When you are involved in a collision, the next few moments, days, and even weeks can be stressful. You must take care of your health so you can recover, you need to deal with insurance companies, and you are likely wondering how you can cover the expenses from the injuries and other damages. When someone else was at fault for the crash, you are eligible to recover compensation. A Houston car accident lawyer from The Mejia Law Firm will fight for you to get full and fair compensation.
This time period can be extremely difficult for you and your family. The Mejia Law Firm understands that. Your car accident lawyer will take on the legal matters of the crash while you take the time you need to heal. We are ready to answer any questions.
What Are the Main Causes of Car Accidents?
In the most recent reporting year, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recorded 15,299 serious injury crashes and 4,481 fatalities. In Houston, there were 331 traffic deaths and 1,620 serious injuries, according to the Vision Zero Annual Report.
One of the common factors in all car accidents is that negligence is usually the cause. Driver negligence can occur in many ways. As your Houston car accident lawyer investigates your case, we’ll find out exactly what happened, including whether any of the following played a part:
- Distracted driving: If the other driver was texting and driving, reaching for something that had fallen behind them, or doing any kind of activity that took their attention away from driving, then they were distracted and could be at fault for the accident.
- Aggressive driving: These kinds of drivers may follow others too closely, speed to pass other drivers, and can also be prone to road rage. They are less focused on driving cautiously and could easily lose control of their vehicle.
- Drunk driving: Inebriated drivers have little to no control over the vehicle. Alcohol impairs cognitive and motor functions, so a driver could speed, fail to stop, or veer into another lane before realizing they’re about to hit something.
- Disobeying traffic signs and signals: Running red lights, rolling through stop signs, and failing to yield are all ways a negligent driver can disobey traffic signals. Drivers may anticipate that others will follow the rules of the road, and when this doesn’t happen, it can result in a collision.
Your car accident lawyer in Houston will examine the evidence related to the crash and determine the main cause and any contributing factors that led to it. Then, your attorney from The Mejia Law Firm will investigate your injuries and damages.
What Are the Most Common Types of Car Accidents?
Every accident is unique, but there are main classifications based on the type of car accident impact. These classifications are head-on collisions, rear-end collisions, side-impact accidents, and rollovers.
- Head-on collisions happen when a driver is traveling the wrong way towards oncoming traffic. This can occur when a driver crosses the median on the highway, travels the wrong way down a one-way street, or tries to enter on an exit ramp. Head-on car crashes are much more likely to end in severe injuries or death than any other accident type.
- Rear-end collisions are commonly lower-speed accidents that occur when the rear driver is following too closely or fails to pay attention to the movement of traffic in front of them. The rear driver is commonly at fault but may share the blame if the front driver stops suddenly or reverses for no reason.
- Side-impact accidents are caused when a car crashes into the side of another car. Because the sides of vehicles offer less structural support, these car accident injuries can be severe and often fatal. Side-impact collisions happen when drivers fail to yield, disregard traffic signs and signals, or fail to stop at an intersection.
- Rollovers are a type of single-vehicle accident that is typically assumed to be the driver’s fault. However, some can be caused by another party’s negligence, such as vehicle manufacturing defects, a poorly designed road work zone, or reckless driving.
Accidents that involve multiple vehicles can also create a more complicated litigation process than a typical car accident claim. Chain reaction accidents occur when one vehicle pushes another vehicle into a third vehicle or more. These types of situations often require a thorough investigation into fault and can necessitate an accident reconstruction expert.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident?
Immediately after a car crash, it is important to know the right things to do to remain safe and protect yourself legally. Remain calm and move out of traffic, if possible, but do not leave the vicinity where the accident occurred. Be sure not to place blame or admit any fault for the accident prior to speaking with legal representation.
Contact the Police to File an Accident Report
Dial 911 and report the accident to local authorities as soon as possible. They will send any emergency vehicles necessary to provide medical care. The police will help moderate discussion after the crash, record details that will later be vital for a claim, and make sure no one leaves before the exchange of insurance and contact information.
Be sure not to admit any fault, place blame, or apologize for any part of the auto accident. Later on, you or your lawyer can request a Texas Crash Report to use as evidence in your case.
Gather Information and Document Everything
If possible, take pictures and notes on everything at the scene of the accident. Document vehicle condition, street signs, hazardous debris, and / or other factors that potentially played a part in the wreck. Take photos of your injuries and property damage, including damage to cell phones, clothing, luggage, or anything else that was affected.
Be sure to get the at-fault driver’s (or drivers’) information, such as their name, contact information, insurance policy information, vehicle description, and license plate numbers. Write down details about their appearance, including whether they appear to be inebriated or aggressive.
Get a Medical Examination
Whether you or any passengers feel injured or not, it is vital to be examined by a medical professional as soon as possible after your accident. They will be able to document and treat any injuries, whether they are directly apparent or not. Some injuries will take time to show symptoms, especially with the common adrenaline response a car accident victim will have.
Save any documentation, paperwork, medical bills, and vehicle repair estimates. This will be vital evidence if you decide to pursue a personal injury claim.
How Serious Are Auto Collision Injuries?
