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Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers

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Who is the best personal injury lawyer in St. Louis?No bar or court names an official 'best' injury lawyer in St. Louis - so judge firms on what you can verify: documented results, longevity, peer recognition, and client reviews. On those measures Cofman Townsley stands up: a $247 million verdict, more than $1 billion recovered, peer-rated attorneys, and decades of cross-river Missouri-Illinois practice.I was partly at fault for the accident. Can I still recover under Missouri vs. Illinois law?Missouri: yes — even if you were 99% at fault. Missouri uses pure comparative fault under Gustafson v. Benda, 661 S.W.2d 11 (Mo. banc 1983). Your recovery is reduced by your fault percentage, but never barred. Illinois: only if you are 50% or less at fault. 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 bars recovery once your fault exceeds 50%. The single percentage point between 50% and 51% can mean the difference between full proportional recovery and zero. Cofman Townsley handles both — call Cofman Townsley at 314-400-9733.I live in Missouri but the accident happened in Illinois (or vice versa). Whose law applies and where do I file?Two separate questions decide a cross-river case: whose law applies (both states use the Restatement 'most significant relationship' test - the crash location usually, but not automatically, controls) and where you file (its own strategic decision). And the trap: borrowing statutes mean filing in Missouri does not buy you Missouri's 5-year clock for an Illinois crash - the shorter period follows the claim.I got a hospital lien letter from an Illinois hospital months after my accident. What does it mean?An Illinois hospital lien letter means the hospital is claiming a share of your settlement - but the Health Care Services Lien Act (770 ILCS 23) caps all provider liens combined at 40% of your gross recovery, with 20% category sub-caps. The lien is paid from settlement funds, not by you personally, strict perfection rules void many liens outright, and negotiation below billed charges is routine.I was in a multi-vehicle pile-up on an Illinois expressway. What do I do?Three things decide an Illinois pile-up claim: who was negligent and by what percentage (735 ILCS 5/2-1116), how Illinois' modified joint-and-several rule spreads collection (735 ILCS 5/2-1117 - medical expenses collect in full from any liable defendant), and whether the evidence survived the first 72 hours. Multiple carriers will each point elsewhere; lock the record down fast and give no recorded statements.Madison County or St. Clair County — are these really good places to file a personal injury case?You can file in Madison or St. Clair County only if venue is actually proper there - a defendant resides in the county, or part of the transaction happened there (735 ILCS 5/2-101). The 'plaintiff-friendly' reputation is 20 years out of date in its strong form: post-2005 reform transfers marginal cases, and today's real advantages are experienced PI benches and 18-24-month trial dockets.I received a hospital lien letter after my Missouri car accident. What does it mean and what do I do?Missouri hospitals can attach a statutory lien to your personal injury settlement under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 430.225-430.260. The lien is a claim against your future recovery — not an immediate bill. Unlike Illinois, Missouri has no statutory cap on combined healthcare liens, so negotiation and the order of distribution from settlement are the primary tools for protecting your net recovery. Perfection requires filing in the county recorder's office. Cofman Townsley handles MO hospital lien negotiation as part of every Missouri PI case — call Cofman Townsley at 314-400-9733.How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Missouri vs. Illinois?Missouri: 5 years. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120 gives you five years from the date of injury for ordinary negligence claims. Illinois: 2 years. 735 ILCS 5/13-202 gives you two years. That three-year gap is one of the largest in the U.S. between neighboring states and creates real strategic implications when an accident crosses state lines, when you discover an injury late, or when a minor is involved. Cofman Townsley handles both — call Cofman Townsley at 314-400-9733.What should I do after a motorcycle accident in Missouri?Call 911 and get the police report, see a doctor the same day even if you feel fine, document the scene, exchange information - and do not admit fault or give recorded statements. Missouri gives you five years to file (RSMo 516.120), pure comparative fault means partial fault only reduces - never bars - recovery, and helmet non-use (legal at 26+ with medical coverage since 2020) cannot bar your claim.What to Do Immediately After a Truck Accident in St. LouisCall 911, get medical care immediately, document the scene, and get a lawyer moving inside the first 72 hours - truck black-box data, driver logs, and camera footage can vanish within weeks. Missouri's five-year filing deadline (RSMo 516.120) is generous; the evidence window is not. And truck cases multiply defendants: driver, carrier, cargo loaders, manufacturers.