A: Your personal injury lawyer will fight for you to get the compensation you need in order to pay your expenses related to the accident. These often include property damage, medical bills, and lost wages. Beyond that, your lawyer will likely request additional damages to help make up for the time and hassle the incident caused you. This type of compensation might include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, or mental anguish, to name a few.

A: If someone else injured you and they have insurance, you can contact their insurance provider to request damages. However, insurance companies often deny claims or offer unfair settlements since they do not want to pay if possible. As a result, going through insurance on your own will typically take much more of your time and will get you a smaller settlement than if you hired a personal injury attorney to handle your claim. Attending a free initial consultation should help you decide on the right path forward for you.

A: Not every injured victim decides to hire a personal injury lawyer right away. Some people wait until they’re starting to heal from serious injuries, which can take several months. If you did not talk to a lawyer immediately after the accident, that’s okay. As long as you take legal action before the statute of limitations is over, you can still file a case with a lawyer. In Texas, the statute of limitation is two years for personal injury cases.

If you’re worried about legal fees, you can rest assured that most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, so they only get paid once you get your settlement. At that time, your lawyers will take the agreed-upon percentage of the money, which may be anywhere from 30 percent to 45 percent. This means you won’t have to pay any fees upfront, and if your case does not result in compensation, you don’t have to pay legal fees. Plus, the initial consultation is free.

A: After you hire a lawyer for your claim, your legal team will tell you what information they need to take any steps in the legal process. They’ll usually ask for the evidence that you might have collected at the scene of the accident, such as photos and videos of your vehicle and your injuries after the crash. If you have the contact information of any witnesses and the insurance information of all drivers involved in the collision, you should give that to your lawyers, as well.

A: You might hear about accident reconstruction after a car crash. This is simply the process of trying to determine how an accident occurred and who caused it. Your lawyer might hire an accident reconstructionist to prove that the other driver caused the collision. This professional will look at pictures of the accident scene, skid marks on the ground, vehicle damage, and traffic camera footage to find out what led to the accident. This kind of evidence can often prove your claim, so you get the damages you seek.

A: Whether you were hit by a car or semi-truck, your first step should be to call 911 so you can file a police report and request an ambulance if necessary. If your injuries are not life-threatening, you should stay at the accident scene to exchange contact information and insurance details with the other people involved in the crash. This is also a good time to take pictures to document the scene before you leave. At that point, you should set up an appointment with your doctor to get medical attention for your injuries and then call a personal injury lawyer to arrange an initial consultation.

A: If you were hurt while visiting someone’s residence or business, you might be able to file a claim for premises liability. To do so, you need to prove that the property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition that injured you. If you can prove this, you may be able to get compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Some instances in which a premises liability case might apply include slip and fall accidents, dog bites, swimming pool accidents, escalator accidents, and fires.