Depending on the type of crash and the speed of the collision, your injuries can range from minor to severe. While some may require minimal medical treatment and time to heal, others can require multiple treatments and weeks to months of treatment. Some common types of injuries include:
- Whiplash: The sudden jerking motion of the head can cause whiplash, a neck injury that can cause stiffness and pain.
- Head or brain trauma: If the impact causes a head injury, the brain can sustain trauma. If there’s bleeding or swelling in the brain, then these injuries can be life-threatening.
- Loss of limb: In severe crashes, limbs can be lost in the accident. If there’s significant nerve damage, a surgeon may need to remove it.
- Broken bones: The impact of the crash can also break bones.
When you’re dealing with serious injuries, you need to have representation fighting for you to get the compensation you deserve. Let’s take a look at the ways a car accident lawyer in Houston, TX will fight for you.
How Can a Houston Car Accident Lawyer Help You?
An experienced car accident lawyer works with you to lift the burden off your shoulders while you recover during this overwhelming aftermath of a crash. Your legal representation will work to gather evidence to substantiate your car accident case, calculate all losses, and develop a comprehensive claim to send to the at-fault party’s insurance company.
Your legal representation will also work to investigate the accident to prove fault and establish evidence supporting your claim. This can include evaluating police and medical reports, finding any security camera footage or photographs of the accident scene, and interviewing any witnesses to reconstruct the car crash. We will also consult with accident reconstruction experts if necessary to provide further perspective on what happened.
All of this work goes into establishing liability and supporting your requested settlement, which is sent with the demand letter to the at-fault party’s insurance provider. Depending on the potential value of your case, a car accident attorney will file a lawsuit to seek compensation beyond the insurance coverage. Your legal team will then handle negotiations on your behalf with the goal of reaching a settlement outside of the court. If a settlement cannot be reached, they will be ready to go to trial.
How Much Will It Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
The last thing car accident victims need to worry about is spending more money when their finances are wrapped up with car repairs, medical bills, and lost wages. Most car accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you will not pay anything unless your case is settled. The fee for your negotiated settlement or lawsuit will then come out of your payout, meaning you will not come out of pocket to pay us anything at any point.
Typically, car accident claims are settled out of court and paid out in one payment from the at-fault party’s insurance company. The goal is to get your maximum settlement as quickly as possible, but if negotiations drag on or necessitate filing a lawsuit, you will not have to pay anything out of pocket to keep going.
The Mejia Law Firm works on a contingency basis and is dedicated to helping you recover adequate compensation and providing financial relief for the pain and suffering caused by your car accident injuries. Speak with one of our experienced Houston auto accident attorneys to get a free case evaluation and learn more about the settlement you could receive. We are committed to doing everything possible to secure your financial future.
How Are Car Accident Settlements Determined?
Your legal representation will work to calculate your maximum settlement amount depending on the factors of the case, including the severity of injuries, negligence involved, and overall losses. Your settlement can consist of both economic and non-economic factors, including non-tangible losses such as the impact of chronic pain after an injury, psychological trauma, and loss of quality of life.
Your economic damages include financial costs such as:
- Medical expenses: This includes past and future expenses for hospital bills, doctor visits, medication, and other treatments.
- Lost wages: If your injuries prevented you from going to work, your lawyer will seek damages for the days of lost pay.
- Property damage: Your car and the items in it may have been damaged in the crash. The costs of repair can be included in your compensation.
Your non-economic damages are the other ways you were affected, and can include:
- Pain and suffering: The amount of time you’ll have to live with your injuries is a factor in your non-economic damages.
- Loss of enjoyment of Life: Your injuries may prevent you from living your life as you did before the accident. Your lawyer will consider this significant consequence when examining your losses.
- Emotional distress: The accident and resulting injuries can cause severe psychological trauma and complications such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
You can count on your Houston car accident lawyer to calculate all your losses for fair compensation. The Mejia Law Firm will always protect your best interests and advocate for your rights. We’ll do everything possible to secure your financial future.
How Long Will My Car Accident Claim Take to Settle?
Two years is the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit in most car accident cases in Texas, but the sooner you get started, the sooner your claim can be resolved. Various factors will influence the duration of your claim and outcome of your settlement, including the severity of your injuries. A serious crash can require a longer timeframe to resolve due to the ongoing nature of the injury and the necessity of bringing in experts to calculate the long-term impact on the victim’s life.
Car accidents with clear liability and non-severe injuries can settle within a few months, while more complicated claims can take years. The biggest factors of the timing depend on the medical treatment required, the insurance company’s willingness to negotiate, and whether a lawsuit needs to be filed. Working with an experienced car accident attorney like The Mejia Law Firm team helps ensure the speediest settlement possible.
Get Experienced Representation Today
When a car accident occurs, it is important to remember that you do not need to go through the aftermath alone. You deserve to have representation on your side who will always seek the best possible outcome for you.
To get started on your case, reach out to The Mejia Law Firm today. You will speak with an experienced Houston car accident attorney in a free case evaluation. While we go over the details of your case, and we’ll also answer any questions you may have. We will discuss your options and can start fighting for you.