Car Accident Lawyer Belton, MO. After you have suffered injuries in a car or truck accident, worrying about your job or your family should be your lowest priority. Between car repairs, medical treatment, and mental trauma or anguish, the effects of an car accident in Belton, MO can easily overwhelm anyone, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the compensation you are entitled to.
Contact Our Belton, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help Belton, MO residents who have been involved in car accidents and are unsure about what to do next. Our Belton car accident lawyer finds evidence, deals with insurance and financial agents, and compiles accident reports for their clients. We fight fiercely on behalf of all our Belton, MO auto accident clients to secure them not only fair and just remuneration, but also closure after going through a very troubling experience.
After you’ve been in a Belton, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a veteran Belton, MO auto accident attorney on your side. Our firm offers no-obligation initial consultations, and promises that won’t owe us a penny if we do not get a positive outcome in your case.
Giving You One Less Thing To Worry About
A Complete Belton, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Thousands of cars and trucks take to the road every day in and around Belton to deliver the mail, take people to and from work, go to the store, or just out for a leisurely drive. Sadly, however, car accidents are an everyday occurence, caused by bad weather, poor road conditions, or someone else’s negligence. Injuries and property damage 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 experienced Belton, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled car accident claims of all types and personally viewed how the aftermath of a car accident in Belton can alter someone’s life, in some cases permanently. Our firm has years of experience handling car accident cases, and knows the tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying proper restitution to Belton accident victims. We provide client-centered legal strategies that are designed to meet your unique needs and give our clients justice in addition to a just reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Belton, MO
After you have been in a car accident, it is likely that people will be in a state of shock and uncertain how to proceed. However, having worked with many car accident clients across Belton, 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 can, 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 injured 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 companies when adjuticating fault.
- Collect all relevant information. Exchange not only your registration, license, and insurance provider, 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 very easy to document your Belton, MO accident and compile evidence. Take photos of skid marks, property damage, physical surroundings, and the point of impact of your accident. If there were pedestrians or passersby who witnessed your accident, it is smart to record their accounts of the accident, as it can help your case immensely.
- Get medical care. If you were hurt as a result of your Belton car accident, immediately seek out emergency medical care. For smaller injuries, a local urgent care center is a more affordable and convenient option than a trip to the emergency room. However, more severe or bigger will likely necessitate a trip to the hospital, or if possible a visit to your primary care physician.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The quicker you call a reputable and understanding Belton, MO car accident lawyer, the faster they can get to work on your behalf and allow you to get on with recovering from your accident.
In addition to these steps, our firm urges all our clients to save the following receipts and documentation. They can help immeasurably when discussing settlement terms, or to give a more complete idea of the effect a car accident in Belton, 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 records
- Incidental bills such as 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 kinds of damages someone can claim following a car accident in Belton, 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 medications, psychological appointments, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and necessary medical equipment such as crutches, too.
- Lost wages/earning potential: generally this is based off of what you were earning prior to the accident, the extent of the impact the accident had on your ability to adequately 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/replacement of your car in addition to any/all personal items or goods that were damaged as a result of your Belton auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be hard to quantify, since by and large the amount of difficulty 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 situations, a Belton, MO car accident may result in a victim suffering life-altering injuries. While in many cases those injuries are permanent and compensation cannot remedy 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 the level they were at fault they were for causing a car accident. Missouri is a pure comparative fault state, which allows for even someone who was determined to be 99% responsible for an accident to collect a commensurate amount of damages.
Contact A Belton, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Puts You First
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the strength and intelligence of an elite Belton, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal care of an individual practice. Our firm has partnered with Belton residents from all walks of life to secure the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Belton, MO. We take all our cases on what is called a contingency basis, meaning that unless you win your Belton, MO car accident case or obtain a favorable settlement, you will not need to owe us a penny.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Belton, MO caused by another party’s negligence, act quickly: contact a Belton car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-obligation consultation.
