Car Accident Lawyer in Bridgeton, MO
Car Accident Lawyer Bridgeton, MO. After you have been hurt in a car or truck accident, having concerns about your job or your family should be the last thing on your mind. Between car repairs, medical treatment, and mental trauma or anguish, the aftermath of an car accident in Bridgeton, MO can quickly overwhelm anyone, doubly so when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the restitution you should be getting.
Contact Our Bridgeton, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help residents of Bridgeton, MO who have been in car accidents and are unsure about how to proceed. Our Bridgeton car accident lawyer finds evidence, deals with insurance and financial agents, and compiles accident reports on behalf of their clients. We fight fiercely for all our Bridgeton, MO auto accident clients to secure them not only fair and just financial rewards, but also a measure of justice after going through a very troubling experience.
After you’ve been in a Bridgeton, MO auto accident, don’t wait: contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put an experienced and dedicated Bridgeton, MO auto accident attorney to work for you. 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 Bridgeton, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Every day, thousands of cars and trucks take to the roads in and around Bridgeton for all sorts of purposes. Unfortunately, though, 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-changing injuries and vehicles better suited as scrap metal.
As experienced Bridgeton, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has taken all kinds of car accident claims and personally viewed how the aftermath of a car accident in Bridgeton can change someone’s life, forever in some situations. Our firm has years of experience in the courtroom, and understands how insurance firms do not enjoy paying just compensation to Bridgeton accident victims. We provide client-centered legal strategies that are tailor-made to satisfy your unique needs and get clients both closure as well as a fair reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Bridgeton, MO
Following a car accident, it is likely that people will be in shock and clueless how to proceed. However, having worked with many car accident clients across Bridgeton, 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 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 severely injured you may need to have an ambulance come and take them to a hospital. When the police come, be honest about the accident but avoid saying anything unnecessary: statements that imply guilt can and will be used against you by insurance companies when finding fault.
- Collect all relevant information. Exchange not only your license, registration, and insurance details, 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 very easy to document your Bridgeton, MO accident and gather evidence. Take photos 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 wise to record what they saw, as it can greatly benefit your case.
- Get medical attention. If you were injured as a result of your Bridgeton 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 if they are available a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The quicker you speak to a reputable and understanding Bridgeton, MO car accident lawyer, the sooner they can begin work on your case and allow you to focus on recovering after an accident.
In addition to these steps, our firm recommends that all our clients save the following documents. They can help immensely when discussing settlement terms, or to fully illustrate the effect a car accident in Bridgeton, 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 resulting from your accident
What Damages Can I Recover After A Car Accident?
In general, there are five kinds of damages an accident victim can claim following a car accident in Bridgeton, MO. These are:
- Medical damages: these are not strictly 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 required medical equipment such as a wheelchair, as well.
- 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 adequately perform labor, and how the lasting effects of your accident/injuries may prevent you from working to your full potential 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 Bridgeton auto accident.
- Pain and suffering: these damages can be hard to explain, since in most cases the amount of difficulty one 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 good idea.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a Bridgeton, 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 unmeasurable 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 quantity of damages one or more parties can take home 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 Bridgeton, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Puts You First
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the muscle and legal knowledge of a competitive Bridgeton, MO car accident law firm as well as the personal care of an individual practice. Our firm has partnered with Bridgeton residents from all walks of life to secure the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Bridgeton, MO. We take all our cases on what is called a contingency basis, which means that unless you get a positive result in your Bridgeton, MO car accident case, you will not need to owe us anything.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Bridgeton, MO caused by someone else’s negligence, act quickly: contact a Bridgeton car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by calling (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-obligation consultation.
