Helping Good People Injured In Bad Accidents

Car accidents are by far the number one cause of personal injury claims. We are a nation of distracted drivers who text, talk on the phone, set the GPS, eat an entire meal, turn around to see what the pets and children are doing, talk to passengers, and fiddle with car controls as we drive. We also drive while overly fatigued and impaired, and, in some cases, drive recklessly by exceeding the speed limit, driving under the influence, running red lights, failing to yield, changing lanes without looking or signaling, and tailgating. All these driver behaviors can lead to car accidents, with serious, catastrophic, or even fatal injuries. With as many as six million car accidents in the U.S. each and every year, many drivers are left injured through no fault of their own and uncertain of what they need to do to protect their future.

Truck accidents are often deadly, or they leave those in the smaller passenger vehicle severely or catastrophically injured. Truck accidents are complex because of the severity of the injuries as well as the fact that there can be more than one liable party. The truck driver could be to blame for the accident if he or she were overly fatigued, impaired, distracted, or driving carelessly or recklessly. The trucking company could be held liable if they failed to conduct a thorough background check on the driver or they failed to ensure the driver was properly trained. If the accident was caused by shifting or falling cargo, the loading company could be partially to blame, or if the accident was caused by bad tires or brakes, the trucking company or another maintenance company could be partially to blame.

Like truck accidents, motorcycle accidents are more complex, although for a different reason. While the injuries to a motorcyclist can be severe or catastrophic—like those in a truck accident—a motorcyclist must also overcome unfortunate stereotypes about bikers. If the case goes to trial, the attorney must understand that many people still see motorcyclists as hard-living risk- takers—which is simply not true. These beliefs must be dealt with early on in the trial by a highly experienced attorney.

Rideshare accidents like Uber and Lyft accidents, are complex in different ways. If you are involved in a rideshare accident, who you will file your claim against can be confusing. If you are a passenger in a rideshare hit by a negligent driver, you will file your claim against that driver—unless they are uninsured or underinsured. If the accident was caused by your rideshare driver, you will file your claim against his or her insurance—unless your injuries exceed those limits. At this point, you may file against your own uninsured/underinsured insurance if you have it, or against Uber or Lyft, providing the rideshare driver had the app open and was waiting for a passenger, on the way to pick up a passenger, or had a passenger in the car.

Bus accidents are relatively rare, but when they do happen, they can cause very serious injuries. If the bus is a city bus, then the claim becomes more complicated. Suing a government entity comes with its own set of rules—and a very short window of time. You will need an attorney who is highly skilled in the rules and regulations regarding bus accidents.

Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional, like a doctor or nurse, fails to act in a way that another reasonable medical professional who is similarly trained would have done, given the same set of circumstances. A successful medical malpractice lawsuit, in our experience, requires negligent conduct that results in grave injury or death. Medical malpractice can include wrongful acts or failure to act.

Catastrophic injuries are those that will require lifelong medical treatments and those that change a person’s life forever. In other words, the person will never be the same as they were before the accident. Catastrophic accidents include spinal cord injuries, burns that cause disfigurement, loss of vision, traumatic head injuries, amputations, and severe internal injuries.

Premises liability involves injuries sustained on another’s property. All property owners have a duty of care to invitees and licensees—those who are legally allowed to be on the property—to keep the premises safe from hazards. If they fail to do so and an injury occurs, a premises liability claim may be filed.

Dogs may bite unexpectedly, or an owner may have a dog that he or she knows is prone to biting. A dog bite victim may be entitled to compensation for the harms and losses caused by the owner of a dog allowing the dog to roam off of the owner’s property or for negligently handling the dog. An owner of a known vicious dog is also usually liable to the victim.

Pedestrians are especially vulnerable as they have absolutely no protection—not even a helmet like bicyclists and motorcyclists may have. Some pedestrian accidents are hit-and-runs, meaning the driver leaves the scene of the accident. A victim of a pedestrian accident may be entitled to recover from the person that caused the accident or from their own insurance if the driver is uninsured or can’t be found.

Like pedestrians and motorcyclists, bicyclists are very vulnerable when hit by a vehicle. Bicyclists have every right to operate on our roads; however, drivers may not always carefully watch for bicyclists or may drive too close to the bicyclist, causing an accident. When hit by a vehicle, the bicyclist is likely to have severe or catastrophic injuries to contend with.

In most states, workplace injuries fall under workers’ compensation laws, however, Texas is the only state that does not require companies to carry workers’ compensation. If you are involved in a workplace injury and your employer doesn’t carry worker’s compensation insurance, then you would have a right to sue your “non-subscriber” employer if a hazard existed in the workplace and that hazard caused your accident and injuries. There may also be non-employer third parties, like a subcontractor, who may be responsible for causing the worker’s injuries.