When to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney

What You Need to Know After Your Accident in Waller or Hockley

Accidents are painful, stressful and overwhelming. They are also confusing. It’s all a blur as you deal with the initial shock of the event and focus on your injuries or other damages. If you were injured in an accident in Waller or Hockley, whether it was a car wreck on Highway 290 or a slip and fall at a local business, you probably want to focus on recovering as soon as possible. The legal issues surrounding your personal injury claim may seem like more than you can handle while you are still in pain or recovering from other injuries. But, that’s when you need to know when to hire a personal injury attorney.

Sure, you may think you can handle a small claim on your own, particularly if liability is obvious and straightforward. But, the reality is that the insurance company for the person responsible for your accident is not on your side. The insurance company has powerful adjusters and vast resources to try to settle your claim for as little money as possible, which is almost always much less than you are actually owed. A qualified and experienced personal injury attorney can level the playing field and can make all the difference in your claim.

Here are some of the most important signs that it’s time to get a lawyer after an accident in Waller or Hockley, explained for your situation in Texas:

Serious Injuries and Long-Term Impact: 

If your injuries are more than just minor cuts and bruises, require significant medical treatment, surgery, ongoing physical therapy or rehabilitation, lead to lost wages or cause other damages, it’s time to get a lawyer. An attorney can help determine the full value of your damages including future medical bills, future lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and more. An attorney is worth at least the difference between what you ask for in a settlement and what an insurance company will ultimately pay.

Disputed Liability: 

Even if the other person’s fault seems obvious to you, they may not agree and they or their insurance company will likely try to blame you or share some of the fault with you for the accident. Texas follows a “modified comparative fault” system. This means that if you were 51% or more at fault for your accident, you will not be able to recover compensation at all.  A lawyer will use all available evidence, such as the police report, witness testimony, and accident reconstruction, to prove that the other party was negligent and preserve your ability to recover.

Insurance Company Tactics: 

Insurance adjusters use a variety of tactics to get you to settle your claim for as little as possible as soon as possible or to get you to say something on the record that can later be used against you in court. They may try to delay, deny, or lowball you. A lawyer will communicate with the insurance company for you, shielding you from these and other tactics.

Complex Cases or Multiple Parties: 

Some accidents are more complex than others, such as those involving commercial vehicles, multiple vehicles, or accidents on commercial properties. There may be more than one insurance policy to file claims against and more than one party who is partially or fully at fault. An experienced attorney will know how to find all liable parties and pursue compensation from each of them.

Statute of Limitations: 

In Texas, you typically only have two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you wait too long (except in very limited circumstances), you will lose your ability to ever pursue compensation. A personal injury attorney will make sure that all of the necessary paperwork is filed on time and that nothing is done to waive or destroy your legal rights.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney in Waller or Hockley for a Free Consultation

You don’t have to go through a personal injury claim by yourself. At Shaw Clifford Law, we provide free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis so you owe us nothing unless and until we win your case. If you were injured in an accident in Waller or Hockley, reach out to us today to find out more about your rights and make sure that you are fully compensated for your injuries.

Contact Shaw Clifford Today