Did you sustain an injury in an accident in Austin, TX? If so, you may have a legal right to pursue a personal injury claim against the responsible party. You can recover compensation for medical expenses, other financial losses, pain and suffering, and more.
George Salinas Injury Lawyers is a premier personal injury law firm in the State of Texas. Our Austin personal injury lawyers have 110 years of combined experience, and we’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our deserving clients. We can help you with your case, too, beginning today.
We offer a free initial consultation to review your case and provide helpful legal advice. Call or reach out online at (210) 225-0909 to get started.
How George Salinas Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Injury in Austin
Personal injury accidents almost always happen unexpectedly, which can make the consequences significantly more difficult to deal with. An injury can impact you and your loved ones financially, emotionally, mentally, and physically – in short, just about every aspect of life. If another person or entity was responsible for your accident, you deserve compensation that makes you whole again as best as possible.
Our compassionate Austin car accident attorney can handle your claim from start to finish while you focus on recovering from the accident. If you hire us, we’ll put the full force of our experience and resources into service in your case. We won’t treat you like a number on a spreadsheet like a larger law firm might; instead, we’ll treat you like family. Some of the ways we can help include:
- Identifying the liable party or parties
- Investigating your accident to determine your legal options
- Apprising you of your case’s status at all times
- Negotiating with the opposing party on your behalf
- Collecting evidence in support of your claim
- Hiring experts, if needed, to strengthen your case further
- Filing a lawsuit against the at-fault party if necessary
Want to learn more about what we can do to help with your case? Contact our law office in Austin, Texas, today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.
How Often Do Personal Injury Accidents Happen in Austin, Texas?
The City of Austin’s Transportation Department provides detailed statistics for many types of personal injury accidents through its Vision Zero Viewer. Recent data are as follows:
- Thus far in 2023, there have been 4,195 total motor vehicle accidents in Austin (as of early May)
- Of those 4,195 crashes, there have been 170 serious injuries, 612 years of life lost, and 31 fatalities
- Each of the above figures is down from this same time last year
These numbers represent car, pedestrian, motorcycle, and bicycle accidents, which are some of the most common types of personal injury scenarios. On average, there have been over 800 motor vehicle accidents alone in Austin per month so far in 2023.
How Valuable Is My Austin Personal Injury Claim?
It’s normal to wonder what your claim is likely to be worth, and this is an important question to answer because you don’t want to accept a settlement for less money than you deserve. However, it’s a hard question to answer because it differs for each individual plaintiff.
Ultimately, the value of your Austin personal injury claim is determined based on the facts and circumstances involved in the situation. One primary factor that will influence how much your case is worth is the types of injuries you’ve sustained and their severity. The cases involving the most serious injuries are generally worth the most. However, other factors to consider include:
- The nature of the at-fault party and their ability to provide compensation
- How much evidence there is to prove your case
- Your age at the time of the accident
- Whether you share any of the blame
- The terms and conditions of any relevant insurance policies
Under Texas Code Section 33.001, you can hold another person responsible for harming you as long as they were at least 51% to blame for the accident. However, as Texas Code Section 33.003 states, your damages will be reduced based on your own percentage of blame as determined by the trier of fact. This means if you were partly at fault for your own accident, your damages will be reduced accordingly.
It’s also important that you understand the full extent of your injuries before you agree to a settlement, as you cannot go back and change your mind later once you have released the defendant from further liability. If you don’t know how severe and ongoing your injuries are, or how expensive your future medical bills are likely to be, you might accept far less than you should for your claim.
Often, your case does settle or is resolved in court before you are fully recovered — especially if your injuries are lifelong or will take years to heal. In these situations, it’s helpful to have experts testify as to the ongoing damages you’re likely to experience. Experts can provide an assessment of how your work will be impaired for your life, and what your medical care costs are likely to be for the duration of your injuries, so you can get the compensation you deserve.
Unfortunately, in some cases, the party responsible for harming you may not have enough insurance to cover the full extent of your damages. Insurers will pay only up to policy limits. In these circumstances, you may need to look to your own uninsured motorist coverage if you were hurt in a car accident.
You could also aim to identify other defendants with deeper pockets, such as the employer of the person who harmed you if the injury occurred while they were performing job duties.
