Personal Injury Lawyer in The Woodlands, TX
Accidents happen – but there is no need to cover your own expenses if someone else caused them. With help from a legal professional, you can prove that someone else’s negligence led to your accident. Not only does this hold them accountable for the harm they have caused, but it also allows you to pursue compensation. You can use your compensation to cover medical bills, missed wages, emotional distress, and other damages.
If you lost a loved one to a fatal accident, a personal injury lawyer in The Woodlands, TX can even help you pay for a proper funeral. How exactly does a personal injury lawsuit work? Do you have to go to court? How much is your case worth? These are all questions you can ask during your first consultation at Hernandez Law Firm.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me?
The Woodlands has a population ranging of approximately 120,000 people, making it one of the largest urban areas in the United States. It is home to various corporate campuses and is a busy location during rush hour.
Personal injury lawyers serve the population of The Woodlands, giving them access to local legal services after accidents. Thanks to personal injury lawyers, virtually anyone can file a lawsuit against a negligent party for causing their injuries. A contingency fee system allows even the lowest-income individuals to consider legal action. Under this type of payment system, plaintiffs only pay if they win their injury lawsuits. If the lawsuit is unsuccessful, no payment is necessary. With this access to legal services, average citizens can hold even the most major corporations accountable for the harm they cause to the community.
What Kinds of Services Does a Lawyer Provide?
Personal injury lawyers in The Woodlands, TX, provide various services:
- Consultations: First, they offer consultations to prospective clients. During these initial meetings, clients can discuss their unique situations and determine the most appropriate course of action. Lawyers listen carefully, offer advice, and let you know whether a lawsuit is even worth the effort. If they agree to take your case, they can guide you through the next steps.
- Negotiations: These next steps include filing the lawsuit, gathering evidence, negotiating with insurers, and representing you in court if necessary. Most civil cases end with settlements outside of court. To finalize these settlements, parties negotiate with each other in private. Lawyers ensure that plaintiffs walk away from negotiations with their fair share.
- Litigation: Although most civil cases never reach this stage, sometimes litigation is necessary. In this situation, both parties have a chance to argue their case in front of a judge. Your lawyer can present evidence and testimony on your behalf. They can also make opening and closing statements to convince the jury that you deserve compensation. Even if the trial ends without compensation, your lawyer can appeal the decision and continue fighting for your rights.
When Can I Sue Someone for Causing My Injuries in Texas?
You can hold a company or an individual liable for causing or contributing to your injuries in Texas. If you want to file a personal injury lawsuit, you must establish negligence. In Texas, there are four key elements to consider when establishing negligence:
Did They Owe You a Duty of Care?
The first step is to consider whether the person who caused your accident owed you a duty of care. Only certain people owe you a duty of care, which means that they are somewhat responsible for your safety. Other people may not owe you any duty of care whatsoever. The classic example is a motorist driving down the road, and this individual should avoid hitting pedestrians and other vehicles at all costs.
Did They Breach Their Duty of Care?
The next step is to determine whether the person did anything wrong. Did they commit some kind of traffic violation? Did they drink before driving? Did they fail to properly maintain their vehicle? All of these are examples of breaches. Your personal injury lawyer in The Woodlands, TX can help you prove that these breaches occurred. Some breaches are easier to prove than others. For example, a surveillance camera might show someone running a red light – but how can you tell if they were texting while driving? Your lawyer may be able to gain access to cellphone records to prove this type of breach.
Did This Breach Cause Your Injuries?
Someone might have breached their duty of care, but this breach may not have caused your injuries. Causation is an important element of negligence, and you must establish it if you want to pursue compensation. In other words, you need to show that the injury would not have happened if the other person had not done something wrong. For example, you might show that a grocery store owner let a banana peel sit on the floor for hours without bothering to clean it up. This negligence might have directly caused your injuries. However, there might be no proximate cause if you slipped in a different aisle with no banana peel.
Are Your Injuries Legitimate?
The last step is to show that your injuries are real. If you did not suffer any real injuries, you cannot pursue compensation. Even minor injuries like whiplash or bruises may satisfy this requirement. The most important thing to remember is that only legitimate medical records can establish the existence of injuries. You cannot simply show up to court and show off your bruises. You must visit a doctor after your accident and receive real treatment.
What Are Some Examples of Personal Injury Lawsuits in The Woodlands, TX?
There are many potential examples of personal injury lawsuits in The Woodlands, TX. Here are a few possibilities:
- Auto Accident Lawsuits: If you were injured in a Texas car accident, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the motorist responsible. In some cases, numerous motorists might share fault for your injuries. Car insurance is mandatory for drivers in Texas, and an insurance company may need to cover your damages.
- Bicycle Accident Lawsuits: If you were injured by a negligent party while riding your bike in Texas, you may sue. Car insurance may also cover your damages in this situation.
