Legal Question in Traffic Law in Missouri

What to expect in settlement after killing horse with car?

I was in a car accident 9-12-02 where my car smashed into a trail ride horse on the highway in the middle of the night. The horse was killed instantly as it came through my windshield destroying my glasses, covering me in blood, guts and horse ''crap''.

I suffered back and neck injuries ''soft tissue'', and have experienced headaches for 3 months. I have also had difficulty driving at night since the accident. They have claimed liability in this case and have already paid for my totaled car. My medical bills have climbed to nearly $6000 and I am still in physical therapy.

My question is this, what should I expect settlement wise through the insurance company. What would be reasonable to demand in my offer, 2x, 3x, 4x the medical bills?

Are there precedent cases that I can study?

Any and all advice you can give would be deeply appreciated.

Thank you,

Jeff E.


Asked on 12/12/02, 12:51 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael R. Nack Michael R. Nack, Attorney at Law

Re: What to expect in settlement after killing horse with car?

With a claim as substantial as yours, it would be a very serious mistake to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company on the other side without an experienced attorney. There is no doubt whatsoever that such an attorney will net you a larger amount of compensation for your injuries and related damages even after the attorney's fee is paid out of the gross settlement recovery. This is not to imply that an attorney is any smarter than you. This is based upon almost twenty-five years of experience dealing with such cases. In certain cases, where the damges are relatively minor and the attorney is not going to be able to increase the amount of compensation actually received by the injured person, the attorney should so advise that person and perhaps even coach them on how to go about getting the best offer of settlement. There are many other practical reasons why using a personal injury attorney will be to your definite advantage, and I would be glad to discuss it with you if you would like to call me at 314-727-2822. There will be no charge for the call, and I will not pressure you in any way to hire me, although you would be free to do so if you decide that it would be in your own best interests. In any event, I am sorry to hear of your injuries and I wish you the very best of luck with your recovery and your settlement.

Read more
Answered on 12/13/02, 4:38 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Traffic Law questions and answers in Missouri