Many people wait until treatment ends before talking to a lawyer. By then, an insurer may already have a recorded statement, a records authorization, and a settlement offer that was made before anyone knew how the injury would turn out.
Updated October 2026
This page is attorney advertising. It offers general information about Missouri law and is not legal or medical advice for your situation. Reading this page or contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship, which is formed only by a written agreement signed by both you and the firm. Any case results described are specific to the facts of those cases; past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict a similar outcome in any other matter. Finney Injury Law is licensed to practice law in the State of Missouri. The full disclaimer appears at the bottom of this page.
An injury claim cannot be valued until the injury is understood, which is why it is almost never settled while treatment is ongoing. That does not mean you should wait to get advice.
The period during treatment is when the most expensive mistakes are made: a recorded statement, a broad medical authorization, a gap in care, or an early release.
An adjuster may call within days and ask for a recorded statement. You do not have to give one to the other driver's insurer, and what you say about how you feel that week can be used later to argue the injury was minor.
Insurers often send a form that authorizes access to years of medical records. It lets them look for anything to blame instead of the crash, which is how pre-existing condition arguments get built.
An offer before treatment ends is made before the full cost of the injury is known, and a signed release ends the claim even if surgery or long-term care is later needed.
If treatment pauses for any reason, including cost or scheduling, insurers argue the injury healed or was never serious. A lawyer can help you understand your options before that happens.
The insurance company said our client's wrist fracture had healed. A unanimous jury disagreed in 15 minutes and returned $750,000, more than ten times the last offer.
Cases like it turn on what was documented during treatment, which is why what happens in those months matters.
Past results do not guarantee a future outcome, and every case depends on its own facts. These are public-record results.
The insurance company said the wrist fracture had healed. A unanimous jury disagreed in 15 minutes, at more than 10 times the last offer. Read full story →
Rear-ended on I-270 and left needing a cervical disc replacement. Built on a life care plan documenting his future medical needs. Read full story →
An active grandmother was left with permanent chronic neck pain. The insurer blamed her age and offered $14,937. The jury returned $2.5 million. Read full story →
Treatment is for your recovery first, and consistent care is also the best record of your injury.
Both are routine requests from an adjuster, and neither helps you.
A short daily note about pain and what you could not do is useful later.
Not until you understand your long-term outlook.
A lawyer does not slow your treatment. A lawyer handles the insurer so you can focus on recovering.
Usually yes. The period during treatment is when insurers request recorded statements and broad medical authorizations and make early offers. A lawyer can handle the insurer while you recover and make sure your injury is documented properly. The case review is free.
No. A lawyer does not control your medical care. Your doctors decide your treatment, and a lawyer helps make sure the insurer does not use it against you or pressure you into settling before you have recovered.
Generally after you have reached maximum medical improvement or your doctors can describe your long-term outlook. Settling earlier risks resolving the claim before the full cost of the injury is known.
Talk to a lawyer about it early. Health insurance, medical payments coverage, and sometimes other arrangements may be available, and gaps in care can hurt your health and your claim. Do not simply stop treating without getting advice.
You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer. Statements are often used later to argue about fault and the extent of your injuries. Talk to a lawyer first. You should still report the crash to your own insurer.
We handle serious injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee, so there is no fee unless we recover for you. The case review is free, and an attorney personally reviews every case.
No cost, no obligation, and nothing is shared outside our firm. We read every message and respond quickly.
Free case review. An attorney personally reviews every case. English- and Spanish-speaking staff available.