Fort Bliss Car Accident Lawyers

If you or a loved one are involved in an accident that causes serious injury or property damage, it is important to explore your options and the types of compensation for which you may be eligible. Particularly if the accident is not your fault, you should not be expected to pay your own bills, which can add up quickly. 

Since Texas is an at-fault state, it is important to determine exactly who is responsible for an accident. And since most of the time, parties will not agree on who is responsible; this is where a lawyer can step in and assist on your behalf. After all, if you are less than 51% responsible, you can still collect damages from the at-fault party. And with the clock ticking away on the statute of limitations being two years to file a personal injury claim in Texas, there is no time to waste. 

What Is the Minimum Insurance Required in Texas?

In Texas, an individual is required to carry minimum insurance, which includes at least $30,000 in liability coverage for each injured person, up to a total of $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. This is known collectively as 30/60/25 coverage. Although this is the required minimum, it is a fact that some still do not meet these specifications and drive without insurance for many reasons, such as their license being suspended or they cannot afford it. However, all is not lost if you are involved in an accident with someone without insurance, as your own insurance may pay for your expenses. 

What Types of Compensation Are Available?

Assuming you are not at fault and the other party does have insurance, there are different types of compensation you may be eligible for, including: 

• Medical Expenses: From emergency room visits to ambulance transports, doctor appointments, X-rays, tests, treatments, prescriptions, and even the cost of parking to receive medical treatment, any necessary medical expenses you incur may be eligible for payment. 
• Property Damage: Whether minor body damage or a complete loss, the condition of your vehicle should not be your headache to figure out how you are going to pay to have it fixed or replaced. Additionally, items inside the vehicle that were damaged or caused a total loss may also be included in the cost of replacement. 
• Lost Wages: This includes current and future wages if you cannot return to work immediately after an accident. 
• Pain and Suffering: The emotional trauma you have endured is worth something not just monetarily, but for your overall health in making a full recovery. 
• Loss of Consortium: Spouses of those who are severely or gravely injured may be eligible for payment for the loss of quality of life as it pertains to companionship, and the activities the couple is used to enjoying together are no longer possible. 
• Punitive Damages: As the name suggests, such damages are meant to punish an individual and are meant to deter them from acting in the same manner in the future. Such damages are reserved for severe cases in which the at-fault party acted intentionally, maliciously, or without regard to others. For example, someone who causes an accident by running another off the road in a fit of road rage and causes serious injury or death may qualify for this type of punishment. 

What if the Accident Causes Death?

If a loved one is killed in a roadway tragedy, spouses, children, and sometimes other family members could be eligible for compensation, including wrongful death and the cost of funeral expenses. Other factors that may come into play are the role the individual played in others’ lives and whether people are financially dependent on the deceased. This could potentially justify the need to grant payments for financial support; similarly, those who endure the loss of emotional support could also be entitled to compensation. 

What Are the Most Common Types of Car Accident Injuries?

When it comes to injuries that an individual sustains during an accident, there are two broad categories in which those injuries fall, including ‘impact’ injuries and ‘penetrating’ injuries. Impact injuries result from a victim striking another object, such as the dashboard or the pavement, if they are ejected. Meanwhile, penetrating injuries result from an object entering the victim’s body, such as shards of glass or metal. 

Meanwhile, injuries can run the gamut from superficial cuts and bruises to whiplash and broken bones to traumatic brain injury to death. Although an individual may not feel severely injured, it is important to be evaluated by a medical team immediately following an accident, as it is possible to suffer internal injuries or other ramifications that might not be known at the time. A medical evaluation also will help to document the event and establish a paper trail that may be needed later when the details may not be so easy to remember. Any photographs taken of injuries either on the scene of the accident or in the emergency room will help to establish that a victim did, in fact, suffer some physical harm. It also shows the victim attempted to minimize the amount of damage to their body and their health.

Why Hire a Lawyer?

When adrenaline is running high at an accident scene, an individual may not have time to collect all the information needed to successfully plead their case later. 

This is when it is beneficial to involve a lawyer who can assist with collecting detailed information, such as accident reports, traffic tickets, witness statements, medical reports, and photographic evidence that will likely help to bolster an argument as to who is at fault after a car accident. A lawyer can not only help to determine the types of insurance each party has, but this individual is likely well-versed in negotiating with insurance companies and knows how to collect the best settlement possible to cover the damages incurred by a victim. Also, a lawyer can likely fill in the blanks to create a complete picture at a time when the details may have faded from memory or an individual simply cannot recall the details. Finally, a lawyer can compile your expenses and negotiate for the highest amount allowed by law while you are recovering both physically and emotionally. 

Get Legal Help and Find the Answers You Need From the Fort Bliss Car Accident Lawyers at Flores Mendez Law Today

The Fort Bliss car accident lawyers at Flores Mendez Law will fight to uphold your best interests at a time when you need it most. While you recover from your ordeal, we will be working on your behalf to secure what is rightfully owed to you. Call 915-308-9999 or contact us online for a free consultation. With offices in El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico, we serve clients in the surrounding areas.