Pre-Settlement Funding In Missouri Explained

What Is Pre-Settlement Funding?

Plaintiffs having financial challenges during personal injury lawsuits in Missouri may be able to turn to pre-settlement funding to help make ends meet. Sometimes mistakenly referred to as “lawsuit loans” or “pre-settlement loans,” a pre-settlement funding is a purchase of a portion of your potential settlement or award that you can use to pay for essentials like medical bills, housing costs, or day-to-day expenses. Unlike a loan, there is no compounding interest no risk of default with pre-settlement funding – and funding is not based on your credit score.

Who Needs Pre-Settlement Funding?

Pre-settlement funding can be a great resource for plaintiffs in personal injury cases who are having difficulty paying bills due to medical expenses, lost income, or other related costs. If you have a Missouri lawsuit where the accident wasn’t your fault and you’re having financial struggles, you can use pre-settlement funding to get the cash you need.

Let’s say Sam is in a car accident in Kansas City where the other driver involved is the one at fault. Her injuries to her leg have kept her from returning to work, and paying for her legal representation has tapped into her savings. Even though she’s sure her personal injury case will result in Sam receiving a fair settlement for the damages to her person and property, she needs money in the here and now to help cover her rent, groceries, and other daily expenses while waiting for her case to settle. Sam can turn to pre-settlement funding to access funds from her expected settlement, all without the burdensome payments and risk that come with loans.

How Pre-Settlement Funding Works In Missouri

Pre-settlement funding in Missouri is faster and easier than securing a loan. The process begins with you submitting an application, which will then be reviewed by the funding company. If you’re approved after this evaluation stage, the funds you need can be deposited into your bank account, sent via wire transfer, or secured as a check. Once your case settles and you receive your payout, the assigned portion of your settlement or award  will be sent to the funding company.

Importance of Pre-Settlement Funding In Missouri

For those like Sam involved in personal injury lawsuits, financial troubles can be especially pressing. If you’re dealing with a loss of income and need assistance paying for everyday necessities, you can’t afford to wait until your case is resolved. Pre-settlement funding can be a safe and speedy monetary lifeline. Since pre-settlement funding is structured as a non-recourse obligation, the funding company assumes all the risk, meaning you’ll only pay the money back if your case is settled in your favor. 

Have you been involved in an auto accident and need help with pre-settlement funding? Oasis is here to help!

Apply Now

Types of Pre-Settlement Funding

Missouri lawsuits that qualify for pre-settlement funding range from slip and fall suits to auto accident cases. Even worker’s comp cases can be eligible for pre-settlement funding in the state of Missouri.

How Does Pre-Settlement Funding Work In Missouri?

There are four easy steps to receiving pre-settlement funding in Missouri: application, evaluation, approval, and dispersal.

1. Applying For Pre-Settlement Funding

Prior to applying for pre-settlement funding, it is important to first discuss with your attorney if pre-settlement funding is right for you.

When submitting your application for pre-settlement funding, make sure to be prepared and organized. If you want your application to be evaluated as fast as possible, it’s important to have any documents relevant to your legal case ready for your lender which may be requested during the application phase, including:

• Incident reports
• Medical records
• Official communications with insurance providers

It’s also a good idea to have your legal representation’s contact info on hand, as your lender will want to check key case details with them as well.

To qualify for pre-settlement funding, you need to meet some basic standards. First, you have to have an active personal injury lawsuit pending, and your injury must match the sort of lawsuit filed (i.e. if you were injured in a workplace accident, your lawsuit must be a worker’s comp case.) It’s also required that you are a resident of the state you’re filing in (i.e. if you’re filing in the state of Missouri, you need to be a Missouri resident.) There is no credit check during any phase of the pre-settlement funding process.

Who Can Apply For Pre-Settlement Funding?

