Hospitalized After A Car Accident In Missouri?

Sansone & Lauber | December 15, 2025 | Car Accidents

If you were hospitalized after a car accident in Missouri, your next moves are absolutely critical: get full medical treatment, do not talk to the insurance company alone, and contact an experienced Missouri car accident lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights, your health, and the full value of your case.

If you’re reading this from a hospital bed or just got home after being discharged, you do not have to figure this out on your own. Call Sansone & Lauber now at 314-863-0500 for a free consultation. We will step between you and the insurance company, start protecting your claim immediately, and let you stay focused on healing while we focus on winning.

In this guide, written from the perspective of a Missouri personal injury trial firm like Sansone & Lauber in St. Louis, you’ll learn exactly what to do — and what not to do — after being admitted to the hospital following a crash anywhere in Missouri.

We’ll walk through:

What to do while you’re still in the hospital
How Missouri law views your hospital stay and future care
How bills get paid (and how to avoid being buried in medical debt)
How being hospitalized can dramatically increase the value of your claim
Why having a serious, trial-tested accident lawyer on your side matters

1. First Things First: Your Health Comes Before Everything Else

When you’re hospitalized after a car accident in Missouri, it’s a huge red flag that this was not a minor fender-bender.

You may be dealing with:

Broken bones and fractures
Internal bleeding or organ damage
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion
Back, neck, or spinal cord injuries
Crush injuries, severe lacerations, or burns
Surgery, ICU care, or multiple procedures

In the hospital, your number-one job is simple:

Stabilize, get the right diagnosis, and get the treatment you need.

Be Completely Honest and Thorough With Your Doctors

Tell every doctor, nurse, and specialist:

Every area that hurts — even if it seems “minor” compared to other pain
Any dizziness, headaches, confusion, memory loss, blurred vision
Any numbness, tingling, weakness, or loss of coordination

All of this ends up in your medical records, which later become core evidence in your injury claim. Those records are what we use to prove:

Exactly what injuries the crash caused
How severe they are
What your long-term prognosis looks like
What future treatment you’ll likely need

2. While You’re Still in the Hospital: Critical Steps to Protect Your Case

You may not be able to do all of this yourself — and that’s okay. Ask a spouse, family member, or trusted friend to help.

2.1. Do NOT Give a Recorded Statement

Insurance companies may start calling almost immediately, including:

The at-fault driver’s insurance company
Sometimes even your own insurance company

They will often sound friendly and “just want your story.” But you may be:

Heavily medicated
Exhausted
Confused about what actually happened

You can say:

“I’m in the hospital and not in a position to discuss the crash. I’m going to hire a lawyer, and they will contact you.”

Then actually do it. Call Sansone & Lauber at 314-863-0500, and we’ll take over all communications with the insurers so you don’t have to worry about saying something they can twist against you later.

2.2. Ask Someone to Preserve Evidence

Crucial evidence disappears quickly:

Vehicles are towed, repaired, or totaled
Skid marks fade
Debris is cleaned up
Surveillance footage is overwritten
Witnesses vanish or forget important details

If possible, have someone:

Photograph all vehicles involved (inside and out), including license plates
Take wide shots and close-ups of the crash scene
Note any security cameras on nearby buildings, homes, or intersections
Write down names and phone numbers of witnesses
Save any dashcam or cellphone video immediately

When you bring in a firm like Sansone & Lauber early, we can send preservation letters, secure vehicle inspections, and move fast to lock down scene evidence.

2.3. Save Every Piece of Paper You’re Given

Have a family member gather and keep:

Discharge summaries
Medication lists
Follow-up instructions
Hospital bills and itemized statements
Any Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) from insurance

Don’t stress about organizing it. Just don’t throw anything away. Our team will sort, analyze, and use it later to prove your damages.

3. Missouri Law and Your Hospital Stay: Why It Matters So Much

Your hospital stay is not just a medical event — legally, it’s a major indicator of a serious personal injury case.

3.1. Hospitalization = Serious Injury in the Eyes of the Law

Under Missouri personal injury law, you’re entitled to pursue compensation for:

Medical expenses (past and future)
Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Loss of enjoyment of life
Permanent disability, scarring, or disfigurement

A hospital admission after a crash typically means:

Substantial medical bills
A higher likelihood of long-term or permanent problems
A significant impact on your ability to work and live normally

In short, hospitalization usually increases the potential value of your claim — but only if your case is built and presented properly.

3.2. Missouri Is a Pure Comparative Negligence State

At-fault state:

The driver(s) who caused the crash are legally responsible for your damages through their insurance policies.

Missouri also follows pure comparative fault:

You can recover compensation even if you were up to 99% at fault.
Your compensation is reduced in proportion to your share of fault.

