Car Accident Lawyer Cape Girardeau, MO. After you have been injured in a car or truck accident, worrying about family or work should be your lowest priority. Between medical treatment, dealing with trauma, and repairing your car, the effects of an car accident in Cape Girardeau, MO can easily take over anyone’s life, doubly so when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the compensation you deserve.
Contact Our Cape Girardeau, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help residents of Cape Girardeau, MO who have been in car accidents and are unsure about how to proceed. Our Cape Girardeau car accident lawyer works with insurance agents, looks over accident reports, and compiles all evidence for their clients. We fight aggressively on behalf of all our Cape Girardeau, MO auto accident clients to get them not only appropriate remuneration, but also closure after one of the most harrowing experiences of their lives.
Following a Cape Girardeau, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put an experienced and dedicated Cape Girardeau, MO auto accident attorney on your side. Our firm offers no-obligation initial consultations, and guarantees 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 Cape Girardeau, MO Car Accident Lawyer
On any given day, thousands of vehicles are on the road in and around Cape Girardeau in order to go to work, deliver goods, run errands, or just to enjoy the open road. Sadly, however, car accidents regularly occur, caused by poorly maintained roads, the negligence of other motorists, or adverse weather conditions. 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 experienced Cape Girardeau, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled all kinds of car accident claims and seen first-hand how the results of a car accident in Cape Girardeau 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 compensation to Cape Girardeau accident victims. We offer personalized legal strategies that are designed to satisfy your unique needs and get clients both closure in addition to a just reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Cape Girardeau, MO
Following a car accident, it is common for people to be in a state of shock and uncertain how to proceed. However, having dealt with many car accident clients across Cape Girardeau, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte recommends 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 are able to, 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 call for an ambulance. When the police come, be honest about the accident but avoid saying anything unnecessary: statements that imply guilt can and will be used against you by insurance companies when adjuticating fault.
- Collect all relevant information. Exchange not only your insurance card, registration, and license, which you are legally required to do, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take photos. Camera phones now being ubiquitious means that it is incredibly easy to document your Cape Girardeau, MO accident and compile evidence. Get shots of skid marks, property damage, physical surroundings, and the point of impact of your accident. If you can find witnesses, it is wise to record their accounts of the accident, as it can greatly benefit your case.
- Get medical care. If you were injured as a result of your Cape Girardeau 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 an ER visit. However, larger and more serious injuries will likely require a trip to the hospital, or potentially a visit to your primary care physician.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The quicker you call a trustworthy and understanding Cape Girardeau, MO car accident lawyer, the faster they can start working 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 immeasurably when discussing settlement terms, or to paint a full picture of the effect a car accident in Cape Girardeau, MO had on your life.
- Medical records
- 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 records
- 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 Cape Girardeau, 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 prescriptions, visits to mental health professionals, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and necessary medical equipment such as crutches, as well.
- Lost wages/earning potential: for the most part 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 labor, 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 fixing or replacing your car as well as any/all additional items that were damaged as a result of your Cape Girardeau auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be difficult to put into words, since for the most part the amount of anguish one goes through after an accident differs from person to person. In general, though, recording changes in mental health, lingering symptoms, and attitude is a smart rule of thumb.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe cases, a Cape Girardeau, MO car accident may result in a victim sustaining life-changing injuries. While in a substantial number of cases those injuries are permanent and money cannot soothe the unmeasurable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more opportunity to adapt to their new normal.
It is also critical to note that Missouri is a comparative fault state, which means that the amount 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 proportional amount of damages.
Contact A Cape Girardeau, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Puts You First
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the aggression and legal knowledge of an elite Cape Girardeau, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal attention of a small practice. Our firm has worked with Cape Girardeau residents of all backgrounds to get the justice they deserve following a car accident in Cape Girardeau, MO. We take all our cases on what is referred to as a contingency basis, which means that unless you win your Cape Girardeau, 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 Cape Girardeau, MO caused by another driver’s negligence, act quickly: contact a Cape Girardeau car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched consultation.
