Car Accident Lawyer in Liberty, Missouri

If you were hurt in a car accident in Liberty, you don't have to drive downtown to find a lawyer. Dougherty & Holloway's office is right here at 9 Westowne Dr, Ste B. Partners Ed Dougherty and Philip Holloway are trial attorneys with more than 80 years of combined experience and more than 300 jury trials between them.

Phil went to college here at William Jewell College, and both partners have spent their careers in the Kansas City area. When you hire us, you work directly with Ed or Phil from the first meeting on. You won't be handed off to a case manager.

Liberty is the Clay County seat and a busy crossroads for the Northland. I-35 runs along the city, and Routes 291 and 152 carry heavy commuter and shopping traffic through town. Kansas Street brings traffic to and from the historic square. Crashes can happen anywhere, but highway ramps, busy intersections and stop-and-go traffic near shopping areas and schools are common trouble spots.

We help people hurt in all kinds of Liberty crashes:

• Rear-end crashes in stop-and-go traffic
• Intersection and left-turn crashes
• Crashes at highway on-ramps and off-ramps
• Head-on and side-impact (T-bone) crashes
• Hit-and-run crashes
• Crashes caused by distracted or drunk drivers
• Crashes with pedestrians and bicyclists
• Crashes with semi-trucks and delivery vehicles (see truck accidents)
• Crashes where the other driver had no insurance or not enough

1. Get safe and get help. Move out of traffic if you can. If anyone is hurt, call 911.
2. Get a police report. Inside city limits, the Liberty Police Department usually responds. On I-35 and state highways you may see the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and outside city limits the Clay County Sheriff's Office. Ask the officer for the report number.
3. Get checked out. Go to the emergency room, urgent care or your own doctor, even if you feel okay. Liberty Hospital is close to most of town. Some injuries take a day or two to show up, and a gap in treatment can hurt your claim.
4. Exchange information. Get the other driver's name, phone, insurance company, policy number and plate. Don't argue about fault.
5. Take photos and get witnesses. Photograph the vehicles, the intersection or road, signals and any injuries. Get names and numbers from witnesses.
6. Be careful with insurance companies. Report the crash to your own insurer, but don't give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer before talking with a lawyer.

For crashes worked by the Liberty Police Department, the department's Records Unit handles report requests, online or in person. Reports usually take a few business days to be ready. For crashes worked by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, reports are requested through the Patrol's online records center, usually starting about 10 days after the crash. If we take your case, we'll get the report for you.

• At-fault state. The driver who caused the crash, and their insurance, pays for the harm they caused.
• Pure comparative fault. You can recover even if you were partly at fault. Your recovery is reduced by your share of the blame.
• Seat belts. Not wearing a seat belt can only reduce damages by up to 1% under RSMo 307.178, and only if the other side proves the belt would have prevented the injury.
• Hands-free law. Since August 28, 2023, Missouri drivers can't hold or support a phone while driving. Tickets started January 1, 2025.
• Uninsured motorist coverage. Every Missouri auto policy has to include UM coverage, which can pay when the at-fault driver has no insurance or drives off.
• Deadline. Most personal injury claims must be filed within five years. Wrongful death claims must be filed within three years. Claims involving a city or county vehicle or road can have shorter notice deadlines.

Most car accident claims settle without a trial. If yours doesn't, a lawsuit over a Liberty crash is often filed in the Clay County Circuit Court, which sits in the James S. Rooney Justice Center at 11 S. Water St, just a few minutes from our office. Ed and Phil are trial attorneys, and they're prepared to take a case to a jury when an insurance company won't be fair.

Every case is different, and we won't guess at a number before we know the facts. Compensation after a Liberty car accident can include medical bills, future treatment, lost wages, lost earning ability, pain and suffering, and vehicle damage. Punitive damages may be possible when the other driver acted recklessly, such as driving drunk.

• We're local. Our office is in Liberty, so meeting with us doesn't mean a trip downtown.
• You work with the trial attorneys. Ed and Phil handle your case themselves.
• Courtroom experience. More than 300 jury trials between the two partners.
• We handle the insurance companies. That includes your own insurer on UM and UIM claims.

Consultations are free, and we work on a contingency fee. Ask us how fees and case costs work before you sign anything. Call (816) 891-9990, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, or request a free consultation.

Also serving: Gladstone, Clay County, Kansas City and Kearney.