What Types of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?
Personal injury law is also referred to as tort law. A tort is an omission or action that causes harm or injury to another person. Tort law covers a wide variety of claims involving injuries to a person.
Types of cases a Houston personal injury lawyer at Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers handle include:
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Slip and Fall Accidents
Slips, trips, and falls are the most common types of premises liability claims. Premises liability refers to the duty of care a property owner has to maintain safe premises for guests and invitees. When a property owner fails in the duty of care, a person injured on the property may be entitled to compensation for damages.
Car Accidents
A car accident case could involve a minor fender bender, or it could involve a multi-vehicle interstate accident. The injuries caused by car crashes depend on numerous factors. In most cases, the cause of the car wreck is preventable.
Common types of car accidents include:
- Head-on crashes
- Rear-end accidents
- Side-impact or T-Bone accidents
- Rollover accidents
- Multi-vehicle accidents
- Intersection crashes
- Highway and interstate accident
Before you can recover any compensation for an injury claim, you must prove that the other driver caused the crash. If you cannot prove negligence, you cannot recover compensation for damages.
Dog Bites and Animal Attacks
Dog bites and animal attacks can cause traumatic injuries, including disfigurement, lacerations, puncture wounds, soft tissue damage, nerve damage, traumatic brain injuries, and life-threatening infections. A victim may require reconstructive surgery or plastic surgery.
Dog owners can be held liable for the damages and injuries caused by dog bites.
Texas dog bite laws require you to prove:
- The animal had an unusual ability to do harm
- The dog owner was aware of this ability before the attack
- The dog’s ability to cause was the direct and proximate cause of your injuries
In addition to physical injuries, a dog bite can cause severe anxiety and PTSD. Children may sustain long-term psychological injuries because of an animal attack.
Commercial Truck Accidents
This type of motor vehicle accident can cause significant harm to the victims in the other vehicles. In 2018, 71 percent of the traffic deaths involving large trucks were people in other vehicles. That same year, 72 percent of the people injured in truck accidents were people in other vehicles.
Insurance companies aggressively fight truck accident claims because the value of the damages tends to be very high. Many truck accident victims sustain permanent disabilities that require ongoing personal care and medical care. In some cases, the victims may never work again, which means they seek compensation for a lifetime of earnings.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcyclists have little protection from the impact of a crash with another motor vehicle. The rider may be thrown from the motorcycle or crushed between two vehicles. The potential for traumatic brain injuries, loss of limbs, spinal cord injuries, and other catastrophic injuries is high.
Many insurance companies try to use the untrue and false stereotype of motorcyclists being reckless drivers to shift the blame for the accident to the rider. Our motorcycle accident attorneys are aware of the tactic and vigorously fight to protect motorcyclists’ rights to fair compensation.
Medical Malpractice
Physicians, nurses, hospitals, and other medical providers owe a duty of care to their patients to provide medical care that meets or exceeds the acceptable standard of care for a given situation. Medical negligence and medical errors result in catastrophic harm to patients.
The health care provider responsible for the negligence or wrongdoing can be held liable for damages under medical malpractice laws. Depending on the facts of the case, more than one party could be liable for damages.
Wrongful Death Claims
A wrongful death is a death caused by the negligence or wrongdoing of another party. That party can be financially liable for the family’s damages because of the loss of a family member.
The surviving spouse, children, and parents have the right to file a wrongful death action. If they fail to file a claim within three months of the person’s death, the deceased’s estate can file a claim on behalf of the heirs. The estate distributes the proceeds from the lawsuit according to the person’s will or Texas intestate laws.
Pedestrian Accidents
The number of pedestrian deaths was the highest it had been in 30 years during 2019. Texas had the third-highest number of pedestrian fatalities in 2019, with 313 deaths. Pedestrians who survive being hit by a vehicle often sustain permanent impairments from the accident.
An insurance company may try to say the pedestrian contributed to the cause of the accident by failing to obey pedestrian traffic laws. If this happens to you, call an accident lawyer immediately. You need to discuss how to fight unfounded claims designed to avoid paying you fair compensation for your injuries.
Nursing Home Injuries
Sadly, nursing home abuse and neglect are more common than many people believe. Residents are often unable or unwilling to speak up. The abusers count on their fear, physical health, and cognitive conditions to keep them quiet.
If you believe your loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing home, contact an attorney for help. For cases involving the risk of imminent harm, call 911 for help.
Product Liability Claims
Designers, manufacturers, and distributors of consumer goods, medical devices, and medications have a duty to provide safe products. When products are defective or lack adequate instructions and warnings, people can sustain injuries and harm.
Product liability claims can be complicated. You must prove the legal elements of product liability to recover compensation for damages. Our legal team has the resources necessary to hire experts and conduct investigations to prove that another party is responsible for your injuries and damages.
Damages Available for a Personal Injury Claim
If another party causes you harm, that party is legally responsible for your injuries and damages. Texas injury laws provide a process for filing a legal action to seek compensation by filing a personal injury claim in civil court.
The types of damages available for a personal injury claim include, but are not limited to:
- Medical expenses and medical bills
- The cost of in-home health care, personal care, and long-term care
- Loss of benefits, salaries, wages, and other income
- Decreases in future earning potential
- Permanent disabilities and impairments
- Pain and suffering damages, including physical discomfort, mental trauma, and emotional distress
- Decrease in quality of life and loss of enjoyment of life
An injury victim seeks compensation for their financial losses and non-economic damages. When you accept a settlement offer, you give up your right to pursue additional claims for compensation. If you are unsure of your personal injury claim’s value, talk to an injury lawyer before you sign any documents for the insurance company.
Call Our Houston Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Contact our law firm today to schedule your free consultation with a Houston personal injury attorney. You are under no obligation to hire a personal injury lawyer after meeting with one of our attorneys. Get the legal advice you need about personal injury cases and your legal rights. Contact our Houston personal injury lawyers near you, or call us at (713) 500-5000.
