Alvin's Personal Injury Law Blog

Most Missouri personal injury cases have a five-year statute of limitations under RSMo § 516.120 — the same five-year deadline applies to most Missouri car accident lawsuits. Medical malpractice is only two years, wrongful death is three, and claims against government entities can be much shorter. Don't wait on the longer end; evidence and witnesses disappear fast. Call (314) 651-8631 so we can protect your filing rights.

A: No recovery, no fee. We handle personal injury and medical malpractice cases on a contingency fee basis, agreed to in writing before we begin. Depending on what your case requires, there may still be case costs involved. We walk you through all of that at your free consultation. Your consultation is no pressure, no obligation.

You can handle it yourself, but Insurance Research Council studies have consistently found that represented claimants recover significantly more on average — even after attorney's fees. Adjusters are trained to close claims for as little as possible. An experienced St. Louis trial lawyer levels that field.

Case value depends on your medical expenses, lost wages, future care, the severity and permanence of your injuries, how clearly fault falls on the other side, and the insurance coverage available. No honest lawyer can promise a specific number, and Missouri Bar rules prohibit us from doing so. What we can promise is a thorough valuation of every component of your claim.

Get medical care immediately, report the incident in writing (police report, incident report, or hospital record), photograph everything, collect witness names, and do not give a recorded statement to an insurance company. Then call a St. Louis personal injury lawyer before accepting any settlement offer — initial offers are almost always a fraction of what the case is worth.

Yes. Missouri follows a pure comparative fault rule from Gustafson v. Benda (Mo. 1983), which lets you recover even if you were up to 99% at fault — your compensation is simply reduced by your share of the blame. Insurance carriers work hard to inflate that share, which is exactly why representation matters.

Every personal injury case in St. Louis is different. A straightforward claim may resolve in a few months; a complex medical malpractice or catastrophic injury case that goes to trial can take a year or longer. We give you an honest timeline at your first consultation and keep you updated at every stage.

Most personal injury cases settle before trial, and we work hard to secure full value at the negotiating table. But insurance carriers pay more when they know the lawyer across the table will actually try the case — and Alvin Wolff, Jr. has tried over 100 cases to a jury verdict. Being trial-ready is what makes settlements bigger.

Serious personal injury and wrongful death matters throughout Missouri and Colorado — including medical malpractice, catastrophic injury, car and truck accidents, motorcycle and bicycle accidents, premises liability, slip and fall, dog bites, prescription errors, and negligent security. If you're not sure whether your situation fits, call and ask. If it isn't something we handle, we'll point you to someone who does.