PERSONAL INJURY

 Automobile Accidents

Have you been seriously injured in a car accident? Are you trying to navigate this process by yourself? Do you feel like the insurance company is taking advantage of you? If so, call us for a free consultation!

Texas law provides two years to file a personal injury claim after a car crash. Investigating and preparing a case takes time, so it is important to have an attorney get to work quickly on your accident claim. So, connecting with an attorney as soon as possible after the accident gives the best opportunities for preserving evidence that supports your case.

 What To Do After A Wreck: 

1. Call the police.
2. Take photos. A lot of them (your car, their car, the scene, your injuries etc)
3. Exchange information with the other party or parties (take more pictures of their license, insurance card, etc)
4. Consult with your attorney.

Contacting an accident attorney should be your top priority if: 

• One or more people have been severely injured.
• You think you’ll lose income and wages because of your accident.
• You expect to incur medical and auto repair costs.
• Anyone in the accident was either uninsured or underinsured.

Truck Accidents

Trucking accidents often involve claims against drivers and companies responsible for the maintenance of dump trucks, 18-wheelers, semi-trucks, flatbed trucks, or any other heavyweight commercial vehicle. The driver of the truck is responsible for navigating the roads with a truck that could weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. Furthermore, the transportation of hazardous materials could enhance the risk that the driver takes when operating the truck. Drivers have to follow a strict set of rules and company procedures to minimize the chances of accidents. However, this isn’t always the case.

A trucking injury claim begins when you file a report with your own insurance company after an accident. You will also want to get the contact information for the driver of the truck, the company he or she drives for, and any relevant insurance information for that person as well. The trucking company or their insurance company may reach out to you directly to offer you a settlement offer early on in the case. However, it is rarely recommended that you take this without first consulting with a Texas trucking accident lawyer. You will also need to file a crash report when an accident leads to injury or death in Texas, or in situations in which property damage to vehicles is more than $1000. If law enforcement does not come to the scene to file a report, you are responsible for managing this.

We may be able to help you recover:

•  lost wages
• pain and suffering
• past and future medical bills
• and other damages

Slip and falls

Slip and fall cases are claims that a property owner’s negligence led to an unnecessary accident. In these types of cases, “property owner negligence” is a term used to describe an owner’s decision to allow dangerous conditions to exist on their premises that they should have resolved or been aware of. Proving their negligence led to your harm can win you compensation for your medical costs, lost wages, and more.

A slip and fall case will take shape in similar ways to that of a premises liability case. In both, it is generally assumed that the property owner or premises manager should be held responsible for ensuring that their premises are safely maintained and free of any hazards.

In proving liability, the following elements need to be proven: 

• The unsafe area must have been caused by the owner of the premises (or an employee).
• The responsible party who knew about the dangerous area did nothing to make it safer or to warn others.
• The owner failed to follow the actions of what a “reasonable person” would have done in the same situation.

When business owners, managers, or store personnel fail to maintain safety regulations (i.e. well-lit hallways, dry walkways, unobstructed paths, etc…) the potential for slipping and falling is tremendous, and they should be held liable.

Dog Bites

Dog bites can cause serious injuries and damages. Typically, dog bites occur due to an owner being negligent, i.e. an owner letting their dog roam around the neighborhood without a proper leash or even failing to repair a damaged fence around their backyard where the dog is. Regardless of the specific scenario, the claim will fall under premises liability, since the pet is considered to be the dog owner’s property.

In premises liability cases, you only have two years to file a claim in order to be within the statute of limitations. Further, you must fully demonstrate that the owner failed to act in a reasonable manner and provide the duty of care owed to other individuals, thus causing your injuries. Texas doesn’t have a statute that covers dog bite claims, but state adopted the “negligence” or “one bite rule” for these types of cases.

 An injured victim must be able to show: 

• The owner knew the dog previously bit someone;
• The owner knew their dog has been aggressive;
• The owner was negligent in controlling their dog; or
• The owner failed to take steps to prevent injury.

What exactly does this mean? You will either need to demonstrate through strong evidence that the dog had an aggressive nature or a past history of attacking people, or that the owner was irresponsible and negligent in their restraint of the animal. In either case, our Houston dog bite lawyers may be able to recover compensation for your damages, including medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses.