Midland Car Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured in a car accident caused by a careless driver in Midland, you may be struggling to recover from your injuries and experiencing financial stress. You may be unable to work while unpaid medical bills pile up. You may feel helpless in dealing with an insurance company that is pressing you to take a low settlement that does not cover your losses.

You need a Midland car accident lawyer who can offer trusted guidance based on years of experience. At Tate Law Offices, P.C., our car wreck attorneys focus on assisting crash injury victims and their families in Midland and surrounding areas. We are an established personal injury law firm with a strong record of results.

We represent Midland accident victims in car crash injury cases of all sizes and pursue top-dollar settlements for our clients. Call Tate Law Offices, P.C., for a courtesy consultation. We are available to meet with you at our office in downtown Midland, by phone, at your home or another location convenient to you.

Our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys will review the details of your car accident, answer your questions and discuss your legal options. We understand that you are going through a difficult time and may be experiencing financial stress after a serious accident. The consultation is free. We do not charge a legal fee unless we obtain compensation for you.

How Our Midland Car Accidents Lawyers Can Help

Our Midland auto accident attorneys at Tate Law Offices, P.C., move quickly after a serious crash caused by trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, or any other motorist to preserve evidence and prepare your claim for compensation.

When we handle your case, you can expect us to provide the following services:

Offer a courtesy consultation and case analysis with no obligation
Investigate your car accident carefully and identify all potentially liable parties
Gather evidence to support your car accident injury claim
Identify all insurance policies available that may provide compensation to you
Work with medical care and life care planners to calculate the value of your accident claim
Assist you in obtaining needed medical care for your injuries
Handle all communications with the insurance company on your behalf
Negotiate with insurance adjusters for maximum settlement of your car accident injury claim
Help you get your damaged automobile repaired or replaced, and get a rental car during repairs
Keep you updated on our progress on your case
File a lawsuit if necessary and prepare your case for trial
Stand with you every step of way in the pursuit of justice

The attorneys at Tate Law Offices, P.C., work hard to help our clients rebuild their lives and recover from serious injuries, such as whiplash, caused by the negligence of other drivers. We are focused on results and achieving the best outcome for the client.

Let us answer your questions. Then you can make better-informed decisions about how to proceed.

Types of Compensation You May Seek in a Midland Car Accident Lawsuit

Serious injuries in a car crash may lead to life-altering changes in the lives of accident victims and the victims’ loved ones. Many accident victims find themselves unable to work and facing mounting medical bills.

If your injuries were caused by another driver’s carelessness or disregard for safety, the at-fault driver and their insurance provider should be held accountable for paying your medical bills and other losses. You should not have to carry the burden if your injuries were due to someone else’s carelessness or disregard for safety.

Texas law allows motor vehicle accident victims to seek compensation by filing a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death lawsuit if a family member has been killed. Depending on the specific facts of your car accident, you may be entitled to seek compensation for:

Present and future medical expenses, including hospital bills, doctor visits, rehabilitation, medication and testing
Lost income
Future lost earning capacity if your injuries limit the type of work you can do
Pain and suffering
Physical impairment
Emotional anguish and distress caused by your injuries
Loss of consortium

If the driver who caused your injuries was grossly negligent or engaged in willful conduct, you may also seek punitive damages to punish and deter such behavior. An injury lawyer at Tate Law Offices, P.C., in Midland can analyze your accident and discuss what forms of compensation are appropriate to seek in your case.

File Your Claim Before the Statute of Limitations Expires

Unfortunately, there is a fairly short statute of limitations for personal injury cases in Texas: two years after the date of the accident. Someone who has been severely injured in an accident or is reeling from the loss of a loved one may find it difficult to summon up the will and energy to ask for help, but it is vitally important to call our office as soon as possible after an accident so we can get the claims process underway.

If your personal injury claim isn’t filed within two years of the accident, under Texas law you likely will not be able to receive your well-deserved compensation for the damage and losses you have suffered. Only very narrow exceptions apply. If you have delayed, contact us anyway because sometimes there are legal exceptions to the statute of limitations, and we will do what we can to help you recover.