- Motorcycle Accident Lawsuits: A motorcycle accident can lead to compensation for injured plaintiffs in Texas. If you can prove that someone else caused your motorcycle accident, you should be able to cover your missed wages, medical expenses, and emotional distress.
- Pedestrian Accident Lawsuits: Those struck by negligent motorists while walking in The Woodlands should be able to pursue compensation. Even in the event of a hit-and-run, a personal injury lawyer can help you cover your damages.
- Truck Accident Lawsuits: If your accident was caused by a semi-truck, you can sue the trucking company in addition to the driver. This can provide a more streamlined pathway toward compensation, as trucking companies typically have access to considerable assets and comprehensive insurance policies.
- Slip and Fall Lawsuits: A slip and fall lawsuit is a type of premises liability case. If a property owner or business creates a hazardous environment, you can sue them for any resulting injuries. If you slipped and fell, you can file a claim to recover compensation.
- Negligent Security Lawsuits: Another example of a premise liability lawsuit is “negligent security.” In these cases, plaintiffs sue property owners and companies for failing to establish proper security plans. Plaintiffs injured by negligent security often point out that property owners became aware of security issues and did nothing to address them.
- Dog Bite Lawsuits: A dog bite lawsuit is a straightforward type of injury claim. If you were injured by a violent dog, you can hold the owner liable.
- Product Liability Lawsuits: Product manufacturers and designers owe consumers a duty of care. If you were injured by a defective or malfunctioning product, you can sue the company responsible for these defects. This is known as a product liability lawsuit.
Suing for Traumatic Brain Injuries
Also known as a “TBI,” a traumatic brain injury can be one of the most life-altering consequences of a serious accident. Patients may struggle with a range of physical and psychological health challenges after TBIs. Some of the long-term consequences of these challenges may not be immediately clear, and they may take years to fully manifest. This is why it’s so important to pursue fair compensation for TBIs.
A personal injury lawyer in The Woodlands, TX can help you prove the existence of this invisible injury. Some symptoms – such as personality changes – are almost impossible to detect for the casual observer. Long-term brain damage can become worse in the years following a TBI, so it often makes sense to wait until maximum medical improvement (MMI) before pursuing full compensation.
A TBI can lead to both economic and non-economic damages. Aside from lost wages and medical bills, you can also pursue compensation for emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and many other psychological issues. TBIs can occur in virtually any type of accident, but they are particularly common after car accidents or slips and falls.
Suing for Fractures
A fracture can cause you to miss months of work, and this type of injury can be expensive to treat. They may also lead to additional complications, such as infections. Some fractures do not heal properly, leading to permanent disfigurements and disabilities. You might suffer a fracture after a particularly bad car accident. Lower-extremity fractures are quite common in pedestrian accidents. Many cyclists and motorcyclists also suffer fractures to their legs after accidents.
Hip fractures can be especially problematic among elderly people. A slip and fall can easily lead to a broken pelvis, and this injury often proves to be life-altering. An elderly person may never walk again after a serious hip fracture – and they may spend the rest of their days confined to a hospital bed or a wheelchair. This type of fracture also has a high infection rate. It may cost tens of thousands of dollars to properly treat even a relatively minor fracture.
Suing for Whiplash
Whiplash is one of the most common car accident injuries in The Woodlands, TX. The name of this injury stems from the whiplike motion of the neck after a sudden, jolting impact from another vehicle. Rapid deceleration or acceleration causes the neck ligaments to crack like a whip, injuring soft tissue and putting your neck out of alignment.
Although doctors typically see this injury as light or moderate, it can lead to legitimate discomfort, pain, and economic losses. A high-earning employee might lose a few thousand dollars after missing just three days of work in The Woodlands, TX. Chiropractor and physiotherapy appointments may also be expensive. Before you dismiss the possibility of a whiplash injury claim in The Woodlands, do the math and calculate your total losses. A personal injury lawyer can help you cover these damages – ensuring you don’t pay a single dollar out of your pocket.
Book a Consultation at Hernandez Law Firm Today
An online search only gets you so far. If you are serious about taking legal action, it is time to take your first step toward justice. Book a consultation with Hernandez Law Firm today by calling (936) 256-3115. During your first meeting with us, you can discuss your unique priorities and needs alongside experienced personal injury attorneys in The Woodlands, TX. These lawyers can listen carefully to your specific situation and recommend the most appropriate course of action. From there, you can focus on healing while your lawyers handle the heavy lifting.
We Also Serve The Following Areas:
- Cypress
- Humble
- Spring
- Conroe
- Montgomery
- Shenandoah
- Township
- Tomball
Total Est. Time: 7 min
Total Est. Distance: 3.2 miles
- Head northeast on Lake Woodlands Dr
- Make a U-turn
- Turn left onto Grogans Mill Rd
- Turn right onto S Millbend Dr
- Turn left
- Turn right