Car Accident Lawyer Washington County, MO. After you have been injured in a car or truck accident, having concerns 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 impact of an car accident in Washington County, MO can easily overwhelm anyone, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the restitution you deserve.
Contact Our Washington County, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help Washington County, MO residents who have been involved in car accidents and do not know about what to do next. Our Washington County car accident lawyer reviews accident reports, gathers evidence, and corresponds with insurance or financial representatives for their clients. We fight fearlessly for all our Washington County, MO auto accident clients to get them not only appropriate remuneration, but also a measure of justice after going through a very troubling experience.
After you’ve been in a Washington County, MO auto accident, don’t hesitate to contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put an experienced and dedicated Washington County, MO auto accident attorney to work for you. 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 Complete Washington County, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Thousands of cars and trucks take to the road every day in and around Washington County to deliver the mail, take people to and from work, go to the store, or just out for a leisurely drive. Unfortunately, however, car accidents are an everyday occurence, whether due to 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 totaled cars and permanent injuries.
As experienced Washington County, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has taken car accident claims of all types and seen first-hand how the results of a car accident in Washington County can alter someone’s life, forever in some situations. Our firm has years of experience handling car accident cases, and understands how insurance firms do not enjoy paying just restitution to Washington County accident victims. We offer unique legal strategies that are built to satisfy your unique needs and give our clients justice in addition to a fair reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Washington County, MO
Following 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 Washington County, 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 can, 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 someone else is badly hurt you may need to have an ambulance come and take them to a hospital. 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 companies when finding fault.
- Collect all relevant information. Exchange not only your license, registration, and insurance details, which you are required to do by law, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take photos. Camera phones now being ubiquitious means that it is incredibly easy to document your Washington County, MO accident and compile evidence. Take photos of skid marks, property damage, physical surroundings, and the point of impact of your accident. If nearby pedestrians saw your accident, it is smart to record what they saw, as it can help your case immensely.
- Get medical care. If you were injured as a result of your Washington County car accident, immediately get emergency medical care. For more minor injuries, a local urgent care center is a more convenient and cost-effective option than a trip to the emergency room. However, more severe or bigger will likely necessitate a trip to the hospital, or if they are available a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The faster you speak to a trustworthy and compassionate Washington County, MO car accident lawyer, the sooner they can get to work on your behalf and allow you to get on with recovering from your accident.
As well as these steps, our firm urges all our clients to keep the following receipts and documentation. They can help a great deal when negotiating a settlement, or to give a more complete idea of the effect a car accident in Washington 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, rehab costs, medications, etc.)
- Doctor’s reports and observations
- Repair documentation
- 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 Washington County, 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 a wheelchair, too.
- Lost wages/earning potential: generally this is determined by what you were earning prior to the accident, the extent of the impact the accident had on your ability to adequately perform work, and how the lingering 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 in addition to any/all personal items or goods that were damaged as a result of your Washington County auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be tough to put into words, since in most cases the amount of discomfort a Washington County, 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 idea.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe cases, a Washington County, MO car accident may result in someone sustaining life-changing injuries. While in a substantial 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 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 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 commensurate amount of damages.
Contact A Washington County, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we provide the muscle and acumen of a top Washington County, MO car accident law firm as well as the one-on-one care of a small practice. Our firm has worked with Washington County residents from all walks of life to obtain the justice they deserve following a car accident in Washington County, MO. We take all our cases on what is referred to as a contingency basis, meaning that unless you win your Washington County, 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 Washington County, MO caused by another party’s negligence, do not hesitate: contact a Washington County car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by calling (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched case review.
