St Louis Personal Injury Lawyers

If you have sustained an injury as a result of the actions or neglect of another party, you may well have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. You may also be entitled to damages if you have been injured as a result of a defective product. There are many areas of specialization in personal injury law, so you should try to choose an attorney who is knowledgeable about your specific situation.

Traffic and transportation accidents are perhaps the most common kinds of personal injury cases. This category includes accidents involving automobiles, motorcycles and trucks. It also includes boating accidents and accidents involving trains, buses, airplanes, taxis and other modes of commercial transportation.

Defective Products

Personal injury as a result of defective products is another huge category. Automobiles alone account for a very large number of cases. SUV rollovers, defective tires, brake malfunctions, and even injuries caused by automatic windows would fall into this category. If you are injured in a single-vehicle accident, it might still be possible to recover damages if you can prove that your vehicle had a defective product installed.

Products can be considered dangerously defective if any of three circumstances apply. The product might contain a manufacturing flaw, which would apply to a single unit of the product. It might also be defectively designed, which would apply to all units of that specific product. Finally, it may have inadequate warnings, directions or instructions regarding dangers of reasonable use.

Medical products and pharmaceuticals can also be charged as defective products. Negative side effects of prescription drugs can be cause for action if the manufacturer knew or should have known about them. An example is the recall of the arthritis medication Vioxx.

Medical Malpractice

For a medical malpractice suit to be brought to court, three conditions must be established. It must be shown that the medical practitioner did not conform to standards of practice expected for reasonable, competent care. It must be shown that injury was a direct result of the practitioner's error. Finally, there must be an accounting of what losses and damages ensued from the error.

Wrongful death suits may be brought when someone is fatally injured by the actions or negligence of another, or as a result of a defective product. In Missouri, the spouse, children and parents of the decedent have the first right to bring action, followed by siblings and their descendents. The same criteria apply to wrongful death cases as to other personal injury suits.

Personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits are complex and demanding. It is best to select an attorney who has extensive experience in the particular type of case that you are considering. The Missouri Bar Association can provide a list of attorneys in your area. You can then visit their websites, where you will find information regarding their experience and credentials, often including recent exemplary cases. Most lawyers will consult with you at no charge to discuss whether you have a viable personal injury case. You should consult an attorney as soon as possible, since Missouri has statutes of limitations on personal injury cases, and because evidence should be collected promptly.