Example:
The jury finds your total damages are $600,000 but says you are 20% at fault. Your net recovery would be $480,000.

Insurance companies use this rule to try to push more blame onto you — even when you’re the one lying in the hospital. A strong trial firm like Sansone & Lauber fights back hard against those tactics, using evidence and expert analysis to keep unwarranted fault off of you.

If an adjuster is already hinting that you “might have been partially at fault,” it’s time to stop talking and call 314-863-0500 immediately.

4. “Who Pays My Hospital Bills After a Car Accident in Missouri?”

This is usually the question keeping people up at night:

“How am I going to pay for all of this?”

You may see huge numbers on your statements — tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars — and it can feel terrifying. The good news: there are multiple potential sources of payment.

A serious Missouri car accident lawyer will analyze all of them.

4.1. Health Insurance

Your health insurance (employer plan, private plan, Medicare, Medicaid, VA) usually:

Pays bills up front
Then asserts a lien or reimbursement claim against your settlement or verdict

This sounds scary but is standard. Our job is to:

Confirm which liens are valid
Negotiate reductions when possible
Make sure they are paid correctly so you are protected long-term

We routinely work with health insurers and lien holders in major injury cases, especially where hospitalizations, surgeries, and long-term care are involved.

4.2. MedPay (Medical Payments) Coverage

Many Missouri auto policies include Medical Payments (MedPay) coverage:

Pays your medical bills up to a set amount — often $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, or more
Pays regardless of who caused the crash
Can be used together with health insurance to reduce what you owe out-of-pocket

You may not even know you have MedPay until someone reads your policy. One of the first things we do is pull and analyze all available policies to find this money.

4.3. The At-Fault Driver’s Liability Coverage

The at-fault driver’s liability coverage is usually the main source of compensation for:

Hospital and other medical expenses
Future treatment costs
Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
Pain and suffering and other non-economic damages

The problem? Missouri’s minimum liability limits are low compared to the cost of a serious hospital stay. In serious injury cases, minimum limits are often nowhere near enough to cover your losses.

4.4. Your Own Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage

In Missouri:

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is mandatory on most auto policies.
Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage is optional but common.

If the at-fault driver has little or no liability insurance, your UM/UIM coverage can sometimes step in to cover additional damages.

These claims are complicated and full of traps. You should not try to navigate UM/UIM issues by yourself from a hospital bed. This is where calling 314-863-0500 and letting Sansone & Lauber handle it can literally change your financial future.

5. How Hospitalization Affects the Value of Your Missouri Car Accident Case

Hospitalization almost always signals a high-value claim, but only if the case is built correctly.

5.1. Economic Damages: The Financial Backbone

Your economic damages in a hospitalized case may include:

ER triage and trauma team charges
Surgeries and surgical follow-ups
ICU and inpatient stays
Imaging (X-rays, CT scans, MRIs)
Specialist consults (orthopedic, neurology, trauma surgery, etc.)
Medications, medical devices, braces, walkers, wheelchairs
In-patient rehab or skilled nursing facility stays
Outpatient physical and occupational therapy
Home health care, aides, or caregivers
Past lost wages during hospitalization and recovery
Future lost earning capacity if you can’t return to your prior job or hours

We gather every bill, every itemized charge, and every payroll record to show the true financial shock this crash caused.

5.2. Non-Economic Damages: Your Human Story

Being hospitalized is not just about numbers. It’s about what happened to your life:

The pain during and after the crash
Fear, anxiety, nightmares, and emotional trauma
Time away from your children, spouse, and loved ones
Losing independence and needing help with basic tasks
Missing major life events while you were in the hospital or in rehab
Permanent limitations, scars, or disfigurement

Missouri law allows recovery for these non-economic damages. Our job is to turn your experience into a compelling, credible narrative that insurers and juries cannot ignore.

5.3. Future Damages and Life Impact

In many hospitalized cases, the most important part of the claim is your future:

Will you need more surgeries?
Are you at higher risk of arthritis, chronic pain, or mobility issues?
Can you go back to your old job?
Will you need retraining or have to move into a lower-paying line of work?
Will you require lifelong medication, therapy, or support services?

We bring in medical experts, life-care planners, and economists to:

Map out your likely future treatment and needs
Translate those needs into cost projections over your lifetime
Present the full picture to the insurance company — and to a jury if needed

If you’ve been hospitalized and your future looks uncertain, do not let an adjuster “ballpark” your case value. Call 314-863-0500 and let us calculate your damages based on real evidence and real Missouri case experience.

6. Hospital-Related Mistakes That Can Cost You Serious Money

Even good, honest people can unknowingly damage their claims. Here are some costly mistakes to avoid.

