st. louis Personal Injury Lawyer
Strategic Representation for Serious Injury and Institutional Negligence Cases
A serious injury can upend every part of your life in a matter of seconds. One moment you are commuting on Interstate 64 or shopping in the Central West End, and the next you are facing emergency surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, lost wages, and an insurance adjuster pressuring you to settle for far less than your case is worth. When that happens, you need a St. Louis personal injury lawyer who knows the local courts, the insurance company playbook, and how to push a case all the way to trial when the offer on the table is not enough.
At Kevin Etzkorn Law, attorney Kevin Etzkorn has spent more than two decades representing injured Missourians and their families. He is a St. Louis native and a Super Lawyers selectee who has handled catastrophic injury, wrongful death, trucking, and institutional negligence cases resulting in substantial recoveries. The firm is intentionally selective, taking on a limited number of serious matters at a time so each case receives the preparation it deserves. If you or a loved one was hurt in an accident anywhere in the metro area, call (314) 987-0009 today for a free, no-obligation consultation. You pay nothing unless we win your case.
What Counts as a Personal Injury Case in Missouri?
Personal injury law covers any situation where one person or entity causes harm to another through carelessness, recklessness, or intentional misconduct. Under Missouri law, an injured party can recover compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of normal life when they prove the other side was at fault. Missouri follows a pure comparative fault rule, which means you can still recover damages even if you were partially responsible for the accident, though your award may be reduced by your share of the blame. You can review the underlying statute on the Missouri Revisor of Statutes website.
Common Types of Personal Injury Claims We Handle in St. Louis
Kevin Etzkorn Law handles a wide range of injury matters that arise across the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and the greater metro area. The most common include:
- Motor vehicle collisions on roads like I-70, I-44, I-270, and Highway 40, including our dedicated practice in St. Louis car accident claims.
- Commercial trucking crashes on interstate corridors, where we leverage our deep experience as St. Louis truck accident lawyers.
- Medical errors and hospital negligence at facilities throughout the BJC, SSM Health, and Mercy systems.
- Nursing home abuse and neglect in long-term care facilities across the bi-state region.
- Premises liability, including slip and fall, inadequate security, and dog bites.
- Wrongful death when a family loses a loved one because of another party’s negligence.
- Pharmacy and prescription mistakes that cause overdose, injury, or death.
Injuries We See Most Often
The injuries we recover compensation for tend to be life-altering. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, multiple fractures, internal organ injuries, severe burns, amputations, and chronic pain conditions all require long-term medical care and often prevent clients from returning to the work they did before the accident. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unintentional injury is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States, and the cost to families is staggering.
Why Hire a Local St. Louis Personal Injury Attorney?
There is a real difference between hiring a billboard firm with hundreds of cases moving through a settlement mill and hiring a focused trial attorney who actually knows the courthouse. Kevin Etzkorn has spent his entire career litigating in St. Louis courts, including the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court for the City of St. Louis on Tucker Boulevard and the 21st Judicial Circuit in Clayton. That local familiarity matters when it comes to motion practice, jury composition, mediator selection, and the reputations of the defense firms you will be up against.
A Trial Lawyer, Not a Settlement Mill
Insurance carriers track which firms actually try cases. When a defense adjuster sees that opposing counsel has never picked a jury, the offer on the table reflects that. When they see Kevin Etzkorn on the file, they know they are dealing with a lawyer who has tried catastrophic injury and institutional negligence cases to verdict and is prepared to walk into a Missouri courtroom and prove the case. That reputation alone often increases the value of a settlement.
Local Knowledge of St. Louis Roads, Hospitals, and Hazards
We know the corridors where serious crashes happen most often, from the Poplar Street Bridge to the I-270 and I-70 interchange in north county. We know which intersections in Soulard and The Hill see frequent pedestrian incidents. We know the dram shop issues that come up around the Central West End and Delmar Loop. That on the ground knowledge helps us investigate faster and frame cases more persuasively.
How a Personal Injury Case Works in Missouri
Most clients have never been involved in a lawsuit before, and the process can feel intimidating. Here is how we walk you through it from start to finish.
Step One: The Free Consultation and Investigation
Every case begins with a conversation. We listen to what happened, review any records or photos you have, and explain in plain language whether you have a claim and what it could be worth. If we take the case, we begin investigating immediately. That means securing the police report, requesting 911 audio, pulling traffic camera footage, identifying witnesses, preserving vehicle data, and ordering medical records. Early evidence preservation is critical.
Step Two: Medical Treatment and Documentation
We make sure you are getting the medical care you need and that every visit, prescription, and therapy session is properly documented. We often work with treating physicians and life care planners to project the future cost of your care, which becomes a major component of your damages.
