A recent East St. Louis accident illustrates why you need a St. Louis personal injury attorney if you’re in an automobile accident or a motorcycle accident.

Here’s what happened: A car and motorcycle approached the intersection of Missouri Avenue and 15th Street from opposite directions. When one driver attempted to turn left, the vehicles collided in the intersection.

The driver of the car filed suit against the motorcyclist claiming that he caused the accident. The motorcycle rider turned around and countersued the driver, saying he failed to yield properly while turning left. The countersuit also charges the owner of the car, a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the accident, with entrusting her vehicle to an incompetent driver. The motorcyclist, who claims to have suffered severe injuries, incurred medical costs and lost wages, is asking for a judgment of $150,000 plus court costs.

The case is an excellent illustration of how a small fender bender can quickly mushroom into a major headache. It is worth pointing out that the motorcyclist did not make a claim of damage or injury until after the auto driver sued him.

When you are in what seems to be a minor St. Louis car or motorcycle accident you never know how the other party is going to respond after he gets home and starts to think things over. A St. Louis attorney can protect your rights so you are fairly compensated for your injuries and not left paying for someone else’s mistake.