Car Accident Lawyer in Cottleville, MO
Car Accident Lawyer Cottleville, MO. After you have been hurt in a car or truck accident, worrying 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 Cottleville, MO can quickly overwhelm anyone, especially when insurance companies refuse to deal with you or you do not receive the monetary reward you should be getting.
Contact Our Cottleville, MO Car Accident Lawyers Here
Combs Waterkotte is here to help Cottleville, MO residents who have been involved in car accidents and are hesitant about what steps to take afterwards. Our Cottleville car accident lawyer finds evidence, deals with insurance and financial agents, and compiles accident reports for their clients. We fight fiercely for all our Cottleville, MO auto accident clients to win them not only their rightful remuneration, but also closure after one of the most harrowing experiences of their lives.
Following a Cottleville, MO auto accident, don’t hesitate to contact Combs Waterkotte, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, and put a veteran Cottleville, MO auto accident attorney on your side. 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 Cottleville, MO Car Accident Lawyer
Thousands of cars and trucks take to the road every day in and around Cottleville to deliver the mail, take people to and from work, go to the store, or just out for a leisurely drive. Sadly, however, car accidents regularly occur, caused by poorly maintained roads, the negligence of other motorists, or adverse weather conditions. 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 experienced Cottleville, MO car accident lawyers, Combs Waterkotte has taken car accident claims of all types and seen first-hand how the results of a car accident in Cottleville can change someone’s life, forever in some situations. Our firm has years of experience handling car accident cases, and has seen the lengths insurance companies go to avoid paying just compensation to Cottleville accident victims. We provide personalized legal strategies that are designed to satisfy your particular needs and get clients both closure in addition to a just reward for their injuries and losses.
What To Do After A Car Accident In Cottleville, 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 worked with many car accident clients across Cottleville, MO, the staff at Combs Waterkotte recommends 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 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 call for an ambulance. When the police arrive, tell the truth 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 insurance card, registration, and license, which you are required to do by law, but also phone numbers and other contact details.
- Take pictures. Everyone now having a camera on their phone means that it is very simple to document your Cottleville, 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 smart to record their accounts of the accident, as it can help your case immensely.
- Get medical attention. If you were hurt as a result of your Cottleville car accident, immediately seek out emergency medical care. For smaller injuries, a local urgent care center is a more affordable and convenient option than an ER visit. However, more severe or bigger will likely require a trip to the hospital, or if possible a visit to your personal doctor.
- Contact a car accident lawyer. The sooner you speak to a reputable and compassionate Cottleville, MO car accident lawyer, the faster they can start working on your case and allow you to get on with recovering from your accident.
In addition to these steps, our firm urges all our clients to save the following documents. They can help immensely when negotiating a settlement, or to fully illustrate the effect a car accident in Cottleville, MO had on your life.
- Medical documentation
- 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 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 types of damages an accident victim can claim after a car accident in Cottleville, 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 medications, visits to mental health professionals, rehab or physical therapy to fully recover from accident injuries, and required medical equipment such as crutches, as well.
- Lost wages/earning potential: generally this is based off of what you were earning prior to the accident, the extent of the impact the accident had on your ability to successfully perform labor, and how the lingering 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 in addition to any/all personal items or goods that were damaged as a result of your Cottleville 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. As a rule, though, recording changes in attitude, mental health and need for therapy, and longer-lasting after-effects of your accident is a good rule of thumb.
- Disability or disfigurement: in more severe situations, a Cottleville, MO car accident may result in someone sustaining life-altering 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 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 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 determined to be 99% responsible for an accident to collect a proportional amount of damages.
Contact A Cottleville, MO Car Accident Lawyer That Puts You First
At Combs Waterkotte, we offer the aggression and acumen of an elite Cottleville, MO car accident law firm as well as the one-on-one attention of a small practice. Our firm has partnered with Cottleville residents of all backgrounds to obtain the justice they are entitled to receive following a car accident in Cottleville, MO. We take all our cases on what is known as a contingency basis, which means that unless you win your Cottleville, MO car accident case or obtain a favorable settlement, you will not need to owe us a penny.
If you have been injured as a result of a car accident in Cottleville, MO caused by another driver’s careless actions, do not hesitate: contact a Cottleville car accident lawyer at Combs Waterkotte today by dialing (314) 900-HELP or online for a free, no-strings-attched document review.
