Car Accident Attorney St. Louis, MO

What to do After a Car Accident?

• Get immediate medical treatment for the injuries sustained in the car accident.
•  Report the accident to the police and fully cooperate with the authorities.
•  Do not discuss the fault with other parties, including the driver and the insurance company.
•  Maintain records of all medical bills and other expenses related to the car accident.

Documenting Property Damage Claims

If you have a property damage claim, you need the following three things for your St. Louis car accident lawyer to make a claim:

1. Estimate – Written estimate from a dealership or collision center (insurance estimates are not admissible in court)
2.  Fair Market Value – Printout of the Kelly Blue Book Value and NADA Value – Do this today! Print this immediately. If you wait six months, the car will be worth less.

• Photos – Get photos of the damage, the rest of the outside of the car, and the interior. Clean out the inside of the vehicle before taking pictures. Remove floor mats if they look bad. When photographing the damage, make sure to get tough to photograph areas, including damage extending into the engine, trunk, frame rails, and suspension. Here are some examples:
  • Rear-End Collisions: Take photos from behind the vehicle looking at the damage for rear-end collisions. Make sure to take pictures from angles looking across the bumper, not just at it, to show how far it is smashed in. Open the trunk and pull back the rug to photograph any crumping of the trunk floor and damage in the spare tire area. Take photos of this and the broken suspension if the car sits low or dips to one side.
  •  Head on Collisions: For head-on collisions, take photos looking at the front bumper and across the bumper to show the depth of damage. Open the hood and photograph any damage extending into the engine compartment, including the radiator, air-conditioning, or engine. Take photos of the broken suspension if the car sits low or dips to one side.
  • Side-Impact Collisions: With sideswipe accidents, take photos looking down the side of the car. Open the doors and take pictures of the door frame or foot-well damage.

WARNING: Do not sign a “Release of Claims” for property damage. Have any release reviewed by your lawyer. Most releases include language that releases “any and all claims whatsoever,” hence you would mistakenly be releasing your injury claim and any other claim as well as property.

Documenting Your Injuries in Medical Records

Documenting your injury in your medical records is a must! When going to the ER, Primary Care Doctor, MRI, Specialists, Physical Therapy, or any other provider, make sure to write the following on the medical records whether there is a spot for it or not: 

1. State that you were in a Motor Vehicle Accident and write when it occurred.
2.  Write the Cause of the accident: ex. Rear-ended at a stop sign; the car ran a red light and hit me; the car ran a stop sign, pulled across traffic, came into oncoming traffic, etc.
3.  List all body parts injured and any pain radiating from one body part to another.
4.  Mark all body parts on the pain diagram and draw arrows or lines regarding radiating pain – for example, neck pain radiating into the shoulder and down arms or low back pain radiating into the buttocks and legs.

REMEMBER: If records are completed electronically, ask the provider to see the documents to ensure everything is listed correctly.