If you or a loved one need help, contact Houston car accident lawyer Steve Lee. We handle all kinds of vehicle accidents and are ready to listen to your story. Our team can guide you through filing insurance claims or personal injury lawsuits, helping you recover what you deserve. Call us today for a free consultation.
Types of Car Accidents
There are many types of car accidents you might experience in Harris County, and each of them can cause serious injuries. When someone else drove recklessly or a construction company caused poor road conditions, you need a skilled Houston car accident attorney to manage your case for the best outcome.
Attorneys Steve Lee and Sam Lee understand the nuances of each kind of car crash, including:
- Head-on collision: These crashes are rare but often the most serious and can cause fatalities. Two vehicles collide nose to nose, or a single vehicle may slam into a stationary object. Proving fault in these accidents can be challenging.
- Hit-and-run accident: Drivers who leave the scene of an accident can be criminally charged and face civil lawsuits from those they injured. An experienced car accident lawyer can work with the police to identify the person and bring them to justice.
- Multi-car pileup: In heavy traffic, it only takes one mistake or careless act to cause many vehicles to smash into one another, creating a multi-car crash. Determining liability in these collisions is very difficult, especially if you obeyed the law but were pushed into another car.
- Rear-end collision: This kind of crash often happens in stop-and-go heavy traffic or at intersections when drivers turn left. Getting rear-ended because someone failed to see your brake lights can cause whiplash, concussions, and other injuries.
- Rollover accident: Larger vehicles, such as trucks, SUVs, and RVs, can easily roll over onto their sides or roofs if they are t-boned or drive off the road onto a steep shoulder. Passengers inside can be injured by flying objects or thrown around – and even ejected – if they are not wearing seatbelts.
- T-bone collision: Frequently occurring in intersections when a driver is making a left turn or runs a stop signal, these crashes can cause serious injuries. When the nose of one car collides with the side of another, victims can be pinned in the vehicle or killed instantly.
While you concentrate on healing, your Houston car accident lawyer can sort out who is to blame and how the accident happened. We often see negligence due to driver inattention, drowsy driving, drunk driving, speeding, and failure to obey traffic laws.
When there is a fatality from a car accident, the survivors may have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim against those responsible. Your car accident lawyer in Houston can build a case for your family and include all the damages they have suffered, including funeral expenses, medical bills, and grief.
Understanding Car Accident Lawsuits in Texas
The first step in managing a car accident in Texas is to file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance policy. This leads to the most frustrating part of the claims process: negotiating a fair settlement for your injuries and damages. Fortunately, when you hire an accomplished auto accident attorney, you can leave those headaches to them.
Steve Lee and his team have over four decades of experience pushing back against unfair insurance tactics to ensure clients get the financial relief they need. We can collect evidence such as the police report, photos, witness statements, and expert testimony to support your demands in a claim or lawsuit. We also hire reconstruction specialists to recreate what happened and produce a technical accident report to show liability.
Working with an experienced car accident lawyer also pays off when the insurance company does not meet our demands in negotiation. Our team prepares for the courtroom from the beginning, allowing us to quickly file a personal injury lawsuit to secure the maximum compensation for your damages. By yourself, you may have only a few photos and the crash report to back up your claim. With Steven M. Lee PC, you have a powerful case and a dedicated team of aggressive legal representatives.
Who is At Fault in a Houston Car Accident?
Remember that Texas is an at-fault state for car insurance. Drivers who cause injury in a Houston auto accident must pay for the damages from their policy coverage. If their limits are exhausted, and the policy does not provide enough for your bills, you have the right to sue the at-fault driver for negligence and recover full compensation.
Texas also allows for modified comparative negligence, meaning multiple parties can be found at fault. This can backfire if you were speeding and contributed to the crash. However, if you are found 51% or less responsible for the accident, you can still seek compensation from the negligent driver. Your settlement or jury award will be reduced by the same percentage as your fault. For example, 20% fault means 20% less in compensation.
A large part of personal injury law is determining who is at fault and minimizing the client’s appearance of negligence. Your car accident attorney will present evidence, including testimony from law enforcement officers, to show how the other party is at-fault and owes you damages. They will protect your legal rights and financial interests throughout your case.
While a driver who breaks the law may be held responsible by the police department, it is up to you and your car accident lawyer to hold them accountable for how they harmed you. This involves establishing a direct link between their carelessness and your injuries, plus presenting proof of your losses, including pain and suffering.
Car Accident Claims and Settlement Offers
Filing an insurance claim seems easy, but remember that these companies are looking to reduce their payouts so they can increase their profits. They are not on your side and will use any technique possible to minimize or refuse your insurance claim. They will make low ball offers, hoping you jump at the chance to get a payment and close the claim.
Steve Lee knows that you could have extensive medical bills and other costs that must be included. Many injury symptoms take time to appear, such as chronic pain, anxiety, or disability. Rushing your claim could leave you paying out of pocket for expenses that should have been reimbursed by the liable party.
Common expenses we see that must be included in a client’s insurance claim include:
- Medical expenses, including ER, ICU, and surgical costs
- Physical therapy
- Travel for medical care
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Anxiety and depression
- PTSD
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disability, scarring, or disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
Every case is unique, and your losses may be different. Your Houston car accident lawyer at our firm can evaluate your case during your free consultation and help you find expenses related to your serious injury that you might overlook. You must seek every penny of damage you have suffered due to the negligence and wrongful actions of the liable party.
Texas Car Accident Statute of Limitations: Your Time to File a Car Accident Case is Limited
Healing from a serious car accident in Houston can take a long time. However, time is not on your side when you need to file your car accident case. Texas law provides a very short statute of limitations. You have only two years to find an attorney, build your case, and file the claim or lawsuit according to the required legal process.
If you miss the deadline, you could lose your chance to seek compensation through the courts. At Steven M. Lee PC, we will not allow that to happen. Our experienced legal team will go to work immediately, building the strongest case possible and ensuring your paperwork is filed correctly and on time.
Contact the Houston Car Accident Lawyers at Steven M. Lee, PC to Schedule Your Free Consultation Today
When you are facing the legal and insurance complexities that follow a Houston car crash, you need to focus your energy on getting better. Instead of fighting with insurance companies for the settlement you need, contact Steven M. Lee, PC to schedule a free consultation. We know you will have other bills you are worried about, so we work to minimize your costs from the beginning.
We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you can get quality legal representation without paying an upfront retainer. We negotiate a percentage of your settlement to cover our fees, and you pay nothing until and unless we obtain a settlement for you.
Do not wait any longer to begin your claim. Contact us for a free case evaluation today.