How To Find A Texas Personal Injury Lawyer

What Does a Personal Injury Attorney Do?

Personal injury attorneys represent people who have been harmed by another entity’s negligence or deliberate wrongdoing. They try to recover compensation from the at-fault party — or more commonly, from their insurance company.

The vast majority of personal injury lawyers work on contingency. This means that clients do not pay for legal services up front. Instead, they agree to pay their attorneys a percentage of the compensation recovered. If they do not receive compensation, they pay the lawyer nothing.

As a consequence of this fee arrangement, Texas personal injury lawyers cannot take on every case they come across. Typically, they will discuss your case at a free consultation and offer to represent you if they think they can recover compensation.

If a personal injury lawyer represents you, they will typically do the following:

• Investigate the circumstances of your injury
• Gather evidence
• Consult expert witnesses
• Evaluate the potential value of your case
• Attempt to negotiate a settlement with the other party’s insurance company
• File a lawsuit if no settlement is reached
• Represent you in court if needed

It’s important to note that personal injury lawyers represent clients in civil court, not criminal court. If the judge or jury rules in favor of the plaintiff, the at-fault party won’t be guilty of a crime. Instead, they will usually be ordered to pay damages (compensation for losses) to the plaintiff.

What to Look for When Choosing Texas Personal Injury Attorneys

Many different variables determine the likelihood that you’ll win your personal injury case. One of the most important of these is your choice of attorney. It’s important not to rush your decision. When choosing a personal injury lawyer, look for the following:

• Experience with cases similar to yours
• A track record of demonstrated success
• A clear plan for your case
• A communication style that works for you
• Positive, detailed client reviews
• Experience taking cases to trial
• Honesty and transparency

You should never feel pressured to commit to a lawyer on the spot. Most personal injury lawyers offer free consultations, so it’s worth talking to a few different lawyers to see which one best suits your needs.

Common Types of Personal Injury Claims Filed in Texas

Texas personal injury lawyers handle a wide variety of case types. These are some of the most common:

Car Accidents

A significant portion of personal injury clients have been injured in car accidents. Car accidents (and especially those that happen at high speeds) can result in devastating injuries, and clients often need help paying for medical care and making up for lost wages.

When handling car accident cases, an attorney’s main priority is usually securing compensation for injury-related losses. However, if a client’s vehicle was damaged or destroyed in the accident, a lawyer may be able to negotiate a settlement with the at-fault driver’s property damage liability insurance.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

Not all accidents involve cars. If you were hit by a car while on foot or on a bike, a Texas pedestrian accident lawyer may be able to help. In these cases, skilled legal representation is especially important. A car accident that seems mild from the driver’s perspective can be catastrophic for a cyclist or pedestrian.

Truck Accidents

Truck accidents are another devastating type of vehicular accident. Truck drivers should be highly trained, but they are also under pressure to meet tight deadlines. Some drivers may ignore hours of service regulations and drive while extremely fatigued. Fatigued driving can dramatically increase the risk of an accident.

Trucking companies are represented by highly paid, expensive attorneys. However, an experienced Texas truck accident lawyer will understand how to stand up to them in court.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents come with their own unique challenges. For instance, because many people believe motorcyclists are reckless by default, recovering compensation can be difficult. This is true even if you did not contribute to your accident at all.

If you want to maximize your chances of receiving a fair settlement, working with a skilled Texas motorcycle accident lawyer is essential.

Slip and Fall Accidents

To many people, slip and fall accidents don’t sound serious. However, even a seemingly simple incident can lead to broken bones, herniated spinal discs and traumatic brain injuries. If you’re struggling with medical bills after one of these incidents, the right lawyer may be able to help.

Medical Malpractice

If you have been harmed by a negligent doctor, you don’t just need a general Texas personal injury lawyer; you need someone with specific experience with medical malpractice.

Finding a medical malpractice attorney is often more difficult than finding a general personal injury lawyer. Cases involving medical malpractice are incredibly complex, and some attorneys choose to avoid them completely.

Dog Bites

Dog bites that involve nothing more than a nip usually won’t turn into personal injury cases. However, some dogs can do serious damage, and victims may need to have limbs amputated, undergo skin grafts or have reconstructive surgery.

