Advocating for Victims of Unsafe Drivers – Auto Collision Attorneys in Weatherford

If you are involved in a car accident in Weatherford or another part of Parker County, you can suffer serious or catastrophic injuries or even wrongful death. These types of collisions can cause financial devastation and extreme emotional trauma. Medical treatment, hospitalization, and rehabilitation associated with serious injuries suffered in an auto collision can be expensive and the recovery period can last months or years even if you do not suffer permanent disability or disfigurement. Many particularly serious injuries suffered in motor vehicle collisions like traumatic brain injuries, extensive third-degree burns, spinal cord injuries, damage to internal organs, and other severe injuries may never completely heal.

Safeguarding Your Auto Accident Claims

After seeking medical attention for your injuries, you should consider retaining an experienced Parker County car accident lawyer. The prospects for your accident claim increase dramatically when you retain an attorney with extensive experience representing injury victims in motor vehicle accidents. A study conducted by the Insurance Research Council found that the average plaintiff represented by an attorney receives a recovery 3.5 times greater than a party without a lawyer. There are many strategic errors that can compromise your auto accident claim. Our experienced attorneys can take prompt action to preserve critical evidence, identify witnesses, and prevent serious errors. Statements that you make to insurance adjusters, law enforcement officers, or occupants of other vehicles often can be misconstrued as admissions of fault.

Success in the civil litigation process requires effectively navigating complex legal procedures and strict deadlines, such as the statute of limitations, which can be a complete bar to your motor vehicle accident claim if your lawsuit is not filed in time. Similarly, when you must sue a public entity because of an unsafe road or dangerous intersection, you will typically be required to provide written notice of your claim to the government before filing a lawsuit. The notice requirement imposed by laws like the Texas Tort Claims Act, which authorizes personal injury actions against government entities, typically are subject to even shorter deadlines. An injury victim that fails to comply with this timing requirement usually forfeits the right to sue the government. The loss of this right can be a devastating consequence if the at-fault driver was uninsured. Our car accident attorneys in Parker County can guide you past the potential roadblocks that could derail your case.

Explaining Negligence and Fault in the Context of Auto Collisions

Most traffic accidents are caused by unsafe driving practices, such as speeding, tailgating, distracted driving, drunk driving, and other forms of negligent driving. Negligent driving can take many forms, but the term basically refers to the failure to exercise reasonable care to avoid foreseeable injury to others. When a driver violates a traffic safety law which results in a collision, the unlawful act could constitute a special type of negligence referred to as “negligence per se.” Negligence per se is a doctrine that defines the violation of a public safety statute, such as a traffic safety law, as negligence as a matter of law if it causes injury to a party the law is designed to protect.

While many car crashes are the result of violations of the Texas Rules of the Road, there are other forms of negligence that may be the basis of fault in auto accident cases. Some types of conduct that may constitute negligence in a vehicle-related injury lawsuit include the following:

  • Failing to drive at a safe rate of speed
  • Not allowing an appropriate following distance
  • Making illegal or unsafe turns
  • Failing to exercise extra caution and prudence in construction zones
  • Using mobile phones while driving
  • Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, illegal narcotics, or prescription drugs
  • Drivers that fail to devote 100% of their attention to the road and their driving
  • Impatient drivers who engage in aggressive driving practices
  • Failure to adjust one’s driving to road, traffic, and weather conditions
  • Vehicles with product defects
  • Public entities that fail to take appropriate remedial measures to eliminate hazards in the design or construction of intersections and roadways

When drivers and third parties make these types of errors, many types of motor vehicle accidents can occur, such as back over accidents, head-on crashes, side impact collisions, DUI/DWI accidents, intersection crashes, SUV or 15-passenger van rollovers, rear impact collisions, and distracted driving collisions.

Compensation for Devastating Injuries to Rebuild and Recover from Injury

We can help you with the tough task of financial recovery from the hardships imposed by a serious collision. Insurance companies often try to characterize car accidents as “low impact crashes” and offer nominal settlements that provide little more than vehicle repairs. When insurers negotiate directly with a party, insurers often contend that the injury victim is malingering or exaggerating his or her injuries. However, injuries suffered in low speed collisions can result in excruciating pain and extensive periods of disability. These injuries might include head and brain trauma, fractures, neck and back injuries, dislocations, soft tissue injuries, spinal cord damage, and even wrongful death.

When you experience injuries, our car accident law firm might be able to help you pursue a lawsuit to recover both out of pocket costs and less tangible forms of damages. While some people do not want to pursue legal action when they are involved in a car accident, the compensation you obtain could cover the cost of medical expenses and protect your family’s standard of living if you are unable to return to work. Our law firm might seek the following forms of damages:

  • Lost compensation from work, including salary, wages, and commission
  • Damages for intangible loss like pain and suffering, emotional distress, and impact on your marital relationship
  • Car replacement or repair
  • Expenses related to medical care for your injuries
  • Adverse impact on your enjoyment of life
  • Wrongful death expenses
  • Exemplary (punitive) damages

Talk to an Auto Accident Lawyer in Parker County Today

If you or someone you love has been the victim of an inattentive, intoxicated, or speeding driver, the Fulgham Hampton Law Group works with top experts to build a persuasive case for our clients. We invite you to contact us today at (817) 697-4400 for a free case evaluation.