Car Accident Lawyer Madison 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 medical treatment, dealing with trauma, and repairing your car, the aftermath of an car accident in Madison County, MO can quickly overwhelm anyone, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the monetary reward you deserve.
Contact Our Madison County, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help Madison County, MO residents who have been involved in car accidents and are hesitant about how to proceed. Our Madison 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 Madison County, MO auto accident clients to get them not only appropriate remuneration, but also a measure of justice following an incredibly traumatic experience.
Following a Madison County, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a dedicated Madison County, MO auto accident attorney in your corner. Our firm offers no-obligation initial consultations, and vows 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 Madison County, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Thousands of cars and trucks take to the road every day in and around Madison County in order to go to work, deliver goods, run errands, or just to enjoy the open road. Sadly, however, car accidents regularly occur, whether due to bad weather, poor road conditions, or someone else’s negligence. 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 experienced Madison County, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled car accident claims of all types and personally viewed how the effects of a car accident in Madison County can change 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 restitution to Madison County accident victims. We provide personalized legal strategies that are built to meet 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 Madison County, MO
After you have been in 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 Madison County, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte suggests 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 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 severely injured you may need to have an ambulance dispatched. When the police come, tell the truth about the accident but avoid saying anything unnecessary: 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 insurance card, registration, and license, which you are required to do by law, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take photos. Camera phones now being ubiquitious means that it is very simple to document your Madison County, MO accident and compile evidence. Take photos of all damage, skid marks, where one or more cars collided, as well as the general area around your accident. If you can find witnesses, it is a good idea 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 Madison County car accident, immediately seek out 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 require a trip to the hospital, or potentially a visit to your primary care physician.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The sooner you talk to a reputable and understanding Madison County, MO car accident lawyer, the sooner they can get to work on your behalf 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 paperwork. They can help immeasurably when negotiating a settlement, or to give a more complete idea of the effect a car accident in Madison County, MO had on your life.
- Medical records
- Pictures of the accident scene
- The full police report of the accident
- Witness accounts
- All medical-related bills (ambulance fees, physical therapy costs, medications, etc.)
- Doctor’s reports and observations
- Repair bills
- Incidental bills such as 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 kinds of damages someone can claim following a car accident in Madison 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, visits to mental health professionals, rehab or physical therapy to fully recover from accident injuries, and necessary medical equipment such as casts, 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 fully perform labor, and how the knock-on effects of your accident/injuries may prevent you from working to your full ability 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 Madison County auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be difficult to put into words, since in most cases the amount of anguish one goes through after an accident differs from person to person. In general, though, recording changes in personality, attitude, and mental health is a good idea.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a Madison County, MO car accident may result in someone sustaining permanent injuries. While in a large 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 freedom to adapt to their new normal.
It is also key 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 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 proportional amount of damages.
Contact A Madison County, MO Car Accident Lawyer Who Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the strength and legal knowledge of an elite Madison County, MO car accident law firm as well as the one-on-one care of a small practice. Our firm has partnered with Madison County residents of all backgrounds to get the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Madison County, MO. We take all our cases on what is referred to as a contingency basis, meaning that unless you get a positive result in your Madison County, MO car accident case, you will not need to owe us a penny.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Madison County, MO caused by another driver’s reckless behavior, act quickly: contact a Madison County car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-obligation document review.