Pre-settlement funding can help plaintiffs wrestling with financial troubles find the funds they need while waiting for their personal injury case to settle. If you’re coping with a loss of income, medical bills, or other unexpected expenses during your legal process, pre-settlement funding could be right for you. To apply, you must be:

• Age 18 or older
• A legal resident of the state you’re filing in
• Dealing with injuries caused by the same incident your legal case concerns

Pre-Settlement Funding – Plaintiff

Missouri state law allows plaintiffs to file on their own for pre-settlement funding. Apply on your terms with no third party needed.

2. Case Evaluation

When you complete your application for pre-settlement funding , the evaluation process begins. The funding company will start by looking through your submission and related documents to determine if your case is eligible for funding. Once approved, the evaluator will decide how much you’ll be able to assign from your potential settlement.

Factors that can impact your case’s assessment: 

• How strong your case is
• The odds of receiving a settlement
• The level of injury and/or property damage you sustained
• How much insurance coverage you have
• How much insurance coverage the party at fault may have
• The expected length of your case
• Which jurisdiction your case will take place in
• Location-specific laws and statutes

3. Pre-Settlement Funding Approval

Unlike loans, pre-settlement funding applications can be approved in as little as 24-48 hours. The exact length of time will depend on the details of your case and the accuracy and detail of your application and supplementary documents. Some applications may not meet the funding company’s standards, and will as a result not be approved.

4. Pre-Settlement Funding Process

Your bills won’t wait for your personal injury lawsuit to settle. If you need financial assistance, you likely need those additional funds as soon as possible. Thankfully, once you’re approved, you can expect to receive your pre-settlement funding within just 24-48 hours by your preferred payment method. Funding companies can transfer your funds through direct deposit, as a money transfer (Western Union, etc.), or by check.  

Have you been involved in a car accident and need help with pre-settlement funding? Oasis is here to help!

Apply Now

Types of Pre-Settlement Funding In Missouri

There are over six million residents in Missouri, meaning it’s one of the more populated Midwest states. With more people comes more accidents, more injuries, and more claims filed. The most common types of personal injury lawsuits in Missouri are automobile accident suits, worker’s compensation claims, or premises negligence cases (more commonly referred to as “slip and falls). If you’re a plaintiff in one of these or several other forms of personal injury cases, you can gain access to funds based on your potential prospective payout with pre-settlement funding.

Car/Auto Accident                                                                 

From dense urban areas like St. Louis and Kansas City to the suburbs, farmlands, and beyond — auto accidents can happen in any part of Missouri. Small sedans, semi-trucks, and motorcycles alike can cause serious injuries or death when driven without proper caution. Accidents that result in personal injury or property damage due to negligent driving, from fender-benders to car-totaling-collisions, can be grounds for lawsuits in Missouri. The party at fault can be deemed liable in court for damages such as lost wages due to missed work, medical bills, and more. If you’re injured in an auto accident while driving or riding in a passenger vehicle or work vehicle, you can borrow from your expected settlement by applying for pre-settlement funding. Incidents with non-motorized vehicles like bicycles and skateboards are not covered by auto accident funding. Likewise, boating and aircraft accidents are also not included in this category. 

How Much Money Could You Earn From A Car Crash Lawsuit in Missouri?             

You can expect the size of your Missouri car accident lawsuit settlement to vary depending on four determining considerations:

1. Severity of damages incurred

Your settlement will generally be larger for more severe damages to your person or property.

2. Negligent party’s level of fault

Your settlement will depend in part on how much fault lies with the negligent party. In Missouri, personal injury cases follow what’s called “pure comparative negligence” doctrine. This means that as long as you’re not entirely at fault for the accident at hand, you can recover damages in proportion to the percentage of fault of the other party.

3. Missouri car accident liability and damages laws

Missouri is what’s known as an at-fault state, which means that the negligent driver bears the responsibility to cover damages inflicted on their victim(s). As both drivers can be found to be partially at fault due to pure comparative negligence laws, it’s important to secure good legal representation to ensure you’re only judged to be responsible for your fair share of fault.

