Car Accident Lawyer Cooper County, MO. After you have suffered injuries in a car or truck accident, having concerns about family or work should be the last thing on your mind. Between mental trauma, car repairs, and getting back to full fitness, the effects of an car accident in Cooper County, MO can quickly overwhelm anyone, doubly so when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the monetary reward you should be getting.
Contact Our Cooper County, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help Cooper County, MO residents who have been in car accidents and do not know about what to do next. Our Cooper County car accident lawyer works with insurance agents, looks over accident reports, and compiles all evidence for their clients. We fight fiercely for all our Cooper County, MO auto accident clients to get them not only appropriate remuneration, but also justice and closure following an incredibly traumatic experience.
After you’ve been in a Cooper County, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a veteran Cooper County, MO auto accident attorney to work for you. 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 Cooper County, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Thousands of cars and trucks take to the road every day in and around Cooper County for all sorts of purposes. Sadly, 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 life-altering ailments and a car so damaged as to be unrecognizable.
As veteran Cooper County, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled all kinds of car accident claims and personally viewed how the effects of a car accident in Cooper County can alter 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 Cooper County accident victims. We offer unique legal strategies that are tailor-made to meet your unique needs and give our clients justice in addition to a fair reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Cooper County, MO
Following a car accident, it is likely that people will be stunned and unsure of how to proceed. However, having worked with many car accident clients across Cooper County, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte recommends 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 possible, and check to see if you are hurt.
- Call 911. Not only will you need to file a police report after your accident, but if you or a passenger is severely injured you may need to have an ambulance dispatched. When the police arrive, be honest about the accident but choose your words wisely: statements that imply guilt can and will be used against you by insurance providers when determining 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. The invention, and widespread adoption, of camera phones means that it is incredibly simple to document your Cooper County, MO accident and compile evidence. Take photos of the site of your accident, skid marks, and the full extent of your damage. If there were pedestrians or passersby who witnessed your accident, it is wise to record what they saw, as it can greatly benefit your case.
- Get medical attention. If you were hurt as a result of your Cooper County car accident, immediately seek out emergency medical care. For smaller injuries, a local urgent care center is a more convenient and cost-effective option than an ER visit. However, more severe or bigger will likely require a trip to the hospital, or if they are available a visit to your primary care physician.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The quicker you call a reputable and understanding Cooper County, MO car accident lawyer, the faster they can start working on your case and allow you to focus on recovering after an accident.
As well as these steps, our firm recommends that all our clients hold on to the following receipts and documentation. They can help immensely when discussing settlement terms, or to paint a full picture of the effect a car accident in Cooper County, MO had on your life.
- Medical records
- Photos of the accident scene
- The full police report of the accident
- Witness accounts
- 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 directly caused by 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 Cooper County, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not strictly restricted to hospital bills or doctor’s visits, either. An auto accident victim can claim costs for prescriptions, psychological appointments, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and required medical equipment such as casts, as well.
- 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 fully perform labor, 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 repair or replacement of your car in addition to any/all additional items that were damaged as a result of your Cooper County auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be tough to explain, since for the most part the amount of anguish a Cooper County, MO victim goes through after an accident differs from person to person. As a rule, though, recording 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 cases, a Cooper County, MO car accident may result in a victim sustaining permanent injuries. While in many cases those injuries are permanent and a settlement 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 quantity of damages one or more parties are entitled to is adjusted based on how responsible 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 Cooper County, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Puts You First
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the strength and legal knowledge of a top Cooper County, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal attention of a small practice. Our firm has worked with Cooper County residents from all walks of life to get the justice they deserve following a car accident in Cooper County, MO. We take all our cases on what is referred to as a contingency basis, which means that unless you get a positive result in your Cooper County, MO car accident case, you will not need to owe us a fee.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Cooper County, MO caused by another party’s reckless behavior, do not hesitate: contact a Cooper County car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by calling (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-obligation case review.