Car Accident Lawyer Bridgeton, MO. After you have been injured in a car or truck accident, worrying about your job or your family should be your lowest priority. Between medical treatment, dealing with trauma, and repairing your car, the effects of an car accident in Bridgeton, MO can quickly take over anyone’s life, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the monetary reward you are entitled to.
Contact Our Bridgeton, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help residents of Bridgeton, MO who have been in car accidents and do not know about what to do next. Our Bridgeton car accident lawyer finds evidence, deals with insurance and financial agents, and compiles accident reports on behalf of their clients. We fight aggressively for all our Bridgeton, MO auto accident clients to win them not only fair and just compensation, but also closure after going through a very troubling experience.
After you’ve been in a Bridgeton, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a dedicated Bridgeton, MO auto accident attorney in your corner. Our firm offers complimentary initial consultations, and vows 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 Bridgeton, MO Car Accident Lawyer
On any given day, thousands of vehicles are on the road in and around Bridgeton for all sorts of purposes. Unfortunately, however, every day many car accidents happen, caused by 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-altering ailments and a car so damaged as to be unrecognizable.
As experienced Bridgeton, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled car accident claims of all types and seen first-hand how the effects of a car accident in Bridgeton can change someone’s life, in some cases permanently. Our firm has years of experience in the courtroom, and knows the tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying just compensation to Bridgeton accident victims. We provide unique legal strategies that are tailor-made to satisfy your particular needs and get clients both closure in addition to a fair reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Bridgeton, 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 dealt with many car accident clients across Bridgeton, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte recommends that all our clients take these steps after their car accident:
- Make sure you are safe. Find a place to stop away from traffic, if you are able to, and check to see if you have suffered any injuries.
- 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 injured you may need to call for an ambulance. When the police arrive, 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 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 pictures. Everyone now having a camera on their phone means that it is incredibly easy to document your Bridgeton, MO accident and gather evidence. Get shots of skid marks, property damage, physical surroundings, and the point of impact of your accident. If nearby pedestrians saw your accident, it is wise 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 Bridgeton 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 faster you speak to a trustworthy and understanding Bridgeton, MO car accident lawyer, the quicker they can begin work on your case and allow you to focus on recovering after an accident.
As well as these steps, our firm urges all our clients to hold on to 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 Bridgeton, MO had on your life.
- Medical documentation
- Pictures 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 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 an accident victim can claim after a car accident in Bridgeton, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not only limited to hospital bills or doctor’s visits, either. An auto accident victim can claim costs for medications, psychiatric care, rehab or physical therapy to fully recover from accident injuries, and necessary medical equipment such as casts, too.
- Lost wages/earning potential: generally 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 knock-on effects of your accident/injuries may stop you from working to your full potential in the future.
- Property damage: this includes fixing or replacing your car as well as any/all personal effects that were damaged as a result of your Bridgeton auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be tough to quantify, since by and large the amount of discomfort one goes through after an accident varies from person to person. In general, though, recording changes in attitude, mental health and need for therapy, and longer-lasting after-effects of your accident is a good rule of thumb.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe cases, a Bridgeton, MO car accident may result in someone suffering permanent injuries. While in a substantial number of cases those injuries are permanent and money cannot remedy the unmeasurable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more ability to successfully navigate 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 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 determined to be 99% responsible for an accident to collect a commensurate amount of damages.
Contact A Bridgeton, MO Car Accident Lawyer Who Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we provide the aggression and intelligence of an elite Bridgeton, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal care of a small practice. Our firm has worked with Bridgeton residents from all walks of life to secure the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Bridgeton, MO. We take all our cases on what is known as a contingency basis, meaning that unless you get a positive result in your Bridgeton, MO car accident case, you will not need to owe us a penny.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Bridgeton, MO caused by someone else’s careless actions, do not wait: contact a Bridgeton car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched consultation.
