Car Accident Lawyer in Kirkwood, MO
Car Accident Lawyer Kirkwood, MO. After you have suffered injuries in a car or truck accident, having concerns about family or work should be your lowest priority. Between car repairs, medical treatment, and mental trauma or anguish, the effects of an car accident in Kirkwood, MO can quickly overwhelm anyone, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the compensation you should be getting.
Contact Our Kirkwood, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help residents of Kirkwood, MO who have been in car accidents and do not know about how to proceed. Our Kirkwood car accident lawyer finds evidence, deals with insurance and financial agents, and compiles accident reports on behalf of their clients. We fight aggressively on behalf of all our Kirkwood, MO auto accident clients to win them not only fair and just remuneration, but also closure after one of the most harrowing experiences of their lives.
Following a Kirkwood, MO auto accident, don’t hesitate to contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a veteran Kirkwood, MO auto accident attorney to work for you. Our firm offers complimentary initial consultations, and promises that if they do not get a positive result in your Kirkwood auto accident lawsuit, you will not owe them a fee.
Giving You Peace Of Mind
A Complete Kirkwood, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Every day, thousands of cars and trucks take to the roads in and around Kirkwood to deliver the mail, take people to and from work, go to the store, or just out for a leisurely drive. Unfortunately, though, car accidents regularly occur, caused by poorly maintained roads, the negligence of other motorists, or adverse weather conditions. Injuries and property damage can range from minor cosmetic blemishes or a few cuts and scrapes, to life-changing injuries and vehicles better suited as scrap metal.
As experienced Kirkwood, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled all kinds of car accident claims and seen first-hand how the results of a car accident in Kirkwood can change someone’s life, forever in some situations. Our firm has years of experience in the courtroom, and knows the tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying proper restitution to Kirkwood accident victims. We provide client-centered legal strategies that are designed to satisfy your unique needs and get clients both justice as well as a fair reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Kirkwood, MO
After you have been in a car accident, it is likely that people will be stunned and unsure of how to proceed. However, having worked with many car accident clients across Kirkwood, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte recommends that all our clients do the following after their car accident:
- Make sure you are safe. Find a place to stop away from traffic, if possible, and check to see if you have suffered any injuries.
- Call 911. Not only will you need to file a police report after your accident, but if you or someone else is badly injured you may need to have an ambulance dispatched. When the police come, tell the truth about the accident but avoid saying anything unnecessary: statements that suggest guilt can and will be used against you by insurance providers when finding fault.
- Collect all relevant information. Exchange not only your registration, license, and insurance provider, which you are required to do by law, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take pictures. The invention, and widespread adoption, of camera phones means that it is very simple to document your Kirkwood, MO accident and compile evidence. Take photos of the site of your accident, skid marks, and the full extent of your damage. If you can find witnesses, it is smart to record what they saw, as it can greatly benefit your case.
- Get medical care. If you were injured as a result of your Kirkwood car accident, immediately get 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 require a trip to the hospital, or if possible a visit to your primary care physician.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The quicker you talk to a trustworthy and compassionate Kirkwood, MO car accident lawyer, the sooner they can begin work on your case and allow you to focus on recovering after an accident.
In addition to these steps, our firm urges all our clients to hold on to the following documents. They can help a great deal when negotiating a settlement, or to give a more complete idea of the effect a car accident in Kirkwood, MO had on your life.
- Medical records
- Pictures 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 including rental car receipts
- Lost earning opportunities
- Records of pain and suffering directly caused by your accident
What Damages Can I Recover After A Car Accident?
In general, there are five types of damages someone can claim after a car accident in Kirkwood, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not strictly restricted to hospital bills or doctor’s visits, either. An auto accident victim can claim reimbursement for prescriptions, visits to mental health professionals, rehab or physical therapy to fully recover from accident injuries, and required medical equipment such as crutches, as well.
- Lost wages/earning potential: for the most part this is based off of what you were earning prior to the accident, the extent of the impact the accident had on your ability to fully perform labor, and how the knock-on effects of your accident/injuries may prevent you from working to your full ability in the future.
- Property damage: this includes fixing or replacing your car as well as any/all personal effects that were damaged as a result of your Kirkwood auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be hard to put into words, since for the most part the amount of difficulty a Kirkwood, MO victim goes through after an accident differs from person to person. In general, though, recording changes in personality, attitude, and mental health is a good rule of thumb.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a Kirkwood, MO car accident may result in someone sustaining life-altering injuries. While in a substantial number of cases those injuries are permanent and money cannot take away the unmeasurable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more freedom to adapt to their new normal.
It is also critical to note that Missouri is a comparative fault state, which means that the quantity of damages one or more parties receive is adjusted based on how responsible they were for causing a car accident. Missouri is a pure comparative fault state, which allows for even someone who was judged 99% responsible for an accident to collect a commensurate amount of damages.
Contact A Kirkwood, MO Car Accident Lawyer Who Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we provide the muscle and intelligence of a competitive Kirkwood, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal attention of an individual practice. Our firm has partnered with Kirkwood residents of all backgrounds to obtain the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Kirkwood, MO. We take all our cases on what is referred to as a contingency basis, meaning that unless you win your Kirkwood, MO car accident case or obtain a favorable settlement, you will not need to owe us anything.
If you have been injured as a result of a car accident in Kirkwood, MO caused by another party’s negligence, act quickly: contact a Kirkwood car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-obligation consultation.