Car Accident Lawyer Springfield, MO. After you have been injured in a car or truck accident, having concerns about your job or your family should be the last thing on your mind. Between mental trauma, car repairs, and getting back to full fitness, the impact of an car accident in Springfield, 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 deserve.
Contact Our Springfield, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help residents of Springfield, MO who have been involved in car accidents and do not know about what to do next. Our Springfield car accident lawyer works with insurance agents, looks over accident reports, and compiles all evidence on behalf of their clients. We fight fiercely for all our Springfield, MO auto accident clients to win them not only fair and just financial rewards, but also a measure of justice following an incredibly traumatic experience.
Following a Springfield, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a veteran Springfield, MO auto accident attorney to work for you. Our firm offers complimentary initial consultations, and guarantees 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 Springfield, MO Car Accident Lawyer
On any given day, thousands of vehicles are on the road in and around Springfield in order to go to work, deliver goods, run errands, or just to enjoy the open road. Unfortunately, however, car accidents are an everyday occurence, caused by 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 veteran Springfield, 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 Springfield 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 proper compensation to Springfield accident victims. We provide personalized 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 Springfield, MO
After you have been in a car accident, it is likely that people will be in a state of shock and uncertain how to proceed. However, having worked with many car accident clients across Springfield, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte recommends 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 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 severely hurt you may need to call for an ambulance. 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 determining fault.
- Collect all relevant information. Exchange not only your registration, license, and insurance provider, which you are legally required to do, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take photos. The invention, and widespread adoption, of camera phones means that it is very simple to document your Springfield, 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 what they saw, as it can greatly benefit your case.
- Get medical attention. If you were injured as a result of your Springfield car accident, immediately get 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 necessitate a trip to the hospital, or potentially a visit to your primary care physician.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The sooner you speak to a reputable and compassionate Springfield, MO car accident lawyer, the faster they can begin work on your case and allow you to get on with recovering from your accident.
As well as these steps, our firm recommends that all our clients save the following paperwork. They can help immensely when discussing settlement terms, or to fully illustrate the effect a car accident in Springfield, 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 documentation
- 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 kinds of damages someone can claim following a car accident in Springfield, 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, psychiatric care, rehab or physical therapy due to accident injuries, and required medical equipment such as a wheelchair, too.
- Lost wages/earning potential: for the most part this is determined by 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 keep you from working to your full potential 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 Springfield auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be difficult to explain, since in most cases the amount of difficulty a Springfield, MO victim goes through after an accident differs from person to person. In general, though, recording changes in mental health, lingering symptoms, and attitude is a smart rule of thumb.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a Springfield, MO car accident may result in a victim suffering life-changing injuries. While in many cases those injuries are permanent and money cannot soothe the unspeakable pain and difficulty these injuries cause, it can help provide an accident victim more opportunity to successfully navigate 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 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 adjudged to be 99% responsible for an accident to collect a proportional amount of damages.
Contact A Springfield, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Cares
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the aggression and legal knowledge of a competitive Springfield, MO car accident law firm as well as the one-on-one care of an individual practice. Our firm has worked with Springfield residents of all backgrounds to secure the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Springfield, MO. We take all our cases on what is referred to as a contingency basis, which means that unless you win your Springfield, MO car accident case or obtain a favorable settlement, you will not need to owe us a fee.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Springfield, MO caused by someone else’s negligence, act quickly: contact a Springfield car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by calling (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-obligation case review.
