Houston Personal Injury Attorneys

Steps to Take Following a Personal Injury Accident

When you suffer any injuries in an accident due to another person’s careless or negligent behavior, you should take immediate legal action. It’s vital that you don’t wait long before initiating the process of seeking compensation from the at-fault party. The longer you wait, the less likely it is that you’ll be able to locate relevant evidence or recoup your costs.

The first step you should take is seeking medical treatment for your injury. Even if it’s minor, you need to see your doctor for an evaluation and diagnosis. If your injury is severe, you should go to the hospital after leaving the accident scene. If your physician recommends follow-up care, listen to their orders. Undergo imaging tests, surgery, physical therapy, or whatever other form of treatment they believe is necessary for you to heal.

Hire a Houston personal injury attorney shortly after the accident. There’s a strict deadline that dictates when you must file a lawsuit. You might think you have enough time to prepare a case and pursue compensation from an insurance settlement. However, the claim could take years to resolve, and if you end up receiving a denial letter and need to file a lawsuit, time could have run out by then.

Maintain all records related to the accident. That might include doctor bills, chiropractor notes, surgical reports, X-ray results, prescriptions, and other similar documents. If you were in a motor vehicle accident, you should also keep copies of repair estimates and pictures of the damage to your car. If you receive letters from the insurance company, don’t dispose of them. You should also maintain any correspondence you have between parties involved in the accident.

There are also things you should never do after an accident. Making an error could result in a dismissed lawsuit or denied insurance claim. Be sure to avoid these pitfalls that await accident victims:

• Don’t admit fault for the accident. You might think you’re being forthcoming by acknowledging that your actions could have contributed to your injuries. However, that could work against you and result in less compensation than you deserve. Proportionate responsibility diminishes a plaintiff’s monetary award by the percentage of fault they share. If a jury determines you were partly to blame for the accident, they could reduce the amount of compensation you receive.
• Don’t post anything on your social media accounts. Many people enjoy sharing their lives with others on Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms. Unfortunately, the insurance company or defense attorneys can see anything you post on a public account. They can try to find evidence that proves your injury isn’t real or as serious as you claimed.
• Don’t allow gaps in treatment. If you’re attending regularly scheduled appointments to treat your injury, don’t allow significant periods of time to pass between appointments. If you need physical therapy, you should stick to the schedule your doctor recommends. If too much time passes in between appointments or you don’t attend your initial appointment until weeks after the accident, it could indicate to the insurance company that your injury is probably minor and doesn’t require much compensation.
• Don’t talk to the at-fault party’s insurance company. The insurance adjuster handling your claim might call you to discuss the accident. You should never speak to them under any circumstances. Their goal isn’t to offer a large settlement to you. They want to save money by avoiding substantial payouts. They’re likely calling you to obtain information they can use to diminish the value of your case or deny your claim altogether. If someone from the insurance company contacts you, give them your lawyer’s number.
• Don’t sign anything. You should never sign documents you receive during your ongoing case without consulting your Houston personal injury attorney first. Insurance companies will send the injured victim authorization forms to sign so that they can request copies of records from their doctors. However, if you sign this authorization, they could request records for treatment dates well before the accident and try to find a valid argument to tie your injury to a preexisting condition or previous accident.
• Don’t blow off the independent medical examination (IME). An IME is often an appointment required by the insurance company to confirm the injury you have. The doctor they send you to will evaluate your condition and determine whether they agree with your original physician’s diagnosis. If you skip this appointment, you could end up with a denied insurance claim.
• Don’t handle your case without an attorney. Studies have shown that people who seek legal representation are likely to receive more money than those who choose to pursue the case on their own. If you don’t know your rights or specific statutes associated with your case, the insurance adjuster could take advantage of that and give you a lowball offer. You might decide to take it without realizing you deserve higher compensation.

Lowenberg Law Firm fights for accident victims in Houston. We are ready to go to battle for you against the negligent individual responsible for your injuries. Contact us today for your free initial consultation.

Cases Lowenberg Law Firm Can Take

Our Houston personal injury attorneys take great care in preparing our clients’ cases. We understand the importance of recovering the money you’re owed so you can pay your medical bills and avoid out-of-pocket expenses. We have the necessary experience to handle various personal injury cases, big or small, and put forth the same amount of effort in attempting to meet an accident victim’s needs regardless of the size of the case.

The most common personal injury cases we take are:

• Car accidents – Car accidents can lead to severe injuries and death. Speeding is one of the most common factors associated with fatal crashes. When someone travels at high speeds, a collision can cause more destruction and physical harm than accidents involving low speeds. In 2019, 8,746 drivers involved in deadly accidents were speeding at the time of the crash.
• Motorcycle accidents – Motorcyclists don’t have their own lane to use that’s separate from cars and trucks. They must share the road with other drivers and can’t do much to avoid a collision if someone else behaves recklessly. Motorcycle riders and their passengers tend to sustain more debilitating injuries in accidents than the occupants of passenger vehicles.
• Pedestrian accidents – If you’re involved in an accident while you’re walking across the street, through a parking lot, or on the sidewalk, your risk of injury and death increases. If a motor vehicle comes barreling towards them, pedestrians don’t have any protective gear to keep them safe from harm. Pedestrian fatalities occur at high rates than those of vehicular occupants. In 2019, 6,205 pedestrians died in traffic-related accidents.
• Wrongful death – When a person’s negligence leads to an accident that causes someone’s death, the surviving family members can file a claim to recover compensation for their losses.
• Truck accidents – Crashes involving commercial trucks are typically more catastrophic than accidents involving two small cars. A large, heavy truck colliding with a passenger car often injures the occupants of the smaller vehicle more than the truck driver.
• Bicycle accidents – Bicyclists face just as many dangers as motorcyclists and pedestrians. Some people wear a bicycle helmet, but it can’t protect them entirely from severe trauma to the head or body when they collide with a motor vehicle.
• Rideshare accidents – Rideshare services are popular in big cities like Houston. They’re a convenient and affordable option for commuting to work or traveling long distances. Unfortunately, a rideshare driver’s error can put the passenger in harm’s way.
• Maritime accidents – Working offshore on an oil rig or another type of vessel is inherently dangerous. Various scenarios can arise that lead to accidents causing injuries to workers.
• Bus accidents – Public transportation is a necessary part of many people’s lives. They rely on buses to go about their daily routine and tend to their responsibilities. Whether you’re a passenger on the bus or in another vehicle, you can suffer injuries from the bus driver’s negligent actions.

The Houston personal injury attorneys of Lowenberg Law Firm can help you hold the at-fault party accountable for their misconduct. We will be your advocate and remain in your corner from start to finish of your case. No matter what challenges we face, you can depend on us to rise to the occasion and find a way to overcome them to get you on the road to recovery.