What We Handle
When Someone You Love Was Hurt
When you are trying to help someone you care about after a serious injury.
What when someone you love was hurt actually means
Sometimes the injured person is not the first one searching for answers. It is a spouse, parent, adult child, sibling, or partner trying to figure out what to do next.
If someone you love was seriously hurt, you may be the one helping with hospital decisions, paperwork, bills, insurance calls, transportation, and daily care. That is a lot to carry. You do not have to sort it out alone.
What it takes to have a case
1. Medical Care Comes First
Make sure your loved one is getting the care and follow-up they need. Everything else can wait.
2. Save the Paper Trail
Keep discharge papers, bills, prescriptions, insurance letters, photos, and names of providers. These matter later.
3. Be Careful with Insurance Calls
The other side may want statements early, before the full picture is clear. You have no obligation to give a recorded statement without legal counsel.
4. Watch the Daily Impact
Keep track of what changed — pain, mobility, sleep, memory, mood, work, and home life. Your notes become evidence.
What we handle within when someone you love was hurt
Every situation is different. Here are the most common types we see.
Spouse or Partner Helping
You are managing the household, the bills, and the recovery at the same time.
Parent of an Injured Child
Your child was hurt and you are navigating medical care, school disruption, and legal questions.
Adult Child Helping a Parent
Your parent was injured and you are coordinating their care and legal options.
Family After a Catastrophic Injury
The injury changed everything and your family is trying to understand the path forward.
Missouri vs. Kansas: the rules that matter
Kansas City straddles the state line. Which state's law applies depends on where the incident occurred.
Missouri
- •The injured person's statute of limitations applies to their claim
- •Loss of consortium claims available to spouses — RSMo § 537.080
- •Wrongful death: 3 years, specific priority rules for who may file — RSMo § 537.100
- •Family members can initiate legal consultations on behalf of an injured person
Kansas
- •The injured person's statute of limitations applies to their claim
- •Loss of consortium claims available under Kansas common law
- •Wrongful death: 2 years — KSA § 60-513(a)(5)
- •Any heir who sustained a loss may file a wrongful death claim — KSA § 60-1902
Not sure which state's rules apply? Tell us where it happened →
What an investigation looks like
Initial conversation — We listen and help you understand what matters right now.
Guidance on records and evidence — We tell you what to save and what to ignore.
Insurance and claim review — We explain the pressure points before mistakes are made.
Case building — If there is a case, we start organizing the facts and documents.
Ongoing support — We stay focused on the legal side while your family focuses on care.
What it costs
Yonke Law works on a contingency basis. There is no fee unless we recover compensation for you. The percentage is agreed in writing before any work begins. Your initial consultation is always free. No hourly rates. No retainers. No surprise bills.
What a when someone you love was hurt case is actually worth
There's no honest one-line answer. Value depends on the facts of your situation.
Economic Damages
- •Medical bills and future treatment costs
- •Lost wages of the injured person
- •Cost of family caregiving and household disruption
- •Funeral and burial costs (wrongful death)
Non-Economic Damages
- •Pain and suffering of the injured person
- •Loss of companionship and consortium
- •Emotional distress
- •Loss of guidance and support
A consultation gives you a real assessment based on your situation — not a stock answer.
Who You'll Work With
Michael T. Yonke
AV Preeminent rated. Decades of working directly with families navigating serious injury and wrongful death cases.
Mike founded Yonke Law in 2001 after years of seeing how large firms treated the people they were supposed to protect. Every case at Yonke Law is handled directly by Mike and his team — not passed to associates or outsourced to contract attorneys.
When it comes to when someone you love was hurt, Mike brings decades of focused trial experience, a network of trusted medical and technical experts, and a straightforward approach: understand the facts, build the case, and prepare for trial even if the goal is settlement.
More about Mike and the team →Common questions
Can I call even if I am not the injured person?
Yes. Family members often make the first call.
What if my loved one is still in the hospital?
That is often the right time to get guidance, especially if records, bills, or insurance issues are already starting.
What if I am not sure there is a case?
That is fine. A consultation is the place to sort that out. It is free and there is no obligation.
Printable
Personal Injury Checklist
Essential steps to protect your health, your rights, and your claim. Covers what to gather, who to contact, and the deadlines that matter for your when someone you love was hurt case.
Download the checklist (PDF) ↓Or — Walk Through It Digitally
Start Your Case Review
Answer a few questions about your situation. Your responses are saved and become the start of your case file if you proceed.
Start the digital intake →Ready to talk about your when someone you love was hurt case?
Free consultation. No fee unless we recover.