4. Negligent party’s insurance coverage

According to Missouri state law, drivers must have a minimum insurance coverage for bodily injury and property damage. Your settlement may be smaller or larger depending on how much coverage the negligent party has available,

Missouri State Laws For Auto Accident Claims To Consider

The statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits in Missouri is five years from the date of the accident. As previously mentioned, Missouri is an at-fault state. The law requires all drivers to carry a minimum of $25,000 coverage per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury to two or more people, $25,000 for property damage, and a minimum for uninsured motorist insurance. Pure comparative negligence law in Missouri means that any percentage of fault you’re determined to be responsible for will be proportionally subtracted from your settlement.

Premises Negligence (Slip & Fall)

If you’re injured due to poorly managed risks in a public space like slippery floors at a restaurant or falling objects at a grocery store, you can file a lawsuit for premises negligence. These cases are often referred to as “slip and fall” suits. Something as simple as an icy sidewalk outside a business can lead to a head injury or broken bones. Overheated liquids or hot surfaces in a cafe could cause severe burns. Broken glass in a bar or exposed sharp metal in a convenience store can also result in cuts serious enough for a premises negligence case.

Construction Negligence

In construction settings, safety should always be a primary concern. Negligence happens, though, and when site security, maintenance, or material standards are ignored and lead to an injury, the company may be liable for damages.

An example of construction negligence could look like a site in St. Louis failing to mark and secure the work area where sidewalk repair is taking place, causing a pedestrian to injure themselves by tripping in wet cement.

FELA (Railroad)

FELA, or the Federal Employers Liability Act, was established in 1908 to guard railroad employees from potential negligence on the part of their employer. Under FELA, railroad employees who are injured in a provably preventable workplace accident have the right to file a personal injury suit for restitution from the railway company. FELA suits differ from workplace negligence or worker’s comp cases in that the employer must be proven to be at fault. If a railway worker on the Amtrack River Runner is caught and injured in a malfunctioning door while stopped in Kansas City and their lawyers can prove that the incident is due to a lack of required maintenance, they can receive a settlement from the company thanks to FELA.

General Negligence

General negligence is a catch-all term for injuries stemming from incorrect care of property or possessions. Nursing home negligence, homeowner negligence, animal bites, and amusement park injuries are just a few of the circumstances that can lead to a general negligence injury lawsuit.

Maritime (Jones Act)

Maritime workers are often put at considerable risk, and as such their employers are required to follow precautions and regulations to ensure their ships are as safe as possible. The Jones Act was passed to ensure the rights of seamen and other maritime employees to sue their employers for personal damages due to proven negligence. This act lays out standard operation procedures, minimum maintenance criteria, and basic security measures that must be followed and enforced. A barge worker on the Mississippi or Missouri River who is injured when docking due to a lack of proper training or a preventable equipment malfunction may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against their employer under the Jones Act. 

Pedestrian Injury

When walking through the busy streets of Kansas City as a pedestrian, you are at risk of injury from both motorized and non-motorized vehicles. Negligent drivers, bicyclists, skaters, and scooter riders cause accidents regularly. If you suffer bodily harm as a pedestrian, the party at fault may be found liable for your lost wages or hospital bills under a pedestrian injury claim. 

Workplace Negligence

Many workplace injuries can be covered by workers’ compensation insurance. Instances where an employee suffers damages due to negligent practices of their employer, another employee’s negligence, or a third-party tool or instrument, however, may be filed as a workers’ compensation claim. A worker crippled by faulty machinery at a packaging plant or a chef cut by a co-worker’s improper knife handling could sue for workers’ compensation.     

Wrongful Death

Next of kin or other representatives of a deceased victim can file a wrongful death lawsuit if there’s evidence that the victim’s passing is due to the negligence or purposeful actions of another individual. Wrongful death cases include instances of medical malpractice, fatal car crashes, and sometimes even willful injury or murder. The settlement in these suits will go to the deceased’s cited beneficiaries or next of kin. 

Have you been involved in a car accident and need help with pre-settlement funding? Oasis is here to help!

Apply Now

Advantages and Limitations

Pre-settlement funding can be a much-needed buffer if you’re dealing with money problems while waiting for a personal injury case to settle. There are, of course, limits to this kind of funding.

