For the unfortunate victims of personal injury cases, it is unlikely their lives will ever be the same again. Broken bones, sprains, and even paralysis are all common injuries, and the mental trauma caused by the accident may never heal.

The emotional and physical stress of these injuries can be overwhelming, further magnified by the financial stress of medical bills and missed work. A personal injury claim can help victims to regain control of their situation and seek justice and compensation for their damages. Although compensation can never undo your injuries, it can provide you financial security that allows you access to high-standard healthcare and support.

Abraham Watkins’s personal injury lawyers proudly represent victims of personal injuries in Channelview, Texas, and fight aggressively to secure the best settlements possible for victims and their families. We are one of the longest-serving law firms in the state, having been established for more than seven decades. Over this time we have garnered a stellar reputation and a wealth of experience that gives us an advantage when it comes to securing positive outcomes for our clients.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of someone else’s negligence, contact us for a free consultation with a personal injury attorney to discuss how a claim can help you on your road to recovery. Call Abraham Watkins at 713-535-9319.

Types of Personal Injuries

A personal injury has the potential to cause a prolonged and sometimes permanent impact on a victim’s life and well-being. Injuries can be caused by any dangerous act or situation. Common situations that result in personal injuries include assaults, unsafe workspaces, hazardous construction sites, negligent behavior, inadequate safety equipment, and car accidents.

  • Back Injuries – Back injuries are common, especially after a car accident or a slip and fall. Even relatively minor back injuries can have a huge impact on the victim’s quality of life and can cause long-lasting damage.
  • Internal Injuries – Internal bleeding requires immediate medical attention, which is why we suggest that victims of a personal injury seek medical attention quickly, even if they feel ok. Serious injuries could be masked by adrenaline and must be treated quickly.
  • Burns – Burns are common in workplace accidents and in car accidents that result in fire. Severe burns could leave permanent scarring that can seriously affect a victim’s confidence and quality of life.
  • Fractures and Broken Bones – Broken bones are common injuries and often result in time away from work and expensive medical bills.
  • Neck Injuries and Whiplash – Whiplash is especially common after a car accident. Whiplash can range in severity, and for some unfortunate people, it can cause long-lasting damage.
  • Soft Tissue Injuries – Bruising, strains, and sprains might sound like minor injuries. However, they can cause damage to muscles, ligaments, and tendons, which can be painful and long-lasting.
  • Traumatic Brain Injuries – A traumatic brain injury often results from a violent blow or jolt to the head or body or the penetration of an object that goes through brain tissue. While victims could recover from mild TBIs, more serious cases result in brain damage and a long-term impact on a victim’s quality of life.
  • Spinal Cord Injuries – Spinal cord injuries result from damage to the vertebrae, disks, or ligaments of the spinal column and could result in full or partial paralysis. These claims result in extensive medical bills and pain and suffering. The spine does not repair like much of the body, meaning this damage is usually permanent.
  • Loss of a Limb – The loss of a limb is often life-changing and has a serious impact on the way you live your life and your ability to be independent.
  • Scarring and Disfigurement – Severe scarring and disfigurement, such as severe burns, may require ongoing and painful treatment, and it is essential that victims are properly compensated.

Implications of a Personal Injury

Beyond the physical implications, personal injuries can have further consequences and impacts on your way of life. These include lost wages and earning potential for a household, a loss of quality of life, depression, pain and suffering, and post-traumatic stress. 

In addition, a severe injury is likely to generate substantial medical bills, including the cost of the immediate treatment and any other medical attention required for recovery, such as physical therapy or counseling. This can place victims under significant financial hardship on top of everything else they are managing because of their injuries.

Common Causes of Personal Injury in Texas

Many people suffer personal injuries as a result of negligence or misconduct. Injuries can occur in the workplace, in car accidents, or offshore. Common causes of personal injuries in Texas include: 

  • Motor vehicle accidents, particularly with large motor vehicles such as trucks, or where an individual was less protected, such as in pedestrian or motorcycle accidents;
  • Falls can result in serious injury, often in businesses, public places, or residential areas.
  • Product malfunctions or defective products; 
  • Contact with toxic or hazardous substances; 
  • Entrapment between large objects, such as machinery or vehicles; and 
  • Electrocutions.

Although a catastrophic injury could occur in any setting, workers in specific industries are more at risk. Construction, factory, manufacturing, and roofing workers are often at higher risk of injury, alongside workers in the oil and gas and commercial fishing industries. 

Who Is Responsible for My Injuries?

A full investigation would be required to definitively determine and prove who is liable for any catastrophic injuries. Often the party who displayed negligence or misconduct would be at least partly responsible for the injuries you sustained. 

For example, a reckless truck driver driving under the influence may be responsible, or an employer who failed to put the necessary health and safety precautions in place to protect their employees. Other examples include if a medical professional behaved negligently that caused injury or if an employer didn’t provide their employees with the appropriate personal protective equipment. 

Possibly more than one individual or organization could be responsible for your injuries. An attorney will conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances of your injuries to determine liability. This will include investigating the event that caused your injury, if any duty of care or safety protocol was breached, what happened immediately after the incident and when your injuries were diagnosed. 

