Personal Injury

If you are injured in a car accident in Texas, or if you hurt someone else or their property, you may soon find yourself in the market for a personal injury attorney.

The Insurance Myth

Despite the fact that you pay insurance premiums exactly so that your insurance company will take care of you if you're in an auto accident, ironically your insurance company might not be your best friend if this happens. This is especially true if blame is unclear or if you might be at fault.

A personal injury attorney can protect your interests until the situation becomes clearer. And, an attorney can ensure you are not victimized by someone else's attorney.

If you are injured, you will have to prove (even to your own insurance company) the extent of your injuries, the necessity of medical care or therapy, and your other losses (such as time off of work). It is to your insurer's advantage to minimize all these costs. A personal injury attorney can help even out the playing field between you, your insurance company, the other party or parties' insurance companies, and their lawyers.

Latent Medical Issues

Personal injury lawyers are especially useful in the case of soft-tissue damage which, unlike broken bones, doesn't show up instantly and clearly on X-rays. Although these injuries can be debilitating and chronic if not properly cared for―and sometimes even if they are―many insurance companies (and even some doctors) will suspect fraud if there is reported pain but no incontrovertible proof of injury.

In addition, these types of injuries may not manifest until 24 to 72 hours after an accident, or even longer―and you might have already told your insurance adjuster that you are OK. That's why it's better to avoid asserting "I'm OK" right after the incident. "I don't know" is a better answer, as well as being more truthful. Most people are jolted by an acccident and some will even be in a mild state of shock; this is not the time to be doing self-analysis on your injuries.

The Attorney Advantage

Even insurance companies often admit that clients with attorneys receive larger settlements and better care than clients without them. It's natural and good business practice that insurers want to settle as many claims as possible as cheaply as possible. The person without a lawyer will almost invariably be offered less. Usually a personal injury attorney who specializes in these types of cases will know better than you what is fair for your situation.

If in doubt, contact a few personal injury attorneys and see what they have to say about your particular situation. Many will give you a free initial consultation.