Car Accident Lawyer in St. Francois County, MO
Car Accident Lawyer St. Francois County, MO. After you have suffered injuries in a car or truck accident, having concerns about family or work should be your lowest priority. Between mental trauma, car repairs, and getting back to full fitness, the aftermath of an car accident in St. Francois County, MO can quickly overwhelm anyone, doubly so when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the compensation you should be getting.
Contact Our St. Francois County, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help St. Francois County, MO residents who have been in car accidents and are unsure about what to do next. Our St. Francois County car accident lawyer finds evidence, deals with insurance and financial agents, and compiles accident reports on behalf of their clients. We fight fearlessly for all our St. Francois County, MO auto accident clients to get them not only their rightful financial rewards, but also closure following an incredibly traumatic experience.
After you’ve been in a St. Francois County, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a veteran St. Francois County, MO auto accident attorney on your side. Our firm offers no-obligation initial consultations, and guarantees that you do not win or get a settlement in your St. Francois County auto accident lawsuit, you owe us nothing.
Giving You Peace Of Mind
A Complete St. Francois County, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Every day, thousands of cars and trucks take to the roads in and around St. Francois County for all sorts of purposes. Unfortunately, though, every day many car accidents happen, whether due to another driver’s careless actions, poor weather conditions, or roads not being properly maintained. 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 St. Francois County, 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 St. Francois County can change someone’s life, in some cases permanently. Our firm has years of experience in the courtroom, and understands how insurance firms do not enjoy paying just restitution to St. Francois County accident victims. We provide client-centered legal strategies that are designed to satisfy your particular needs and give our clients closure as well as a fair reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In St. Francois County, MO
Following 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 St. Francois County, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte suggests that all our clients take these steps 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 are hurt.
- Call 911. Not only will you need to file a police report after your accident, but if you or a passenger is severely hurt you may need to call for an ambulance. 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 insurance card, registration, and license, which you are legally required to do, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take photos. Camera phones now being ubiquitious means that it is incredibly easy to document your St. Francois County, MO accident and gather evidence. Get shots of the site of your accident, skid marks, and the full extent of your damage. If nearby pedestrians saw your accident, it is smart to record what they saw, as it can greatly benefit your case.
- Get medical attention. If you were injured as a result of your St. Francois County 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 a trip to the emergency room. However, larger and more serious injuries will likely necessitate a trip to the hospital, or if they are available a visit to your primary care physician.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The sooner you talk to a reputable and compassionate St. Francois County, MO car accident lawyer, the faster they can begin work on your case and allow you to get on with recovering from your accident.
As well as these steps, our firm recommends that all our clients save the following paperwork. They can help a great deal when negotiating a settlement, or to paint a full picture of the effect a car accident in St. Francois County, 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 bills
- Incidental bills including 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 St. Francois County, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not only restricted to hospital bills or doctor’s visits, either. An auto accident victim can claim reimbursement for prescriptions, psychiatric care, rehab or physical therapy to fully recover from accident injuries, and required medical equipment such as crutches, too.
- Lost wages/earning potential: for the most part this is determined by what you were earning prior to the accident, how much the accident impacted your ability to fully perform labor, and how the lasting effects of your accident/injuries may stop you from working to your full ability in the future.
- Property damage: this includes repair or replacement of your car as well as any/all personal effects that were damaged as a result of your St. Francois County auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be tough to quantify, since in most cases the amount of discomfort one goes through after an accident differs 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 smart rule of thumb.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe cases, a St. Francois County, MO car accident may result in a victim sustaining life-altering injuries. While in many cases those injuries are permanent and compensation cannot soothe the unmeasurable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more opportunity to adapt to their new normal.
It is also key to note that Missouri is a comparative fault state, which means that the quantity of damages one or more parties can take home is reduced 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 adjudged to be 99% responsible for an accident to collect a commensurate amount of damages.
Contact A St. Francois County, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Puts You First
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the aggression and legal knowledge of a top St. Francois County, MO car accident law firm as well as the one-on-one attention of an individual practice. Our firm has worked with St. Francois County residents of all backgrounds to secure the justice they merit following a car accident in St. Francois County, MO. We take all our cases on what is called a contingency basis, which means that unless you win your St. Francois County, MO car accident case or obtain a favorable settlement, you will not need to owe us a penny.
If you have been injured as a result of a car accident in St. Francois County, MO caused by another driver’s careless actions, do not hesitate: contact a St. Francois County car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by calling (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-obligation conversation.
