Midland Car Accident Lawyer

Put Over 150 Years of Combined Experience on Your Side

When you’ve been injured in a car crash, our Midland, TX car accident attorneys may be able to get you compensation. Devastating car accidents caused by negligence cause thousands of injuries and deaths in Texas every year. They result in billions of dollars in medical costs and other financial losses.

Accidents can leave individuals and families financially devastated, in addition to causing pain and emotional suffering. Don’t pay the monetary price because of another driver’s careless or reckless behavior.

Our car accident lawyers in Midland are experienced professionals with a history of taking on car accident cases and winning. Once we review all the facts of your case, we’ll advise you as to whether you may have a legal claim against the party that hit you.

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Common Types of Car Accidents

A car accident refers to a collision involving one or more vehicles. These accidents can vary in severity and may result in damage to vehicles, injuries, or even fatalities. Car accidents can occur due to various reasons, including human error, adverse weather conditions, mechanical failures, or road hazards.

Common types of car accidents include:

• Rear-End Collisions: These occur when one vehicle hits the back of another. They often happen in situations where the following driver fails to maintain a safe following distance.
• Head-On Collisions: This type involves the front ends of two vehicles colliding. Head-on collisions are often severe and can result in serious injuries or fatalities.
• Side-Impact Collisions (T-Bone): This occurs when the front of one vehicle collides with the side of another. Intersections are common locations for side-impact collisions.
• Single-Vehicle Accidents: These accidents involve only one vehicle and can result from factors such as driver error, adverse weather conditions, or road hazards.
• Multi-Vehicle Pileups: These accidents involve three or more vehicles and often occur on highways or in situations with reduced visibility, such as fog or heavy rain.
• Roll-Over Accidents: A roll-over happens when a vehicle tips onto its side or roof. This can occur due to high-speed turns, collisions, or other factors.
• Hit and Run Accidents: In these cases, a driver involved in an accident leaves the scene without stopping to identify themselves or provide assistance.
• Parking Lot Accidents: These typically involve low-speed collisions and occur in parking lots. Common scenarios include fender benders while backing out of parking spaces.
• Intersection Accidents: Accidents that occur at intersections due to factors like failure to yield, running red lights, or misjudging the right of way.

Common Causes of Negligent Car Crashes

National and state data show that some of the most common reasons crashes happen are:

• Distracted drivers. Texting and other cell phone use is a major cause of distracted driving accidents. Drivers who eat in their cars, apply makeup, shave and otherwise take their attention from the road may also cause crashes.
• Drunk or drugged drivers. Over a quarter of all traffic deaths in the country annually are caused by drunk and drugged drivers.
• Reckless drivers. Speeding, tailgating and other aggressive driving behaviors cause many traffic accidents.
• Fatigued drivers. When drivers are tired, their reaction times may slow or they may even fall asleep behind the wheel and strike other vehicles.
• Poor roadways and weather conditions also contribute to accidents, including roads with potholes and other damage, and icy and snowy roads.

You deserve financial justice when you’ve been injured. After all, if the other driver or entity hadn’t been careless, your life wouldn’t have been turned upside down. No matter how your accident happened and who caused it, we will work to hold the at-fault party accountable. Get reliable legal help when you need it most.

Texas Car Accident Laws

Texas follows a "fault" or "at-fault" system for car accidents. This means that the party at fault for the accident is responsible for covering the damages.

To succeed in a car accident claim in Texas, you generally need to establish several key elements. Keep in mind that laws can be complex, and consulting with a legal professional is crucial for guidance tailored to your specific case.

However, here are common elements you may need to prove:

1. Duty of Care: You must demonstrate that the at-fault party owed you a duty of care. In car accident cases, all drivers have a duty to operate their vehicles safely and follow traffic laws.
2. Breach of Duty: You need to show that the at-fault party breached their duty of care. This could involve actions such as speeding, running a red light, or any other behavior that violates traffic laws.
3. Causation: Establish a direct link between the at-fault party's breach of duty and the injuries or damages you suffered. You must demonstrate that the breach of duty was a proximate cause of the accident.
4. Damages: Provide evidence of the damages you incurred due to the accident. Damages may include medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other related costs.

Remember, Texas also applies a modified comparative fault rule. This means that if you are found partially at fault for the accident, your compensation may be reduced proportionally. However, if you are determined to be more than 50% at fault, you may not be eligible for compensation.

State law requires drivers to report accidents that result in injury, death, or property damage exceeding $1,000 to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) within ten days.

The statute of limitations is generally two years from the date of the accident. Failing to file within this timeframe may result in losing the right to seek compensation.

Texas Car Accident Statistics

Each year, nearly 16,000 people sustain serious injuries in Texas from motor vehicle accidents. Approximately 3,600 are killed. This is according to the most recent numbers from the Texas Department of Transportation. In Midland County, where about 5,500 crashes occur each year, hundreds are injured and dozens killed.

The annual cost of crash-related deaths in the state is nearly $5 billion, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show. Costs of non-fatal injuries make that figure even higher. As this data shows, if you’ve been seriously injured in a car crash, you’re facing the possibility of paying a high financial price.