Advantages Of Pre-Settlement Funding

Lawsuits can be long and expensive undertakings, often accompanied by unexpected bills.

If your injuries are severe enough that you can’t work, everyday costs can start to stack up as well. Pre-settlement funding can help pay for necessities while you’re focused on healing and pursuing your personal injury claim. Housing expenses, utilities, food, childcare, transportation costs, and even medical bills can all be covered by borrowing from your prospective settlement.

Allows Time For Negotiation

You don’t want to be made to settle quickly during settlement negotiations. The process of a personal injury lawsuit can take nine to eighteen months, sometimes longer. If you’re injured, unable to work, and losing income during this period, you can apply for pre-settlement funding to help pay your bills. This way, you don’t have to take a settlement that’s worth less than what you’re owed just to cover your immediate expenses. Pre-settlement funding can give you the financial backing and time to fight for the compensation you truly deserve for your damages. 

Provides More Equitable Opportunity

Depending on the finances of the defendant in your case, you may be facing an expensive, high-powered attorney or firm. Make sure you’re meeting the party at fault on equal footing by taking out pre-settlement funding. It’s often the case that insurance companies, large corporations, and top-level legal representatives will try to run out the clock during settlement negotiations. By prolonging a case until your finances dry up, they can pressure you into taking a smaller settlement than you’re entitled to. Pre-settlement funding can give you the funds needed to overcome this technique and go the distance for the true worth of your case.

What Does Pre-settlement Funding Pay For?

You can use pre-settlement funding to pay for any of your day-to-day expenses or unexpected bills, just like money from a loan. What makes pre-settlement funding safer and less stressful is that there’s , no monthly payments to worry over and no risk of default. Funds you receive based on your potential settlement can be used to cover crucial costs like:

• Rent or mortgage payments
• Utilities (electric, gas, water, internet, etc.)
• Transportation costs (car payments, insurance, gas, repairs, etc.)
• Groceries
• Clothing and personal care items
• Medical costs (bills not covered by insurance, rehabilitation, etc.)
• Childcare
• Credit card bills
• Personal loan payments
• Insurance

Pre-settlement funding can be a financial helping hand, especially if you’re unable to work due to injuries sustained during the accident your lawsuit pertains to. You shouldn’t have to worry about monthly payments or daily expenses while in recovery. Receiving funding based on your potential settlement can give you the breathing room you need to put your energy toward getting better.

Is There A Limit For Pre-settlement Funding?

How much funding you’re able to receive comes at the discretion of the lending company, and is limited by elements of your case like:

• Chances of success
• Expected settlement amount
• Severity of injuries sustained
• Extent of insurance coverage
• Current and expected medical costs
• Current and expected lost income
• Predicted legal/court fees
• Predicted case duration
• Type of injury suit filed
• State/jurisdiction laws and regulations
• Previous rounds of pre-settlement funding

Can I Take Out More Than One Round of Pre-Settlement Funding? 

It’s not uncommon that customers need to apply for multiple rounds of pre-settlement funding. Many personal injury lawsuits can drag on for longer than expected when first filing for funding, and accumulated daily expenses or surprise bills can make it necessary for you to seek a second or third round of pre-settlement funding. Don’t forget to disclose that you’ve previously received funding when submitting your new application, as your funding company will consider this information when determining whether you’ll be approved for an additional round. 

Pre-Settlement Funding

If you’re facing financial hardship while going through the negotiation process of a personal injury suit, pre-settlement funding can be an excellent resource to keep the lights on. That said, it’s not necessarily the best option for everyone. Make sure to examine factors like risk and interest cost before submitting your application for financing.

What Are The Risks Of Pre-Settlement Funding?

Pre-settlement funding is structured as a non-recourse obligation, meaning that risk is assumed by the funding company, not you as thecustomer. 

Non-Recourse Obligation

When the customer is not responsible for repayment, funding is considered a non-recourse obligation. In this structure, the funding company is the party that takes on all the risk of the funding agreement. Since you as the customer only pay if your case results in a settlement or award, there is no risk on your end. If you’re already struggling to keep up with your financial responsibilities during a legal process, non-recourse funding is a way to get the funds you need without putting yourself in an even more uncertain position.   

