Car Accident Lawyer Hannibal, MO. After you have been injured in a car or truck accident, worrying about family or work should be your lowest priority. Between mental trauma, car repairs, and getting back to full fitness, the aftermath of an car accident in Hannibal, 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 should be getting.
Contact Our Hannibal, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help Hannibal, MO residents who have been in car accidents and are hesitant about what steps to take afterwards. Our Hannibal car accident lawyer reviews accident reports, gathers evidence, and corresponds with insurance or financial representatives on behalf of their clients. We fight aggressively for all our Hannibal, MO auto accident clients to get them not only appropriate remuneration, but also justice and closure after going through a very troubling experience.
After you’ve been in a Hannibal, MO auto accident, don’t hesitate to contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a dedicated Hannibal, MO auto accident attorney on your side. Our firm offers no-obligation initial consultations, and guarantees that if they do not get a positive result in your Hannibal auto accident lawsuit, you will not owe them a fee.
Giving You Peace Of Mind
A Full-Service Hannibal, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Thousands of cars and trucks take to the road every day in and around Hannibal in order to go to work, deliver goods, run errands, or just to enjoy the open road. Unfortunately, though, 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 bumps and bruises and small scratches and dings, to life-altering ailments and a car so damaged as to be unrecognizable.
As experienced Hannibal, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has taken car accident claims of all types and seen first-hand how the aftermath of a car accident in Hannibal can alter 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 Hannibal accident victims. We provide client-centered legal strategies that are built to satisfy your particular needs and give our clients closure as well as a just reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Hannibal, 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 worked with many car accident clients across Hannibal, 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 a passenger is severely hurt 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 avoid saying anything unnecessary: statements that suggest 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 pictures. The invention, and widespread adoption, of camera phones means that it is very easy to document your Hannibal, MO accident and compile evidence. Take photos of the site of your accident, skid marks, and the full extent of your damage. If nearby pedestrians saw your accident, 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 Hannibal 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, larger and more serious injuries will likely require a trip to the hospital, or if possible a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The faster you talk to a reputable and compassionate Hannibal, MO car accident lawyer, the sooner they can get to work on your behalf and allow you to begin the recovery process.
As well as these steps, our firm urges all our clients to hold on to the following receipts and documentation. They can help immeasurably when discussing settlement terms, or to paint a full picture of the effect a car accident in Hannibal, 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 records
- Incidental bills such as 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 after a car accident in Hannibal, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not only restricted to hospital bills or doctor’s visits, either. An auto accident victim can claim costs for medications, psychological appointments, rehab or physical therapy to fully recover from accident injuries, and necessary medical equipment such as casts, too.
- 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 successfully perform work, and how the knock-on effects of your accident/injuries may stop 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 additional items that were damaged as a result of your Hannibal auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be difficult to put into words, since by and large the amount of anguish one goes through after an accident differs 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 cases, a Hannibal, MO car accident may result in someone sustaining life-changing injuries. While in many cases those injuries are permanent and a settlement cannot take away the immense pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more freedom to adapt to their new normal.
It is also important to note that Missouri is a comparative fault state, which means that the amount of damages one or more parties can take home is reduced 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 commensurate amount of damages.
Contact A Hannibal, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Puts You First
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the aggression and intelligence of a top Hannibal, MO car accident law firm as well as the one-on-one attention of a small practice. Our firm has worked with Hannibal residents from all walks of life to obtain the justice they merit following a car accident in Hannibal, MO. We take all our cases on what is called a contingency basis, which means that unless you get a positive result in your Hannibal, MO car accident case, you will not need to owe us a fee.
If you have been injured as a result of a car accident in Hannibal, MO caused by another driver’s reckless behavior, do not wait: contact a Hannibal car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by calling (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-obligation document review.
