Car Accident Lawyer in Des Peres, MO
Car Accident Lawyer Des Peres, MO. After you have suffered injuries in a car or truck accident, worrying about your job or your family should be the last thing on your mind. Between mental trauma, car repairs, and getting back to full fitness, the effects of an car accident in Des Peres, MO can easily take over anyone’s life, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the monetary reward you are entitled to.
Contact Our Des Peres, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help Des Peres, MO residents who have been involved in car accidents and are hesitant about what to do next. Our Des Peres car accident lawyer works with insurance agents, looks over accident reports, and compiles all evidence for their clients. We fight aggressively for all our Des Peres, MO auto accident clients to win them not only their rightful remuneration, but also justice and closure following an incredibly traumatic experience.
Following a Des Peres, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a veteran Des Peres, MO auto accident attorney on your side. Our firm offers complimentary initial consultations, and vows that you do not win or get a settlement in your Des Peres auto accident lawsuit, you owe us nothing.
Giving You Peace Of Mind
A Complete Des Peres, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Every day, thousands of cars and trucks take to the roads in and around Des Peres in order to go to work, deliver goods, run errands, or just to enjoy the open road. Sadly, though, every day many car accidents happen, caused by bad weather, poor road conditions, or someone else’s negligence. Automotive damages and personal injuries can range from minor cosmetic blemishes or a few cuts and scrapes, to life-altering ailments and a car so damaged as to be unrecognizable.
As veteran Des Peres, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled car accident claims of all types and seen first-hand how the results of a car accident in Des Peres can alter someone’s life, in some cases permanently. Our firm has years of experience in the courtroom, and knows the tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying proper compensation to Des Peres accident victims. We provide personalized legal strategies that are built to meet your unique 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 Des Peres, MO
After you have been in a car accident, it is common for people to be stunned and unsure of how to proceed. However, having dealt with many car accident clients across Des Peres, 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 are able to, 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 hurt you may need to call for an ambulance. When the police arrive, be honest about the accident but avoid saying anything unnecessary: 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 registration, license, and insurance provider, which you are legally required to do, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take pictures. Camera phones now being ubiquitious means that it is very simple to document your Des Peres, MO accident and gather evidence. Take photos 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 a good idea to record their accounts of the accident, as it can greatly benefit your case.
- Get medical care. If you were hurt as a result of your Des Peres car accident, immediately seek out emergency medical care. For more minor injuries, a local urgent care center is a more affordable and convenient option than an ER visit. However, larger and more serious injuries will likely require a trip to the hospital, or if they are available a visit to your primary care physician.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The quicker you call a reputable and understanding Des Peres, MO car accident lawyer, the quicker they can start working on your case and allow you to get on with recovering from your accident.
As well as these steps, our firm urges all our clients to save the following documents. They can help a great deal when discussing settlement terms, or to fully illustrate the effect a car accident in Des Peres, MO had on your life.
- Medical documentation
- Photos of the accident scene
- The full police report of the accident
- Witness statements
- All medical-related bills (ambulance fees, rehab costs, medications, etc.)
- Doctor’s reports and observations
- Repair documentation
- Incidental bills such as 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 an accident victim can claim after a car accident in Des Peres, 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 medications, visits to mental health professionals, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and required medical equipment such as a wheelchair, too.
- Lost wages/earning potential: generally this is determined by what you were earning prior to the accident, how much the accident impacted your ability to adequately perform labor, and how the lasting effects of your accident/injuries may keep you from working to your full ability in the future.
- Property damage: this includes repair or replacement of your car in addition to any/all personal effects that were damaged as a result of your Des Peres auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be hard to quantify, since for the most part the amount of anguish a Des Peres, MO victim goes through after an accident varies from person to person. In general, though, documenting changes in attitude, mental health and need for therapy, and longer-lasting after-effects of your accident is a good rule of thumb.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a Des Peres, MO car accident may result in a victim sustaining life-changing injuries. While in a large number of cases those injuries are permanent and a settlement cannot take away the immense pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more opportunity to successfully navigate 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 are entitled to 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 proportional amount of damages.
Contact A Des Peres, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we provide the muscle and acumen of a competitive Des Peres, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal care of a small practice. Our firm has partnered with Des Peres residents from all walks of life to secure the justice they deserve following a car accident in Des Peres, MO. We take all our cases on what is referred to as a contingency basis, which means that unless you get a positive result in your Des Peres, 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 Des Peres, MO caused by another driver’s reckless behavior, do not wait: contact a Des Peres car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched conversation.