What Are the Car Accident Laws in Midland, Texas?

Unlike some states, Texas is an “at fault” state. In a “no fault” state, after an accident, the holder of an insurance policy files a claim for damage with their own insurance company, which provides a payment determined by the limits of the policy. In Texas, however, one of the drivers must first be determined to be “at fault” and that person’s insurance company is responsible for covering all of the damages incurred in the accident.

If you are involved in a car crash and the other driver is found to be at fault, usually that driver’s insurance company will quickly offer you a cash settlement. Do not accept this offer before consulting an attorney. These offers are often ridiculously small in comparison to the amount of compensation you are actually entitled to receive.

How Is Fault Determined in Midland Car Accidents?

In Texas, assigning fault is accomplished by looking at what happened during an accident and determining if anyone violated the traffic laws, failed to use common sense, was being negligent, or was acting with reckless disregard for the safety of others. If the other party contests the assignment of fault, a jury may be asked to look at the evidence and determine who is at fault.

Factors weighed when assigning fault include:

Did the other driver fail to use reasonable care to ensure your safety?
Were the driver’s actions the primary cause of your injuries and damages?
Were your injuries and damages a foreseeable consequence of the driver’s actions?

There are several steps you can take immediately after a car accident that can reduce your risk of being found at fault in an accident:

Call the police immediately and cooperate fully with them when they arrive. The initial police report can play a vital role in determining who is at fault. Of course, if it is possible that anyone has been injured in the accident, call 911 to summon medical help first, and then call the police. It is a really good idea to save your local police department’s non-emergency number in your contact list in your phone, just in case.
Do not apologize to the other drivers or try to explain to them what happened. Do not get angry with the other drivers or ask them what happened. Do not try to quiz bystanders about what they saw.
Take pictures. Take photographs of the accident from many different angles. Photograph the general surroundings to put the accident in context.
Collect information. Collect insurance and identification information from anyone you can — other drivers, passengers, and bystanders. Your lawyer may need to contact these individuals and take statements from them that will be used in court to determine who was at fault.
Get a medical exam as soon as possible. Even if you don’t feel injured at the time, some conditions such as whiplash, minor concussions, or hematomas may only manifest hours to days after the accident.

What Is Negligence in a Midland Car Crash?

Drivers in Texas have a legal responsibility to drive with reasonable caution to avoid endangering others on the roads.

When a Midland driver fails to uphold their legal duty to drive responsibly and causes a serious accident by speeding, driving drunk, or being inattentive, for example, then the at-fault driver may be found to be negligent.

If a driver is found to be at fault in a collision, the driver may be liable for compensating others for their injuries through their insurance.

You may still be eligible to seek compensation for your injuries even if you were partially responsible for causing the accident.

When liability is shared in a car accident, the relative share of fault of each driver can affect how much you can recover. Texas law allows you to seek compensation as long as you are not 51% or more responsible for the accident.

In accidents involving shared fault, you can expect the other driver’s insurer to try to shift more of the blame to you to reduce their liability. You will need a determined lawyer standing up for you and protecting your interests in this situation. If you try to handle the claim yourself, you may be at a disadvantage and be taken advantage of by the insurers.

An insurance company may offer you a quick settlement that is a fraction of the actual value of your accident claim. The experienced Midland injury attorneys at Tate Law Offices, P.C., make it our mission to seek top-dollar settlements for our clients. We will fight to protect your interests and use our experience to prevent an insurance company from taking advantage of you.

How Will Auto Insurance Policies Affect Your Midland Car Accident Claim?

Texas law requires that people who drive in Texas pay for the accidents and injuries they cause. The amount of compensation that you can recover for your injuries and other losses after a crash in Midland or anywhere in Midland County may depend on the amount of insurance coverage available when you make an insurance claim or pursue an injury lawsuit.

The at-fault driver’s liability policy — All drivers are required to carry auto liability insurance in case they cause an accident and injure others. Many drivers carry only the required minimum amounts of liability coverage.

