Car Accident Lawyer Cole County, MO. After you have been hurt in a car or truck accident, having concerns about family or work should be the last thing on your mind. Between medical treatment, dealing with trauma, and repairing your car, the impact of an car accident in Cole County, MO can easily take over anyone’s life, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the compensation you deserve.
Contact Our Cole County, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help Cole County, MO residents who have been involved in car accidents and are hesitant about what steps to take afterwards. Our Cole County car accident lawyer works with insurance agents, looks over accident reports, and compiles all evidence on behalf of their clients. We fight fearlessly for all our Cole County, MO auto accident clients to win them not only their rightful financial rewards, but also justice and closure after going through a very troubling experience.
Following a Cole County, MO auto accident, don’t hesitate to contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a veteran Cole County, MO auto accident attorney on your side. 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 One Less Thing To Worry About
A Complete Cole County, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Every day, thousands of cars and trucks take to the roads in and around Cole County 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 poorly maintained roads, the negligence of other motorists, or adverse weather conditions. Automotive damages and personal injuries can range from bumps and bruises and small scratches and dings, to life-changing injuries and vehicles better suited as scrap metal.
As veteran Cole County, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled all kinds of car accident claims and personally viewed how the aftermath of a car accident in Cole County can change someone’s life, forever in some situations. Our firm has years of experience in the courtroom, and understands how insurance firms do not enjoy paying just restitution to Cole County accident victims. We offer unique legal strategies that are built 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 Cole County, MO
Following a car accident, it is common for people to be stunned and unsure of how to proceed. However, having dealt with many car accident clients across Cole County, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte suggests 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 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 a passenger is badly injured you may need to have an ambulance come and take them to a hospital. When the police arrive, tell the truth about the accident but choose your words wisely: statements that suggest guilt can and will be used against you by insurance providers 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 photos. Everyone now having a camera on their phone means that it is incredibly easy to document your Cole County, 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 nearby pedestrians saw your accident, it is smart to record their accounts of the accident, as it can greatly benefit your case.
- Get medical attention. If you were injured as a result of your Cole County car accident, immediately get emergency medical care. For more minor 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 potentially a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The quicker you call a reputable and compassionate Cole County, MO car accident lawyer, the quicker they can start working on your case and allow you to get on with recovering from your accident.
As well as these steps, our firm recommends that all our clients save the following documents. They can help immeasurably when discussing settlement terms, or to paint a full picture of the effect a car accident in Cole County, 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, physical therapy costs, medications, etc.)
- Doctor’s reports and observations
- Repair bills
- 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 someone can claim following a car accident in Cole County, 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 prescriptions, visits to mental health professionals, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and required medical equipment such as casts, too.
- Lost wages/earning potential: in general this is determined by what you were earning prior to the accident, how much the accident impacted your ability to successfully perform work, and how the lasting effects of your accident/injuries may prevent you from working to your full ability in the future.
- Property damage: this includes repair or replacement of your car as well as any/all personal effects that were damaged as a result of your Cole County auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be tough to put into words, since for the most part the amount of discomfort a Cole County, MO victim goes through after an accident varies 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 good idea.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a Cole County, MO car accident may result in a victim suffering life-altering injuries. While in a large number of cases those injuries are permanent and money cannot soothe the immense pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more opportunity to adapt to their new normal.
It is also important 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 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 Cole County, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the strength and intelligence of a competitive Cole County, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal attention of a small practice. Our firm has worked with Cole County residents of all backgrounds to get the justice they deserve following a car accident in Cole County, MO. We take all our cases on what is known as a contingency basis, which means that unless you get a positive result in your Cole County, MO car accident case, you will not need to owe us a fee.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Cole County, MO caused by another party’s careless actions, do not wait: contact a Cole County car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched document review.