Could I File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

All victims whose lives have been impacted by an injury that wasn’t their fault have a right to file a personal injury claim. Personal injury claims allow the victim to seek compensation and recover their damages, and can grant them a sense of justice for their suffering. 

In addition to giving victims a sense of justice for what has happened to them, a claim can also contribute to making the community safer by highlighting the responsible parties and misconduct that lead to your injuries.

What Compensation Could I Receive? 

Victims can recover compensation for damages they have suffered because of their injuries. Damages covered by compensation in catastrophic injury cases include: 

  • Medical bills and future medical expenses; 
  • Therapy and counseling; 
  • Additional costs such as transport to medical appointments;
  • Adjustments to your home because of your injuries;
  • Loss of wages and future earnings;
  • Emotional distress and trauma;
  • Loss of life enjoyment;
  • Pain and suffering, post-traumatic stress, and depression; and 
  • Punitive damages, to punish the responsible party for their wrongdoing. 

Am I Entitled to Compensation If I Lost a Family Member?

Losing a family member or friend because of injury caused by negligence is most people’s worst nightmare. If you have lost a loved one or family member because of a catastrophic injury that led to death, you may be able to file a wrongful death claim. 

A wrongful death claim can be filed by a person’s family members, friends, or associates if they have experienced financial or other losses resulting from the death. Family members, loved ones, and associates can seek compensation to cover the losses they have suffered following the individual’s death. These losses could include tangible losses such as loss of income to a household, funeral costs, and medical bills, and intangible losses such as pain and suffering and loss of companionship. 

Our Channelview personal injury lawyers understand the delicate nature of wrongful death claims. We will fight tirelessly on your behalf to secure the compensation you deserve.

Do I Need a Channelview, TX Personal Injury Attorney to File a Claim?

Although making a personal injury claim is possible without a lawyer, legal representation is recommended. Personal injury settlements often include large amounts of compensation, which the companies you are claiming against will usually fight aggressively to avoid paying. Large businesses and insurance companies typically have skilled legal teams dedicated to contesting personal injury claims, and a compensation claim for a catastrophic injury will get even more attention due to the potential for a large payout.

If you have suffered a personal injury or have lost a loved one, you could be particularly vulnerable to the aggressive negotiations of large corporations. The workload involved in a claim can also be burdensome. Without a lawyer, this can be a lot to manage on top of your injuries or loss. 

To succeed in winning the settlement you deserve, you will have to prove negligence. This can be challenging and involves the collection of evidence alongside an in-depth understanding of personal injury law. An attorney will have the knowledge and resources to build the strongest case possible, negotiate settlements, and secure a positive outcome for you and your family.

Maximizing Your Chances of Success after an Accident

After an accident that wasn’t your fault, there are things that you should and shouldn’t do in order to maximize your chances of success. However, your first priority should always be your health and safety and the health and safety of those around you.

Don’ts

Never Apologize or Admit Fault in Any Way, Shape, or Form

For some of us, our natural instinct after an accident is to apologize. However, you should not apologize, admit fault in any way, or say that you feel ok, as it could affect your claim for compensation.

Most personal injury accidents happen quickly, and you may not have all the information available to you right away. So even if you think you should be partially to blame, it is important to hold off on that judgment until you have spoken to a personal injury lawyer. In Texas, even if you are partially to blame, you could still be owed compensation, but you do not want to give the other party any ammunition against you.

Never Accept a Quick Settlement Offer Before Speaking with an Attorney

One common tactic that insurance companies use to reduce the amount they pay victims is to offer them a quick settlement. If they believe you have a valid claim, then they may offer you a settlement that seems attractive but is actually much less than what your case is actually worth. Once you accept a settlement, you give up your right to fight for more, and so insurance companies can save themselves huge amounts of money by using this tactic.

Never Allow an Insurance Company to Record Your Conversation

The less compensation insurance companies are made to pay out to victims, the higher their profit. Therefore, insurance companies hire aggressive and highly experienced legal teams to reduce their liability.

One particularly underhanded method is to get you to admit fault in some way or to downplay the severity of your injuries while recording your call.

If you are contacted by an insurance company, then you should inform them that you do not want your call recorded and that they should liaise with your attorney. Once you have legal representation, they will take over all conversations with the insurance companies involved in your case.

Delay in Speaking to a Channelview, TX Personal Injury Attorney

It is common for victims to avoid contacting a personal injury lawyer because they are worried about the cost. At Abraham Watkins, we work on a contingency fee basis, which means that we are only paid if your claim is successful. If you do not win compensation, we will not charge anything, and you will not be left out of pocket.

The sooner you contact us, the better, as we will get to work quickly to protect evidence and take over negotiations with insurance companies.

Do’s

Prioritize Your Safety

After a personal injury, you should prioritize your own safety above all else. That means checking yourself for injuries and, if you are able to, moving away from any potential dangers.

Only after you have checked in with yourself can you then look to any other victims to see if you are able to help them. If they are severely injured, then you should not move them and wait for paramedics to arrive.

