Car Accident Lawyer in Hazelwood, MO
Car Accident Lawyer Hazelwood, MO. After you have been hurt in a car or truck accident, having concerns about your job or your family should be the last thing on your mind. Between medical treatment, dealing with trauma, and repairing your car, the effects of an car accident in Hazelwood, MO can quickly take over anyone’s life, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the restitution you deserve.
Contact Our Hazelwood, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help residents of Hazelwood, MO who have been involved in car accidents and are unsure about what to do next. Our Hazelwood car accident lawyer finds evidence, deals with insurance and financial agents, and compiles accident reports for their clients. We fight aggressively on behalf of all our Hazelwood, MO auto accident clients to get them not only appropriate financial rewards, but also a measure of justice after going through a very troubling experience.
After you’ve been in a Hazelwood, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a veteran Hazelwood, MO auto accident attorney to work for you. Our firm offers free initial consultations, and guarantees that won’t owe us a penny if we do not get a positive outcome in your case.
Giving You One Less Thing To Worry About
A Full-Service Hazelwood, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Thousands of cars and trucks take to the road every day in and around Hazelwood to deliver the mail, take people to and from work, go to the store, or just out for a leisurely drive. Sadly, however, car accidents are an everyday occurence, caused by bad weather, poor road conditions, or someone else’s negligence. Injuries and property damage can range from bumps and bruises and small scratches and dings, to totaled cars and permanent injuries.
As experienced Hazelwood, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled car accident claims of all types and seen first-hand how the aftermath of a car accident in Hazelwood can alter someone’s life, in some cases permanently. Our firm has years of experience handling car accident cases, and has seen the lengths insurance companies go to avoid paying proper compensation to Hazelwood accident victims. We offer client-centered legal strategies that are designed to satisfy your particular needs and give our clients closure in addition to a fair reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Hazelwood, MO
After you have been in a car accident, it is common for people to be in a state of shock and uncertain how to proceed. However, having worked with many car accident clients across Hazelwood, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte recommends that all our clients do the following after their car accident:
- Make sure you are safe. Pull over to somewhere where you will not obstruct traffic, if you can, and check to see if you are hurt.
- Call 911. Not only will you need to talk with police and get a full report of your car accident, but if you or someone else is badly hurt you may need to have an ambulance dispatched. When the police come, be honest about the accident but choose your words wisely: statements that suggest guilt can and will be used against you by insurance companies when adjuticating fault.
- Collect all relevant information. Exchange not only your license, registration, and insurance details, which you are required to do by law, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take photos. Everyone now having a camera on their phone means that it is very simple to document your Hazelwood, MO accident and gather evidence. Get shots of all damage, skid marks, where one or more cars collided, as well as the general area around your accident. If there were pedestrians or passersby who witnessed your accident, it is wise to record their accounts of the accident, as it can greatly benefit your case.
- Get medical attention. If you were hurt as a result of your Hazelwood car accident, immediately seek out emergency medical care. For smaller injuries, a local urgent care center is a more affordable and convenient option than a trip to the emergency room. However, larger and more serious injuries will likely necessitate a trip to the hospital, or potentially a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The sooner you call a trustworthy and compassionate Hazelwood, MO car accident lawyer, the sooner they can start working on your case and allow you to begin the recovery process.
In addition to these steps, our firm recommends that all our clients hold on to the following paperwork. They can help a great deal when discussing settlement terms, or to fully illustrate the effect a car accident in Hazelwood, MO had on your life.
- Medical documentation
- Photos of the accident scene
- The full police report of the accident
- Witness accounts
- All medical-related bills (ambulance fees, physical therapy costs, medications, etc.)
- Doctor’s reports and observations
- Repair records
- Incidental bills such as rental car receipts
- Lost earning opportunities
- Records of pain and suffering resulting from your accident
What Damages Can I Recover After A Car Accident?
In general, there are five types of damages an accident victim can claim after a car accident in Hazelwood, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not strictly limited to hospital bills or doctor’s visits, either. An auto accident victim can claim costs for prescriptions, visits to mental health professionals, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and necessary medical equipment such as casts, too.
- Lost wages/earning potential: in general this is based off of what you were earning prior to the accident, how much the accident impacted your ability to adequately perform labor, and how the lingering effects of your accident/injuries may stop you from working to your full potential in the future.
- Property damage: this includes repair/replacement of your car as well as any/all personal effects that were damaged as a result of your Hazelwood auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be tough to put into words, since by and large the amount of difficulty a Hazelwood, MO victim goes through after an accident differs from person to person. In general, though, documenting changes in personality, attitude, and mental health is a good idea.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a Hazelwood, MO car accident may result in someone suffering life-changing injuries. While in many cases those injuries are permanent and compensation cannot take away the unspeakable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more opportunity to adapt to their new normal.
It is also important to note that Missouri is a comparative fault state, which means that the quantity of damages one or more parties can take home is adjusted based on the level they were at fault they were for causing a car accident. Missouri is a pure comparative fault state, which allows for even someone who was determined to be 99% responsible for an accident to collect a commensurate amount of damages.
Contact A Hazelwood, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Puts You First
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the muscle and acumen of a top Hazelwood, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal care of an individual practice. Our firm has worked with Hazelwood residents from all walks of life to secure the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Hazelwood, MO. We take all our cases on what is known as a contingency basis, which means that unless you get a positive result in your Hazelwood, MO car accident case, you will not need to owe us a penny.
If you have been injured as a result of a car accident in Hazelwood, MO caused by another party’s negligence, do not hesitate: contact a Hazelwood car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by calling (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-obligation consultation.