What Is The Probability Of Defaulting?

As Oasis writes off fundings where there is no settlement or award, there is no chance of defaulting when accepting pre-settlement funding.

Choosing the Right Pre-Settlement Funding Company

Not everyone undergoing a personal injury lawsuit will need pre-settlement funding. Plaintiffs who are financially stable and have the additional cash needed to handle the legal fees and other expenses that come along with such cases may be fine without it. Before seeking out pre-settlement funding, make sure to ask yourself the following: how long do I expect my lawsuit to take? Can I afford to pay my bills in the meantime? What will I do if an unexpected expense comes up that I can’t pay for?

Do You Need Pre-Settlement Funding? 

• Are you injured after an accident you weren’t responsible for?
• Have you lost income while sidelined from your job due to your injuries?
• Is it getting harder to cover daily expenses while going through the process of a lawsuit?

If the answer to these questions is a resounding yes, then you may want to consider pursuing pre-settlement funding. Based on your circumstances, you may also have the option of applying for a loan or asking friends or family to lend you the cash you need. These are both fine choices, but neither is as risk-free, secure, and straightforward as pre-settlement funding. Even if you don’t think you need to seek out pre-settlement funding at the moment, it can be a great backup if your case drags on longer than expected or you end up facing a surprise large expense. 

Why Choose Oasis Financial?

For more than twenty years, Oasis Financial has been helping plaintiffs just like you receive the funds they need when they need it most. We’ve worked with over 350,000 families and individuals throughout all stages of their personal injury lawsuits, and we know just how stressful and challenging the process can be. That’s why at Oasis our clients have always been our number one priority. Our team of industry-leading financial experts and top-tier customer service advocates strives to make the pre-settlement funding procedure as fast, secure, and compassionate as can be.

Oasis Offers Lawsuit Loans Across Missouri

From St. Louis to Columbia, Kansas City, and all down Interstate 70 and the surrounding areas, the expert team at Oasis Financial is here for your lawsuit funding needs. Some of the areas we provide funding in Missouri include:

Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Arnold, Ballwin, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Belton, Blue Springs, Bolivar, Branson, Bridgeton, Cape Girardeau, Carthage, Chesterfield, Clayton, Columbia, Crestwood, Creve Coeur, Dardenne Prairie, Eureka, Excelsior Spring, Farmington, Ferguson, Festus, Florissant, Fulton, Gladstone, Grain Valley, Grandview, Hannibal, Hazelwood, Independence, Jackson, Jefferson City, Jennings, Joplin, Kearney, Kennett, Kirksville, Kirkwood, Lake St. Louis, Lebanon, Lee’s Summit, Liberty, Manchester, Marshall, Maryland Height, Maryville, Mexico, Moberly, Neosho, Nixa, O’Fallon, Overland, Ozark, Poplar Bluff, Raymore, Raytown, Republic, Rolla, Sedalia, Sikeston, Smithville, St. Ann, St. Charles, St. Joseph, St. Peters, Town and Country, Troy, Union, University City, Warrensburg, Washington, Webb City, Webster Groves, Wentzville, West Plains, Wildwood

Work With Oasis Financial

If you’re the plaintiff of a personal injury lawsuit in Missouri and need pre-settlement funding now, Oasis Financial is here for you. Apply today to get the funds you need without paying out-of-pocket fees or risking default. You can receive funding based on your expected payout with peace of mind knowing that you’ll only pay Oasis if your case settles in your favor. No one should have to be worried about paying rent, getting groceries, or covering medical bills while going through a personal injury lawsuit. With pre-settlement funding from Oasis Financial, you can get a better grip on your finances, better legal representation, and a better chance at getting the full value of your settlement. Better Days Start Today!

Questions or comments? You can connect with an Oasis Financial customer service representative right now through our easy-to-use application page. Don’t wait to start on your pre-settlement funding journey, get the financial serenity you need with Oasis.

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