Call Emergency Services

If anyone needs medical assistance, then you should call an ambulance as soon as possible. You may also need to call the police to the scene. For example, if you were in a car accident and someone has suffered a personal injury, or there is serious property damage, then you are legally obligated to phone the police.

Emergency services will help to mitigate any potential dangers and will also file reports which could become integral pieces of evidence in your claim.

Collect Evidence and Speak to Witnesses

If you are seriously injured, then you should skip this step. However, if you are able to, collecting evidence could help your attorney establish liability in your case.

Take photos of the scene and your injuries, and collect information from anyone else involved in the incident, including any witnesses.

We also advise people to write down a description of what happened soon after the accident took place. It is common for memories to become hazy after a traumatic accident, and having a written account of what happened could help your attorney to establish the facts of your case.

Seek Medical Attention

If you were not given a medical examination by paramedics at the scene of the accident, then you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. This ensures that you do not have any hidden injuries that you could otherwise unknowingly make worse.

A medical examination is also an essential piece of evidence in your claim. It helps to establish the injuries you suffered occurred as a result of the accident.

Contact Abraham Watkins for a Free Consultation

If you have been a victim of a personal injury case, we want to hear from you. Our team offers free consultations with a Channelview personal injury lawyer to discuss your personal injury case and the types of compensation that you could expect. 

What if I am Partially to Blame for the Accident?

In Texas, you can claim compensation for an accident, even if you were partially at fault. Texas operates under a comparative negligence system which means that so long as you were less than 50% at fault for the accident, you can claim compensation. However, your settlement will be reduced by the amount that you are found to be at fault.

For example, if you were in a trucking accident and the truck driver was texting while driving, but you were speeding, then you may be found to be 20% at fault for the accident. If your claim is worth $100,000, then your settlement would be reduced by 20%, and you would receive $80,000.

Insurance companies may try to reduce how much they owe you by claiming that you were more at fault than you actually were. Your personal injury lawyer will help protect you by ensuring that you are not assigned fault unfairly.

Deadline to Claim Compensation After a Personal Injury

After an accident that wasn’t your fault, you have just two years to make a claim. This is known as the statute of limitations, and after this time has passed, you will usually lose your right to claim. However, in exceptional circumstances, such as if your injuries were not apparent until some time after the accident, you may be granted more time.

Personal Injury Lawyer Channelview, TX FAQs

How Long Does it Take to Recover Compensation?

How long it takes to recover your compensation will depend upon its complexity, how clear the liability is, and the skill and reputation of your attorney. Some cases may be settled in a matter of months, while others could take a year or more.

What Are the Chances My Case Will Go to Trial?

Most personal injury cases do not go to court. This is because court cases are expensive and time-consuming, and it is not usually in either party’s best interest. However, it is essential you have an attorney who has trial experience and is willing to go to trial. Insurance adjusters know which attorneys are willing to go to trial and which are not, and this can have a big impact on how much they are willing to offer you.

Is Compensation Guaranteed?

No attorney should ever claim that compensation is guaranteed. However, they may be able to tell you whether they believe you have a strong claim to compensation based on the details of your individual case.

How Much Will Legal Representation Cost Me?

At Abraham Watkins, we work on a contingency fee basis. That means that we are paid as a percentage of your settlement if it is successful. If not, we will not be paid anything. That way, you can never be left out of pocket.

It is also important to consider that most victims who have experienced representation for a personal injury claim end up with a higher amount of compensation even after legal fees are considered than those who don’t. This is thanks to the skills, experience, and resources that an attorney can offer.

Why Choose Abraham Watkins Personal Injury Attorneys?

Abraham Watkins is a compassionate personal injury law firm with a team of highly skilled attorneys ready to fight for the compensation you deserve. We are highly experienced in personal injury cases and know what it takes to secure a fair settlement from large corporations. 

Abraham Watkins is one of the longest-serving law firms in the state, having been established for over 70 years. In that time, we have built up a strong reputation which means that insurance defense lawyers are more likely to offer our clients a fair settlement without pushing a case to court and ending up with high court fees to pay. That being said, we are also skilled litigators and will advocate fiercely on your behalf in the courtroom if necessary.

Contact A Personal Injury Lawyer in Channelview, Texas Today

In all our cases, our Channelview, TX, personal injury lawyers fight to secure maximum compensation for our Texas clients. Even more so, we understand the importance of maximum compensation in personal injury cases. We know that our clients’ lives may never be the same following the incident, and we will passionately fight to ensure they receive justice and a fair settlement for their suffering. 

Time is of the essence with catastrophic injury cases. As soon as you feel ready, contact a Abraham Watkins personal injury lawyer, to begin legal recourse. We will guide you through every step of the process and do all the hard work for you so you can focus on your recovery. 

To begin your journey to compensation for your suffering, contact us to schedule a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your options at 713-535-9319.

Free Consultation

We offer a free consultation to prospective clients. If you have been injured and wish to speak to one of our attorneys in a no-cost consultation, please call us at (713) 222-7211. or toll free at 713-222-7211

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