6.1. Downplaying Your Pain or Limitations

Many people try to “tough it out” and tell doctors:

“I’m okay, just a little sore.”
“It’s not that bad.”

If your records show repeated “no pain,” “no complaints,” or “feels fine,” the insurance company will weaponize those entries later.

Be accurate and honest. If you hurt, say so. If you’re scared, say so. Truthful reporting helps your doctors treat you and helps us prove your case.

6.2. Skipping Follow-Up Care

After discharge, you may be:

Tired of doctors
Worried about costs
Trying to get back to normal life

If you skip follow-ups, stop therapy early, or fail to follow medical advice, the insurer will argue:

“They must have healed quickly.”
“Their injuries weren’t serious.”

If cost or logistics make care difficult, tell your lawyer.

6.3. Posting on Social Media

This cannot be stressed enough:

Do not post about the accident, your injuries, or your activities on social media.

A single photo or comment — taken out of context — can be used to say you’re not really injured. Defense lawyers live for this.

While your case is open, the safest approach is to stay silent online about the crash and your medical condition.

7. What a Missouri Car Accident Trial Firm Does for Hospitalized Clients

Trying to manage a major injury claim while you’re recovering from a hospital stay is a losing battle. Here’s what a serious trial firm like Sansone & Lauber does for you.

7.1. Free Consultation — Wherever You Are

You can:

Call from the hospital
Have a family member call on your behalf
Set up a phone or video consult
Request an in-person visit in serious cases

There is no cost and no obligation. You get straight answers about your rights and options.

If you’re ready to hand this off to professionals, pick up the phone and call 314-863-0500. We will explain your options in plain English and tell you what we can do immediately.

7.2. Taking Over All Insurance Communications

Once you hire us:

We notify every insurance company involved.
Adjusters must contact us, not you.
You no longer have to field calls, letters, or emails from insurers.

Our team will handle:

Recorded statements (if strategically appropriate at all)
Written communications
Requests for authorizations and records

You focus on getting better. We focus on making the insurance companies play fair.

7.3. Full Investigation and Evidence Preservation

We will:

Secure crash reports and 911 records
Track down and interview witnesses
Obtain and preserve any video footage
Inspect vehicles and preserve “black box” data where available
Work with reconstruction experts in disputed liability cases

7.4. Building the Medical and Damages Case

We coordinate with your treating doctors and, when necessary, independent specialists to:

Understand your diagnosis and prognosis
Document the full extent of your injuries
Identify your future needs and limitations

We then assemble all of your medical records, bills, and employment information into a coherent, powerful damages package that shows exactly what this crash has cost — and will cost — you and your family.

7.5. Negotiation, Lawsuit, and Trial

Once we have a full picture of your injuries, we:

Make a detailed demand on all responsible insurers
Negotiate for a settlement that reflects your real losses
Advise you honestly about whether offers are truly fair

If the insurance company refuses to pay what your hospitalized case is worth, we are fully prepared to:

File suit
Litigate aggressively
Take your case to trial

At every step, we explain what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what your options are.

8. What You Should Do Right Now If You Were Hospitalized After a Car Accident in Missouri

To protect both your health and your claim:

Follow your doctors’ instructions and attend all follow-up appointments.
Do not give recorded statements or sign releases for any insurance company without legal advice.
Have someone save all paperwork from the hospital, including bills and discharge instructions.
Do not post about the accident or your injuries on social media.
Call a proven Missouri car accident trial firm as soon as possible.

If your hospital bills are already coming in and the adjuster is calling, the most important step you can take today is to get a serious law firm between you and the insurance company.

One call can change the entire trajectory of your case.
Call Sansone & Lauber now at 314-863-0500 for a free case evaluation.

Final Thought: You Don’t Have to Fight This Alone

Being hospitalized after a car accident in Missouri is frightening, painful, and overwhelming. You are dealing with surgery, rehab, and questions about whether life will ever look the same.

You should not also be forced to battle:

Insurance adjusters trained to minimize payouts
Aggressive hospital billing departments
Complex Missouri insurance and liability rules

That’s our job.

At Sansone & Lauber, we bring:

Deep experience in serious Missouri car accident and catastrophic injury cases
A trial-first mindset backed by major verdicts and settlements
A relentless commitment to making sure our hospitalized clients are not shortchanged by insurance companies

If you or a loved one has been hospitalized after a car accident anywhere in Missouri, make your next move your strongest one:

📞 Call Sansone & Lauber at 314-863-0500 today.

The consultation is free. There is no obligation. And you never pay an attorney’s fee unless we win money for you.

You focus on getting out of the hospital and rebuilding your life.
We’ll focus on forcing the insurance company to pay every dollar your case is worth under Missouri law.