your independence, and your peace of mind.

Insurance companies will try to:

  • rush you

  • blame you

  • pressure you

  • underpay you

You don’t have to fight them alone.

Call Sansone & Lauber Now At 314-863-0500Injured In A Car Accident In Dallas

Don’t wait. Waiting hurts your case.
The sooner you call us, the sooner we:

  • lock down evidence

  • handle the insurers

  • get you the medical support you need

  • push your case toward full value

Make the call. Right now. 314-863-0500.