Car Accident Lawyer in Olivette, MO
Car Accident Lawyer Olivette, MO. After you have been injured in a car or truck accident, having concerns about family or work should be your lowest priority. Between car repairs, medical treatment, and mental trauma or anguish, the aftermath of an car accident in Olivette, MO can quickly take over anyone’s life, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the compensation you should be getting.
Contact Our Olivette, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help residents of Olivette, MO who have been in car accidents and are hesitant about what to do next. Our Olivette car accident lawyer reviews accident reports, gathers evidence, and corresponds with insurance or financial representatives on behalf of their clients. We fight fiercely for all our Olivette, MO auto accident clients to secure them not only fair and just financial rewards, but also closure after one of the most harrowing experiences of their lives.
Following a Olivette, MO auto accident, don’t hesitate to contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a dedicated Olivette, MO auto accident attorney to work for you. Our firm offers complimentary initial consultations, and promises 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 Olivette, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Every day, thousands of cars and trucks take to the roads in and around Olivette 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 regularly occur, whether due to bad weather, poor road conditions, or someone else’s negligence. Injuries and property damage can range from minor cosmetic blemishes or a few cuts and scrapes, to totaled cars and permanent injuries.
As veteran Olivette, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has handled car accident claims of all types and seen first-hand how the aftermath of a car accident in Olivette 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 just compensation to Olivette accident victims. We provide personalized legal strategies that are built to satisfy your unique needs and get clients both closure in addition to a fair reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Olivette, MO
Following a car accident, it is likely that people will be stunned and unsure of how to proceed. However, having dealt with many car accident clients across Olivette, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte suggests 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 can, and check to see if you are hurt.
- Call 911. Not only will you need to talk with police and get a full report of your car accident, but if you or someone else is badly 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 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 pictures. The invention, and widespread adoption, of camera phones means that it is incredibly easy to document your Olivette, MO accident and gather 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 a good idea to record their accounts of the accident, as it can help your case immensely.
- Get medical care. If you were hurt as a result of your Olivette car accident, immediately seek out emergency medical care. For smaller 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 if they are available a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The faster you call a trustworthy and compassionate Olivette, 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 paperwork. They can help immeasurably when negotiating a settlement, or to paint a full picture of the effect a car accident in Olivette, 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 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 Olivette, 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, psychological appointments, rehab or physical therapy to fully recover from accident injuries, and required medical equipment such as casts, too.
- Lost wages/earning potential: for the most part this is based off of what you were earning prior to the accident, how much the accident impacted your ability to fully perform work, and how the knock-on 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 as well as any/all additional items that were damaged as a result of your Olivette auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be hard to put into words, since by and large the amount of discomfort one goes through after an accident varies from person to person. In general, though, recording changes in personality, attitude, and mental health is a good rule of thumb.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a Olivette, MO car accident may result in someone suffering permanent injuries. While in a large number of 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 opportunity to successfully navigate 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 can take home 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 commensurate amount of damages.
Contact A Olivette, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we provide the aggression and legal knowledge of a competitive Olivette, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal care of a small practice. Our firm has worked with Olivette residents of all backgrounds to obtain the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Olivette, MO. We take all our cases on what is known as a contingency basis, meaning that unless you get a positive result in your Olivette, MO car accident case, you will not need to owe us a fee.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Olivette, MO caused by another driver’s negligence, act quickly: contact a Olivette car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched consultation.
