Stafford Car Accident Lawyers
A serious car accident can leave victims in crippling pain. The medical costs and lost income related to a crash can be substantial.
The Stafford car accident attorneys at Pines & Goldenzweig, PLLC are ready to assist you if you’ve been injured in a crash caused by someone else’s negligence. Our lawyers have over 30 years of combined experience. We can take care of your personal injury claim while you recover, and you won’t owe us any fees until we help you receive compensation for your injuries.
For more information, get a free initial consultation today.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
Some of the most common causes of car accidents are:
- Impaired driving: Despite the efforts of government agencies and safety advocates, drivers who use alcohol or drugs before getting behind the wheel continue to be a significant safety problem. Impaired drivers have a harder time keeping control of their vehicles, recognizing potential dangers, and avoiding crashes.
- Driver fatigue: Driver fatigue is a major issue on the roads. Severely fatigued drivers will experience a range of harmful symptoms, such as decreased reaction times, impaired judgment, and a greater chance of falling asleep while driving.
- Distracted driving: As smartphones have become more popular and cars come equipped with more sophisticated technology options, distracted driving has become a growing safety hazard across the country. Drivers who don’t have their hands and eyes on the road or aren’t paying attention to what they’re doing are much more likely to be involved in a crash.
- Speeding: Speeding is one of the most common and dangerous poor driving behaviors. Drivers who speed will have a harder time stopping or maneuvering to avoid a crash in the event of a sudden hazard. Furthermore, cars hit with more force the faster they’re moving, so speeding drivers tend to inflict greater injuries in car accidents.
- Reckless or aggressive driving: Aside from speeding, many other dangerous or reckless driving behaviors can make accidents more likely. These include drivers failing to stop or yield the right-of-way when required, weaving through traffic, unsafe or aggressive lane changes and merges, failing to use a turn signal, following too closely, or making sudden stops.
- Mechanical defects: If a car’s brakes, steering system, tires, engine, transmission, or other critical components fail at the wrong moment, a driver may not be able to avoid a crash.
- Poor road conditions: Badly worn surfaces, potholes, sand or gravel on the roads, a lack of proper signage, and other examples of poor road conditions can all make it harder for drivers to avoid an accident.
- Bad weather: If there’s rain, ice, fog, wind, or other foul weather, a driver may have a more challenging time seeing a traffic hazard and slowing down or turning safely, making an accident more likely.
Types of Car Accidents
Many kinds of car accidents can happen, such as:
- Head-on collisions
- Rear-end collisions
- Sideswipe collisions
- T-bone collisions
- Failure-to-yield collisions
- Left-turn collisions
- Crashes with pedestrians
- Crashes with cyclists
- Crashes with stationary objects
- Crashes with tractor-trailers and other large trucks
What Are the Most Common Car Accident Injuries?
Depending on the speed of the collision, the impact angle, and other factors, car accidents can leave victims with significant injuries, including:
- Severe cuts and bruises
- Broken bones
- Damage to muscles and connective tissues
- Road rash
- Burns
- Internal bleeding
- Damage to internal injuries
- Back injuries, including ruptured discs
- Neck injuries, including whiplash
- Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis
- External head injuries
- Disfigurement of the face or body
- Crushed or amputated limbs
- Traumatic brain injuries
Texas Statute of Limitations on Car Accidents
If you want to recover compensation for your injuries after a car accident, you need to file a lawsuit before the deadline set by Texas’ statute of limitations on personal injury claims. This law says you have two years from the date of an accident to file a lawsuit against the liable party. If you miss this deadline, you’ll be unable to claim compensation for your injuries.
Proving Negligence or Fault in an Auto Accident Case
To claim any compensation for your injuries after a car accident, you’ll need to prove the other driver or another party was negligent in some way and that their negligence directly contributed to your injuries. Essentially, you’ll need to establish the liable party fell short of their legal duty to avoid hurting you.
