Suffering a serious injury can be devastating and life-changing. When your injuries occur at the hands of another, it’s essential to seek legal representation. A serious injury attorney can provide qualified advice and guidance for your case and represent your best interests to help you obtain the best possible case result.
You may wonder when you should consult with a lawyer for serious injuries in Texas. If any of the following scenarios apply to you, it would be best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
When Your Injuries Are Severe or Long-Lasting
When you suffer severe injuries, you may be entitled to receive compensation. Some examples of common catastrophic injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Severe burns
- Neck injuries
- Internal injuries, including bleeding and organ damage
- Injuries resulting in amputations
Unfortunately, with many serious injuries, you’re left to face long-term consequences. Depending on your injuries, you may deal with cognitive issues, paralysis, nerve damage, and many other negative, far-reaching impacts on your physical and mental health and well-being.
When Someone Else’s Negligence Caused Your Injury
If you’ve suffered a serious injury, understanding the cause is key. Depending on the cause of your injury, you may have the right to hold another party accountable for their wrongful actions.
Many injury cases rest upon a theory of negligence. When a party is negligent, it means they have failed to act in a way that another party would have acted under similar circumstances.
To prove negligence, you must satisfy the necessary elements, including:
- Duty
- Breach
- Causation
- Damages
Establishing liability is one of the most challenging parts of an injury claim. A serious injury attorney can take the right steps to prove another party’s negligence, including obtaining pertinent evidence to substantiate your claims.
When Insurance Companies Are Lowballing Your Claim
Many injury cases involve insurance companies. For example, if you suffer severe injuries in a trucking accident, you would generally have to deal with the insurance company for the responsible party, like the trucking company.
Insurance companies are not keen on approving claims and paying out what an injured victim’s case is worth, especially if substantial injuries are involved. Serious injury cases typically involve high damages payouts — and insurers will do everything to try to minimize your injuries and pay you much less than your claim is worth.
The insurance company may send you a settlement offer, but it likely won’t even be close to covering your injuries and losses. You can try to negotiate back and forth for a greater settlement, but your efforts may prove futile. Simply put, insurance companies are tough to deal with.
When an insurer insists on lowballing your claim, a serious injury attorney can step in and take over. You can feel confident knowing a skilled attorney can negotiate for a better settlement and do everything necessary to get you a beneficial case result.
Factors That Can Influence a Serious Injury Case
Many details have an impact on your serious injury case, including how much compensation you’re entitled to receive and how difficult it may be to obtain it. These factors typically include:
- What and who caused your injuries
- The severity of your injuries
- Whether your injuries have affected your ability to earn a living
- The total cost of your medical treatment
- Whether you’ll need medical care in the future
- How much evidence is available
- Insurance policy limits
- Whether your injuries were a result of negligent or intentional actions
During your case, your serious injury attorney can review these factors and any additional relevant details to determine how they’ll influence your case and work to minimize any potential negative effects they could have on your claim.
Frequently Asked Questions About Serious Injury Cases
How Are Catastrophic Injury Cases Different From Other Injury Claims?
Due to the serious nature of catastrophic injuries, these cases often require greater effort to obtain compensation and involve a more substantial battle with insurance companies.
Severe injuries regularly need more medical attention, especially when they result in lasting physical harm. Medical treatment is costly, which means you’ll need a larger settlement to cover the losses arising from your accident and injuries.
A serious injury attorney has the specific skills to handle these large, stressful cases. They know how much these cases differ from traditional injury claims and what to do to get you the case result you deserve.
How Does Hiring an Attorney Benefit My Catastrophic Injury Case?
Serious injury cases involve a range of critical tasks and require ample attention to detail. Among the many things your injury attorney handles on your behalf, they will:
- Conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of your injuries
- Calculate your losses to determine the value of your case
- Determine who’s at fault for your injuries and establish liability
- Request and obtain relevant evidence to strengthen your claim
- Engage in back-and-forth negotiations with insurance companies
- Represent you in court, if your case makes it to trial
When you hire a knowledgeable injury lawyer, you’ll get the peace of mind of knowing your case is in the most capable hands. An attorney can give you the best possible chance of recovering the compensation you need after sustaining significant injuries.
When Should I Schedule a Consultation With a Serious Injury Lawyer?
If you or a loved one has suffered severe injuries, it’s best to consult with a serious injury lawyer as soon as you can. Time is limited to take action and hold the responsible party accountable for their wrongful actions in Texas. The sooner you hire an attorney, the better it could be for your case.
High-Quality Representation for Your Serious Injury Case
When you sustain substantial injuries and need legal representation, turn to the seasoned team at Dunn Sheehan. Our Dallas attorneys have extensive litigation experience and a proven track record of unsurpassed client service.
Contact our firm today to request your consultation.