When you hire George Salinas Injury Lawyers, our Austin motorcycle accident lawyer can undertake a thorough evaluation process to ensure we demand adequate compensation from the at-fault party. We will help you to identify all potential defendants who could be liable for your losses and will work with you to accurately estimate the extent of your damages so you aren’t left with uncompensated losses that you must endure.
We Can Help With Any Personal Injury Case in Austin, TX
With over a century of combined experience, our Austin personal injury attorneys have been able to help with just about any type of case in the field. Our law firm’s practice areas include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Car accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Uber accidents
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Product liability
- Motorcycle accidents
- Catastrophic injuries
- Workers’ compensation
- Construction accidents
- Electric scooter accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Truck accidents
- Premises liability
- Wrongful death
Call today to set up a free case review if you’d like to learn more about our legal services.
What Types of Damages Can I Recover After an Accident in Austin?
You can recover two types of compensatory damages following an accident in Austin, Texas: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are for your financial losses, such as:
- Medical bills
- Decreased earning capacity
- Physical therapy
- Lost wages
- Rehabilitation
- Childcare costs
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Economic damages you have experienced to-date are easy to calculate. You can add up the bills associated with your accident. However, often your injuries will cause future financial loss. For example, your ability to work or to care for your home and children may be impacted for the rest of your life if you have suffered severe injuries.
Experts can help you to demonstrate the extent of your ongoing losses so you can ensure you are compensated for future damages as well. Don’t accept a settlement that doesn’t provide you with full payment for all the money you’ll lose out on because of the accident.
In addition to economic damages, you are also entitled to recover compensation for non-economic damages. Non-economic damages are for your other types of losses that aren’t as easy to quantify, including:
- Physical pain and suffering
- PTSD
- Loss of consortium
- Decreased enjoyment of life
- Loss of quality of life
- Depression
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
It can be much more difficult to value non-economic damages. Such insurers use a per diem method, paying you a set amount of compensation for each day of pain you endure. Others use a multiplier method, which multiplies your actual economic losses by a specific multiplier number depending on how serious your injuries are.
None of these methods are perfect, as it can be hard to put a price on life-changing injuries. There are experts who can help testify as to the extent of your loss and you can also use tools like a pain journal to show exactly how severely your injuries have impacted your ability to live and enjoy your life.
There is also a third category of damages called punitive damages, but they are only awarded in rare cases. To recover punitive damages, you must prove by clear and convincing evidence (a higher standard than for the other kinds of damages) that the at-fault party acted egregiously, such as with malicious intent.
An Austin wrongful death lawyer will work with you to understand and prove the extent of the damages you have experienced. Texas law says you should be “made whole” or fully compensated for both economic and non-financial damages but you need to meet your burden of proving the extent of the harm you’ve endured.
We’ll Work Hard To Recover Compensation Based on All of Your Injuries
At George Salinas Injury Lawyers, we can help with any of the following types of injuries, just to name a few examples:
- Broken bones
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Fractures
- Strains and sprains
- Internal bleeding
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Crushing injuries
- Leg injuries
- Concussions
- Nerve damage
- Chest injuries
We’re confident that we can help you achieve a favorable outcome for your case. Contact us today for further information.
How Can an Austin Injury Attorney Help Me with My Claim?
An Austin injury lawyer can provide you with invaluable assistance at each step of your claim. Some of the ways in which your attorney can help include:
- Identifying all potential defendants. Often, there are multiple individuals or entities you can hold accountable for harming you. For example, if a truck driver caused a car accident, you may be able to sue both the driver and the trucker’s employer, as Painter v. Amerimex Drilling I, Ltd explains that “an employer is vicariously liable for its employee’s negligent acts if those acts are within the course and scope of his employment,”
- Gathering evidence. You must meet the burden of proving your claim. You’ll need different kinds of evidence depending on the nature of your injuries. For example, you might need police reports from a car accident scene or property maintenance records and security camera footage if you were hurt in a slip-and-fall. Your attorney can help you to gather the relevant information and find appropriate experts to put together a strong case.
- Negotiating with the insurance company. Insurers are almost always the ones footing the bill for an accident, whether that’s a property insurance company or a car insurer or a business liability insurer. Insurance companies have experts that help them pay as little as possible, but you can negotiate from a stronger position if you have your own legal advocate representing you.
