Car Accident
Fatality
Helping You Recover from Your Injuries & Win Against Big Insurance Companies
Every day the Dallas-Fort Worth car accident lawyers at Tate Law Offices fight for people like you throughout Texas so that you can recover from your injuries and damages. We’re here to assist you 24/7 and answer your questions regarding auto accidents involving injuries, in cases of all sizes.
Here are a few things you should be aware of regarding your accident:
To learn more about the steps you should take after a car accident, please see What to Do Immediately After a Dallas Car Accident.
If you were in a car accident and were injured in the Dallas area or anywhere in the state of Texas, we are here to help.
Even if you don’t have health insurance our lawyers can help you get medical care.
Our car accident attorneys can help you find the right medical professionals when you are not sure who to see after an accident. We work with highly qualified medical professionals and facilities, so our clients get top notch treatment. By doing so our clients receive two primary benefits:
The car wreck lawyers of Tate Law Offices will provide many other services to you after a car accident, including:
Our clients are very important to us, and we are there for you during and after your case is completed.
If you’re ready to get answers call us now at (972) 499-4813
or any time 24/7 for a free initial case review. Or contact us via chat or our contact form.
The laws covering Texas car accidents provide various types of relief to those injured in vehicle collisions.
Our injury lawyers will gather all of your records: medical, work and others. When necessary, we will consult with economic experts and other experts to seek just compensation for all possible economic and non-economic damages you’ve suffered from your auto accident, including:
If the defendant driver in your car collision case was either grossly negligent or engaged in willful conduct, we may also seek punitive damages (also known as exemplary damages) in order to punish and deter such behavior.
In Dallas-Fort Worth and Texas punitive damages from auto accidents have limits set at the greater of $200,000 or 2X the amount of the economic damages awarded by a jury, with an additional amount equal to non-economic damages up to $750,000.
As an example, in a spinal injury car accident case involving gross negligence, if the jury awards $1.2 million for economic damages and $1 million for non-economic damages. The maximum possible amount for punitive damages is $3,150,000 (2X $1.2 million + $750,000).
Please see our page on wrongful death and survival damages to learn more about the damages sought if you lost a loved one in a car crash.
If you’re ready to get answers call us now (972) 499-4813
or any time 24/7 for a free initial case review. Or contact us via chat or our contact form.
Most of the car accident claims that our lawyers are involved in do not result in a lawsuit because we are able to settle them before a lawsuit is filed. However, if we believe that a lawsuit would be beneficial for you, we will advise you and obtain your permission to file suit in order to maximize compensation.
Dallas and Texas car accident claims include the following steps:
Our lawyers have experience with a wide range of motor vehicle accident cases, including rear-ending, side-impacts, head-on collisions, rollover wrecks and single-car crashes. We know what to look for when investigating each type of wreck.
Our car accident attorneys will work with our investigators and experts to answer the key questions at this stage in your case:
Typically, in a car accident case, we will seek to determine if another party’s negligence caused the crash. Negligence generally means that another person acted (or failed to act) as a reasonable person would under the same or similar circumstances. Negligence in car accidents includes:
However, fault is not always another driver’s error. Your attorney will also consider whether your accident or injuries were caused by:
After we fully investigate your case, we will collect the evidence necessary and file a detailed claim with the insurance company. In most cases, we can settle a case without the need to engage in litigation. However, if the insurance company refuses to pay fair value, we will file a lawsuit to attempt to force them to pay you what we believe your case is worth.
During the lawsuit process, we will work towards a settlement by directly negotiating with insurance company attorneys. If no settlement is reached, we will proceed to trial.
After a settlement is reached or a verdict is obtained on your behalf, we can take steps to collect the amount owed to you, resolve any claims or liens on your recovery by health care providers or others and disburse payment to you. We will not charge you any legal fee or case costs unless we are successful in recovering compensation for your losses.
Please see our Case Results section for examples of cases our law firm has handled that have resulted in substantial recoveries for our clients.
Let one of our personal injury lawyers review your case, explain your legal options, and answer all your questions in a free case evaluation.
You should strongly consider hiring a personal injury lawyer if your case involves any of the following situations:
You sustained severe injuries – If you sustained a serious injury or one that is expected to take a long time for you to recover, it is a good idea to hire an experienced motor vehicle accident lawyer. You may be facing expensive medical bills, prolonged time away from work, and other significant consequences for which you should be compensated. A lawyer can help fight for what is fair. Insurance companies typically do not pay large settlements unless a lawyer is involved.
You became disabled because of the auto accident – If you suffered a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or another disabling injury, do not hesitate to contact us for help. Your case likely involves very significant financial damages. You may also need an expert witness to testify about your projected loss of earning capacity and life care needs.
