Car Accident Lawyer Kearney, MO. After you have suffered injuries in a car or truck accident, having concerns about your job or your family should be the last thing on your mind. Between medical treatment, dealing with trauma, and repairing your car, the aftermath of an car accident in Kearney, MO can easily take over anyone’s life, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the monetary reward you deserve.
Contact Our Kearney, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help Kearney, MO residents who have been in car accidents and are unsure about how to proceed. Our Kearney car accident lawyer finds evidence, deals with insurance and financial agents, and compiles accident reports for their clients. We fight fiercely for all our Kearney, MO auto accident clients to get them not only fair and just compensation, but also closure after one of the most harrowing experiences of their lives.
Following a Kearney, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put an experienced and dedicated Kearney, MO auto accident attorney to work for you. Our firm offers complimentary initial consultations, and guarantees that if they do not get a positive result in your Kearney auto accident lawsuit, you will not owe them a fee.
Giving You One Less Thing To Worry About
A Full-Service Kearney, MO Car Accident Lawyer
On any given day, thousands of vehicles are on the road in and around Kearney to deliver the mail, take people to and from work, go to the store, or just out for a leisurely drive. Unfortunately, however, car accidents are an everyday occurence, caused by another driver’s careless actions, poor weather conditions, or roads not being properly maintained. Automotive damages and personal injuries 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 Kearney, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled all kinds of car accident claims and seen first-hand how the aftermath of a car accident in Kearney can alter someone’s life, forever in some situations. Our firm has years of experience in the courtroom, and knows the tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying proper restitution to Kearney accident victims. We provide unique legal strategies that are designed to meet your particular needs and give our clients justice as well as a just reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Kearney, MO
Following a car accident, it is common for people to be in a state of shock and uncertain how to proceed. However, having worked with many car accident clients across Kearney, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte suggests that all our clients do the following after their car accident:
- Make sure you are safe. Find a place to stop away from traffic, if possible, 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 someone else is badly injured you may need to have an ambulance dispatched. When the police come, be honest about the accident but choose your words wisely: statements that imply guilt can and will be used against you by insurance companies when determining 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. The invention, and widespread adoption, of camera phones means that it is incredibly simple to document your Kearney, MO accident and gather evidence. Get shots of all damage, skid marks, where one or more cars collided, as well as the general area around your accident. If there were pedestrians or passersby who witnessed your accident, it is smart to record their accounts of the accident, as it can help your case immensely.
- Get medical attention. If you were hurt as a result of your Kearney 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 they are available a visit to your primary care physician.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The quicker you speak to a reputable and understanding Kearney, MO car accident lawyer, the sooner they can begin work on your case and allow you to begin the recovery process.
In addition to these steps, our firm urges all our clients to hold on to the following receipts and documentation. They can help immeasurably when negotiating a settlement, or to give a more complete idea of the effect a car accident in Kearney, MO had on your life.
- Medical records
- Photos 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 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 someone can claim after a car accident in Kearney, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not only restricted to hospital bills or doctor’s visits, either. An auto accident victim can claim reimbursement for medications, psychological appointments, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and necessary medical equipment such as crutches, as well.
- Lost wages/earning potential: in general this is based off of what you were earning prior to the accident, the extent of the impact the accident had on your ability to adequately perform work, and how the lingering effects of your accident/injuries may keep you from working to your full potential in the future.
- Property damage: this includes repair/replacement of your car in addition to any/all personal effects that were damaged as a result of your Kearney auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be difficult to quantify, since by and large the amount of discomfort a Kearney, MO victim 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 rule of thumb.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe cases, a Kearney, MO car accident may result in a victim sustaining life-changing injuries. While in many cases those injuries are permanent and compensation cannot take away the unspeakable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more ability 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 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 judged 99% responsible for an accident to collect a proportional amount of damages.
Contact A Kearney, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Puts You First
At Combs Waterkotte, we provide the muscle and intelligence of an elite Kearney, MO car accident law firm as well as the one-on-one attention of a small practice. Our firm has partnered with Kearney residents from all walks of life to secure the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Kearney, MO. We take all our cases on what is referred to as a contingency basis, which means that unless you win your Kearney, MO car accident case or obtain a favorable settlement, you will not need to owe us anything.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Kearney, MO caused by another driver’s reckless behavior, do not hesitate: contact a Kearney car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched conversation.