- Going to court. If necessary, you can file a civil lawsuit in Texas to get the compensation that you deserve when you can’t reach a settlement. You must follow the rules of evidence and bring your claim within two years under the statute of limitations set forth in Texas Code Section 16.003. Your attorney can help you to make sure you file your claim on time and that you convince the court that your version of events is the correct one.
A lot of money is often at stake in personal injury claims, and you don’t want to be left with uncompensated losses. That’s why it’s so important to get the right legal help from a trusted Austin personal injury attorney.
Studies have demonstrated that attorneys are so effective at helping clients win their claims that injured victims walk away with more money, on average, if they are represented by an attorney even after paying legal fees. Since George Salinas Injury Lawyers works on a contingent fee basis and you pay no legal fees if we don’t recover compensation for you, you have nothing to lose by getting a trusted advocate involved in your case.
Should I Accept a Settlement Offered By the Insurance Company?
Insurance companies often offer to settle claims outside of court, and there are benefits to accepting a settlement. Some of the biggest advantages include:
- Speed. You can recover compensation more quickly if you settle rather than if you go to court and go through a full civil trial.
- Convenience. You don’t have to go to court, gather evidence, or prove your claim. You just sign the settlement agreement and are compensated.
- Certainty. There are no open questions of whether you’ll win your claim or whether you’ll be given a fair damage award. You’ll know exactly how much money you’re going to receive if you settle your case.
While these are undeniably substantial benefits, you do not want to settle for less money than the law says you are entitled to or for less money than is necessary to fully cover your losses. Before you settle, you should:
- Make sure you know the extent of your damages as you can’t go back and undo the settlement.
- Understand what your case should be worth, based on the extent of your losses and representative past claims.
- Get legal help. Your attorney can advise you as to whether the settlement is fair and appropriate or whether the insurance company is trying to lowball the amount of compensation they provide to you.
When you are represented by a skilled Austin truck accident attorney, it is more likely that you’ll be able to reach a fair settlement since there’s a greater chance the insurance company will make you a fair offer when they know you have a legal advocate fighting for you. Your attorney can negotiate the settlement on your terms so you stand the best chance of getting a good amount of compensation based on the extent of your loss.
You should make certain you find a lawyer with both strong negotiating skills and trial experience, though, so your attorney is prepared and ready to fight in court if no fair settlement offer is made.
What if the Opposing Party Is Blaming Me for My Accident in Austin, Texas?
In Texas, you can still recover damages even if you share some of the blame for your accident. The state follows a modified comparative negligence standard with a 51% bar to recovery.
What that means is that you may be assessed a percentage of fault for the accident. As long as this percentage is 50% or less, you can still receive compensation. However, your compensation can be reduced based on your assigned percentage. So if you’re assigned 20% of the blame, your damages award can be reduced by 20%.
It’s likely that the opposing party will try and blame you as much as they can. If they succeed, you could walk away with significantly less compensation – or even nothing at all. This is one area where having a personal injury lawyer on your side can be especially important, as an attorney can represent your interests and fight back against accusations of fault.
How Much Time Do I Have To File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in the State of Texas?
In the State of Texas, you’ll generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline is set by the state’s statute of limitations. If you file your claim too late, you’ll likely lose your opportunity to recover compensation from the responsible person or entity.
However, note that there are exceptions to this deadline in many instances. Contact a personal injury attorney to determine the applicable timeline for your particular case.
Schedule a Free Case Review With a Trusted Austin Personal Injury Lawyer
If you’ve been involved in an accident in Austin, Texas, George Salinas Injury Lawyers is here to help. As one of the most experienced personal injury law firms in the area, you can rest assured that you’ll be in good hands if you hire us.
We also understand that you may be in a tough financial spot due to the accident and your injuries. That’s one reason why our Austin personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. We only get paid if we obtain compensation for you, and you can hire us without paying a cent upfront. With this system, we’ll be incentivized to increase the value of your claim as much as possible.
Want to learn more? Just give us a call today to schedule your free consultation. We’re available 24/7. And we also cover personal injury cases in San Antonio, McAllen, Laredo, and across Texas.