Kansas Car Accident Lawyers

Filing a Car Accident Claim in Hutchinson & Wichita

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A serious motor vehicle accident can destroy lives. In an instant, you or a loved one can sustain a severe injury that affects your ability to work and function normally for weeks, months, or even a lifetime.

To make matters worse, knowing what to do after a serious car crash can be confusing. There’s so much information out there about auto accidents and what injury victims should—and should not—do. That’s why you need an experienced attorney on your side who understands the law and knows how to get results.

At Bretz Injury Law, we know what you are going through. We have worked with countless accident victims throughout the state, as well as across the country. We have a well-earned reputation for helping injury victims and their families recover millions of dollars in accident compensation; to date, we have obtained over $300 million in verdicts and settlements.

If you choose our team to help you with your car accident case, we will begin working on your behalf right away. In car crash cases, we typically start by helping clients get the proper medical treatment they need, followed by getting medical bills and lost wages paid. As a client, you will have our cell phone numbers and email addresses to reach us just about any time of day or night.

If you try to handle your car accident claim on your own, you will likely face a difficult uphill battle. Insurance companies are often quick to offer low-ball settlements that do not cover the true cost of victims’ losses. The adjuster may argue that your injuries were not related to the car accident. You may even be blamed for causing an accident that was not your fault. At Bretz Injury Law, we know that you are not to blame.

Let us protect your rights and fight for the full, fair compensation you are owed. Call or contact us online for a free consultation with an award-winning Kansas car accident attorney.

How Common Are Car Accidents in Kansas?

Every year, hundreds of people are killed and thousands more are injured in serious motor vehicle collisions across the state of Kansas. Sadly, many of these accidents are entirely preventable and occur only because someone acted negligently or wrongfully.

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation (DOT) , in 2019 (the latest year with available data), there were:

• 64,935 motor vehicle accidents in total
• 361 fatal traffic accidents, leading to 410 deaths
• 13,353 accidents resulting in bodily injury, leading to 18,430 non-fatal injuries

Of these accidents:

• Most (52,526) involved cars, followed by SUVs (21,212) and pickup trucks (16,406)
• Most involving fatalities (144) involved occupants of passenger cars
• Nearly 20% were caused by inattention
• More than half (62%) occurred during daylight hours

As you can see in our infographic below, the overall crash rates from 2019 align with general trends from previous years. Although traffic accident injuries and fatalities fluctuate, we continue to see far too many devastating crashes across the state each year.

What to do After a Car Accident:

• Call 911
• Seek medical attention as needed
• Record the information about the other vehicle
• Exchange contact info with the other drivers and witnesses
• Take photos of the accident
• Document your injuries
• Contact a personal injury attorney

Common Causes of Car Accidents

• Distracted driving
• Drunk driving
• Speeding
• Inclement weather
• Reckless driving

What Are the Most Common Types of Car Accidents?

At Bretz Injury Law, we represent victims of all types of car accidents, including but not limited to:

• Rear-End Collisions: Rear-end car accidents are among the most common collisions and happen for many reasons, including speeding drivers or distracted drivers who are texting or using their cellphones behind the wheel. In such crashes, the rear-most driver is almost always responsible. But that doesn’t mean obtaining justice is going to be an easy process. Insurance companies may try to get you to give up your rights and accept an unreasonably low settlement. Contact our law firm and learn how our experienced team can help you.
• Head-On Accidents: Head-on auto collisions are often among the most frightening of all motor vehicle wrecks. When another vehicle crashes head-on into your vehicle, the driver and passengers may face significant injuries. Such accidents often happen on rural roads, but they can also occur on highways and interstates, like I-70 and I-35, in Kansas. Drunk driving, falling asleep at the wheel, and speeding are among the common causes of head-on collisions.
• Crashes in Intersections: Some drivers either ignore stop signs and traffic signals or may be too distracted to notice them. As a result, these reckless or careless drivers sometimes crash into other vehicles, causing serious intersection accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that nearly half of all motor vehicle crashes occur in intersections. Many of these events result in catastrophic or fatal injuries because the collisions often involve side-impact crashes. These “T-bone” types of accidents typically have higher rates of death or serious injury because the occupants have little to protect them from direct impact with the other vehicle. What’s more, the accidents can become complicated because the drivers who cause them often deny any wrongdoing. They may say the other driver is to blame.
• High Speed Accidents: Speeding remains one of the leading causes of motor vehicle accidents in Kansas. When people drive excessively fast, they don’t have time to slow down and avoid a collision with another vehicle. The damage caused by a speeding driver often results in more serious injuries than in accidents involving vehicles whose drivers are observing the speed limit. Many drivers deny speeding before causing an accident. But there are some telltale signs they were going too fast, including lack of skid marks or longer skid marks on the road. We know how to look for such evidence and often consult with accident reconstruction experts to build the strongest possible legal case.
• Fatigued Driving Accidents: Falling asleep at the wheel while driving might seem like an innocent mistake. Most people can relate to someone who was too tired to drive. But drivers who fall asleep while driving chose to continue driving when they should have pulled over and taken a break. It is this sort of carelessness and poor decision-making that causes asleep-at-the-wheel collisions—some of the most common, and deadly, accidents on our roads. Anyone who is a victim of a fatigued driver accident should seek the advice of legal counsel immediately. We can work with you to make sure your case receives the attention it rightfully deserves.

