Since the end of the pandemic, traffic accidents have been on the rise across the country, and Kansas City, Missouri, is no exception. There are thousands of serious and sometimes fatal car accidents in Kansas City and the surrounding area every year. For example, there were 75 fatal car accidents in Kansas City in a recent year and 5,830 crashes with injuries. Some parts of Kansas City are more dangerous for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists than others.
Below, you’ll learn where car accidents occur the most in Kansas City. If another driver hits and injures you, don’t try to handle the claim without a car accident attorney. Your auto accident attorney will determine who was at fault and the amount of your damages and demand the best settlement from the insurance company.
You don’t have to pay out of pocket to hire a car accident attorney, so don’t worry about legal fees. The attorney is paid a portion of your settlement or jury award.
Where Most Auto Accidents Happen In Kansas City, Missouri
Serious and fatal auto accidents happen all over the Kansas City area., However, more accidents occur in heavily traveled parts of the city, including Interstate 70, Highway 71, Blue Parkway, Swope Parkway, Troost Avenue, Truman Road, Ward Parkway, and Gregory Boulevard. Some of the more hazardous intersections in Kansas City with many serious accidents annually are:
- Where Highway 71 intersects with 55th Street, Gregory, and 59th Street
- The intersection of Ward Parkway and 75th Street
- Independence Avenue and I-35
- Where Broadway and Grand Boulevard intersect with I-670
- The intersection of 39th Street and Southwest Parkway
Most roads mentioned above are in what Kansas City Hall calls a ‘high injury network.’ A 2022 traffic study found that drivers are most likely to get into accidents in these areas, a priority for city upgrades. Other trouble areas in the report were 39th Street, 23rd Street Trafficway, and Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard.
Unfortunately, there have been fewer police patrolling Kansas City streets in recent years, so more serious accidents occur in the trouble spots mentioned above. Common types of accidents are:
- Rear-end crashes: A rear-end accident usually happens at a red light, stop light or in traffic. The rear driver may be distracted and slam into you from behind. The fault is usually on the rear driver. In a few cases, the front driver can be found at fault if they stopped for no reason or their brake lights weren’t working.
- Sideswipe crashes: This accident involves a car in the next lane or coming in the opposite direction, entering your lane, and glancing off the side. The initial crash may be relatively minor, but the force can cause you to lose control and get into a severe accident.
- Road departures: Some accidents involve one vehicle, where the car leaves the road and hits a stationary object. These crashes are sometimes caused by other drivers when the liable driver almost hits the other, causing the second driver to take evasive action.
- T-bone crashes: A T-bone accident often happens at intersections in Kansas City when one driver doesn’t stop at a red light or stop sign. This is a severe accident because the side of your car offers scant protection in a crash.
- Head-on collisions: These crashes usually happen on two-lane roads when the driver drifts into opposing traffic. These crashes are almost always severe or fatal.
- Hit-and-run accidents: These crashes occur when one driver hits another and flees the scene.
- Rollover accidents: Rollover crashes may occur when a vehicle takes evasive action because of another driver’s negligence, causing the vehicle to roll over. These are usually severe accidents; the passengers in the rolling vehicle can be thrown out and killed.
Always seek immediate medical attention after a severe auto accident in Kansas City. Speak to a car accident attorney promptly if you think another party is at fault. You have the right to compensation if you prove that another party’s negligence caused the accident.
Common Causes Of Kansas City Car Accidents
The Kansas City Regional Transportation Safety Blueprint recently reviewed motor vehicle accidents in the city between 2013 and 2017. These were factors in severe and fatal auto accidents in this period:
- Seventy percent of all auto accidents in Kansas City involved lane departure, with 725 fatalities and 3,650 severe injuries.
- Fifty-one percent of all auto accidents involved crashes with fixed objects, with 533 deaths and 2,760 severe injuries.
- Forty-one percent of all car accidents had unrestrained drivers or passengers, with 434 deaths and 2,435 severe injuries.
- Drunk or impaired driving causes 31 percent of all Kansas City car accidents, with 320 fatalities and 1,500 serious injuries.
- Twenty-three percent of accidents involved horizontal bends in the road, causing 245 deaths and 520 severe injuries.
- Twenty-one percent of auto accidents happened at intersections, with 220 fatalities and 1,135 severe injuries.
- Distracted driving caused 16 percent of crashes, with 160 deaths and 1,000 severe injuries.
Driving defensively can help avoid many accidents in Kansas City. However, sometimes, drivers act aggressively and may hit you anyway. Retain a Kansas City auto accident attorney to demand full compensation if that happens.
Potential Damages In A Kansas City Car Accident Claim
A common question for auto accident victims is what they can receive in damages. There are three major types of compensation you can be entitled to, depending on the case details:
Medical Expenses
You should be compensated for all of your current and future medical needs when another driver injures you. A car accident attorney will work with your doctors to ensure you receive enough money for future medical expenses. Possible compensation may include ambulance fees, in-home services, surgeries, hospitalization, and doctor’s appointments.
