Car Accident Lawyer California, MO. After you have been injured in a car or truck accident, having concerns about family or work should be your lowest priority. Between car repairs, medical treatment, and mental trauma or anguish, the effects of an car accident in California, MO can quickly take over anyone’s life, doubly so when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the monetary reward you should be getting.
Contact Our California, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help residents of California, MO who have been in car accidents and do not know about what to do next. Our California car accident lawyer works with insurance agents, looks over accident reports, and compiles all evidence for their clients. We fight fearlessly for all our California, MO auto accident clients to secure them not only appropriate compensation, but also closure after going through a very troubling experience.
Following a California, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put an experienced and dedicated California, MO auto accident attorney to work for you. Our firm offers free initial consultations, and promises 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 California, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Every day, thousands of cars and trucks take to the roads in and around California in order to go to work, deliver goods, run errands, or just to enjoy the open road. Unfortunately, though, car accidents regularly occur, caused by 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 California, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has taken car accident claims of all types and personally viewed how the effects of a car accident in California can change someone’s life, in some cases permanently. Our firm has years of experience in the courtroom, and has seen the lengths insurance companies go to avoid paying proper compensation to California accident victims. We provide unique legal strategies that are tailor-made to satisfy your particular needs and get clients both justice in addition to a just reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In California, MO
Following a car accident, it is common for people to be stunned and unsure of how to proceed. However, having worked with many car accident clients across California, 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 file a police report after your accident, but if you or a passenger is severely hurt you may need to call for an ambulance. When the police arrive, 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 simple to document your California, MO accident and compile evidence. Get shots of all damage, skid marks, where one or more cars collided, as well as the general area around your accident. If you can find witnesses, it is smart to record their accounts of the accident, as it can greatly benefit your case.
- Get medical attention. If you were hurt as a result of your California car accident, immediately seek out 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, larger and more serious injuries will likely necessitate a trip to the hospital, or if they are available a visit to your primary care physician.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The sooner you talk to a reputable and compassionate California, MO car accident lawyer, the faster 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 save the following receipts and documentation. They can help a great deal when negotiating a settlement, or to paint a full picture of the effect a car accident in California, MO had on your life.
- Medical documentation
- 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 kinds of damages someone can claim after a car accident in California, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not strictly limited to hospital bills or doctor’s visits, either. An auto accident victim can claim costs for medications, visits to mental health professionals, rehab or physical therapy to fully recover from accident injuries, and necessary medical equipment such as casts, as well.
- Lost wages/earning potential: in general this is based off of what you were earning prior to the accident, how much the accident impacted your ability to successfully perform work, and how the lingering effects of your accident/injuries may prevent you from working to your full potential 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 California auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be hard to explain, since in most cases the amount of difficulty one goes through after an accident varies from person to person. As a rule, though, documenting changes in attitude, mental health and need for therapy, and longer-lasting after-effects of your accident is a good idea.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a California, MO car accident may result in someone suffering life-changing injuries. While in a substantial number of cases those injuries are permanent and compensation cannot take away the unmeasurable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more freedom to adapt to their new normal.
It is also key to note that Missouri is a comparative fault state, which means that the amount of damages one or more parties are entitled to is adjusted 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 judged 99% responsible for an accident to collect a proportional amount of damages.
Contact A California, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the strength and acumen of a competitive California, MO car accident law firm as well as the one-on-one care of an individual practice. Our firm has partnered with California residents from all walks of life to obtain the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in California, MO. We take all our cases on what is known as a contingency basis, meaning that unless you get a positive result in your California, MO car accident case, you will not need to owe us a fee.
If you have been injured in a car accident in California, MO caused by another party’s careless actions, do not wait: contact a California car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-obligation consultation.