The basic insurance package is referred to as 30/60/25 coverage. This coverage includes:

$30,000 for bodily injury per person
$60,000 for bodily injury per accident
$25,000 for property damage per accident

The at-fault driver’s liability policy pays for your medical bills, lost wages, car repair costs, compensation for pain and suffering, and car rental while your car is in the shop for repair. If the injuries that you and your passengers sustained are serious, the at-fault driver’s insurance may not be enough to cover all the expenses.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) — If the other driver does not have any insurance or does not have enough insurance to cover all the losses, your own UM/UIM coverage may pay a portion of your losses that exceed the limits of the at-fault driver’s insurance. Uninsured motorist insurance also covers accidents involving hit-and-run drivers who flee the scene and are not identified.
Other insurance policies — The at-fault driver may be on the job at the time of the accident, and his or her employer’s insurance may provide coverage for your injuries. Your own medical payments coverage may help pay your medical bills for you and your passengers regardless of who caused the accident. If the other driver’s insurance is insufficient and your injuries are significant, we can investigate whether your own insurance policies provide some additional financial help.

Regardless of the policies involved, you can expect that the insurance company will try to minimize any amount it pays to settle the claim.

It is important to work with an experienced Midland car accident lawyer who deals with insurance companies regularly, understands auto policies and is committed to seeking maximum compensation for you.

Common Types of Car Crashes and Related Injuries in Midland

Some of the most common types of car crashes in Midland, Texas include:

Rear end collisions. These accidents may cause only minimal vehicle damage at low speed, but they often result in injuries to the occupants of the cars, such as whiplash, ligament strains, and back injuries.
Singe car accidents. In these accidents, a car collides with a stationary object such as a telephone pole, or rolls over without striking anything. Although at first glance you’d think a single-car accident was entirely due to the actions of the driver of the car that crashed, in many of these accidents the driver of the car that crashed was taking evasive action to avoid being hit by someone engaging in reckless or negligent driving. Injuries to occupants of the crashed vehicle can be quite severe since the crash is similar to a head-on collision. In some of these cases, a car forced off the road by a reckless driver will experience a roll-over, which is a very violent event that can result in fatalities and permanently disabling injuries.
T-bones. In a T-bone, one car hits the side of another car, which typically forms a “T” shape. These collisions usually occur at intersections and are a predictable consequence of a reckless driver running a stop sign or a red light. These types of accidents often end up killing or severely injuring passengers in the vehicle that is struck.
Head-on collisions. A high-speed head-on collision is generally agreed to be the worst type of accident possible. Head-on collisions are a consequence of serious negligence and recklessness by the driver causing the collision. These crashes frequently lead to deaths and permanently disabling injuries, and both cars involved in the crash are usually totaled.

It is common for people involved in a car crash to suffer damage to their chest from the seat belt and air bags, including serious bruising, broken ribs, and sometimes injuries to the internal organs. Being violently thrown around in the immediate aftermath of the accident can cause neck and spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, cuts and lacerations, and penetrating wounds, among others.

Contact Our Midland Car Accident Attorneys Today

When the attorneys at Tate Law Offices, P.C., handle your auto accident injury case, you will have legal representation from lawyers who have been recognized for the ethical, professional and compassionate service they offer clients.

Attorney Tim Tate has twice been listed as one of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” by D Magazine. He holds a perfect 10.0 Superb rating from AVVO. Tim and attorney Chris Rehmet are lifetime members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, where both lawyers have been honored as being among the “Top Trial Lawyers in America™.” Fellow attorneys Claire Tate Rehmet and Bart Smith have achieved numerous injury settlements on behalf of our clients. The firm also has an “A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau.

We appreciate the recognition of our achievements on behalf of clients. But it is client satisfaction that means the most to us. When we take a case, we make our “10 Promises to You.” We pledge to give your injury case personal attention and to be available to answer your questions.

Take the first step on the road to recovery by calling us or contacting us online today. We look forward to meeting you and explaining how we can help.