PERSONAL INJURY LAW

When a person is physically or emotionally harmed, or their personal property has been damaged, the law considers that to be a “personal injury”.  The laws covering personal injuries allow the person injured to receive compensation for damages caused by someone else’s careless acts, negligence, recklessness, or even intentional actions.  Generally, recovery for a personal injury requires three elements:

(1)     There must be a legal duty between the one doing the wrong and the person injured;

(2)    There must be a breach of that duty; and

(3)    Damage must occur because of that breach.


When all three of these elements have taken place, a personal injury or a tort has occurred.  Our society is built upon the premise that each citizen should be free from the harmful acts of others.  Not only should people be safe from harm, but the possessions of individuals should be safe from harm as well.  Whenever someone else harms you, someone you love, or something that belongs to you, they become liable to answer for the harm that they have done.  

Once a personal harm or injury has occurred, the person causing the wrong which resulted in the harm has a duty to compensate for their damage.  In the legal arena, the compensation for one’s harm or loss is referred to as “damages”.  Damages can be agreed upon by you and the party doing the harm or by other means.  The damages quite frankly may never compensate you for your loss.  Thus, if you have been seriously injured, or have lost a loved one, no amount of damages or compensation will ever make you whole.  Nevertheless, our sense of justice is built on compensation rather than revenge or the proverbial “eye for an eye”.

If you are the victim of a personal injury, there are several things you can do to help yourself.  First of all, make sure that you seek proper medical attention and that you follow-up with proper authorities and your own insurance company.  If you believe that your injury was caused by someone else, you may want to contact an attorney to discuss your situation. 

» You should call an attorney as soon as it is convenient to do so. 
» You should avoid discussing the matter with strangers or insurance representatives who do not represent you or may not be looking out for your best interest. 
» You should cooperate with your physicians and your own insurance company.

If you or a loved one has a personal injury case that you would like us to review, please call Randy Reichard or Gregg Groves at 417-866-7777 or toll free 1-800-879-2370, or fill out the information on the contact us page. 

The initial consultation for a personal injury case is free of charge and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds, although the client may be responsible for costs and expenses.  In many cases a lawsuit must be filed before a certain time, known as the statute of limitations, so please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.