Injury Update – Navigating Injury Claims During CoVid-19

This year has been… interesting to say the least. Regardless of your views on the severity of Covid-19, the effects of the novel coronavirus are impacting practically every part of our lives now and likely for months to come. Pursuing an injury claim has been no exception. The three biggest areas I’ve seen challenges to this point have been:

• Getting Treatment
• Communication with Insurance Companies
• Litigation

1. Treatment: In the first couple of months when Covid-19 was a new outbreak, there were significant challenges for injured victims to get medical treatment due to all non-essential, or elective procedures, being postponed or canceled. Fortunately, as things have progressed and our medical system has been able to better prepare and understand the coronavirus disease, most providers for injury victims have resumed treatment, possibly with extra safety precautions in place to limit the spread of Covid-19.
2. Insurance Adjusters: The way workplaces function in this era has been completely transformed. Instead of working from offices, many insurance company employees are working from home. I have noticed a significant change in the quality of service that insurance adjusters have been paying to claims. Some of the things I’ve noticed is that adjusters have been much less responsive, and there has been more turnover of adjusters handling the claims recently. Fortunately, our office is equipped to manage these challenges and we have not let up on the insurance companies and we continue to obtain excellent results for our clients.
3. Litigation: Perhaps the biggest change in the short-term from Covid-19 has been in the way the courts have been operating. Currently, most courts are still not having in-person appearances and hearings on most matters, and there is a very big question mark as to when and how a jury trial could take place in any court. One of the ways that cases have been able to progress through the court system is by taking many depositions via zoom conference calls. We are able to communicate by video conference with attorneys, judges, witnesses, and court reporters. The technology has been a great way to ensure that our claims are not left to sit and go stale while we wait for courts to reopen.

Notable Cases

$750,000 Settlement – Driver who hit another vehicle that pulled in front of him on Clarkson Road receives $750,000 settlement following an initial offer of $15,000 from the insurance company.

In a hard-fought case, our client was able to walk away with a $750,000 settlement. Our client was injured when another driver pulled out in front of him while he was traveling on Clarkson Road near Schnucks in Chesterfield. The impact caused our client’s vehicle to ricochet off the other driver’s car and into a concrete lane divider before finally coming to rest, just off the roadway. The repeated impacts from the collision of the vehicle and roadway dividers did significant damage to the lower spine and neck of our client, who ultimately had to undergo surgery to repair the injured discs. Fortunately, his treatment was excellent and he was able to make a very good recovery, both medically and financially from the other driver’s insurance company.

Spotlight On DWI Defense:

After recent uptick in DWI intakes, I expect Police to be in full-force this 4th of July weekend: In the past couple of months, our office has noticed a significant increase in new DWI charges being filed across the St. Louis Area. During the stay-at-home orders, there were very few DWI’s being issued, but that trend has definitely reversed its course since May and June. This 4’th of July weekend I expect the police to be out in droves cracking down on drunk or impaired driving. Officers typically ramp up DWI enforcement around holidays and the 4’th of July is one of the main ones I’ve seen that happen. This year will undoubtedly be no exception to that rule. Be safe out there and even if you are not impaired, keep your guard up because there will likely be several drivers on the roads who are.

Get To Know Your Attorney Better:

The 2020 Missouri hare scramble dirt bike racing season is underway. It is my second year racing, and I’ve noticed some big improvement in my game! This season I’m currently the points leader in my division, picking up my first class-win at a race near Jefferson City on June 28th. For those who do not know, a hare scramble dirt bike race is an endurance race consisting primarily tight and challenging terrain in densely wooded areas. The course is generally 7-10 miles long, and once the race begins, racers complete as many laps around the “loop” as possible before time runs out, 2 hours later!

Author Bio

Matt Jett is the CEO and Managing Partner of Jett Legal, a Missouri personal injury law firm. With more than 10 years of
experience in personal injury, he has zealously represented clients in various legal matters, including car and truck
accidents, workers’ compensation, wrongful death, and other cases.

Matt received his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law and is a member of the Missouri
Bar Association. He has received numerous accolades for his work, including the Rising Stars distinction by Super Lawyers 2019-2022.