Step Three: Demand and Negotiation
Once your medical picture is clear, we prepare a comprehensive demand package and send it to the insurance carrier. Many cases resolve at this stage, but only if the offer fairly reflects the harm you have suffered. If it does not, we file suit.
Step Four: Litigation and Trial
In Missouri, most personal injury lawsuits proceed through written discovery, depositions, expert disclosures, mediation, and ultimately trial if needed. We prepare every case as if it will be tried, because that is the only way to get full value. Learn more about our trial-focused approach to personal injury cases at Kevin Etzkorn Law.
Compensation You May Be Entitled to Recover
Missouri law allows injured plaintiffs to recover both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include past and future medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, property damage, and out-of-pocket costs. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases of egregious misconduct, punitive damages may also be available.
How Missouri’s Statute of Limitations Affects Your Claim
Most personal injury claims in Missouri must be filed within five years of the date of injury under Missouri Revised Statutes Section 516.120. Wrongful death claims have a three-year deadline, and medical malpractice claims generally must be filed within two years. Miss the deadline, and your case is barred forever, no matter how strong it is, which is why calling a lawyer early is so important.
What Happens If Insurance Will Not Pay Fairly?
Insurance companies are in business to pay as little as possible. When the offer is not enough, we file suit. Many of our largest results have come after the insurer denied liability or made a lowball offer that we refused on the client’s behalf. Trial pressure changes the math.
Why Choose Kevin Etzkorn Law
Kevin Etzkorn founded Kevin Etzkorn Law to do things differently. We are intentionally small, which means your case is handled by an experienced attorney rather than passed off to a junior associate or a paralegal. We accept a limited number of cases, we communicate directly with our clients, and we treat every client the way we would want our own family treated. You can read more about Kevin Etzkorn’s background and philosophy on the firm’s about page.
We also work on a contingency fee basis. That means there is no charge to meet with us, no fee to investigate your case, and no payment unless we obtain a recovery for you. The financial risk stays with us, not with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a St. Louis personal injury lawyer?
Kevin Etzkorn Law handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe nothing up front, and we are only paid if we recover money for you. The fee is a percentage of the settlement or verdict and is discussed in writing before you sign anything, so there are never any surprises.
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Missouri?
Missouri’s general statute of limitations for personal injury is five years from the date of the injury, but several important exceptions can shorten that window. Wrongful death claims have a three-year deadline, medical malpractice claims a two-year deadline, and claims against governmental entities may require notice within ninety days, so you should consult an attorney as soon as possible.
What is my St. Louis personal injury case worth?
Case value depends on the severity of your injuries, the impact on your ability to work, the strength of liability evidence, and the available insurance coverage. After reviewing your medical records, wage loss, and the facts of the incident, we can give you a realistic range and explain the variables that could move it up or down.
Do I have to go to court if I hire your firm?
Most personal injury cases in Missouri settle without a trial, but we prepare every case as if it will be tried because that is what produces the best results. If your case does proceed to trial, we will walk you through every step and prepare you thoroughly for any testimony.
Talk to a St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you or someone you love has been hurt because of another party’s negligence anywhere in the St. Louis area, do not wait to get advice. Evidence disappears, witnesses move, and deadlines run. Call Kevin Etzkorn Law at (314) 987-0009 or contact our St. Louis office to schedule a free, confidential consultation today. Our office is located at 231 S. Bemiston Ave, Suite 250, in Clayton, and we represent clients throughout the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, St. Charles, Jefferson County, and the surrounding Missouri and Illinois communities. It costs nothing to call, and we only get paid if we win.
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Recent Outcomes
As a trusted St. Louis personal injury attorney, our goal is to provide exceptional legal representation and achieve justice for those who have suffered due to others’ negligence. Explore our case results to see the impact of our commitment and expertise.
We have resolved numerous trucking cases. For example, we took a trucking case to trial in the City of St. Louis. When a client’s car was knocked across the highway by a semi-truck, our lawsuit revealed the trucker had exceeded the maximum work hours and was fatigued at the end of a long shift. The trucking company made no settlement offers and argued that our client was at fault. The reporting police officer testified our client was at fault. The jury discounted the officer’s testimony and rendered a verdict for our client.
- Settlement for a client who fell from a roof during a construction project, leading to paralysis.
- One premises liability case settled at trial. Our client fell on the defendants’ property. He tore a rotator cuff, had major complications and surgery. Thanks to the evidence presented, defense counsel offered to settle during the trial.
We have tried numerous auto accident cases and have settled hundreds. By way of example, we recently handled a catastrophic injury case for a young family hit by a drunk driver. We were able to settle our client driver’s case. Our client passenger’s case went to trial in St. Charles County after we turned down a settlement offer of $300,000. The jury returned a verdict for our client in the amount of $750,000.
