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Car accidents are traumatic for many reasons, namely because of the catastrophic injuries they often cause. To hold negligent drivers liable for those injuries, victims may file lawsuits in Grapevine.
In the minutes and hours after an accident, focus on documenting the scene and your injuries. You can do this by calling 911 and getting assistance from the police and emergency medical services. In the following days and weeks, our attorneys can contact and interview eyewitnesses and begin documenting your financial losses from the accident, like medical expenses and missed wages. Victims must file car accident lawsuits within two years to get damages from negligent drivers, and our lawyers can ensure this by preparing your case with the deadline in mind. After filing, we can enter into settlement discussions prepared with strong negotiation strategies and evidence to leverage over the defendant.
For help with your case from The Queenan Law Firm, P.C., call our car accident lawyers at (817) 476-1797.
What to Do in the Time Following a Car Accident in Grapevine, TX
What you do after an accident could affect the compensation you recover down the line. Start by calling the police to help you document the scene. You should then go directly to the nearest hospital and get medical attention for accident injuries. As the days and weeks progress, our lawyers can preserve evidence and track your damages in preparation for your claim. We can then file your lawsuit before the deadline, two years from the accident’s date, and begin negotiating a settlement on your behalf.
In the Following Minutes and Hours
Calling the police immediately after an accident is crucial for evidence preservation. Under Tex. Transp. Code § 550.026, accident reporting is mandatory for any crash that causes injury or death, and victims can do this by calling 911.
While you can exchange information with the negligent driver while you wait for the police to arrive, do not discuss the accident with them in any capacity. Texas is a modified comparative fault state, so sharing liability for injuries could lower your recovery, and being more than 50% at fault would bar you from recovery. Defendants might try to point to what victims say immediately after an accident, such as if they apologize, to support their comparative fault defenses. Because of this, conversations should be kept minimal, and victims should focus on getting negligent drivers’ insurance information.
Do your best to take pictures of the crash site and property damage to involved vehicles. This information can inform accident reconstruction experts’ assessments and findings regarding the cause of the crash.
If paramedics arrive on the scene, let them take you to the emergency room. Victims should not delay medical attention for any reason, even if they feel only slightly injured. Our car accident lawyers can use your medical records from the hours after a collision to prove you were injured during the specific crash in question.
In the Following Days and Weeks
In the following days, our lawyers can focus on preserving evidence, namely eyewitness statements. If you spoke to eyewitnesses at the scene and got their contact information, give it to our lawyers at this time so that we can schedule interviews. The longer interviews are delayed, the less reliable eyewitnesses’ memories might become. Eyewitnesses can give their firsthand accounts of what happened during an accident, including how the defendant acted negligently while operating their vehicle, ultimately causing the crash.
We can also start tracking your initial damages at this time, which will likely come from medical damages. Consolidating your medical records and invoices from treatment is a tall task, and our lawyers can help obtain these documents and keep them organized so that we can easily use them as necessary, such as when calculating your total damages from medical treatment.
We can also begin documenting your lost wages if you cannot return to work immediately because of the accident. We may need information from your employer and recent tax returns or paychecks to do this. Based on assessments from medical professionals, we can determine whether or not you will be able to return to work in the near future. If not, we can estimate your anticipated future lost wages and request compensation for those damages in your claim.
In the Following Months and Years
Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003 gives car accident victims two years to sue negligent drivers to recover damages. Because there is a strict time limit on filing claims, victims must initiate theirs in the months following an accident. This is key for other reasons, such as showing your commitment to your financial recovery. Victims who delay filing until the last possible moment might face questions about the seriousness of their injuries or their need for compensation, and our lawyers can help you avoid such situations by bringing your claim well before the two-year filing deadline.
After filing, we may negotiate a settlement with the opposing side. Settlement negotiations take time, as our lawyers must leverage evidence and convince the defendant to increase their offers, which might start low. Defendants do this intentionally, hoping that plaintiffs will accept unfair settlements to get some compensation fast. By calculating the true value of your case before filing, our attorneys will be prepared for settlement negotiations and able to distinguish poor offers from fair ones.
Claims that do not settle may go to court for juries to decide, though defendants often want to avoid this and may agree to higher settlements to avoid trials.
During your case, do not stop receiving medical care unless your treatment plan ends. Letting gaps form in your care could cause serious issues with your claim, so make sure you prioritize your physical recovery while our lawyers focus on your financial one.
Call Our Attorneys in Grapevine, TX About Your Recent Collision
For a free case assessment from The Queenan Law Firm, P.C., call our car accident lawyers at (817) 476-1797.