Workplace Accidents

Texas is unusual in that it does not require employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. The right personal injury lawyer will be able to help you navigate your case, whether your employer carries workers’ compensation insurance or not.

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?

Unless you are a personal injury lawyer, it’s next to impossible to know if you have a valid case. The best way to determine whether you have a strong case is to speak with a Texas personal injury lawyer.

When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Law Firm?

If you have suffered an injury caused by someone else and have provable losses because of it, you might have a personal injury case. However, you can’t simply hire a Texas personal injury lawyer. Because these attorneys generally work on contingency, they only accept cases they are likely to win.

If you think you might have a case, the best way to proceed is to schedule consultations with a few different firms. If an attorney offers to represent you, you can decide whether you want to work with them or not.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Texas?

Each state sets its own statute of limitations for personal injury cases. In Texas, the statute of limitations is generally two years. This means that you have two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit.

However, you shouldn’t wait until the statute of limitations is closing in to consult a Texas personal injury lawyer. It takes time to build a strong case, and the more time you can give your legal team, the more likely they are to succeed.

Common Damages in Personal Injury Cases

Understandably, many people considering taking legal action want to know the average settlement for car accident claims and other personal injury cases. Because so many variables impact the total value, it’s impossible to estimate possible compensation without talking to an experienced attorney.

However, in many cases, you will be able to recover compensation for losses like these:

Medical Bills

For many people, medical expenses are what finally convince them to file a personal injury lawsuit. Even if you have health insurance, the cost of emergency and follow-up care can be exorbitant.

If you’ve suffered an injury, you may be able to recover compensation to cover the medical care you’ve already had. However, if you’ve been left with a permanent disability that requires ongoing care, you may be able to recover compensation for future medical bills as well.

Property Damage

In some cases, personal injury cases don’t only involve physical injuries. They can also cover damage to property. The most common example of this is a car accident. If another driver causes a crash, they may be held financially responsible for your injuries as well as damage to your car.

Lost Income

In nearly every case, a serious physical injury will cause you to take at least some time off work. When you combine the reduction in income with the high cost of medical care, it’s easy to see how personal injuries can cause serious financial issues.

If someone else is responsible for your injuries, they may be legally liable for the money you would have made had you not been injured.

Lost Earning Capacity

A Texas personal injury lawyer may help you recover compensation for hours of work you’ve already lost. However, if your injury has permanently damaged your earning capacity, you could receive compensation for this as well.

For instance, imagine you work a very physical job paying $40,000 per year. After your injury, you must take a different job paying $30,000 per year. If you win your case, you might be compensated the $10,000 difference each year for the rest of your working life.

Pain and Suffering

“Pain and suffering” is an informal term that often refers to non-economic damages. Non-economic damages are those you cannot put a dollar value on. Emotional distress, inconvenience and the psychological impact of being disfigured are three common examples.

Determining how much you should be compensated for pain and suffering can be challenging. However, your lawyer can assess your case and give you an idea of how much it may be worth.

Loss of Consortium

Loss of consortium is a specific claim often brought by the surviving spouse when one spouse dies. This kind of compensation is meant to offset the loss of companionship, emotional support and other benefits from the relationship.

Serving Personal Injury Clients Across Texas

Do you need a Texas personal injury lawyer? At ConsumerShield, we can help you find one. We’re connected to attorneys all over the country, and we’re ready to match you with a nearby attorney who can meet your needs.

We can match you with a qualified personal injury lawyer in just about any Texas city, including these:

• Arlington
• Austin
• Brownsville
• Corpus Christi
• Dallas
• Denton
• El Paso
• Fort Worth
• Frisco
• Garland
• Houston
• Killeen
• Laredo
• Lubbock
• Plano
• San Antonio
• Waco

Whether you’re looking for a Texas car accident lawyer or need help with another kind of case, you don’t have to search for the right attorney alone.

Connect With Experienced Texas Personal Injury Lawyers

If you’ve been hurt because another person was negligent, it might feel difficult to do anything but get through the day. However, if you can find a personal injury lawyer willing to represent you, your lawyer can handle the logistics of your case while you focus on getting better.

Not sure how to find a Texas personal injury lawyer? There’s no need to worry. At ConsumerShield, we focus on connecting consumers like you with nearby lawyers. Fill out our contact form for a free case review.