Along with common causes of car crashes, our attorneys have extensive knowledge on many other issues related to auto accidents.

What Are the Most Common Car Accident Injuries in Kansas?

Auto accident attorneys in Kansas have seen countless accident victims suffer a wide range of injuries, from minor scrapes and bruises to life-altering disabilities. In some cases, these catastrophic auto accident injuries can even lead to wrongful death. Since these injuries vary in severity depending on the accident itself, the costs and results of medical treatment can also fluctuate. Some accident injuries are minor and may require only a few days of rest or treatment. Other accident injuries can be more serious, such as broken bones or head trauma, and may need months or years to heal. Not every injury heals, and most incur an often steep financial cost. Common car accident injuries include but are not limited to:

• Head Trauma: Head trauma can occur from blunt force trauma in an accident, and it often results in a concussion or skull fracture. In severe cases, head trauma may be associated with internal bleeding, brain damage, facial fractures, hearing loss or vision problems.
• Neck Injury: Whiplash is the most common neck injury as a result of auto accidents. However, other injuries such as ligament tears or disc herniation may also occur due to the sudden forceful movement of the neck and back muscles during a crash.
• Back Injury: A traumatic accident can cause severe back pain due to strained ligaments, torn muscles or fractured vertebrae which can lead to long-term nerve issues if not treated properly.
• Spinal Cord Damage: Back injuries are particularly dangerous because they can involve spinal cord damage. Such an injury often causes paralysis depending on where along the spine the injury occurred and how much tissue was damaged in the accident itself.
• Intracranial Hemorrhage: This type of brain bleed occurs when blood vessels within your brain rupture due to blunt force trauma sustained during an accident. This injury can cause neurological impairment unless treated quickly at a hospital.
• Broken Bones/Fractures: Broken bones are extremely common in accident scenarios due to the forces applied during a crash. Broken bones can lead to long-term pain and discomfort if not treated properly.
• Internal Bleeding: Car accident trauma can cause internal bleeding as a result of organs being damaged or lacerated. This type of injury is particularly dangerous because it may go unnoticed if external injuries distract from the internal issues caused by an accident.
• Burns: Car accident explosions, fires, and chemical spills can cause burns that require medical treatment. Some burns can leave permanent scarring depending on the severity of the burn and how it is treated.
• Cuts and Scars: Broken glass, debris or other objects can inflict cuts or lacerations during an accident. These wounds might require medical attention to stop any bleeding and prevent infection. However, these injuries can also leave scars that not only affect a person’s appearance, but they may also impede motor functions depending on how and where the scar develops.
• Emotional Trauma: Accident victims often experience emotional trauma as a result of their accident. In the aftermath of a car accident, this type of trauma may require therapy or counseling to encourage the healing process.

No matter what type of injury you or a loved one has suffered due to another person’s negligence on the road, an experienced car accident lawyer can help you pursue full compensation for your losses and damages. At Bretz Injury Law we are dedicated to advocating for those who have been injured by careless drivers and helping them obtain justice through legal action.

Searching for a Kansas City accident attorney? Look no further than Bretz Injury Law. We offer free consultations, so call us at .

How Can a Kansas Auto Accident Attorney Help With Your Claim?

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident caused by another person’s negligence, it is important to seek help from an experienced Kansas accident attorney. A knowledgeable accident lawyer can provide invaluable assistance throughout the entire process of pursuing fair and full compensation. With expertise and resources, an accident attorney in Kansas can seek damages for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses related to your accident. They will also fight hard to protect your rights every step of the way so that you can focus on healing without worrying about legal matters.

Other tasks a car accident lawyer near you can help with includes, but is not limited to:

• Investigating the accident and determining fault: An experienced Kansas car accident lawyer will investigate the cause of your crash and determine who was at fault for causing it. This can involve gathering evidence such as photos, medical records, police reports, witness statements, vehicle information and more to build a strong legal case.
• Negotiating with insurance companies: Car accident attorneys understand how to negotiate with insurance companies in order to ensure their clients are properly compensated for their damages. The attorney will handle all communications with the insurer on your behalf so that you don’t have to feel pressured into accepting an unfair settlement offer or deal directly with aggressive adjusters.
• Representation in court: If necessary, an auto accident lawyer in Kansas may represent their client in court if negotiations fail and a lawsuit must be filed against another party involved in the crash. The attorney can provide legal counsel throughout this process including helping prepare documents such as pleadings, motions and other filings needed for the case.
• Obtaining compensation from other sources: Experienced lawyers know how to pursue additional compensation from third parties who were not part of the original car accident but may still be held liable under certain circumstances (e.g., a manufacturer whose faulty part caused an injury).

