Car Accident Lawyer Franklin County, MO. After you have been injured in a car or truck accident, worrying about family or work should be the last thing on your mind. Between medical treatment, dealing with trauma, and repairing your car, the impact of an car accident in Franklin County, MO can easily 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 Franklin County, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help residents of Franklin County, MO who have been in car accidents and are hesitant about what to do next. Our Franklin County car accident lawyer reviews accident reports, gathers evidence, and corresponds with insurance or financial representatives on behalf of their clients. We fight fiercely on behalf of all our Franklin County, MO auto accident clients to get them not only fair and just compensation, but also justice and closure after one of the most harrowing experiences of their lives.
After you’ve been in a Franklin County, MO auto accident, do not delay in contacting Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a dedicated Franklin County, MO auto accident attorney in your corner. Our firm offers free initial consultations, and vows that won’t owe us a penny if we do not get a positive outcome in your case.
Giving You Peace Of Mind
A Full-Service Franklin County, MO Car Accident Lawyer
On any given day, thousands of vehicles are on the road in and around Franklin County to deliver the mail, take people to and from work, go to the store, or just out for a leisurely drive. Unfortunately, however, 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-changing injuries and vehicles better suited as scrap metal.
As veteran Franklin County, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has taken all kinds of car accident claims and personally viewed how the aftermath of a car accident in Franklin County can alter someone’s life, in some cases permanently. Our firm has years of experience handling car accident cases, and understands how insurance firms do not enjoy paying just restitution to Franklin 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 Franklin County, 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 Franklin County, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte suggests 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 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 severely injured you may need to have an ambulance dispatched. When the police come, be honest about the accident but choose your words wisely: statements that imply guilt can and will be used against you by insurance companies when determining 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. Everyone now having a camera on their phone means that it is incredibly simple to document your Franklin County, MO accident and gather evidence. Get shots of the site of your accident, skid marks, and the full extent of your damage. If you can find witnesses, it is a good idea to record their accounts of the accident, as it can help your case immensely.
- Get medical attention. If you were hurt as a result of your Franklin County car accident, immediately seek out emergency medical care. For smaller injuries, a local urgent care center is a more convenient and cost-effective option than an ER visit. However, more severe or bigger will likely require a trip to the hospital, or potentially a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The sooner you speak to a trustworthy and understanding Franklin County, MO car accident lawyer, the quicker they can begin work on your case and allow you to begin the recovery process.
As well as these steps, our firm urges all our clients to keep the following paperwork. They can help immensely when discussing settlement terms, or to give a more complete idea of the effect a car accident in Franklin County, MO had on your life.
- Medical records
- Photos of the accident scene
- The full police report of the accident
- Witness statements
- All medical-related bills (ambulance fees, physical therapy 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 following a car accident in Franklin County, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not only limited 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, how much the accident impacted your ability to adequately perform work, and how the knock-on effects of your accident/injuries may keep you from working to your full potential in the future.
- Property damage: this includes repair/replacement of your car as well as any/all additional items that were damaged as a result of your Franklin County auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be tough to explain, since by and large the amount of discomfort a Franklin County, MO victim goes through after an accident differs from person to person. As a rule, though, recording changes in mental health, lingering symptoms, and attitude is a good idea.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a Franklin County, MO car accident may result in someone suffering life-altering injuries. While in a large number of cases those injuries are permanent and a settlement cannot remedy the unmeasurable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more freedom 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 receive is reduced based on how much at fault 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 Franklin County, MO Car Accident Lawyer Who Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we provide the muscle and acumen of a top Franklin County, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal care of an individual practice. Our firm has worked with Franklin County residents of all backgrounds to get the justice they merit following a car accident in Franklin County, 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 Franklin County, MO car accident case, you will not need to owe us a fee.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Franklin County, MO caused by someone else’s negligence, act quickly: contact a Franklin County car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by calling (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched document review.