This price is in addition to the physical and mental toll of your accident. If your accident was caused by a negligent driver, you shouldn’t have to bear the cost of their careless behavior. Our skilled Midland, Texas car accident attorney will work to prove liability and get you the compensation you need to pay for the damages you’ve experienced.

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What Should You Do After a Car Accident?

Following a car crash in Midland, TX you will file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. For minor accidents, handling this process yourself may make sense, but when injuries are involved, it’s smart to have the help of a skillful car accident attorney.

Attorneys who handle car accident cases understand how to negotiate with aggressive insurance companies. Big insurers don’t like to give up money if they can avoid it. They may offer you a low settlement to quickly end your case and make you go away. Or they may try to avoid paying you anything, and because they employ high-priced attorneys to help them, they may be successful.

By having our experienced car accident attorney on your side, you’ll have a much better chance of getting all the money to which you are entitled. And when our negotiations with insurers aren’t successful, we are fully prepared to stand up for our clients in the courtroom to try and ensure they get the damages they need for all they’ve been through.

Call our law firm at (432) 220-3331 when you’ve been injured in a Midland, TX car accident. Our car accident attorneys are here to help innocent victims get the compensation they deserve.

What Are Damages in a Car Accident Injury Claim?

Damages are the losses that you ask for in a legal claim.

Basic damages that are often claimed in car accident cases in serious injury accidents include payment for:

• Medical expenses, including doctor bills, hospital costs, physical therapy, over-the-counter and prescription drugs and medical devices and equipment
• Wages you’ve lost when you couldn’t work due to your injuries
• Reduced work capacity if you can’t work anymore or can only work part-time or in a lower paying job
• Pain and suffering for chronic pain and emotional trauma
• Scarring, burns and disfigurement that cause pain and anxiety
• Depression and other mental impacts
• Punitive damages meant to punish at-fault parties for egregious negligence.

Damages in Wrongful Death Claims

When someone dies due to a motor vehicle accident caused by negligence, their family members may wish to bring a wrongful death claim. A wrongful death claim is much like a car accident injury claim except that family members bring the claim on behalf of the deceased person.

We know that no amount of money can ever make up for losing your loved one. But it can help reduce the financial consequences of their death and lessen your stress and worry about making ends meet. It can also serve to bring some justice for your lost family member.

Who is Eligible to File a Wrongful Death Claim After a Car Accident?

Spouses, children and parents of people who die in negligent car accidents can bring wrongful death claims.

Damages you may be able to ask for, depending on the circumstances, include:

• Funeral and burial costs
• Medical expenses from the accident
• Pain and suffering of the deceased
• Lost earnings if the person who died was a provider
• Lost inheritance
• Lost love, support and companionship.

Who Can Be Held Liable in Car Accident Cases?

Other drivers are most often at fault for injuries and death in negligent car accident cases. But sometimes other parties may also be responsible.

Others who may be named in personal injury and wrongful death car accident claims, depending on the circumstances include:

• Trucking companies that employ drivers. Semi-truck crashes are common in the Midland area. Drivers involved in crashes may have been under great pressure by their employers to work harder and faster, resulting in fatigue and accidents. Sometimes trucks are not properly maintained by trucking companies, or trailers are overloaded or improperly loaded, which can result in deadly wrecks.
• Makers of defective auto parts that malfunction, such as brakes that fail, airbags that don’t deploy or electrical system problems that cause sudden fires. Vehicle manufacturers may also be to blame.
• If you were driving on work-related business in a company vehicle, your employer might share fault if the vehicle wasn’t properly serviced or maintained and that contributed to your accident.
• Government and government-contractor agencies that are responsible for designing, maintaining and repairing roadways may also be held liable if their actions or lack of actions result in injury accidents.
• Construction companies that don’t have proper safety precautions in place while working on roads and highways, resulting in dangerous conditions.

These are some examples of how other parties besides drivers may also be liable. In some cases, more than one party can be named in a legal claim.

Our Midland, TX, car accident lawyer from Hanna Allen will examine the losses you’ve suffered because of your injuries or your family member’s death and advise you about damages you can claim. The sooner you speak with one of our skilled attorneys the sooner we can begin working to relieve your financial anxiety by holding liable parties accountable.

Call Our Midland TX Law Office Today For Your Free Consultation

Time Limits for Filing Car Accident Lawsuits

In Texas, the time limit for filing car accident lawsuits is two years from the date of injury or death. There are many exceptions to this time limit, so always speak directly with our Midland car accident lawyer to learn about deadlines in your case.

Reach Out to Our Car Accident Lawyer in Midland, TX, for Help

You have recourse when you’ve been harmed in a crash that wasn’t your fault. When you reach out to our law firm, we’ll learn all the facts of your case and describe your possible options for going forward with a legal claim. Our attorneys can relieve the stress of dealing with insurance companies and help ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. We can also counsel you throughout the entire process of filing a lawsuit if negotiations are unsuccessful. Don’t try to go it alone when you’ve been seriously injured or lost a family member in a car accident. Our Midland car accident lawyers will look out for your best interests and work to maximize your compensation. Call us today at (432) 220-3331 to schedule a free consultation.