Don’t rely on just any Kansas City auto accident attorney. Call for a trusted lawyer who will go the distance to protect your right to compensation.

Contact us if your motor vehicle accident claim involves:

• A pedestrian or bicyclist hit by a car
• Distracted driving
• A person injured or killed by a drunk driver
• A rideshare vehicle, such as an Uber or Lyft
• An uninsured or underinsured motorist

Our team is dedicated to helping you seek the maximum compensation you are owed. We are experienced in going up against insurance companies and advocating for the rights of victims, and we have the resources and skills to effectively fight for you.

Call or contact us online for a free consultation!

Calculating the Worth of a Car Wreck

​One of the first questions we often receive from potential clients is how much their claim is worth. While we—nor any other reputable personal injury lawyer—cannot provide an exact dollar amount you can expect to receive, we can help you understand how car accident claims are valued and what the potential worth of your case may be.

First and foremost, there are two types of “damages” you can recover after an accident. In legal terms, “damages” are losses caused by an accident or event resulting from the negligent or wrongful conduct of another.

The two different types of damages in car accident claims include:

• Compensatory Damages: Compensatory damages are meant to compensate the victim for his or her losses. These can be out-of-pocket expenses, as well as intangible losses that are harder to quantify.
• Punitive/Exemplary Damages: Punitive, or exemplary, damages are intended to punish the victim for egregious negligence, intentional misconduct, and/or willful or wanton recklessness. Though they still provide monetary recovery to the victim, punitive damages do not necessarily compensate for any specific loss.

Compensatory damages are more commonly recovered in car accident claims, whereas punitive/exemplary damages are more difficult to prove.

Additionally, there are two types of compensatory damages:

• Economic: These are losses that have a set dollar amount attached to them, such as medical bills, lost wages, and future lost income.
• Non-Economic: These are losses that do not have a set dollar amount and are, therefore, more difficult to quantify. Examples include pain and suffering, as well as lost quality of life.

Because Kansas follows a no-fault system when it comes to car insurance and accident claims, your first step in resolving your case and recovering compensation for your losses is filing a claim with your own auto insurance provider. However, your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance only covers economic damages; it does not cover any non-economic losses. Additionally, PIP only provides limited coverage for economic damages, meaning your insurance may not be enough to compensate you for the full cost of your damages after an accident.

Can You Recover Non-Economic Damages in Kansas?

Although non-economic damages are not covered by PIP, it is possible to step outside the state’s no-fault system and seek compensation for your non-economic damages, like pain and suffering. To do this, you will need to prove that you exceeded your PIP coverage for medical expenses and your injuries meet the state’s “serious injury threshold.”

To be considered “serious,” an injury must be at least one of the following:

• A fracture of a “weight-bearing” bone (e.g., the femur, a hip, etc.)
• A displaced, compound, or compressed fracture
• Permanent
• Permanently disfiguring
• An injury requiring medical treatment of $2,000 or more

Injuries are also considered “serious” by the state of Kansas if they result in the permanent loss of a bodily function, such as walking.

How Are Non-Economic Damages Calculated?

Unlike economic damages, which can be calculated based on their actual dollar value, determining the worth of non-economic damages is highly complicated. Typically, non-economic damages are calculated based on various factors, including the severity of the injury, the cost of the victim’s medical bills, whether or not the victim is disabled due to their injuries, and more.

A multiplier, generally a number between one and five, is sometimes used to value the victim’s non-economic damages according to their out-of-pocket expenses and other monetary losses. In other cases, non-economic damages are valued based on a daily rate.

At Bretz Injury Law, we can help you understand how both economic and non-economic damages are calculated. Our team works directly with clients to help them prepare for the legal process and learn what to expect. In every instance, we fight for maximum compensation, seeking full, fair recovery for our clients’ economic and non-economic losses.

To learn more, including how our firm can help you get back on your feet after a serious car crash, contact us at and request a free consultation. Hablamos español.

If you’ve been in a car accident, you likely have a lot of questions. You may be injured, overwhelmed, and unsure of what to do or even where to begin seeking compensation for your losses. At Bretz Injury Law, our Kansas car accident attorney can answer your questions and explain what rights you’re entitled to under the law.

Related Reading:

• 10 things you should do after a car accident in Kansas
• How to obtain and read a copy of your Kansas car accident report
• Tips to Help Teens Avoid Kansas Car Accidents
• Speed Often Cause of Kansas Car Accidents