Some evidence that’s commonly used in car accident claims includes things like:
- Information from police accident reports
- Photos or video from the accident scene
- Medical records
- Eyewitness accounts
- Analysis from accident reconstruction teams
The more evidence you have, the stronger your case will be. However, critical evidence can disappear or deteriorate quickly after a crash, so be sure to talk to a lawyer as soon as you can.
What to Do After a Car Accident
Once you’ve called 911 to bring police and medical personnel to the scene, here are the main steps you need to take after a car accident:
- Take pictures of the accident scene and damage to the vehicles
- Get names, insurance information, driver’s license numbers, and contact information for other drivers involved in the crash
- Get names and contact information from any eyewitnesses
- See your own doctor as soon as you can if you aren’t taken to a hospital from the crash scene
- Hold on to all your medical records, pay stubs, and other documents related to the crash
- Don’t talk to any insurance companies
- Avoid posting on social media about the accident
- Hire a car accident lawyer
Get Help from Our Experienced Attorneys
To pursue the compensation you need after a serious crash, talk to an experienced Stafford car accident lawyer right away.
Contact Pines & Goldenzweig, PLLC now for a free initial consultation.
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Services Offered in English and Spanish
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Personal Approach and Strategy for Every Case
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Direct Communication with Your Attorney
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We Answer Calls Day or Night, 365 Days a Year
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Client Satisfaction Is of Utmost Importance
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Nearly 4 Decades of Combined Experience
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is negligence?
“Negligence” refers to careless, reckless, or wrongful (including unlawful) behavior. Often, this type of behavior leads to serious accidents, injuries, and even deaths. Some examples of negligence include someone who runs a red light because they were texting while driving, a shop owner who fails to put out a “wet floor” sign after an employee mops up a spill, or a dog owner who allows their dangerous dog to roam free and unleashed in a public park.
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How do I know if I have a case?
You likely have a personal injury case if you were injured and suffered measurable damages—such as medical bills or pain and suffering—due to the careless, reckless, negligent, or wrongful conduct of another person or party. In other words, if someone else is to blame for your injuries, you could have grounds for a personal injury claim. The best way to know whether you have a case is to contact an attorney at our firm for a free consultation. During this initial meeting, we can go over the details of your situation and provide personalized counsel tailored to your circumstances.
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How much is my personal injury case worth?
The exact value of your personal injury case depends on a variety of factors. Some of these factors include the severity of your injuries, the extent of your damages, whether you had to take time off work to recover, how much time you had to take off work, whether your injuries resulted in a disability, and your degree of fault (if any) in causing the event that led to your injuries. It is not possible for any attorney to estimate the value of your claim without first reviewing the specific details involved. We encourage you to reach out to our Houston personal injury attorneys at Pines & Goldenzweig, PLLC to request a complimentary case review.
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Will I have to go to court?
Not all personal injury cases go to court. In fact, many settle in pre-trial litigation or as a result of your attorney’s negotiations with the insurance company. However, if the liable party refuses to play fair, you want an attorney who is not only willing but also has the experience needed to aggressively represent you at trial. At Pines & Goldenzweig, PLLC, we will prepare you for what to expect with your case, including whether or not you may need to go to court.
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How long do I have to file a lawsuit?
In most cases, there is a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits in Texas (surrounding states may have different laws). This means that you typically have just two years from the date of injury to bring your claim in court. Sometimes, when an injury is not discovered right away, the statute of limitations will be deferred to two years from the date on which the injury was discovered or reasonably could have been discovered.
There are some exceptions to this two-year deadline, but they are rare. We encourage you to act quickly after an accident or injury to avoid losing your right to seek compensation for your damages. If the statute of limitations expires, the court will almost certainly dismiss your case. Even if you think it might be too late, reach out to Pines & Goldenzweig, PLLC to discuss your legal options.
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Nearly Four Decades of Experience Advocating for the injured
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