Sweetwater Personal Injury Lawyers

What Is Considered a Personal Injury in Texas?

In a legal sense, a “personal injury” is an injury arising from a negligent act or omission, wrongful conduct, or default. In other words, if someone else—whether it’s another person or a company, business, manufacturer, or similar entity—was at fault for an incident that led to injury, the injured victim likely has grounds for a personal injury claim.

Common examples of personal injury claims include cases involving:

• Car accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Semi-truck accidents
• Bus and other commercial vehicle accidents
• Dog bites and animal attacks
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Slip and falls
• Unsafe property conditions
• Defective products
• Medical malpractice
• Birth injuries
• Nursing home abuse
• Workplace injuries
• Construction accidents
• Oilfield accidents
• Wrongful death

As the person bringing the claim, known as the “plaintiff,” you have the burden of proof. This means that you are the one responsible for proving your case against the defendant. Often, this requires proving that the defendant had a legal responsibility to exercise due care and prevent foreseeable injury but failed to uphold this responsibility, thereby directly or indirectly causing your injury.

What Types of Damages Can Be Recovered in a Personal Injury Claim?

To bring a successful personal injury lawsuit, you will need to prove that you were injured and, as a result of the injury, suffered specific losses (known as “damages”). These damages can be economic, meaning they have a set dollar value, or non-economic in nature.

Examples of common damages that may be recovered in a personal injury claim include:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical costs
• Funeral/burial costs
• Lost income/wages
• Loss of future earnings
• Pain and suffering
• Lost earning capacity
• Lost enjoyment of life

The exact types of damages you may be entitled to recover will depend on the specific details of your case, including the severity of your injury, the cost of medical care, whether you are disabled or impaired because of your injury, your degree of fault (if any), and more. We encourage you to meet with our Sweetwater personal injury attorneys to learn more during a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.

How Long Do You Have to Sue Someone for Personal Injury in Texas?

The statute of limitations, or filing deadline, on most Texas personal injury cases is two years. Typically, this two-year deadline begins on the date of injury. However, if the injury was not discovered immediately, the two-year deadline may begin on the date on which the injury was discovered or reasonably could have been discovered.

While there are some exceptions, you likely only have two years to sue the liable party for damages. If you wait too long, you could lose your opportunity to recover fair compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. We strongly recommend that you get in touch with an experienced attorney, like those at Hanna Allen, PLLC, as soon as possible.

When you reach out to our team, we will immediately begin a thorough investigation of your claim. We strive to guide each client through the complexities of the legal system and conduct rigorous investigations of every incident to gain a complete understanding of the damages involved and, most importantly, who is liable. As your legal team, we will be there to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have.

Why Should You Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

There are many reasons to work with a personal injury lawyer after a serious accident or catastrophic injury. First, numerous studies have shown that people who hire attorneys typically receive better settlements than those who try to resolve their personal injury claims on their own. This is largely because the insurance company knows that your attorney understands the law and is dedicated to protecting your rights.

Insurance companies are businesses, and, like any other business, their main goal is to make money. One way they do this is by limiting insurance claim payouts. Insurance adjusters often use a variety of tactics, such as inflating a victim’s percentage of fault or disputing the severity of an injury, to devalue and deny claims. When you work with an attorney, you put the power back on your side.

At Hanna Allen, PLLC, our Sweetwater personal injury lawyers not only know how to fight back against the insurance company’s efforts to dispute your claim, but we are also fully prepared to represent you at trial if necessary. Our team will handle every detail of your case, including communicating with the insurance company on your behalf, so that you can focus on what matters most: healing.

We know that hiring a lawyer may seem like just another expense. But at Hanna Allen, PLLC, we offer our legal services on a contingency fee basis. This means that you do not pay anything upfront or out of pocket when you work with our firm. Instead, we only collect attorney fees if/when we win your case. If we do not recover a settlement or verdict on your behalf, you do not owe us a dime.

Get started with your free consultation today; call (432) 220-2649 or contact us online. Hablamos español.