Car Accident Lawyer Ripley County, MO. After you have suffered injuries in a car or truck accident, worrying about family or work should be the last thing on your mind. Between mental trauma, car repairs, and getting back to full fitness, the aftermath of an car accident in Ripley County, MO can easily overwhelm anyone, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the monetary reward you deserve.
Contact Our Ripley County, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help Ripley County, MO residents who have been involved in car accidents and are unsure about what to do next. Our Ripley County car accident lawyer finds evidence, deals with insurance and financial agents, and compiles accident reports for their clients. We fight aggressively on behalf of all our Ripley County, MO auto accident clients to secure them not only their rightful compensation, but also justice and closure after one of the most harrowing experiences of their lives.
Following a Ripley County, MO auto accident, do not delay in contacting Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put an experienced and dedicated Ripley County, MO auto accident attorney in your corner. 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 One Less Thing To Worry About
A Full-Service Ripley County, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Every day, thousands of cars and trucks take to the roads in and around Ripley County to deliver the mail, take people to and from work, go to the store, or just out for a leisurely drive. Sadly, however, every day many car accidents happen, caused by bad weather, poor road conditions, or someone else’s negligence. Automotive damages and personal injuries 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 veteran Ripley County, 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 Ripley County can alter someone’s life, forever in some situations. Our firm has years of experience handling car accident cases, and understands how insurance firms do not enjoy paying just restitution to Ripley County accident victims. We provide unique legal strategies that are built to satisfy your unique needs and give our clients closure in addition to a fair reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Ripley County, 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 dealt with many car accident clients across Ripley County, 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 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 someone else is badly hurt you may need to have an ambulance come and take them to a hospital. When the police arrive, be honest about the accident but choose your words wisely: statements that suggest 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 legally required to do, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take pictures. Camera phones now being ubiquitious means that it is very easy to document your Ripley County, MO accident and compile evidence. Get shots of skid marks, property damage, physical surroundings, and the point of impact of your accident. If there were pedestrians or passersby who witnessed your accident, it is smart to record what they saw, as it can help your case immensely.
- Get medical attention. If you were injured as a result of your Ripley County car accident, immediately seek out emergency medical care. For more minor 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 necessitate a trip to the hospital, or potentially a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The quicker you speak to a reputable and compassionate Ripley County, 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 recommends that all our clients keep the following documents. They can help immensely when negotiating a settlement, or to fully illustrate the effect a car accident in Ripley County, MO had on your life.
- Medical documentation
- Photos 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 documentation
- 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 kinds of damages someone can claim following a car accident in Ripley County, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not only limited to hospital bills or doctor’s visits, either. An auto accident victim can claim reimbursement for prescriptions, visits to mental health professionals, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and necessary medical equipment such as casts, too.
- Lost wages/earning potential: generally this is based off of 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 ability in the future.
- Property damage: this includes fixing or replacing your car as well as any/all personal items or goods that were damaged as a result of your Ripley County auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be hard to quantify, since by and large the amount of difficulty a Ripley County, MO victim goes through after an accident varies from person to person. In general, though, recording changes in attitude, mental health and need for therapy, and longer-lasting after-effects of your accident is a smart idea.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe cases, a Ripley County, MO car accident may result in a victim suffering life-altering injuries. While in many cases those injuries are permanent and money cannot take away the unspeakable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more opportunity 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 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 Ripley County, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Puts You First
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the aggression and legal knowledge of a top Ripley County, MO car accident law firm as well as the one-on-one attention of a small practice. Our firm has worked with Ripley County residents of all backgrounds to get the justice they merit following a car accident in Ripley County, MO. We take all our cases on what is called a contingency basis, which means that unless you win your Ripley County, MO car accident case or obtain a favorable settlement, you will not need to owe us a fee.
If you have been injured as a result of a car accident in Ripley County, MO caused by someone else’s negligence, do not hesitate: contact a Ripley County car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by calling (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-obligation consultation.
