You were just in a car accident. Take a breath.

Yes. Soft-tissue injuries — whiplash, muscle strain, concussion — often don't show symptoms for 24 to 72 hours. By the time you feel them, you've lost the medical record connecting them to the accident. A documented medical visit within 24 hours is one of the most valuable steps you can take for both your health and any future claim.

You may still have a claim — against your own policy. Most Missouri and Kansas drivers carry uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage even if they don't realize it. Don't assume there's no recovery just because the other driver had no insurance.

This is jurisdiction-specific. In Missouri, the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is five years. In Kansas, it's two years. (These rules have exceptions — for example, claims against government entities have much shorter notice periods, sometimes as short as 90 days. Always verify with an attorney before assuming you have time.)

You can — but you don't have to give a recorded statement, and you generally shouldn't until you've spoken with a lawyer. Adjusters are trained interviewers. They ask questions in ways that can lock in answers you'd want to clarify later.

It depends on the situation. If the accident was minor, no one was hurt, and the insurer is offering fair value quickly — probably not. If you were injured, the other driver's insurer is disputing fault, or the offer feels low compared to your medical bills and missed work — a free consultation is worth your time. A good firm will tell you straight-up if you don't have a case worth pursuing.

At Yonke Law, personal injury cases are handled on contingency. That means no fee unless we win. The fee is a percentage of the recovery, agreed to in writing before we start. Consultation is free.

You can still recover in both Missouri and Kansas, but the rules differ. Missouri uses "pure comparative fault" — your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, even if you were mostly at fault. Kansas uses "modified comparative fault" with a 51% rule — you can recover only if you were less than 51% at fault (so at exactly 50%, you can still recover), and your recovery is reduced by your percentage. Sorting out fault correctly is one of the most important things a personal injury attorney does.

There's no honest one-line answer. The value depends on your medical bills, lost wages, future treatment needs, pain and disruption, the other driver's policy limits, who was at fault and to what degree, and the jurisdiction. A consultation gets you a real assessment based on your situation — not a stock answer.

Yes. Switching attorneys mid-case is common and procedurally clean. Most contingency-fee firms work out fee splits with prior counsel, so the change doesn't increase your overall cost. If your current firm isn't communicating with you, isn't preparing for trial, or is pressing you to accept an offer that doesn't feel right, you have options.

We optimize for outcome, not throughput. That means full preparation on every case worth taking, regular communication so you're never wondering where things stand, and a willingness to go to verdict when the alternative is shortchanging you. We're not a settlement mill.