Lost Earnings
A severe injury may cause you to miss work time. If the injury is long-term, you may also have a diminished ability to work. If needed, you should receive payment for lost earnings after the accident and lost work capacity. A car accident attorney will work with economic and vocational experts to understand the value of your future lost work time. Someone with a high education and income can receive more lost earned income than someone with a high school education.
Pain And Suffering
Many accident victims who handle their own claims lose out on pain and suffering compensation. They may not know that pain and suffering compensation for a car accident can be as much or more than other types of compensation.
A serious injury can involve severe pain and suffering from the initial injury, as well as ongoing pain from the injury and treatments. For example, if you break several bones in your legs in a head-on crash, you can have severe pain and discomfort from the injuries and surgeries needed to stabilize the bones. Based on your medical records and prognosis, your attorney will argue for the most pain and suffering compensation.
How A Kansas City Auto Accident Attorney Can Help
When another driver in Kansas City hits you, knowing what to do is hard. You have injuries, your car is wrecked, and you wonder if you can still work and keep a roof over your head. A skilled auto accident attorney may help resolve your case successfully. A car accident attorney can do the following in your case:
- Free legal consultation: Your auto accident attorney will review your case and accident at no charge. They will learn how the accident may have happened and what your injuries are. The attorney will evaluate the evidence available to determine if another party’s negligence likely caused the accident.
- Accident investigation: The attorney will complete the investigation and gather evidence, including the police report, witness statements, medical records, surveillance video, and photos and videos from bystanders.
- Hire expert witnesses: It’s essential to prove fault to receive compensation for your injuries, so your auto accident attorney may hire experts to show how the accident happened and how your injuries affect your life.
- Document and file the case: Your attorney and staff will prepare and file every needed legal document, including court filings, insurance claims, and related paperwork for your case.
- Insurance negotiations: A car accident attorney will negotiate with the insurance company to obtain a fair settlement for your medical bills, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other losses.
- Communications: The auto accident lawyer will communicate with the insurance companies and other parties to move the case along. You won’t usually need to communicate with stakeholders other than your attorney for case updates. You can focus on healing.
- Trial preparation: Most auto accident claims are settled out of court to avoid a long, expensive trial. However, your auto accident lawyer knows how to prepare a case for trial and win. Your lawyer will be ready to file a lawsuit and present the case to a jury if a settlement cannot be reached.
How A Kansas City Auto Accident Attorney Proves Negligence
You may be positive that the other driver hit and injured you. The witnesses who saw the crash say the same. But proving it and receiving compensation takes a lot of evidence. Your auto accident lawyer can obtain and present crash evidence to prove the other person was negligent. Proving negligence involves the following steps:
- The other driver had a duty of care to you. For example, suppose the other driver was coming in the other direction on a busy Kansas City road. They had a duty of care to drive safely and not injure others.
- The other driver violated their duty of care: The other driver drifted into your lane and hit your car head-on.
- You suffered injuries from the breach of duty of care: You have broken bones in your arms and legs.
- You have damages from the injuries, such as $100,000 in medical bills and lost earnings.
Each of these elements must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence for you to receive compensation in a claim. Retaining a car accident attorney to hold the other driver accountable is always recommended, especially when the accident led to severe car damage and injuries. There is too much money at stake to take a chance to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company yourself.
How Long Can You File a Kansas City Car Accident Lawsuit?
There is a time limit to file a car accident claim in Missouri. The statute of limitations in the state is five years for auto accident claims. The clock begins to run on the day the crash took place. However, in a wrongful death claim, the family has only three years from the person’s death to file their claim. In Kansas, you have two years to file a car accident claim.
Ensure you promptly speak to a car accident attorney in Kansas City to ensure enough time to investigate the case.
What If The Liable Driver Doesn’t Have Insurance?
All drivers in Missouri must have auto insurance, but many don’t. Thousands of people in the state don’t have car insurance. However, if someone without insurance hits you, this doesn’t always mean you cannot get compensated.
If you paid for uninsured and underinsured driver coverage on your policy, you still can get payment for your medical bills and lost earnings. An attorney can work with your insurance company to ensure you receive fair compensation. You can sue the at-fault driver for damages if you don’t have this coverage. Your attorney will help with this process. They also will tell you that a lawsuit may not be worth it if the other driver doesn’t have significant assets.
Contact A Kansas City Car Accident Attorney
Did a Kansas City driver hit and injure you recently? You shouldn’t have to pay your hard-earned dollars for your medical expenses. Let a skilled Kansas City auto accident attorney fight for your rights. Your attorney may obtain vital compensation for your current and future medical needs, lost income, and pain and suffering. You don’t pay a dime out of pocket for your car accident attorney’s services. They are paid from your settlement, so call an auto accident attorney in your area now.