Liability is unclear – Texas is an at-fault insurance state, meaning that the at-fault party is responsible for paying for the damages they caused by their negligence. If the insurance company claims that their insured did not cause the auto accident or that you contributed in part to the accident, you might need to hire a car accident lawyer and conduct an independent investigation into the motor vehicle accident.
The insurance company denies your claim – It is best not to wait to see if your claim is denied. Even if accepted the amount an insurance company will pay without a lawyer is likely very small. However, if the insurance company has refused to pay for your damages, your only way of receiving compensation for the injuries you sustained may be to hire a lawyer to pursue the case.
To receive the maximum settlement value for your claim, you will need convincing evidence of the following:
Liability – You will need to show that the other driver was negligent. An accident report, video, photos of the vehicle damage, and eyewitness testimony can all help establish this.
Medical records – You will need medical records that clearly connect your injuries to the auto accident. Doctors’ notes, test results, and other medical documentation can help establish this connection. The better qualified the medical doctor the stronger your case will be.
Lost wages – Missing time from work can help indicate that your injury was serious and caused you to suffer financially. Check stubs and documentation from your employer can help prove these damages along with medical records showing you were unable to work.
Pain and mental anguish – proof of your pain and suffering is an important element in collecting top value for your claim.
Physical Impairment – evidence of short and/or long term inability to perform certain tasks.
Other damages – whether it is vehicle repair bills or other various expenses you incurred, all losses should be presented to the insurance company.
Have you ever heard of someone getting a large settlement from an insurance company by representing himself/herself? It virtually never happens. This is because if an insurance company knows it will not be sued it will offer only minimal money on a case or deny it outright. However, once a lawyer is involved, an insurance company evaluates a case based on the likely verdict if the case were to go to court. This usually results in a much larger settlement offer and increases the likelihood of the case settling out of court.
There is no specific formula or rule about how pain and suffering damages should be calculated in Texas. If a case goes to trial, the jury is instructed to determine what amount would fairly compensate the victim for their pain and suffering. In practice, our lawyers work with your medical doctors to show how your injuries (physical and mental) affected you.
It depends on the factors involved in your case. Many insurance claims can be resolved in a few months while others may take longer. Some of the factors that affect the length of your claim include:
Your injuries – We will recommend that you wait until your injuries have fully healed or that you have reached maximum medical improvement before accepting a settlement. This is because we want to know the full value of your medical expenses, as well as the expenses you are likely to incur in the future so that we can fight for full compensation.
The insurance company – Different insurance companies negotiate claims differently. We have experience with almost every insurance company and know what tactics they use.
Whether you have a lawyer – A common tactic that some insurance companies use is to delay making a fair offer of compensation. They hope you will get desperate and accept their offer when they finally dangle a small amount of money. Our team can help hold the insurance company accountable and fight for the maximum amount of compensation you deserve.
Contact Tate Law Offices Today
If you were hurt in a car wreck and would like more information about your legal rights and options, contact Tate Law Offices, P.C. Our car accident law firm is dedicated to helping you secure maximum compensation for your injuries. Our car accident attorneys have extensive experience handling these claims and will fight to protect your rights. We can discuss how we can help during your free case evaluation.
Please read our page about rentals cars and issues related to auto repair after having a car accident: https://www.tatelawoffices.com/car-accident-lawyer/vehicle-damage-rental-cars/
You will want to ask a car accident attorney several questions to assess the breadth of their skillfulness in their ability to produce great outcomes with car accident cases. The length of time a law firm or attorney has been in business will give you an idea of how well they may be able to handle your injury accident. Here are some questions to ask when interviewing the attorneys you are considering for your accident case:
Has the attorney taken several cases to court? What have the outcomes of these cases been? An attorney should be able to offer examples of significant verdicts for car accident cases. Cases similar to yours should be part of a law firm’s history of wins in the courtroom.
Their experience needs to be directly relevant For example, a case involving a large truck, such as a tractor trailer or freight truck is a substantially different in numerous respects than an accident case involving only autos such as cars or sport utility vehicles. The lawyer you choose should have expertise in your specific kind of case.
Is the attorney currently working on cases similar to yours? If the car accident law firm currently has case like yours, it indicates that their business is healthy and they able to handle the costs of taking an auto injury claim to court. Litigating a complex case can require a considerable amount of funds, due to the need for various elements such the court fees, investigation, the hiring of expert witnesses for testimony, producing economic models, accident reconstruction, other forms of evidence and a number of other strategic components utilized to convince a jury that the claims being made are valid and the affects of the injuries will be life-changing if you or a loved on have been seriously injured. Can the attorney handle these expenses?
Has the attorney handled car accident cases in Texas? A qualified car accident attorney will be able to select the best of the available courts in which to litigate your case in Texas or the state you are in.
You should easily be able to find reviews and ratings for the attorneys you are considering. But, you may want to also ask the accident attorney provide references. Also check resources such as Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum to determine if an attorney has handled complex cases.