Car Accident Lawyer Stoddard County, MO. After you have been injured in a car or truck accident, worrying about family or work should be your lowest priority. Between mental trauma, car repairs, and getting back to full fitness, the effects of an car accident in Stoddard County, 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 deserve.
Contact Our Stoddard County, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help residents of Stoddard County, MO who have been in car accidents and are unsure about what to do next. Our Stoddard County car accident lawyer works with insurance agents, looks over accident reports, and compiles all evidence for their clients. We fight aggressively for all our Stoddard County, MO auto accident clients to get them not only their rightful compensation, but also closure following an incredibly traumatic experience.
After you’ve been in a Stoddard County, MO auto accident, don’t hesitate to contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a veteran Stoddard County, MO auto accident attorney on your side. Our firm offers free initial consultations, and guarantees that you do not win or get a settlement in your Stoddard County auto accident lawsuit, you owe us nothing.
Giving You Peace Of Mind
A Complete Stoddard County, MO Car Accident Lawyer
On any given day, thousands of vehicles are on the road in and around Stoddard County to deliver the mail, take people to and from work, go to the store, or just out for a leisurely drive. Sadly, however, every day many car accidents happen, caused by poorly maintained roads, the negligence of other motorists, or adverse weather conditions. 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 Stoddard County, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has taken all kinds of car accident claims and seen first-hand how the results of a car accident in Stoddard County can change someone’s life, forever in some situations. Our firm has years of experience in the courtroom, and understands how insurance firms do not enjoy paying proper restitution to Stoddard County accident victims. We provide client-centered legal strategies that are designed to satisfy 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 Stoddard County, MO
Following a car accident, it is likely that people will be in shock and clueless how to proceed. However, having worked with many car accident clients across Stoddard County, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte suggests 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 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 a passenger is badly hurt you may need to have an ambulance dispatched. 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 providers when adjuticating fault.
- Collect all relevant information. Exchange not only your insurance card, registration, and license, which you are required to do by law, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take pictures. Camera phones now being ubiquitious means that it is incredibly easy to document your Stoddard County, MO accident and compile 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 smart to record what they saw, as it can help your case immensely.
- Get medical attention. If you were hurt as a result of your Stoddard County car accident, immediately get emergency medical care. For more minor injuries, a local urgent care center is a more affordable and convenient option than an ER visit. However, more severe or bigger will likely necessitate a trip to the hospital, or potentially a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The sooner you talk to a trustworthy and understanding Stoddard County, MO car accident lawyer, the quicker they can get to work on your behalf and allow you to focus on recovering after an accident.
As well as these steps, our firm recommends that all our clients keep the following paperwork. They can help a great deal when discussing settlement terms, or to fully illustrate the effect a car accident in Stoddard County, 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, 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 kinds of damages someone can claim after a car accident in Stoddard 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, visits to mental health professionals, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and required medical equipment such as crutches, too.
- Lost wages/earning potential: in general this is determined by what you were earning prior to the accident, the extent of the impact the accident had on your ability to successfully perform labor, and how the lasting effects of your accident/injuries may prevent you from working to your full potential in the future.
- Property damage: this includes repair or replacement of your car in addition to any/all personal items or goods that were damaged as a result of your Stoddard County auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be tough to put into words, since in most cases the amount of anguish a Stoddard County, MO victim goes through after an accident differs from person to person. As a rule, though, documenting changes in mental health, lingering symptoms, and attitude is a good idea.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe cases, a Stoddard County, 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 soothe the unmeasurable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more opportunity to successfully navigate their new normal.
It is also critical to note that Missouri is a comparative fault state, which means that the amount of damages one or more parties are entitled to 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 judged 99% responsible for an accident to collect a proportional amount of damages.
Contact A Stoddard County, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the aggression and acumen of a competitive Stoddard County, MO car accident law firm as well as the one-on-one care of a small practice. Our firm has partnered with Stoddard County residents from all walks of life to secure the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Stoddard County, MO. We take all our cases on what is called a contingency basis, which means that unless you win your Stoddard 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 Stoddard County, MO caused by another driver’s careless actions, act quickly: contact a Stoddard County car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by calling (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched document review.
