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When you’re hit by a car in Kansas City, the questions could feel like they’re never-ending. You have specific rights under Missouri law to help build your case. This includes the right to seek financial compensation when another person’s carelessness causes your injuries. Getting a straight answer about those rights is the first step toward getting your life back on track.
The legal process, insurance claims, and mounting bills are a heavy burden when you should be focused on healing. We are here to lift that weight. If you have questions about what to do next, we are ready to listen.
Contact Walner Law for a free consultation at (312) 410-8496.
After an accident, you need a law firm that understands how to handle serious injury claims. Since 1961, our firm has focused on one thing: helping people injured by negligence. Our Chicago offices are conveniently located at 33 N LaSalle St. #2700 Chicago, IL 60602, one block east of Washington/Wells station on the brown line.
Despite our offices being in Chicago, our practice is nation-wide. We frequently partner with a network of trusted local attorneys in cities like Kansas City to provide thorough representation at no extra cost to you. This approach gives you the benefit of our firm’s deep experience in catastrophic injury cases combined with valuable on-the-ground insight. We have a history of securing substantial settlements and verdicts for clients who have suffered life-altering injuries.
Our commitment is to put your life back together. Here’s how:
A serious injury creates immediate financial pressure. Medical bills start to pile up, you may be unable to work, and the costs tied to your recovery could feel endless.
The purpose of a personal injury claim is to provide financial stability to cover every single loss the accident caused, not just the obvious ones. If calculated inaccurately, you could be left with future expenses that aren’t covered.
We pursue the maximum compensation available under Missouri law by identifying and valuing all categories of your damages. This typically includes:
This is a common worry, but it doesn’t prevent you from recovering compensation in Missouri. Missouri follows a “pure comparative negligence” rule. It’s a legal concept that means you may still be awarded damages even if you were partly to blame for the accident.
For example, if a jury finds you were 20% at fault, your final compensation award would be reduced by 20%. Insurance companies conduct thorough investigations to find any reason to argue you hold a higher percentage of fault. Our role is to keep them accountable and ensure no amount of blame is unjustly put on you.
While an accident can happen on any street, data reveals that certain areas in Kansas City pose a much higher risk to pedestrians. In a recent year, Missouri saw a record 148 pedestrian fatalities, a 16% increase from the previous year. In Kansas City, 97 people died in traffic-related incidents in another recent year, with 17 of them being pedestrians.
The city has identified a “high-injury network” by analyzing crash data. Accidents happen most frequently at or along these major corridors and intersections:
Because a pedestrian has no protection, the injuries are frequently severe and impacts every aspect of a person’s life.
A statute of limitations is a legal deadline for filing a lawsuit. In Missouri, you generally have five years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury claim. If you miss this deadline, you will almost certainly lose your right to seek compensation in court.
Soon after the accident, you will likely get a call from an insurance adjuster for the at-fault driver. It is important to remember their role as insurance companies, which are businesses that must balance paying out fair claims with making a profit.
The adjuster’s job is to conduct a thorough investigation, looking for any evidence to argue you were at fault or that your injuries are not as severe as you claim. They might make a quick, low offer before the full extent of your injuries is known, hoping you will accept it as medical bills begin to mount.
Our team manages all communications for you.
Pedestrian accident cases require different evidence collection techniques than typical car-on-car crashes because the victim has no vehicle damage to analyze and often suffers more severe injuries that affect their ability to recall details.
Kansas City’s growing surveillance infrastructure creates multiple opportunities to capture pedestrian accidents from different angles. Traffic cameras at major intersections like Independence Avenue and Prospect Avenue record continuously, but their footage gets overwritten within 30 days unless specifically preserved. Business security cameras from nearby stores, restaurants, and office buildings often provide better angles than traffic cameras because they’re positioned to monitor sidewalks and crosswalks where pedestrians travel.
Residential doorbell cameras have become increasingly valuable evidence sources because they capture street-level activity from pedestrian perspectives rather than the elevated views of traffic cameras. However, homeowners may delete footage or their storage systems may automatically overwrite recordings within days of the incident.
Other drivers on Kansas City streets increasingly use dashboard cameras that record continuously while driving. These devices often capture pedestrian accidents from ground level, showing exactly what other drivers could see and when pedestrians became visible. The challenge lies in identifying which vehicles had cameras and obtaining their footage before drivers realize its value or accidentally delete it.
Pedestrian accident witnesses often have perspectives that differ dramatically from typical car accident observers. Other pedestrians walking nearby see the accident from ground level and understand walking patterns, crosswalk timing, and pedestrian behavior better than drivers who witnessed the collision from their vehicles.
Witnesses in nearby buildings or at street level sometimes see the accident develop over a longer time period than those who only observed the actual impact. They may have noticed erratic driving behavior, excessive speeding, or distracted driving in the moments before the collision. However, these witnesses often leave the scene quickly or may not realize the importance of their observations until contacted later.
Vehicle damage patterns in pedestrian accidents reveal different information than car-to-car crashes because human bodies create specific impact signatures on vehicle surfaces. Pedestrian contact typically occurs at bumper level initially, then progresses upward as the person is thrown onto the hood and windshield area. The height and distribution of damage indicates pedestrian size and position at impact.
Vehicle systems create mechanical records of driver behavior in the seconds before impact. Anti-lock braking systems leave different tire mark patterns than traditional braking, while skid mark length and intensity indicate whether drivers attempted emergency stops or were caught completely off-guard. Engine control modules in newer vehicles record speed, acceleration, and braking data that provides objective evidence of driver actions.
Pedestrian injuries occur in predictable patterns based on vehicle speed, impact angle, and pedestrian position at contact. Lower leg injuries typically result from initial bumper impact, while upper body trauma occurs when pedestrians contact hoods and windshields. The severity and distribution of injuries help medical experts calculate impact forces and vehicle speeds with reasonable accuracy.
Unlike vehicle occupants protected by safety systems, pedestrians absorb the full force of vehicle impacts, often resulting in complex injury patterns that develop over time. This delayed symptom development requires ongoing medical documentation that connects later-appearing conditions to the original accident.
Psychological trauma in pedestrian cases often exceeds what vehicle occupants experience because pedestrians have time to see the approaching vehicle and realize they cannot escape impact. This anticipatory terror creates specific PTSD patterns that require specialized psychological evaluation and treatment documentation.
You may still be able to recover compensation through your own auto insurance policy’s Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage. Missouri law requires drivers to carry this coverage. We review your policy to determine your options.
Similar to an uninsured driver situation, your own UM coverage may apply. It is also important that a police report was filed. We work with investigators to try and identify the driver.
You might. Under Missouri’s pure comparative fault system, you could still be entitled to compensation even if you were partially at fault for crossing outside a crosswalk. The key is determining the driver’s share of responsibility.
Yes. Claims against government entities in Missouri have different rules and much shorter deadlines under the state’s Tort Claims Act. It is important to speak with an attorney immediately if a government vehicle was involved.
The timeline varies greatly depending on the details of the case, the severity of your injuries, and whether the case settles or goes to trial. A straightforward case might resolve in months, while a more involved one could take a year or more.
Let our experience guide you toward the recovery you need. For a free, confidential discussion about your case, call Walner Law today at (312) 410-8496.
